Season 7 of The Rookie has returned and while it’d be understandable to mourn somewhat the exit of fan-favorite character, Aaron Thorsen (Tru Valentino), the police procedural has not been lacking in entertaining talking points so far. One of the major plots that has drawn and kept the attention of the show’s fanbase has been the state of Chenford. The affectionate term coined for the romance between Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) and Tim Bradford (Eric Winter). Theirs has been a bumpy ride, with the pair separating in Season 6. However, early Season 7 interactions pointed towards a potential reconciliation. Well, that was until an old flame returned.
In Season 2 of the show, Jasmine Mathews starred as Rachel Hall, Lucy’s college friend and Tim’s ex-girlfriend. Tim and Rachel were in a committed relationship, and by the Season 2 finale, it was revealed she was headed to New York, with the pair deciding to try a long-distance arrangement. However, The Rookie fans, and Tim to be fair, have not heard of her since. In Season 7, Episode 3, “Out of Pocket,” Rachel shows up at Mid-Wilshire Division, revealing that her life in New York has fallen apart. So why bring her back now? Showrunner Alexi Hawley reveals that bringing back Mathews was always part of the plan.
There Won’t Be a Love Triangle Here
Speaking in an interview with TV Line, Hawley was quizzed if Rachel’s return was geared towards causing some mayhem in the Chenford reconciliation agenda. The showrunner responds, saying, “Jasmine [Mathews], who plays Rachel, was such a great addition to the show, but she was super busy, so part of the reason that Rachel went away [at the end of Season 2], at least for us, was to try and get ahead of Jasmine being unavailable to us.” Adding, “I was always looking for a way to bring her back.”
Chenford may have broken up, and while it seems like there might be a pathway to reunion, there are obstacles as well. Hawley goes on to explain that while the split offered an opportunity to bring back Rachel, the plan wasn’t to do so in the obvious way – a love triangle. Hawley expands on his thinking, saying:
“With Tim and Lucy broken up, it felt like a good opportunity to do that — but not to do the expected, which is to make it a love triangle. I thought that would ultimately be manipulative to the fans in a way that I don’t like to be. So that was really what it was about. It seemed like a good opportunity to stir the pot a bit, but also to get Jasmine back on the show.”
