- The Rookie is currently in production for season 8 on ABC.
- Showrunner Alexi Hawley teased what's to come with Chenford, a.k.a. Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Lucy Chen (Melissa O'Neil), at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2025.
- He previously spoke about the potential for Chenford getting back together in June 2025.
The Rookie fans, we may have just gotten some major tea about our favorite couple at LAPD Mid-Wilshire.
With the ABC drama currently in production for season 8, fans of the show are eager to see some of their favorite characters back on their TV screens. Many in particular are hoping for some good news in regards to on-and-off again couple Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Lucy Chen (Melissa O'Neil), as the final episodes of season 7 seemingly indicated that the duo were on their way back together. But was that just a ruse to get fans pumped for season 8, or is there more to their story?
Well, when showrunner/executive producer Alexi Hawley spoke to Collider during San Diego Comic-Con back in July, they voiced their thoughts about "Chenford" reigniting their romance on The Rookie. As Alexi seemingly teased to the publication, he's into the idea of making show fans' dreams come true going into season 8.
"[Fans are] happy when they're together," he told the outlet at the time. "I think that's pretty simple. That's a pretty simple thing. I think the short answer is yes. How's that?"
Well, consider us totally surprised by this prospect for Chenford!
And as viewers know, the two's slow burn to dating started all the way back in season 1 when they were paired as rookie and training officer. And while their romance finally hit its stride back in season 5, by season 6 Bradford and Chen were done thanks to Bradford getting involved in a case that could've put his girlfriend in danger.
So, what's in store for Chenford when The Rookie does eventually return to TV in the winter of 2026? As Alexi told Swooon back in June, the former couple may have to continue working through the issues they previously dealt with in previous seasons (like honesty, respect and each having dangerous jobs with the LAPD).
"There were ups and downs clearly, and they had real issues to fight through ... but it felt important," he explained at the time. "It needed to be earned. [Tim] blew up the love of both of their lives, and so it didn’t feel like it could be earned cheaply. And I think that we’ve seen him do the work. We’ve seen [Lucy] focus on her prioritizing her career, and now obstacles have started to fall away and they’ve fallen to bed a couple of times along the way because that’s what they really want ... I feel like we really did find a lot of story to tell about these two people getting past something terrible, and now we’re in a much better place."
Now that is intriguing, and we can't wait to see what's next for this TV couple.
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
