Eric Winter he hopes to return safely The RookieTim Bradford and Lucy Chen – aka Chenford – following the kidnapping cliffhanger of season 8.
“The season 8 cliffhanger was huge,” Winter, who plays Tim Bradford, told EXCLUSIVELY. Us Weekly at the 2026 Disney Upfront event in New York City on Tuesday, May 12.
He explained that when season 9 begins, he wants fans to see “how Tim recovers from that situation” and how the team “comes together and responds to save, hopefully, [both of] those.”
Eric Winter.
Arturo Holmes/Getty ImagesWinter, 49, noted that it would be “nice” to see the couple get out of the situation unscathed, especially after Tim finally proposed to Lucy (Melissa O’Neil).
As fans of The Rookie know, in the season 8 finale, which aired on May 4, Tim asked Lucy to marry him on the beach after killing the notorious criminal Heath Everett (Jeffrey Vincent Parise).
Rookie ended season 8 with Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen, which ended “frustratingly” at the last minute. In the Monday, May 4, episode of ABC’s hit series, Chenford aka Tim (Eric Winter) and Lucy (Melissa O’Neill) were enjoying a moment after proposing on a remote beach. They didn’t get to celebrate […]
Lucy said, “Yes,” but their engagement was interrupted when a man and a woman came to them in the sand and injected them with something.
The finale ended with Tim and Lucy holding hands before being kidnapped. The attackers confirmed that they were working for the villain Everett, who has been at war with Tim for a long time.
Eric Winter as Tim Bradford and Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen.
Disney/Mike Taing“They’re going to be in jail somewhere, whether it’s literally or figuratively, I don’t know yet,” runner Alexi Hawley teased. TVLine after the conclusion. “But yes, it was a bright moment of happiness and joy, and of course, I had to end that.”
Hawley noted that Tim and Lucy will be facing “uncharted waters” next season after rekindling their romance in season 7 following their breakup one season ago. (Tim asked Lucy to move in with him during the season 7 finale, but she was asleep and didn’t hear him. The two were back together full-time when season 8 started.)
The Rookie star Melissa O’Neil talks about a sweet moment between her character, Lucy Chen, and Eric Winter’s Tim Bradford during the show’s 100th episode. “You know what? [scene] it was lovely,” O’Neil, 35, told TVLine in a Tuesday, February 27, interview. […]
“I played the long game with it, but we went back and forth about whether he should be taken or not,” Hawley said. “But in the end it felt like this was a journey that they both went on, so it’s very frustrating and satisfying to have them both in danger together.”
Winter, on the other hand, told Us on Tuesday that he wants to see Tim and Lucy’s romance grow over the course of season 9 — assuming they’re both alive and well.
“As long as we continue to combine things, which we have, in an honest way and explore new topics of relationship. [fans should be happy],” he shared. “I think [that] that’s what matters.”
Rookie’s Tim Bradford and his girlfriend Lucy Chen have faced many storms in their relationship – and meeting Tim’s mother looks like another bad episode for the couple. In an Us Weekly exclusive from the Monday, February 23, episode, Tim (Eric Winter) is smitten by his mother (Sela Ward), fans are quick to learn. […]
Hawley, on the other hand, told TVLine earlier this month that if Tim and Lucy win, viewers will see a happily ever after.
“I will say this, and people will be shocked: As long as everyone is alive, there is a wedding,” said the show’s producer. “We’re all very invested in them, individually and collectively. The writers are equally invested in them.”
He continued: “I really don’t know, we haven’t started yet.” [writing season 9] at the moment. I wasn’t quite sure where season 9 was going. To see them held wherever they are held, however held together, will be amazing and interesting.”
