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Updated Oct 18, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT
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Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Lucy Chen's (Melissa O'Neil) slow burn romance is undoubtedly one of The Rookie's greatest achievements, as the couple has had many memorable moments throughout their love story. The ABC police procedural began without the intention of building a romantic relationship between Tim and Lucy, affectionately dubbed "Chenford" by fans. However, the chemistry between Tim and Lucy was undeniable. Viewers knew that it was only a matter of time before the two Rookie characters got together, but it wound up taking far longer than anticipated for the stubborn one-time training officer and his reluctant former boot to find each other.
Eight seasons later (and looking ahead to ninth), Tim and Lucy's dynamic is one of The Rookie's biggest draws. It doesn't matter if they're together or broken up — (most of) the people watching the series love Chenford. Their raging popularity is thanks to a wide variety of emotional, game-changing scenes featuring Tim and Lucy over the course of every The Rookie season. Thankfully, their story isn't over yet, though, meaning fans can look forward to many more defining moments in their relationship in future episodes.
10 Lucy Becomes Tim's Rookie
The Rookie Season 1, Episode 1
Of course, one of Tim and Lucy's biggest moments originates from when they met in the very first episode of The Rookie. Right out of the gate, a romance between the two would've been taboo. Lucy was fresh out of the police academy, and she was assigned to be Tim's rookie (or, as Tim put it, Lucy was his "boot"). A relationship between a training officer and their rookie is certainly a no-no, meaning viewers would have to wait a long time before Tim and Lucy could realistically be together.
In addition to their difference in rank within the LAPD, Tim's strict and ruthless teaching style prevented any romantic feelings between him and Lucy in The Rookie's early days. Nevertheless, many audience members saw the vision. Eric Winter and Melissa O'Neil had great chemistry, after all. Creator/executive producer/showrunner Alexi Hawley had no choice but to start planting seeds of a possible relationship between Tim and Lucy that was anything but platonic. However, they certainly didn't get off to a great start in the pilot, which only made their close connection later on all the more satisfying.
9 Tim Saves Lucy After Caleb Kidnaps Her
The Rookie Season 2, Episode 11
"Day of Death" is undoubtedly one of The Rookie's best episodes, and its best moment is when Tim saves Lucy. Caleb Wright, Rosalind Dyer's protégé, abducted Lucy, and Tim spent the episode's entirety trying to find her. His desperation oozed off him. Thankfully, Tim's (and the LAPD's and Lucy's) hard work paid off, and he was the one to find Lucy in a barrel buried underground. Once they pulled her out, Tim performed CPR on her, saving her life. When Lucy opened her eyes, reality set in, and she started sobbing, causing Tim to pull her into a tight embrace.
The season 2 midseason premiere was a turning point in Tim and Lucy's relationship in The Rookie. Tim's frantic reaction to Lucy's kidnapping proved to viewers how close the two characters had grown, suggesting their arc's trajectory would lead to love (and it did). It was all over when Tim held Lucy after bringing her back to life, which is arguably the defining moment in their relationship.
The Rookie Season 2, Episode 13
Just a couple of episodes after Tim saved Lucy's life, he turned down a sergeant position so that he could see her through to the end of her training. Tim had passed the sergeant's exam and was immediately offered a spot in North Hollywood. However, Tim wasn't done training Lucy. He decided to hold off on his promotion, showcasing how much Tim cared about Lucy. They had certainly come a long way since their first meeting in The Rookie pilot, and Tim informing Lucy that he had declined a sergeant position proved he would always prioritize her over his career.
7 Tim & Lucy's First Kiss
The Rookie Season 4, Episode 22
It took Tim and Lucy four seasons and 76 episodes of The Rookie to kiss. However, they weren't even together when this monumental moment transpired in Lucy's apartment. Instead, Tim and Lucy locked lips to "practice" when they had to go undercover as a couple in The Rookie season 5 premiere.
Of course, kissing only made Tim and Lucy confused about the status of their relationship in The Rookie. Up until that point, they both thought of each other as friends. But once they injected some romance into their dynamic (even if it was just for "pretend"), Tim and Lucy couldn't help but start to realize they had feelings for one another. The good news is that Chenford fans didn't have to wait too much longer after their first kiss for them to start dating.
6 Tim & Lucy Decide To Start Dating
The Rookie Season 5, Episode 8
About halfway through The Rookie season 5, Tim and Lucy finally came to terms with the fact that their relationship was no longer platonic. However, their situation was tricky because they were dating other people. It all worked out in the end, though, when Ashley dumped Tim in season 5, episode 5, and Lucy broke up with Chris in episode 9, after she and Tim discussed their feelings for one another during the previous hour.
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Nathan Fillion |
John Nolan |
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Richard T. Jones |
Wade Grey |
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Alyssa Diaz |
Angela Lopez |
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Eric Winter |
Tim Bradford |
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Melissa O'Neil |
Lucy Chen |
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Titus Makin Jr. |
Jackson West |
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Mercedes Mason |
Zoe Andersen |
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Afton Williamson |
Talia Bishop |
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Mekia Cox |
Nyla Harper |
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Shawn Ashmore |
Wesley Evers |
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Jenna Dewan |
Bailey Nune |
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Tru Valentino |
Aaron Thorsen |
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Lisseth Chavez |
Celina Juarez |
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Deric Augustine |
Miles Penn |
The pivotal Chenford scene came in The Rookie season 5, episode 8, when they sat outside Mid-Wilshire. Lucy explained that she was scared to start dating Tim because he was the "most important relationship" in her life and didn't want to ruin it if they eventually broke up. Tim countered that it might be worth the risk. And just like that, Chenford became official, making this scene one of the most important moments in their love story.
5 Tim Tells Lucy He Loves Her
The Rookie Season 6, Episode 2
After getting together, the next step in Tim and Lucy's relationship was for them to tell each other, "I love you." This moment came in The Rookie's 100th episode after they ran into some problems. Lucy wanted to take the detective's exam, but she believed Tim didn't want her to because he was worried about them repeating what happened between him and Isabel. Consequently, they fought. To resolve their issues, Lucy made Tim take a lie detector test, but she also asked him if he loved her, and he said, "Yes," marking a significant milestone in their love story.
4 Tim & Lucy Break Up
The Rookie Season 6, Episode 6
Unfortunately, Chenford's bliss didn't last too long after they exchanged "I love you's." Tim broke up with Lucy in The Rookie season 6, episode 6, when his past came back to haunt him, and he realized that he had some problems to work through. So, not believing that he was good enough to be with Lucy at that moment, Tim ended their relationship, much to her dismay. He completely and utterly broke her heart. This speed bump in Tim and Lucy's romance has come to define the past two seasons of The Rookie, as it forever changed the former couple's dynamic.
3 Tim Apologizes To Lucy For Breaking Up With Her
The Rookie Season 6, Episode 10
Although Tim thought he was protecting Lucy when he broke up with her, all he did was leave her heartbroken. Still, his issues were a big concern. They were the reason why Tim left Lucy, and they wouldn't be able to get back together until he processed his trauma. Tim knew this, but he also understood how his decision broke Lucy's heart. So, at the end of The Rookie season 6 finale, Tim apologized to Lucy and acknowledged he was to blame for ruining their relationship.
The moment between Chenford in The Rookie season 6 finale might feel small, especially because it didn't result in them getting back together. However, Lucy looking at Tim with love in her eyes (after he promised to spend the rest of his life trying to repay the kindness she had shown him) confirmed that their love story was far from over. No matter how long it took, Tim and Lucy would eventually rekindle their romance.
2 Tim Admits He's Still In Love With Lucy
The Rookie Season 7, Episode 8
It was obvious that Tim was still in love with Lucy in The Rookie season 7, episode 8. However, Tim saying it out loud while a wildfire raged around them immediately cemented its place as one of the couple's most iconic scenes. They thought they were going to die. Tim telling Lucy that he loved her was inevitable, but Lucy predicting that he would say that before he even did (resulting in them bickering) made the moment all their own. It was just so Chenford-coded, and the intensity of the situation ensured that no one would forget it.
1 Tim Asks Lucy To Move In With Him
The Rookie Season 7, Episode 18
Unfortunately, Tim's confession didn't lead to a Chenford reunion in The Rookie season 7. He still had some issues to work through, after all. Lucy was also wary about trusting Tim again. Nevertheless, Tim felt ready to get back together with Lucy in the season 7 finale, and he told her as much by the episode's end. He even claimed that they should move in together. It's too bad that Lucy didn't hear him because she fell asleep on the couch.
Heading into The Rookie season 8, Tim and Lucy technically weren't back together, but the pair finally got back together during the season, quickly settling into a new routine after moving in together. By season 8's finale, the pair were blissfully engaged, but The Rookie season 8 ended with a shock when the newly-happy couple were kidnapped together. The ABC hit's upcoming season 9, which will debut in Jaunary 2027, will feature even more defining moments for the fan-favorite pair.
Release Date October 16, 2018
Showrunner Alexi Hawley
Directors Bill Roe, Tori Garrett, Michael Goi, Chi-Yoon Chung, Lisa Demaine, Sylvain White, Lanre Olabisi, John Terlesky, Alexi Hawley, Ryan Krayser, Bill Johnson, David McWhirter, Liz Friedlander, Daniel Willis, Toa Fraser, Anne Renton, Jon Huertas, Cherie Nowlan, TK Shom, Rob Seidenglanz, Valerie Weiss, Barbara Brown, Charissa Sanjarernsuithikul, SJ Main Muñoz, Nelson McCormick, Marcus Stokes, Adam Davidson, Anna Mastro
Writers Alexi Hawley, Natalie Callaghan, Paula Puryear, Fredrick Kotto, Madeleine Coghlan, Nick Hurwitz, Bill Rinier, Zoe Cheng, Amanda Mercedes, Racheal Seymour, David Radcliff, Corey Miller, Mary Trahan, Ally Seibert, Liz Alper
Source: TVLine
English (US) ·