Months after their breakup, The Rookie season 7, episode 6 sees Chenford finally give into their lingering feelings for one another. What begins as “shirtless triage” leads to more when Tim and Lucy are unable to resist the magnetic pull between them. The exes end up sleeping together while staying in a room at the gala, but halfheartedly agree to chalk the night up to alcohol and the romantic holiday.
The installment ends with both characters admitting they don’t regret what happened between them. However, it can never occur again for several reasons, such as Tim being back in Lucy’s chain of command. Although Tim and Lucy’s emotional bond has been apparent since season 1, “The Gala” highlights how their physical connection and attraction to one another remain at play.
ScreenRant interviews star Melissa O’Neil about the events of The Rookie season 7, episode 6. She discusses the massive development between Lucy and Tim and dives into Lucy’s feelings about the sergeant. O’Neil also teases how the episode might affect Chenford’s dynamic going forward.
O’Neil Confirms That Lucy Is Wearing The Necklace From Tim In The Rookie Season 7, Episode 6
“That was kind of her response to knowing that Bradford was bringing someone to the gala.”
ScreenRant: The first thing I’m curious about is if Lucy’s wearing the necklace that Tim gave her.
Melissa O’Neil: She is wearing it at the gala. I asked Alexi specifically about that because the fans really pay attention, and they really pay attention to the jewelry choices because Lucy has received some significant pieces of jewelry that are tied to the story. And of course something precious given to her by Bradford is going to be very significant to us in this world.
Because I saw it in the script, I was like, “Hold on a minute. Why is she wearing this? What is this about?” because we don’t exactly address it in the episode. Alexi told me that that was kind of her response to knowing that Bradford was bringing someone to the gala–that she was like, “I’m going to put on a really nice dress and I’m going to put on my necklace from him because I don’t know who’s coming.” I kind of love this sassy subtext that we never really address, but is there.
It’s obviously a big episode for Chenford. It felt inevitable that something would happen eventually, but were you surprised they slept together when you read the script?
Melissa O’Neil: I was very surprised. I had a mini protest. I was like, “Hold on a minute. They haven’t talked to each other. Wait, wait, wait, what’s going on?” So, I did feel a certain type of way when I originally read the script, but the joy of that, also, was to kind of figure out, “Okay, how do we protect and preserve who we know these people to be while still ending up in the place that the script is taking us?”
We spent a lot of time collaborating, especially with our wonderful director Lanre, trying to figure out how can we make sure that, in the blocking of this intimate moment, it’s something that happens to them incidentally because of proximity and because of their irresistible connection, and not because she’s been vying to get there since she saw him at the gala. That was really important to me. It was important to me that him getting cut and her saying, “I’ll help you with it,” wasn’t just like a, “Let me come to your room.”
It was important to me that it wasn’t characterized like that, and that instead it was a sincere offer because of their intimacy and because of their longstanding relationship to take care of each other. I think in that moment she’s like, “Dude, you have a fricking cut. You might have glass in there. Stop. Let’s go clean you up,” and they have every intention to do that. And I think we accomplish that. They’re not even looking at each other.
She’s getting the first aid kit together and then he stands up to get helped and then all of a sudden they’re just so close and looking at each other, I’m sure they could smell each other, and they just can’t help it. It’s a very powerful connection that they have, and I think, because of the environment and the fact that they are in a hotel room, she’s dressed up in a way that she’s never dressed up… then life happens.
