After filming on location with Eric Winter, Melissa O’Neil enjoyed a reunion with Mekia Cox and Lisseth Chavez this week.
Taking to Instagram on Monday, the actress posed with her co-stars on the set of season seven. Pictured outside a home in LA, the caption read: “Babealicious. I’m very happy when I get to be sandwiched between these two beauties.” Among the comments, Mekia and Lisseth each replied with heart-eye emojis.
A change of scenery for Melissa, earlier this month the TV star revealed that she and Eric Winter had been shooting scenes in a sun-soaked patch of woodland. It’s unknown what’s in store for their characters – Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford – but Eric explained that the cast and crew are branching out for the latest instalment.
Set to return in January 2025, season seven of The Rookie will consist of 18 episodes which will air weekly and without interruption. In a new teaser, fans have also been introduced to newcomers Deric Augustine and Patrick Keleher. Signed on as rookies Miles and Seth, the characters will be put through their paces in training.
With The Rookie’s return on the horizon, fans have been wondering about one storyline in particular – the fate of Chenford’s relationship. Following their breakup in season six, Lucy and Tim will “continue to learn how to navigate their feelings while being on the job”.
Speaking exclusively to HELLO! in May, Eric said: “We’ll see them pick up in a place where they’ve shown that they care about each other and now they have to figure out, ‘can we give each other space to do our job and allow our feelings to stay in a safe place but not rush anything and hope one person doesn’t go astray?'”
Noting that Lucy and Tim’s breakup was tough to shoot last season, Eric revealed his initial reaction to the storyline. “When I was informed about it by Alexi, I thought it was a great opportunity for us to learn more about Tim and why he would even go through that or put her through that. When we got that breakup scene, it’s a very atypical breakup.
“It’s traditional in one sense – ‘it’s not you it’s me’ – but we talked a lot about it,” he continued. “Melissa had her way of approaching it and I had my way, and it was very different – I wanted to let a lot of it happen in the moment.”
As for what he’d like to see happen in season seven, Eric told HELLO!: “I do know we’re gonna see Tim back in the field training rookies, which I think is what people always loved about Tim, I think people liked Metro Tim, but I think people do like training officer Tim, so we’ll get him back out in the field.”
