There is good news for fans of The rookie. Season 8 finally has a start date, but unfortunately, the series won’t premiere until January 6, 2026. Fans have been patiently waiting since the Season 7 finale for an update on Lucy Chen’s status (Melissa O’Neil) and Tim Bradford (Eric Winter), and if they will finally figure things out and get back together. In the meantime, it’s a great time to go back and watch some of the Chenford couple’s greatest moments. After more than seven years of the hit series, few moments come close to that of season 4. It’s time to look back at the story of Lucy and Tim’s very first kiss!
How Lucy and Tim’s first kiss happened
Chenford’s first kiss took place during the fourth season finale, “Day in the Hole,” and it’s a storyline that works perfectly within the framework of the series. What makes this episode so great is that it’s the same episode that features the famous Tim and Lucy lookalikes, Jake Butler and Sava Wu, or as they are nicknamed later in the episode, “Dim and Juicy.” Get it? Tim and Lucy? Weak and juicy? Stars Eric Winter and Melissa O’Neil even pull double duty, portraying their doppelgangers in the episode. Although Lucy and Tim are police officers, Dim and Juicy are career criminals. Dim is found as Tamara’s original owner (Dylan Conrique) newly acquired vehicle, which transported black tar heroin. Since Tim looks exactly like Dim, this creates a scenario where Tim goes undercover to take down a drug dealer named Roy Hajek (JP Pitoc).
Of course, they later discover Dim’s girlfriend, Sava Wu, who looks exactly like Lucy, so Lucy joins the undercover operation to bring down Hajek. Granted, this storyline could only work in a TV series, but you just have to follow it. This leads Tim and Lucy to prepare for surgery at Lucy’s apartment, and as they go undercover as a couple, they must get their stories straight. The situation ultimately leads to Tim and Lucy kissing as a form of practice to sell the idea that they are a real couple. Soon, What was originally meant to be a harmless type of stage kiss quickly deepens. Before things go any further, Tamara interrupts, entering the shared apartment and catching them in the act. Before the scene ends, Tim is seen pontificating about what just happened in front of Lucy’s building. Clearly, the kiss with Lucy had a major impact on poor Tim, shaking him to his core.
The importance of Tim and Lucy’s first kiss
Although Tim and Lucy’s first kiss moment occurred in a farcical and comical setup, it was surprisingly executed. Winter and O’Neil’s on-screen chemistry is electricso it’s no wonder that audiences around the world are desperate to see Tim and Lucy reunite. The secret storyline with Tim and Lucy pretending to be Dim and Juicy continued in the Season 5 premiere, “Double Down.” Although Tim tried to claim from his friend and colleague, Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz), that his moment with Lucy was just a kiss, his true feelings were obvious. Tim was falling in love with Lucy and the feeling was mutual. Unfortunately, the kiss came at an awkward time, as Tim and Lucy were both dating other people and Tim was also Lucy’s superior officer. make a romantic relationship between them strictly prohibited.
Regardless, their romantic relationship, as the real final couple for The rookiewas inevitable, and the incredible kiss felt like the culmination of several seasons of buildup. Winter and O’Neil performed the scene perfectly, imbuing it with humor, sweetness and charm, even if some boundaries were probably crossed in the name of “practice” for their undercover missions. Following their first kiss, The rookie established that Lucy and Tim were on a romantic collision course, raising the stakes and excitement for what would ultimately happen in their relationship. Their crucial first kiss hints at how Tim and Lucy will eventually reunite and start dating, later in season 5.
Why Tim and Lucy are meant to be
The pivotal moment in season 4 shows how Tim and Lucy were head over heels in love with each other and, despite their circumstances, had real feelings. Unfortunately, after they finally got together in season five, their relationship ended far too quickly, with Tim dumping Lucy in season 6 over the incident with Ray Watkins (David Dastmalchian), fearing that his mistakes will harm Lucy’s career. However, even during the time Lucy and Tim were separated in the latter half of Season 6 and later in Season 7, the show made it clear that they were still together and never fell in love with each other.
The good news is that Tim made major progress during Season 7, going to therapy, working on his overall mental health, and becoming more emotionally available. Additionally, Lucy received a promotion to sergeant, putting her outside of Tim’s chain of command, knocking down a barrier that could potentially stand in the way of her ascension. the couple resumes a relationship. Unfortunately, Lucy faded away after Tim asked her to get back together and move in with him. Lucy definitely seemed open to the idea during the Season 7 finale, “The Good, the Bad and the Oscar,” as long as she and Tim had a personal conversation first.
Hopefully, The rookie ends all that frustrating buildup and does the right thing when the show returns in season 8. The writers can’t keep stringing fans along, so Tim and Lucy need to finally get back together and set things straight after the mistakes of the last two seasons. Postponing it any longer would prove detrimental to the long-term health of the series and would kill interest from longtime fans who are heavily invested in the Chenford duo. Looking back on Chenford’s key moments, few come close to the scale and magic of their pivotal moment in the Season 4 finale.
- Release date
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October 16, 2018
- Showrunner
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Alexi Hawley
- Directors
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Garret, Michael Goi, Sylvain White, Lisa White, Lunre Olabisi, Bill Johnson, David McWhirter, Lizis, Lizis, Fraeras, Renton, Monier, Renton, Ch Shomlan, Ch Shomlans, Valerees. Brown, McCormick, Marcus, Adam Davidson, Anna Mastro, Adam, Adam, Adam.
- Writers
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Corey Miller, Bill Rinier, Zoe Cheng, Mary Trahan, Ally Seibert, Liz Alper, Nick Hurwitz, Racheal Seymour, Madeleine Coghlan, David Radcliff
