Posted in: ABC, TV | Tagged: chenford, The Rookie

The Rookie: Hawley on Why Lucy's "Biggest Fear" Is "Becoming Tim"

The Rookie: Alexi Hawley on Tim (Eric Winter) and Lucy (Melissa O'Neil) and where things stand with their rookies and "Chenford" in Season 7.

With S07E01: "The Shot" set to hit screens in only a matter of days, series creator and showrunner Alexi Hawley is sharing some additional insights into what viewers can expect from the seventh season of ABC's Nathan Fillion, Eric Winter, and Melissa O'Neil-starring The Rookie. In these highlights, Hawley discusses the upcoming dynamics between Tim (Winter) and his rookie, Miles (Deric Augustine), and Lucy (O'Neil) and her rookie, Seth (Patrick Keleher) – and how that factors into Lucy's "biggest fear" when it comes to Tim. On the personal front, Hawley explains how Tim has to deal with Lucy being the one in the driver's seat in terms of where things go with them this season and how the season heads "into fun Chenford territory."

"It's always fun to create rookies for our show because they have to operate on two fronts. They have to be great characters, but they also really are there to serve the actors and the characters who are their training officers. So like last season with Celina and Nolan, in creating Celina as a character—she is Nolan's first rookie. So what do we need in the 30,000 feet on that rookie to serve Nolan? And the same thing came in this season," Hawley explained regarding the role that rookies play in the series. In terms of Miles and Seth, Hawley sees the contrast between them and their respective training officers as being an important focus.

"It's like the fun idea of having a Texas transplant who is technically a rookie in the LAPD but has done two years as a cop in Sugar Land, Texas. What does that look like? We've never done that before. So having a confident cowboy come in with a drill sergeant and not be intimidated by Tim and how they both deal with that was a fun idea." Hawley explained. "And then Seth couldn't be younger, honestly. Patrick, who plays him, is just such a good actor. But just to bring in the boy scout who feels like they just walked out of high school, let alone college, and obviously, it's a bit of a spoiler on the training officer front with Lucy, but her biggest fear is becoming Tim. And so to bring in a character who's frustrating where he falls down was just a fun idea."

When it comes to Tim and Lucy away from their respective rookies, "Chenford fans" will see Tim understanding that things are the way they are because of him. "I think his head is in knowing that he ruined everything, wanting to fix it, both on a romantic level, but also on a personal level. Obviously, he cares very much about her, but knowing that he still has work to do and understanding that, ultimately, it's her decision, really," Hawley explained. "He is the one in the wrong, and therefore, he doesn't get to just come in and say, 'Hey, can we get back together?' because there's still work to do."

That said, viewers will see Tim and Lucy in a much better place collectively – something that was important for Hawley. "We did roll into the season really wanting to sort of embrace positivity with Tim and Lucy in the sense that they have been through, hopefully, the worst of the fallout from the breakup and, therefore, what is putting a relationship back together? Putting the romantic side of it aside, what does it look like to put them back together? And the bet becomes a way to get back into fun 'Chenford' territory," he added.

The Rookie Season 7 Ep. 1: "The Shot" & Ep. 2: "The Watcher" Preview

The Rookie Season 7 Episode 1: "The Shot" – Now recovering from a gunshot wound and feeling the effects of his age, John (Nathan Fillion) and the team welcome two new rookies and continue the hunt for two dangerous inmates with very personal vendettas following their prison escape.

The Rookie Season 7 Episode 2: "The Watcher" – The team is tasked with community policing while hunting for a local vigilante. Meanwhile, Celina's (Lisseth Chavez) instincts are tested, and Tim (Eric Winter) and Lucy (Melissa O'Neil) discover secrets about the two new rookies (Deric Augustine and Patrick Keleher).

ABC's The Rookie stars Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Richard T. Jones as Sergeant Wade Grey, Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen, Eric Winter as Tim Bradford, Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers, Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune, and Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez. Deric Augustine (Godfather of Harlem) and television-debuting Patrick Keleher are set as the newest rookies for the season. Augustine's Miles is one of the newest rookies at the LAPD. As a Texas transfer, Miles is a 'rookie' despite being a two-year veteran of the force. Keleher's rookie Seth seems like the ideal police officer, but the job requires quick, decisive action — something that doesn't come naturally to Seth. In addition, Ivan Hernandez (Max's And Just Like That…) has joined the cast as Detective Graham and is set to appear in several episodes.

Alexi Hawley is the series creator, writer, and executive producer. Mark Gordon, Nathan Fillion, Michelle Chapman, Jon Steinberg, Bill Norcross, Bill Roe, and Brynn Malone are executive producers of the series. Entertainment One (eOne) is the lead studio on The Rookie, a co-production with ABC Signature.

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