Exclusive Interview
Chenford Scoop! ‘The Rookie’s Eric Winter Breaks Down Tim’s ‘Big Step’ With Lucy
There’s never a dull day in the world of Chenford. Despite a rocky (but sometimes spicy) Season 7, Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Lucy Chen’s (Melissa O’Neil) love for each other was never up for debate.
In the Season 7 finale, Chenford didn’t exactly get back together, but we got the next best thing: Tim asked Lucy to move in. There was just one catch—she was asleep when he popped the question (not that one). Swooon caught up with Eric Winter at the Disney Upfront to get his take on the Chenford possibility, and hopefully, moving in together in Season 8.
“That was a big step,” Winter told Swooon. “I mean, I think it’s fast, but also, Tim’s trying to make up for lost time. He screwed things up when he broke up abruptly, so I’m not mad at the choice, but it was bold, that’s for sure.”
We won’t find out Lucy’s answer until The Rookie returns in 2026, and Winter’s not sure they’ll even be on the same page about this next step. “She could be a little timid or a little concerned about getting too far in, and Tim falling apart again,” Winter admitted.
After all, Tim did break up with Lucy because he thought he didn’t deserve her at the end of Season 6. While the feelings of love never went away, we’d be surprised if Lucy didn’t have some questions about taking such a massive leap.
Showrunner Alexi Hawley confirmed to TV Insider that Chenford will officially reunite sometime in Season 8. He also discussed Chenford’s journey in Season 7 and what it means for their future.
“It needed to be earned. He blew up the love of both of their lives, and so it didn’t feel like it could be earned cheaply,” Hawley explained. “And I think that we’ve seen him do the work. We’ve seen her 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. But there’s always a fear of, what if it’s not like it used to be? So that being said, look, I mean, I think we’ve earned where they’re going, and the promise of that last scene is a corner has been turned and we’ll see.”
Do you want to see Chenford living together? When do you think these two will reunite? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The Rookie, Season 8, 2026, ABC
