Why Lucy Chen Shouldn’t Revisit Her Relationship with the Chanfords in Rookie Season 7
Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) and Tim Bradford’s (Eric Winter) relationship will be there, but it won’t be all the way through. Rookie had a great time, and now let’s get through this together. Over the course of six seasons of Rookie, members of the Los Angeles Police Department have navigated the dangerous elements of their jobs as well as the more complicated nuances of their personal lives. While the series ostensibly stars Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, a 45-year-old rookie recruit to the department at the start of the series, Rookie features an ensemble cast, each with their own storylines.
Lucy Chen is an ambitious rookie who starts around the same time as Nolan and initially struggles to prove herself up to the task. Her unimpressed training officer is none other than Tim Bradford. Clearly, something about her intrigued Bradford, because Chanford soon became a household name, where Lucy and Tim danced with their feelings for several seasons. Chen has always been my favorite character, she’s tough and speaks her mind and I’ve always thought she and Bradford were perfect for each other. And they put a lot of emphasis on “did”.
The relationship with Chanford in Novichok was great… while it worked
The original Chanford arc from season 1 to season 6 was excellent
Chen and Bradford spent nearly 5 seasons getting closer but never settling down in their relationship. The tide finally turned in season 5, when Chanford became a reality. Of course, it’s hard for anyone to get past the awkward chain of command issues, so I can’t blame him too much for waiting so long to work up the courage to ask Lucy out. However, even after they started dating, the troubles in their professional relationship still affected their personal lives, especially when Lucy was trying to make it as a detective and thought Tim was getting in her way.
However, Chanford was strong, unlike those awkward relationships. The new guy had a lot of them, and Lucy and Bradford overcame the difficult moments in their relationship. This wasn’t some random love that the writers just threw in for the sake of spice. Lucy and Bradford’s relationship had been built up over the years, and it really seemed like they were always meant to be together. I don’t know if the Newcomers will last nine seasons or more, as some have hoped, but I suspect Chanford will be the final season.
Saying goodbye to Chanford in season 6 was painful but good storytelling
It makes sense that Lucy and Bradford didn’t make it to season six.
Then things explode in the Newcomers and Chanford. In season six, Ray Watkins (David Dastmalchian), a soldier from Bradford’s past, reappears in Los Angeles. A dangerous man long before he appeared in the Newcomers, Watkins returns to the city to cause chaos and continue his criminal activities. Bradford takes this as a personal insult and goes in search of his former partner. He effectively alienates both his department colleagues and Lucy, who is left in the dark while Bradford carries out his dangerous mission.
He lies a lot throughout the story and comes to the conclusion that if he can do it so easily then he can lie to Lucy again and she deserves better.
Particularly in episode 6, “Secrets and Lies”, Bradford reaches a breaking point after resolving the situation with his former teammate but at the cost of his dignity and morals. After an internal investigation begins against him, Bradford decides to end his relationship with Lucy, feeling guilty about how he handled the whole situation. He lies a lot throughout the story and comes to the conclusion that if he can do it so easily then he can lie to Lucy again and she deserves better.
Honestly, I don’t hate it. This is a very unexpected development and a big bummer for those of us who were happy that Lucy and Bradford finally got together. At the same time, the fact that it took so many seasons for the couple to start dating is not a clear indication of their love for each other. It is possible that their romantic, personal, and professional feelings were intertwined, and while they had strong feelings for each other, they did not need to meet and be together forever.
Bradford eventually lied about Watkins’ condition and convinced Internal Affairs chief Percy West (Michael Beach) that Watkins had been killed in action in the Middle East. He also lied to protect his former colleague Mark Greer (Brian White). Bradford basically got slapped in the face and it all worked out. His breakup with Lucy was a big way to show that his actions had consequences, and that his lies weren’t without cost.
Lucy and Bradford Shouldn’t Get Back Together in The Rookie Season 7
Chanford Is Unaccountable
So, with everything that happened in season six, should we all just cross our fingers and blink in the hope that Chanford will return? The Rookie Season 7? No officer. It’s officially happening and I don’t need to watch it anymore. As for me, Lucy and Bradford had a perfectly appropriate and interesting relationship on The Rookie. They date, fall in love, dance together, finally admit those feelings, date, go through a rough patch, and break up.
Just because their relationship storyline doesn’t end at the end of the show doesn’t mean it’s a bad storyline.
It’s a story you’ve heard a million times on TV and in real life. Not my life. Every relationship I’ve had ends perfectly. I’m currently in 13 of them. But it’s a happy ending for Chanford. Just because their relationship storyline doesn’t end at the end of the show doesn’t mean it’s a bad storyline. What would it matter if The Newcomer decided to put Lucy and Bradford back together. I really, really don’t need these two characters to start over.
It would be silly if The Newcomer decided to get their relationship back together. Even the idea of getting over the breakup and immediately putting Lucy and Bradford back together isn’t interesting. So what’s the point of Bradford’s arc? The Newcomer Season 6? These two don’t need to date for interesting stories to happen between them. They’re co-workers and friends. Let that be enough. That’s for a lot of people. Not for me. Like I said, I have 13, not 14 relationships. “You don’t know them,” they commented to another entertainment publication.
The Rookie is a police procedural drama starring Nathan Fillion as Officer John Nolan. At 45, John becomes the oldest new member of the Los Angeles Police Department. The show premiered on ABC in 2018.
