The Rookie Showrunner Explains The Return Of Tim’s Ex-Girlfriend & Her Impact On Chenford: “Stir The Pot A Bit”

The Rookie showrunner Alexi Hawley has teased that the return of Tim’s ex-girlfriend Rachel will stir the pot with “Chenford.” The Rookie has become one of ABC’s flagship shows, and the relationship between Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen, known affectionately among the fanbase as Chenford, is one of the most popular in the show. Despite the couple breaking up in The Rookie season 6, there was hope that the duo might get back together, and signs have been promising during their season 7 interactions to date, but all that could be about to change.

According to Hawley, in an interview with TVLine, it was always the plan to have Jasmine Mathews, who plays Rachel, return to the show, and it was decided that the Chenford breakup presented the ideal window in which to do this. Hawley revealed that it felt like a “good opportunity to stir the pot a little bit,” before revealing that it also presented the perfect opportunity to get Mathews back into the show as well. Check out Hawley’s full comments on the matter below:

Jasmine [Mathews], who plays Rachel, was such a great addition to the show, but she was super busy, so part of the reason that Rachel went away [at the end of Season 2], at least for us, was to try and get ahead of Jasmine being unavailable to us. I was always looking for a way to bring her back. With Tim and Lucy broken up, it felt like a good opportunity to do that — but not to do the expected, which is to make it a love triangle. I thought that would ultimately be manipulative to the fans in a way that I don’t like to be.

But as somebody who ultimately ended up ghosting the two of them [Tim and good friend Lucy], is there more there to find out in later episodes? There is. So that was really what it was about. It seemed like a good opportunity to stir the pot a bit, but also to get Jasmine back on the show.

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What These Comments Mean For Chenford

It Doesn’t Feel Like A Reunion Is In The Cards Any Time Soon

Despite the fact that The Rookie season 7 has seen some good Chenford moments, and Tim and Lucy certainly still appear to have that spark between them, it doesn’t feel like a reunion is going to happen any time soon. For one thing, Tim is Lucy’s supervisor once again, meaning that any romance would be unethical. And then there is the re-emergence of Rachel, who is a friend of Lucy’s from college, and who formerly dated Tim on the show in season 2, and her return could have a big impact on the lives of all three.

Hawley’s reveal that the show will not push for a love triangle between the three bodes well for the chances of a future Chenford reunion later down the line. It could be the case that Tim and Rachel rekindle their past romance for a while, or her appearance might cause Lucy and Tim to re-evaluate where they are in life, and decide to get back together. After all, both Tim and Lucy are happiest when they are in each other’s lives, and the arrival of an x-factor like Charlotte might help them to understand this.

Our Verdict On Rachel’s Return & Its Impact On Chenford

This Will No Doubt Delay Any Possible Recoupling

Rachel’s return is important for both Tim and Lucy and could provide a little friction between the pair for a while. This will likely be a plot device to keep the duo apart for a while, but could help provide some strong character moments for them as individuals. The Rookie season 7, episode 3 saw Rachel return to the show after a five-year absence, which looks set to create a whole heap of Chenford-shaped drama throughout the rest of her stay on The Rookie.