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starseneyes · 1 year

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Chenford - Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 5 - Ep 19

"A Hole in the World" AKA Clothes Call Back Night

Folks, when that first sneak peek came out, I dissolved into laughter in the dining room, and my husband had to momentarily question my sanity (just like every Sunday afternoon). It hit on practically every discussion point from the Chenford Twitterverse over the past few weeks.

I had to sit here and give the world's smallest round-of-applause-by-one to the team behind The Rookie for putting that out there. Genius way to get a lot covered in a short amount of time.

SPOILER ALERT: If you want a spoiler-free take on what's going on in Chenfordland, I'm sorry, you're in the wrong place. Come back when you're ready to be spoiled. Or don't come back at all! You're welcome to do as you choose.

For those about to rock, I salute you! So, let's dive in.

Lucy studying with note cards, written notes, and likely a practice test is just so on-brand, and I kinda love that we start the scene with her in her element.

The domesticity of Chenford never fails. It's insane to remember that as of their first kisses in the midst of undercover preparation (and under covers, of course) was only Tim's third time in that apartment, and first time there out-of-uniform.

Less than a season later, he's practically living at her place (while I head-canon Kojo is doing a great job helping his nephews with the transition to Los Angeles and playing in their yard).

And is Tim wearing the 4x01 almost-sleepover (heh) hoodie!? It might be the same bottoms, too! If they dug those up (and God bless whoever either saved them or bought duplicates), that's just amazing. I had a mini-geek out, and I bet I'm not the only one!

And for whatever reason, Tim's wearing shoes with this outfit, and I can't tell if that's because he instinctively put them on, or someone thought we wouldn't be seeing his feet in the shot. But, it made me chuckle because I'm hoping it's the former.

And is Lucy's hair being held up by a pen!? Okay, I'm officially jealous. I'm of the "chopsticks in hair" generation, and I always needed two. My friends could stick a good ole Number 2 in their hair and be good for the day. My hair's so fine and straight that I just couldn't do it. Rock it, Lucy Chen!

"Hey." "Hey." "When did you get in?" "Uh, depends. What day is it?" "That bad, huh?"

We're getting the first-blush look at these long hours we heard so much about. Remember, Tim's predecessor was dead on his feet. Yes, he had triplets at home, but that was on top of the brutal Metro hours.

"Look, I'm 80% sure it's, it's Thursday." "It's Tuesday."

Yes, it is! And we're all cozied up to our couches, beds, floors, recliners, and dining room tables to soak up the Chenford goodness. And mmmm, does it go down smooth!

"I stayed up anyways. Thought maybe I'd get lucky and he'd turn himself in."

Girlfriend. Girl. Friend! Did you really just use an undercover Tim/Lucy-ism? Throwing me straight back to 5x01 and Lucy/Juicy wondering if they could get lucky three times in the same day.

Lucy definitely wants to get lucky. But Metro hours aren't the best for getting busy, it seems.

"Oh, babe."

And there we've got the long-awaited pet name!! We still don't know what Tim calls Lucy (could also be Babe), but I saw the Twitterverse start to spin in the opposite direction at this particular name-drop.

Lucy Chen, how can you slay an entire population with a single word? You so don't know your power.

Tim sits next to the love of his life at her dining area smiling. He spent so much time last week trying to prove to the camera crews that he wasn't a softie. But we all know the truth. Tim Bradford is soft for those he loves—especially the love of his life.

His eyes trail to the notes spread atop the counter as his hand trails to her thigh.

Can we completely see it? No. But there's enough anecdotal evidence based on the placement of Tim's arm in the two-shot to conjecture, so I'm rolling with it.

Last time I didn't roll with the evidence, y'all crowded into my comments to remind me I was very wrong. It was a fun time.

"What's all this?" "What?" *arm smack*

Y'all, Lucy is so me in this moment. And I only say that because I'm older and she's fictional. To say I'm Lucy would mean I'm fictional, right? And (as far as I know) I'm real. Unless it's a Deckard in Blade Runner situation... in which case... I'm already Rachel.

But the affectionate arm smack is a total Rachel move (as my husband would confirm).

"I'm studying for the Detective's Exam." "Since when?" "I didn't tell you?"

I've seen folks jumping all over Lucy for "not telling Tim about something life-changing", but it'd be great if that could stop. Have you ever loved someone so much that you shared everything with them? I have. I tell Matthew everything.

And, yet, there are still times I'm convinced I've told him everything only to find I imagined the conversation because our lives are just too busy.

Look, Lucy and Tim already have demanding jobs with demanding hours. Yes, her going Detective would constrict their off-time more, but they're already grappling with the realities of cops-in-love juggling duty to a profession they earnestly adore and investing in a still-fairly-new romance.

It's not a choice of omission on her part. It's the overwhelm of juggling combined with the fact that she does tell him everything, so she assumed he already knew.

Communication issue? Clearly! Completely normal? Absolutely!

For goodness sake, Tim didn't even know what day it was. Living in a constant state of exhaustion and somehow functioning is my normal, so I can tell you that try as you might, something might slip through the cracks.

"If I'm gonna work undercover, the best move is to become a detective in some division like intelligence or narcotics, right?" "Right."

First off, Lucy Chen promotion-time, baby! I know a lot of us have been waiting for the moment when she'd get to move up. Heck, Aaron made P2 before she got to move up, and it's driven me nuts.

Look, I have no idea what a realistic timeline is in the real world. But Nolan's Golden Ticket allowed him to move up. Nyla moved up. Angela moved up. Tim's moved up. It's about damn time my fictional bestie got her turn.

Second, Supportive Tim Supremacy for the Win! Like, once he's on the right page, he doesn't skip a beat. Since I am married to the most supportive man in the world, I'm grateful Lucy's gonna marry the most supportive man in The Rookie world.

"So you got the tap." "Harper and Lopez are backing me."

Look at the glee on our girl's face! And that little chuckle from Tim? Oh, swoon!! Yes, I am a sucker for a supportive partner.

If you knew the number of times over the last near-20 years that this man has had my back, you'd shake your head and wonder why he's stuck around with how many times I've leaned on that support. Supportive partners make my weary heart happy.

"All I have to do is score in the top 12, which-" "Which you will."

BAM! Because Lucy Chen can do anything. Tim once held her hand (yes, it was a handshake, go with me here...) and told her to never let anyone tell her she couldn't do something.

Translation: Lucy Chen can do anything and Tim Bradford earnestly believes that.

And Lucy feels that support. In all of her relationships—friendship, romantic, familial—she has yearned for support. Sadly, the most supportive of her friends is gone. Her parents are dead to me (I hope the Mother's Day flowers Lucy sent were dried and shriveled like her mother's heart).

And her last boyfriend tried to persuade her to walk away from her dreams. Contrast that with Tim Bradford who was willing to push her towards them, even when that meant pushing her away from him. And now, as they're together, Tim is still supporting her without question.

My husband is that way. I often ask him about things. Not because he rules me (nope. I'd never survive a relationship like that), but because I believe in communication. So, I'll talk things out with him, and before I offer him my reasoning he says, "Do it." That's been his general answer to me for nearly two decades.

So, seeing Tim mirror my beloved plastered a grin on my face so wide I was approached on the street to be in the sequel to SMILE.

Lucy's got a smile on her face, too, as she hums out her appreciation and leans in for the kiss.

Special Shout Out to the DP and Director for giving us that two-shot with push-in of the kiss with the loud LIPSMACK to counterbalance Chenford's last apartment kiss/near-kiss that left me wondering if coffee tumblers made kissy sounds as the hot liquid settled.

I feel like someone on the decision-making team was like, "They want to see lip locks? No fucking way they'll miss this one! This'll shut them up."

No way to miss Tim leaning on the counter with one arm (bringing him closer to Lucy's height, because this man is taller than her in both legs and torso). And we actually see lips-meeting-lips.

Though it's a simple-enough kiss, there's suction there, which helps imply action and intention rather than passivity. Wow, I'm a weirdo analyzing a kiss this deeply, but whatever. It's my Meta, I'll over-analyze if I want to. It's square-kissing versus Tim's top-lip-sucking action he reserves for more passionate moments.

And that's beautiful. Because not every kiss is about undressing. Some kisses are about being beautifully exposed and fully accepted and loved. That's Tim and Lucy in this moment.

Tim is the supportive lover of her dreams. Lucy is the supportive lover of his dreams.

In a world where both of them grew up feeling unloved and unsupported for one reason or another, they have found more than a safety net in one another—they've found home.

Tim's affectionately rubbing her arm, and she is completely relaxed in his love.

"Well, I guess we should get used to not seeing each other so much."

The Metro move afforded them more time together than Lucy switching stations would have. But this latest move for her will add to her hours.

It's not a reason not to make this move. But... there's another move these two could make together. *hint hint* The kind that involves one set of keys for two lives? *hint hint*

Lucy deserves this. Hands down. And Tim knows that. But he also has a lot of trauma where UC and working long hours with someone he loves. It ended in heartbreak.

Now, Tim doesn't believe that's where he and Lucy are headed... but I think a small part of him in the back of his mind fears it. And that's something the two of them need to talk out.

Also, can we note the interesting choice to use the kiss as an opportunity to change angles? We went from being behind the counter aimed toward the windows to being in front of the windows aimed at the kitchen.

I'm not sure of the motivation for the move, but the film minor in me made note of it. Fairly classic technique.

"Mm, right. Yeah. Between Detective Hours and Metro Hours..." "Well, it's okay. We'll figure it out."

Tim winks to her as he departs, echoing Lucy's words to Tamara when they were first confronted with the difficulties of navigating work and love.

"Is that the sign up list for the Detectives exam?" "Two weeks to go." "I'll be ready." "I have no doubt about that."

Nyla has been a champion for Lucy for a long time. She was the first one to see Lucy's aptitude for undercover, and she's the one who prepped and primed her for her first solo op.

Love seeing women supporting women. There are too many shows that pit woman-against-woman in the name of drama.

Yes, it happens. I had a coworker once who was the most backstabbing person you could ever meet. I once told my boss that I thought she was coming for my job. My boss, of course, told me I was overthinking.

Two weeks later my boss called me into her office to tell me that I was right. Yeah, I knew I was right.

But there were also really amazing women who I worked with—women who uplifted you, who helped you when things were tough, who excelled at the give-and-take of being coworkers.

It's nice to see that type of relationship amplified on a show like this.

"No way you make Top 12. One of the detectives has it out for you. No matter how well you do on the written, they're going to sink you on the Oral."

Smitty might be the unreliable narrator 90% off the time, but that 10% can be crucial, and Lucy's smart enough to be aware of that.

"So you won't be making detective. But, um, there's other career paths, right?"

Aaron can be direct, and that music cue made it seem like we needed to smile and laugh, but it felt pretty final, actually.

I don't want to see anything taken away from Lucy. She's put in so much work and watched as Nolan was promoted ahead of her. As her best friend was taken from her. She helped Tim get promoted.

But now it feels as if her own career is standing still, and I selfishly want more for Lucy than just Chenford.

I am not of the opinion that a relationship can fulfill your every need. In fact, I encourage my husband to go out with his friends and do things without me. I think it's healthy for us to have different interests, even though many overlap. He supports the fact that I love working and abhor the idea of being a stay-at-home mother.

Our relationship works for us. Everyone wants something different in their relationship. But I feel like Lucy really wants to do something more and move forward in her career. And if that's what she wants, I want it for her.

Ball Camera

Anyone else having a BB-8 geek out moment? Or is that just me? Also, we've come a long way from Tim pushing his chest camera into a room with his baton.

"Hey, Harper. Uh, Tim is still in with IA." "Look the Officer Involved Shooting Interview is very thorough. Tim's fine."

Tim is not fine, and his girlfriend wife knows it. Maybe he'll be fine career-wise, but Lucy's worried about more than that. She's worried about his state of mind.

"Hey, Chen. I've got news for you." "It's not a great time Smitty." "It's about the Detective exam. The detective blocking you is Prim."

Ohhhh, that name. I remember that name. From the five-player trade. Lucy tried so hard to be discrete, but as soon as it got out there, it was only a matter of time for the Cop Gossip of this bizarre High School extension to take over.

"I did warn you." "I know."

And we all knew that it was going to come back around, at some point. Is it wrong that I wish Lucy didn't have to deal with this fall out?

And much as this is Nyla's "I told you so" moment, she takes no pride in it. That's why we don't hate her in this moment. She is right and she doesn't like it any more than Lucy does.

"Hey. Let him talk to Grey first." "Yeah."

Lucy wants so much to go to his side. Her Tim Sense is tingling as soon as he walks by, but his brain is on the next thing that needs to be done. He's on autopilot, and she can see it.

Look, Tim's no stranger to having to pull the trigger. That doesn't make it any easier. Tim values human life, so ending one is never going to be a light matter.

And pulling the trigger on someone who wears the uniform? For Tim, that's gotta be even harder.

Remember, this is the guy who stayed inside the lines for years and stood by while racism ran rampant. He rationalized it away, right? But, then he started to really face and confront the darker elements and systemic injustices inherent to the Force.

This is another extension of that—a truly awful cop who used their influence, position, and authority to kidnap and murder little girls. Yes, Tim pulled the trigger because he was about to be the one buried if he didn't. But it doesn't make it any easier.

"Hey, you know you had to take the shot." "I know." "Just because he wanted to die doesn't mean he wasn't dangerous." "I know."

Even Grey can see that Tim's veil is slipping. He is a human being, damnit, and he feels this shit.

Grey stands, trying to make a connection, to get closer to Tim, to approach him man-to-man. But the words coming out of his mouth echo typical talking points of the Badge.

Grey sighs, dropping the list of "reasons". He tries another tactic. My favorite tactic—asking.

I worked for a humanitarian non-profit for almost a decade, and my favorite part of the work was our policy of "Ask, Don't Tell". We never walked into a disaster zone with a game plan. Too many organizations do that, and it doesn't address the immediate needs of the community.

Instead, we would ask what was needed. And I think in life that's also a damn good strategy.

"Is there anything I can do?" "Can I get back to you on that?" "Take your time."

This I love. Two men meeting in the middle. Acknowledging that sometimes shit just sucks and nothing you can say will change that.

But, also, Grey's abandoning the "just throw things at it until something sticks" tactic to earnestly ask what Tim would have him do. And that's so much deeper than empty words.

And the fact that Tim Bradford, who never asks for help, leaves it open ended? That's growth.

Yes, it's important that he lets Lucy in more and more. But it's also important that he lets others in. This isn't just about growing in a romantic relationship, but growing as a person.

Yes, I know I harp on this a lot. But I've seen too many good people backslide horribly because they invested all their growth in a relationship rather than in themselves.

Relationships are great. I'm in one. I'm in a damn good one. But my healing and growth are mine and have to be separate from Matthew. If he dies tomorrow, suddenly, my progress can't die with him. I have to be able to stand on my own.

And that's what I wish for Lucy and Tim. The standing on their own part, I mean.

"You're a badass. And I'm no slouch."

I need to do Wopez next. I keep saying that when I catch up on Chenford, I need to go back and do Wopez. And lines like this really make me wanna.

"How are you doing with everything?" "I'll be okay."

It's taken a while, but Tim and Lucy have worked their way up to light PDA in the workplace, and I love it for them. Likely, they aren't seeing as much of each other at home, so it's natural that it might leak out more when they're in public.

I love how Lucy briefly has both her hands on his arm. There's something resembling a hug, there, that I love.

She know Tim well enough to know he doesn't want to hug it out at the station. But she's still trying to find her own ways to let him know that she's there for him.

Also: Is this the episode of the comeback clothes!? Because that jacket is totally the one from Season 4, Episode 3 when Tim and Lucy were discussing how people might get the wrong idea about them if she became his aide, right?!

I know one of y'all will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm leaving it in, because I'm fairly convinced.

Also, Tim and Lucy, y'all didn't need to worry about people getting the wrong idea. We all got the right idea, and y'all are adorable together.

"I want to be helpful." "I know. Thank you."

Her little hand on his chest (right over his heart) is so sweet, but also a little sad. Because she knows that's the part of him that's really hurting right now.

Also, I love Tim thanking her. We're a long cry from all the times when Tim would tell Lucy she was overstepping in the past. Because, they're partners in life, now, and this is her place.

And his little arm tap? It's so cute to get to see them start to be more tactile.

Remember, this wasn't a typical transition. They went from being best friends—the most important relationship in each other's lives—to one-and-only. They had to transition everything over from a very intimate point, already, and add in the layers and figure out what felt right for them as a couple.

But, selfishly I'm loving the light PDA. Feels just about right for them.

Plus, it's more than either of them typically displays at the station with past love interests. Yes, I know there was one kiss way back with an ex of Tim's, but he wanted out of that, so it doesn't count.

"You need help studying? There's no way I would have have scored as well on the Sergeant's exam without you."

Oh, how I love a good call-back. This is going back to Season 2, y'all, and TO Tim era. And I adore the surprise on Lucy's face. She really wasn't expecting him to offer, and it's damn adorable that he did.

Lucy isn't giving up. She knows that Prim's got it out for her, but she's still going after this. And I'm damn proud of her.

"That's right. You owe me." "I don't owe you."

Ah, and there's Tim's bull-headedness coming back to remind us that he's not all warm and fuzzy. And, y'know, it made me chuckle. Because Tim didn't magically change over the course of the show.

Has he healed a lot? Yes. But at the core he was always a tough-outside, smoothie-inside... at least for his people. His trauma and pain caused him to wear that toughness as a roughly-patched-together armor.

And Look. At. Our. Babies. FLIRTING! Lucy even got the finger point in there!

"You owe me." "Okay."

Lucy gets a hand on his open shirt (wow, she has a thing for tugging at his clothing that's unexpected and yet totally in-character), and he's gone. Boy is gone for his girl.

Because Lucy probably wants to spend a little time studying up on other things before they get to the books. And Tim's totally onboard.

And has Lucy been wearing the Valentine's Day necklace most of the episode? It's so small that it's hard to tell, but I think she has. So, we're really owing some love to the Costuming Department this week. Thanks, y'all. We love you.

And I love you! Thank you for reading and taking this ride with me. It's been a really tough few weeks with illness and broken down cars (and bumped into cars) and juggling too many things. So, Chenford night is a nice respite for which I'm thankful.

Did it take Tim and Lucy a while to get comfortable? Sure. I posit this was the first episode written after we got a taste of post-coitus Chenford and folks started vocalizing what they wanted to see out of the duo, because I feel like about 12 boxes were ticked in that first scene alone.

I'm not going to get worked up about the promo for the next episode. If TPTB want to rip my heart out and stomp it, they wouldn't be the first. Actually, the wouldn't be in the first two dozen TPTB to do that.

No, I'm not kidding. When you dream of someday working in television, you watch a lot of television. Inevitably, I ship someone in every show.

But The Rookie's track record with core ships does give me some hope. A little. A microscopic amount. And that's enough, for now.

Stay kind, beautiful humans. I hope to see you on the next.

#Chenford #Lucy Chen #Tim Bradford #Melissa O'Neil #Eric Winter #Lucy x Tim #Tim x Lucy #The Rookie #Meta

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