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While John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) may be the traditional lead of The Rookie, Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) has become one of the show's most prominent leading men, with many quotable moments as he's grown through the series. Early on in The Rookie's run, Tim was introduced as a cold training officer who had fun tormenting his new rookie, Lucy Chen (Melissa O'Neil). While viewers quickly learned that Bradford's past was riddled with difficulty that had hardened him to the rest of the world, his journey has been one that helped bring a fair bit of light into his life.
As The Rookie season 9 is coming in the new year with ABC's 2026-2027 schedule already set, Bradford's changed alongside the rest of the characters on the show since its early days. Now in a romantic relationship with Lucy, The Rookie season 8's finale ended with a jaw-dropping twist when the newly engaged pair were drugged and kidnapped on the beach. While the couple are currently in harm's way, the way Tim's spoken about his past and outlook are likely to be a big factor in their rescue and recovery. Tim's most quotable moments have given insight into his personality.
10 "I'm a grown man. I don't have BFFs."
Season 6, Episode 6
As The Rookie delved into Tim's life throughout the show's run, it became clear that while his circle was small, he did have a few friends in his corner. Tim's friendship with Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) has long been a strong point of the series, and during the show's sixth season, Tim faced some intense moments that he wouldn't have known how to navigate without her. With Angela sussing out Tim's deception by the middle of the season, though the often gruff Tim made it clear he doesn't "have BFFS", Angela was quick to inform him that she was his.
9 "Don't do your best. Do my best."
Season 8, Episode 2
Although Tim has always been someone who's quick to jump in to help a team when it's needed, his leadership style is a bit more intense than his helping hands would seem. During The Rookie season 8, Tim steps up as watch commander to fill in while Grey (Richard T. Jones) is working on a taskforce with the FBI and lets the team know that he wants their best work. Specifically, he cheekily lets Nolan know that he wants them to do his best, rather than their own. Setting a high standard for his team, Tim knew what he wanted.
8 "One thing I've learned all these years is that I'm never alone. And I'm never outnumbered."
Season 1, Episode 15
ABC via MovieStillsDBAlthough Tim tends to seem like more of a lone wolf early on in the series than he actually is, his understanding who he can rely on to have his back within the LAPD and otherwise is strong. During an early episode of The Rookie that includes a city-wide manhunt after a prison bus crash, Tim finds himself working with the rest of the team remotely, and when he comes face to face with an armed convict, he finds that he may seem to be alone, but he's actually protected by the rest of the larger LAPD team, like always.
7 "Tragedies happen, no matter how hard we try to stop them. Doesn't mean you give up. But you have to accept the fact, that some things, really are out of our control. All we can do is cherish the small victories."
Season 2, Episode 9
While Tim is often a man of few words, he's surprisingly insightful when it comes to people and the work that he, the LAPD, and the larger LA social services officers do. During a late episode in The Rookie season 2, when Tim is talking to his then girlfriend, social worker Rachel Hall (Jasmine Matthews), he makes a point about a case she's been dealing with that she feels guilty over. Imparting some wisdom about managing emotions and letting go of the things we can't control, Tim made it clear he had far more depth than anyone would have expected.
6 "This is your present. You made it home. Life is good. You're safe. When you're in country, everything's hostile. You never turn it off, you only turn it down. Cops who are fearful, they use officer safety as a way of treating everyone like the enemy. In fact, you're doing the job wrong if you are."
Season 3, Episode 11
During The Rookie season 3, after Lucy's training came to an end, Tim's next rookie was brought into the series and showed an entirely different side of him. Katie Barnes (Katy O'Brian) was a veteran who was just coming out of service. While she'd been able to make it through the academy with some sense of ease, Katie was still dealing with a lot of PTSD from serving, and Tim's military background helped him to work with her. In showing a different side of himself as a TO, speaking calmly and directly to a fellow veteran, Tim's versatility became clear.
5 "You wanted to be your own man, right? So don't go wasting all that talent taking the easy road."
Season 7, Episode 13
Tim's most recent rookie, Miles Penn (Deric Augustine), has been a very specific challenge for the watch commander. In trying to tone down his overconfidence and train out some bad habits Penn had from his time as an officer in Texas, Tim had to take a different approach to his training. During an episode of The Rookie season 7 when Miles is dealing with his past making him feel like a total failure, Tim offers some words of advice that ultimately make it clear he's dealt with a lot of his own issues surrounding enduring failure and struggling to be enough.
4 "Call me crazy, but it doesn’t just feel like pretend."
Season 5, Episode 1
The biggest storyline throughout Tim's journey has been his relationship with Lucy, especially as its grown from a professional relationship to a far more personal one. During The Rookie season 4 finale, Tim and Lucy share their first kiss in an attempt to practice before they go undercover together as a couple. When season 5 resumes, they share some more charged moments, and Tim finds himself realizing that his feelings for her are more than platonic. He poses this to Lucy tentatively while they're still undercover, putting himself out there in a way he hasn't done on The Rookie before.
3 "I'm who I am in spite of you."
Season 4, Episode 9
ABC via MovieStillsDBOne of the other biggest storylines on the show stems from The Rookie's threading through Tim's backstory on the series, especially his tumultuous relationship with his father. Tim gives some clues throughout the show's run that his father was abusive, but it isn't until he has to get his childhood home ready to sell that viewers - and Lucy - learn more about his past. When Tim's father comes into the picture during a murder investigation, Tim gets the chance to finally tell his father how he feels and how he's grown as a person since his youth, making his stance clear.
2 "Everything is a test."
Season 1, Episode 1
Tim's tests for his rookies, aptly named Tim Tests, are something that the show puts in motion early on, then carries throughout the series. During The Rookie's pilot episode, Tim makes it clear that everything he's doing with Lucy's training is a test, from her ability to show up on time and prepared to the small psychological tests he's giving her without warning throughout their shifts together. Tim's tests are a big part of Lucy's training, and while she cracks the code to becoming a better officer with them, they're a nice touch as he moves on to other rookies.
1 "You know I got half a dozen scars. Bullet wounds, knife wounds, broken bottle. Then there's the ones you can't see; Isabel's addiction, a dad who would tune me up on the regular. And whether I like it or not, they're a part of me."
Season 2, Episode 12
While Tim's life moves far beyond his childhood abuse and the PTSD he faced after serving in the military, he does return back to his issues from time to time in order to make points for others. During The Rookie season 2, after Lucy's abduction leaves her struggling to let go of the emotions tied to it, Tim decides to step in and share some of his own story. Explaining that his scars are a part of who he is, Tim tries to help Lucy make sense of her trauma while advising her on how to move forward without it.
Release Date October 16, 2018
Showrunner Alexi Hawley
Directors Tori Garrett, Chi-Yoon Chung, Michael Goi, Sylvain White, Lisa Demaine, Lanre Olabisi, 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 Corey Miller, Bill Rinier, Zoe Cheng, Mary Trahan, Ally Seibert, Liz Alper, Nick Hurwitz, Racheal Seymour, Madeleine Coghlan, David Radcliff
English (US) ·