The Rookie promises an enticing Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen relationship development over the course of season 7. The Rookie’s ensemble cast experienced plenty of thrills and drama in season 6, despite the truncated episode count (10), with the fan-favorite couple playing a prominent role. The duo, affectionately known as “Chenford,” faced their share of trials and tribulations throughout The Rookie season 6, culminating in Tim breaking up with Lucy, setting the pair on uncertain footing for The Rookie season 7.

Per TVLine’s “Matt’s Inside Line,” the site’s Chief Content Officer Matt Webb Mitovich gives an update on the couple’s potential season 7 future, and references The Rookie showrunner Alexi Hawley’s claims that “Chenford” will play a prominent role in season 7 moving forward. Mentioning the need for Tim to do a little introspection, he also cites Hawley’s claim that Lucy no longer fully trusts him, and that the trust will need to be earned back. Check out the full comments below:

I wouldn’t say Tim has groveling ahead, just continued introspection and self-improvement. As showrunner Alexi Hawley put it, “He’s not done with the work he’s got to do. Lucy doesn’t fully trust him now, so there’s a lot of trust that needs to be re-earned, and it can’t just happen in a few weeks. But I like that we really faced [Tim’s issues] head-on and it was really based on something organic.

What This Means For Chenford In The Rookie Season 7

The Former Couple Face An Uncertain Future

Things have become strained between the once inseparable pair, and Tim’s decision to break up with Lucy, though done with the best of intentions, could have been handled a lot better. The appearance of Bradford’s former military colleague Ray Watkins saw the usually by-the-book cop go off-book to track him down, resulting in him ghosting Lucy. The internal ramifications of this, as well as the danger it posed to Lucy, prompted Tim to voluntarily break up with her, worried her life and career could be ruined by continuing to date him.

While there is no guarantee that Tim and Lucy will reconcile in season 7, it is likely this will eventually happen, but I think it needs to be done gradually, and the show must resist the reputation to rush it.

It was a decision made with the best of intentions, but Tim could have handled it better, and he did eventually apologize to Lucy, but The Rookie season 6 finale ended with no Chenford reunion, which many viewed as a positive move. The reduced episode count made their breakup feel rushed, and a potential reunion needs to take time. The relationship is one of the key storylines that needs to happen in The Rookie season 7, and comments suggest this is a plot point that will be explored.

Our Take On Whether A Chenford Reunion Is On The Cards

Any Reconciliation Needs To Be Handled With Care

While there is no guarantee that Tim and Lucy will reconcile in season 7, it is likely this will eventually happen, but I think it needs to be done gradually, and the show must resist the reputation to rush it. What worked so well about their relationship was that it was a slow-burn, and reverting to this gradually unfolding story approach will make viewers more invested in the duo again, and add more stakes and drama to their coupling, and the pair may finally reconcile toward the end of The Rookie season 7.