One The Rookie Season 5 Pairing Fans Can't Help But Find Icky
After a lot of buildup in the end of Season 4 and the start of Season 5, many fans of ABC's The Rookie are tuning in to see how the relationship between Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen develops.
The romantic tension started while they were undercover as a couple, practicing their fake kisses in the Season 4 finale. When their mission wrapped, Lucy invited Tim into her apartment with something obvious in mind. When they walked in, they were stunned to find Chris – Lucy's boyfriend – on the couch and covered in blood. The two never really talked about what happened in later episodes, resulting in even higher tension among the characters and divisive fans.
Many fans have been shipping "Chenford" as a couple for a while, noticing the chemistry between the two from the start.
In Season 5, Episode 5, Tim's girlfriend Ashley broke up with him, leading some to believe that the writers are officially ready to make them a couple. Some fans, however, find the whole thing to be a little gross.
When we first were introduced to the characters, Lucy was in training and Tim was her training officer. He still ranks above her, which concerns some fans about the power imbalance of a man who met a subordinate as a trainee. Fans pointed out that in reality, this is always discouraged and would usually result in a move to a new station.
Other fans were quick to point out that it's not in Lucy's characterization to be one who accepts unwanted advances from anyone, especially a superior. In fact, she was the one who instigated the kissing on the plane and invited him to her apartment, leading some to believe that if romance did happen, it would be sparked by Lucy.
Still more fans argued that this is a moot point. She's well on track to moving up in the ranks and becoming a detective, no longer under Tim's supervision. If that's the case, they'll be professional equals when they finally become Chenford, completely eliminating the "icky" dynamic. It doesn't matter to some that she was a rookie when they first met.
Another part of the ick factor is that both of these two people were in separate relationships. Ashley and Tim's breakup may have paved the way for Chenford, but they were still a couple when a lot of the romantic tension was going strong. A lot of fans like Chris as a significant other for Lucy and don't want to see him getting caught in a love triangle.
Because of the popularity of the potential couple, the showrunners are almost guaranteed to see it through. The bigger question is how big the fallout will be and how the fans who find the whole thing "icky" react.
Tune in to ABC Sundays at 10 EST to see the continuation of Season 5 as their relationship develops.