‘The Rookie’ Star Eric Winter Unpacks Tim’s ‘Breaking Point’ in Episode 6: ‘You’re Gonna See Repercussions’
“Your past has come out in a way that you never thought was possible. You’re being pulled in all directions and everything’s on the line,” the actor said about his character’s turbulent Season 6 journey
“The Rookie” is putting Tim Bradford through the wringer in Season 6. It all came to a head in Tuesday’s aptly titled episode, “Secrets and Lies,” which saw sins from Bradford’s past catch up with him in the present – and ultimately, drive him to break off his relationship with his former trainee turned girlfriend, Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil).
The first five episodes of Season 6 foreshadowed trouble in paradise for the fan-favorite couple, lovingly dubbed #Chenford on social media, but Tim and Lucy’s breakup will no doubt come as a shocker for fans who waited through a four-season slow burn before the couple finally came together.
And it was a surprise for Eric Winter – the actor behind Bradford – too, though he welcomes the storyline.
“I didn’t know anything was coming, in regards to them separating this season when they just officially got together last season!” Winter told TheWrap. “I did know that there might be some trouble in store this season, I didn’t know it would lead to where it got. Which I welcomed, funnily enough, even though it is a new relationship.”
As for why he welcomed it, Winter recalled conversations with O’Neil and series creator Alexei Hawley. “We’ve always been very mindful and respectful of this relationship, to the point that we just want it to be authentic and real on every level,” Winter said. “It’s not always happy. It’s not always hunky dory in relationships, you’re gonna have ups and downs you’re gonna have struggles. Tim’s a very complicated individual, so I always knew there’d be bumps in the road this season.”
The shocker split came up after Tim’s shady former military mate, Ray Watkins (played by guest star David Dastmalchian), resurfaced in Episode 5, and the usually super-strict Bradford went off-book – and ghosted Lucy for days – to chase him down. Episode 6 upped the stakes when Ray barged into Lucy’s apartment, making not-so-subtle threats and, after some wise words from Angela (Alyssa Diaz), Tim finally opened up to Lucy, who helped him bring Ray down.
But their team-up didn’t bring them together, it ultimately pulled them apart when Tim called things off at the end of the episode. At that moment, Lucy asks Tim the question that will be on many fans’ minds — “Why are you doing this?”
“It’s almost like you’re living in a nightmare,” Winter said, explaining his character’s choice. “Your past has come out in a way that you never thought was possible. You’re being pulled in all directions and everything’s on the line … He’s at a breaking point. And this is a guy that’s already been living on the line of probably a breaking point for quite some time.”
As Winter walked us through Tim’s decision, he reflected on the breakup as another of Tim’s more impulsive, instinctual emotional moments – to the point that he thinks Tim really made the choice to end the relationship in the middle of the scene.
“I believe he didn’t necessarily walk out there fully intending to break up with Lucy,” the actor revealed. “I think it could have been a bit of, ‘I need some space.’ But I believe, the way that scene plays out and in those moments, he looks at her and there’s just so much love for this person that he doesn’t want to hurt and then he doesn’t feel he’s good enough. I think that’s where Tim sort of got more definitive in his decision, in the middle of that scene, and it’s not that long of a scene. But in the middle of that scene, there’s just like a switch flips where it’s like, ‘No, I don’t deserve you’ kind of thing. And you need to basically like, run, get away. ‘You need to get away from me, I’m trouble. I’m not in a good place.’ And I think because Tim has sort of spiraled and doesn’t really know if he’s okay with himself, it’s very hard to be in a relationship with someone and give them your best.”
Winter also thinks things could have gone a different way, and they could have “gotten stronger as a couple,” if not for the ghosts of Tim’s past and his “immaturity” in relationships.
“I think the problem with Tim is, this is so far removed from who he is and even knowing or having the tools how to communicate with a partner. I think he was so broken from his ex,” Winter explained.
“In a perfect world, they probably could have built on this and gotten stronger because Lucy’s definitely the right person to help that happen. She would have been there for him and she wouldn’t have turned her back on him. But I think you see that inexperience of having a proper relationship, and a bit of a sour upbringing, in Tim. It’s all sort of coming to a head, how sort of fractured he is as a person. I think what you’re seeing is just a bit of immaturity on how to handle a situation like this.”
The breakup isn’t the only heartbreaker in “Secrets and Lies,” because Tim didn’t just blow up his personal life. The episode also saw the character cross some major professional and ethical lines when he lied to his superior officers to cover up his past and present misdeeds. It’s a line we’ve seen the character flirt with in the past, especially in the early season dynamics with his ex-wife, but now he’s officially crossed it. So what comes next?
“You’re gonna see repercussions,” Winter teased for what’s to come. “Tim is gonna deal with the fallout of this. It’s not going to be all swept under the rug. There’s going to be repercussions. Tim is going to have to find himself again, in the sense of what he does best and his purpose as an officer.”
That means you can expect to see a return to super-strict Bradford, but Winter also promises some hope for the character, even in his moment of darkness.
“He’ll get back to being a bit of a badass, you know, hardass Tim that he is. But in return, I know we’re gonna see a version of Tim where he’s open to sort of getting help and trying to unpack some of his issues. And hopefully, that will make him a better person and even a better cop.”
