‘The Rookie’ Season 5: Eric Winter Warns Fans — Tim and Lucy’s First Valentine’s Is ‘Not Easy’
Fan favorite couple “Chenford,” aka Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen on ABC‘s The Rookie, are headed down a rocky path in an upcoming episode. The two characters started dating halfway through season 5, and ever since, they have been in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. But that might come to an abrupt stop in The Rookie Season 5 Episode 16.
Tim and Lucy celebrate Valentine’s Day in ‘The Rookie’ Season 5 Episode 16
Since President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address unexpectedly forced The Rookie to take a break on Feb. 7, the show’s Valentine’s Day episode, which was supposed to air on the holiday, was pushed back one week. So The Rookie Season 5 Episode 16, “Exposed,” will debut on Tuesday, Feb. 21, instead of Feb. 14.
The synopsis for “Exposed” reads, “The team must stop a militia from detonating a highly combustible truck in their possession. Meanwhile, Officers Nolan, Thorson, Juarez, and Detective Harper search for three men who may have been exposed to Ebola and detain them for quarantine.”
Although the hour’s description leaves much to be desired in the romance department, the preview somewhat makes up for it.
The promo for The Rookie Season 5 Episode 16 shows Tim and Lucy riding together on their first Valentine’s Day as a couple. And Angela Lopez remarks, “First Valentine’s Day. You should be basking in the glow of new love.” The next shot teases Tim’s gift to Lucy as he puts a necklace on her.
Despite the lovey-dovey behavior, we know that not everything will go according to plan in “Exposed.” After all, John Nolan tells his rookie, Celina Juarez, “You don’t know? Valentine’s Day is the most dangerous day of the year,” in the trailer. Gulp.
Eric Winter teased ‘Chenford’s’ first Valentine’s Day
During an interview with TV Insider, The Rookie star Eric Winter, who plays Tim, revealed that Tim and Lucy would encounter some problems in season 5.
“Chenford” is not “all cotton candy and rainbows,” Winter shared. As a matter of fact, their first Valentine’s Day as a couple “is not an easy one,” according to the actor.
TV Insider further teased The Rookie Season 5 Episode 16 by revealing that Tim learns about something Lucy did behind his back in the hour. And Winter said that the new information “ruffles [Tim’s] feathers quite a bit.” And as a result, their Valentine’s plans might be ruined.
However, Winter concluded that the resolution to Tim and Lucy’s spat is “not what you’d expect.” Color us intrigued.
‘The Rookie’ Season 5 fans share their theories about episode 16
After reading Eric Winter’s interview, The Rookie fans commented on a Reddit thread and theorized what might happen between “Chenford” in season 5 episode 16.
“Ah, so Bradford finds out Lucy orchestrated his move to Metro??” one Reddit user speculated. “Seems like it.”
Someone else added, “That’s my guess! I’m hoping it leads to their first [‘I love you’].”
“I was wondering if it would catch up with Lucy,” a fan wrote. “Hopefully, it will teach the couple about honesty in a relationship.”
Another Reddit user said, “Good. If they wanna make this relationship interesting, they gotta argue. Like you know, real relationships. I know ‘Chenford’ stans just wanna see them make out 24/7, but that’s boring writing.”
“As a ‘Chenford’ shipper, zero conflict is definitely boring,” one fan shared. “Part of what made their relationship so interesting was the initial conflict between them, the fundamental difference in their personalities and how they interacted with each other. Fighting and making up brings spice, and the make outs after a fight are way better.”
The Rookie Season 5 Episode 16, “Exposed,” airs Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
