The Rookie season 7 has all the hallmarks of a crime drama, from villains who pop up in more than one episode to a smart and quick-thinking team dedicated to their jobs. The Rookie, which stars Nathan Fillion as a middle-aged rookie LAPD officer named John Nolan, is a lighter take on this type of show, and every episode features jokes and banter along with serious cases.
Fillion has been a fixture on several TV shows, including Firefly and Castle, and fans always look forward to seeing more of his smart character with a corny sense of humor on The Rookie. So, what time does The Rookie season 7, episode 16 air, and what is it about?
How To Watch The Rookie Season 7, Episode 16, “The Return”
Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) on The Rookie
The Rookie season 7, episode 16, “The Return,” will air on ABC on Tuesday April 29th, 2025 at 9 p.m. E.T. Since every episode premieres on Hulu the next day, fans can stream The Rookie season 7, episode 16 on Hulu on Wednesday, April 30th, 2025.
The official episode description reads:
“The team has mixed feelings when a familiar face returns hoping to prove himself; an influencer gets his fans to come after Wesley; Tim supports Lucy as she prepares for the sergeant’s exam.”
While the previous episode, The Rookie season 7, episode 15, “A Deadly Secret,” followed the format of a true crime documentary, the upcoming one will follow the show’s regular structure. While it sounds like the storyline involving attorney Wesley Evers (Shawn Ashmore) will be interesting, most fans will likely be excited about the Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) plotline. Does Tim help Lucy study, which gives them a chance to talk even more and become close again? Do they end up talking about why their relationship ended and whether there’s a future for them? There are a lot of questions that need to be answered, if not in the next episode, then by the end of the season.
Previous episodes of The Rookie season 7 suggested that Tim and Lucy miss each other, and Lucy’s exam storyline is a smart way to force the characters to spend time together. In an interview with TV Line, showrunner Alexi Hawley shared that Lucy will find out if she passed her exam before the season ends. He also shed some light on Lucy and Tim’s relationship and said:
“Obviously, there’s the obstacle of the sergeants exam. It’s very necessary for Lucy to pass that for them to get on equal footing, if they were to be together. But I do think that her finally realizing that she has forgiven him — and him having done the emotional work on himself he needed to — is a good sign.”
The most recent episode featured a compelling scene between Lucy and Tim, and fans definitely wanted to see more from this popular couple. While waiting around in an abandoned ward at Westview Psychiatric Hospital, the former pair discuss their breakup, with Tim saying he ended their relationship because he felt he should “punish” himself. Lucy says she forgives him, although she hadn’t realized that until that moment. It’s also humorous that this strange setting is where they finally have this conversation, but that’s what fans have to come to expect from the popular police drama.
Will The Rookie Season 7 Reunite Lucy Chen And Tim Bradford?
Tim breaks up with Lucy in The Rookie season 6, episode 6, “Secrets and Lies,” and the ripple effects of that choice have lasted throughout the current season. If Lucy and Tim don’t get back together in The Rookie season 7, episode 16, then it’s possible they could put their problems behind them in the season finale. The couple, who are known as #Chenford by fans, have a long way to go, but it was great to see them be candid with each other in the previous episode.
In an interview with Parade.com, Eric Winter talked about the couple’s tough breakup and said that Tim definitely “cares” about Lucy. He said:
“So, he, again, did what he thought was the best move, but probably regrets aspects of the way it went down and wishes he could have had the confidence or the smarts to be able to at least talk to her about it first, where he’s at, how he feels. But that’s just not Tim’s way. He had to learn the hard way, I guess, with his decision.”
Like popular former NCIS main character Leroy Gibbs (Mark Harmon), Tim is a stubborn, proud, and sometimes mysterious character who doesn’t always talk about emotions. The current season of The Rookie has seen Tim growing and changing and trying to be a better person, and the season finale will only be satisfying if he can open up even more.
