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Fans of the ABC drama series The Rookie have been waiting a long time to see Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen get together. While the two characters weren’t originally written to be romantic — he was her training officer, after all — their chemistry is undeniable. And now, after five seasons of tension and longing looks, it seems like Tim and Lucy might finally become a couple.

Melissa O'Neil and Eric Winter, in character as Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford in 'The Rookie' Season 4, dance in a scene. Lucy wears a black and gold dress. Tim wears a light gray jacket.
Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen and Eric Winter as Tim Bradford | Raymond Liu via Getty Images

Things are heating up between Tim and Lucy in ‘The Rookie’ Season 5

Tim and Lucy shared their first kiss in the season 4 finale of The Rookie. Though, it was under the pretense of preparing to go undercover. And since then, nothing has been the same between them.

Tim and Lucy, aka “Chenford,” began season 5 by going undercover as boyfriend and girlfriend drug dealers. Throughout their assignment, they shared many kisses and intimate touches. Of course, they were doing their job, but it was clear that there was an undertone of truth. And that was confirmed when Lucy invited Tim into her apartment at the end of the premiere.

Something game-changing was about to happen between the colleagues, but Lucy’s boyfriend, Chris, interrupted the moment when they found him dying on Lucy’s couch.

After their close call, Tim and Lucy kept some distance from one another. However, Tim and his girlfriend Ashley broke up in episode 5, and it’s only a matter of time before Lucy and Chris follow their lead.

Fans argue over when the characters will admit their feelings

Before The Rookie Season 5 Episode 7 aired, fans shared their thoughts on Reddit about whether Tim and Lucy would start dating. And 67 percent of viewers agreed “Lucy and Tim will become a couple,” while the other 33 percent said, “Lucy and Tim will stay platonic at the end of season.”

“You left out one possibility,” a Reddit user commented. “They admit their feelings, but something happens, so they can’t be together.”

Someone added, “I see this happening. They’ll admit their feelings at the end of the season and leave it as a cliffhanger for the next.”

However, one fan disagreed, “It’ll happen by the end of the season. The writers picked up on it. There have been hints every episode this season.”

“They’ll end up together — it’s been building too much to end any other way, at least for a period of time,” another Reddit user predicted. “Lucy and Chris will break up by 5×08/5×09. Then something will bring them together by the mid-season finale. Then they’ll spend the rest of the season figuring out what they are and how to be together.”

They continued, “Probably a few bumps in the road around Lucy doing UC and Tim’s lingering issues from Isabelle’s UC work, the dynamic of Tim being her supervisor, etc. Then they’ll fully embrace it by the end of the season/early season 6 if it gets one.”

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Our predictions for the timeline of Tim and Lucy’s relationship in ‘The Rookie’

Since the promo for The Rookie Season 5 Episode 8 shows Tim and Lucy riding together, we think that the show is building up to a big reveal between the two by the mid-season finale.

Perhaps it will be a breakup between Lucy and Chris, as one fan mentioned above. Or maybe it will be an admission of feelings from either Tim or Lucy.

Whatever the case, we predict that a development in Tim and Lucy’s relationship will happen before the New Year. And we agree that they will begin dating by the season finale. It seems inevitable at this point, right? And fans have waited long enough for the rise of “Chenford.”

The Rookie Season 5 returns on Sunday, Dec. 4, at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

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