#chenford analysis | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

theflyindutchwoman · 1 year

Note

Something that bothered me in S5a was the lack of balance between Lucy's and Tim's path to each other.

Tim seemed very into Ashley, could see himself married to her, while Lucy was keeping Chris at arms length and being jealous of Tim.

In Lucy's breakup episode, the whole episode was about her being unhappy with Chris, because he wasn’t Tim. It was all about Tim.

I would like to hear your thoughts on this. You're a reasonable and sensible person, maybe you can show me a different perspective.

Well, this is definitely a tall order! But I can certainly try. Just keep in mind that this is of course only my perspective, and that it has no more value than yours. Disclaimer : this is going to be a really long lost, so let's buckle up and break this down point by point, shall we?

Tim seemed very into Ashley, could see himself married to her, while Lucy was keeping Chris at arms length and being jealous of Tim. So here's the thing : I don't think that Tim was completely into Ashley, so this probably colors my perception of everything else. I'm not gonna write an essay on this but let's just say the fact that he was ready to risk it all by coming in Lucy's apartment after Vegas spoke volume on how he felt about his girlfriend… Now do I think he liked Ash? Yes, absolutely. But he was just as guilty of keeping her at arm's length, only in a different way than Lucy's (and they both had valid reasons for doing that). We never saw him reveal anything too personal with her. If she didn't know he got shot, I seriously doubt she knew anything about his other scars either - physical and emotional. I'm also not sure if Tim could truly see himself married to Ashley… For one, he looked rather taken aback when Lucy brought up the subject. And that's the irony here : if it hadn't been for her meddling, I don't think he would have even considered the possibility of marriage just yet. Also note that he only said that after Lucy kept insisting. After a long silence! Not exactly the most enthusiastic answer. Now when he talked about it with Ash, he did look sad and disappointed by her answer… before he bounced right back by fake proposing to get back at Lucy. And to me, that says a lot. Because if he was seriously considering this, I doubt he would have been able to joke about it right after being told it wouldn't be in the cards. He might be good at deflecting, but not that good and not that fast.

In Lucy's breakup episode, the whole episode was about her being unhappy with Chris, because he wasn’t Tim. It was all about Tim. Not exactly though. At least, not at first. She didn't look unhappy at the beginning of the episode. That was the point. Lucy needed someone with whom she could talk things out so she could figure it out and Tim gave her the space for that. But I don't think she had necessarily connected all the dots just yet : as insightful as she is, she can be terrible at recognising her own feelings. We saw it several times in the past. And like she said, she was trying to understand WHY she didn't want to take this next step with Chris. This was a genuine question from her. I always saw her "he's not…" reaction as her final light bulb moment. As in she had finally put all the pieces together. Which is we didn't see them in the shop after that and why in the next conversation, the one in the parking lot, she made it all about Tim. Because suddenly, she was able to pinpoint the issue at hand. Chris became irrelevant from that point forward. This was no longer about him : it was all about her relationship with Tim and how she didn't want to ruin it.

While in Tim's breakup episode, he was shown doing good with Ashley, indulging her, being affectionate, kissing her (Lucy and Chris never got a kiss scene.) Ashley broke up with him and Lucy was never a factor. Then next episode Tim is moping over Ashley. I agree that he was indulging her. Which is something he did a lot with her. And that's not a good thing, not when it's one sided. But in this particular instance, he was also trying to come to terms with the fact that he might end up with some form of paralysis. Still, he only entertained her for a short while. The second she was getting seriously excited about her plans, he told her to slow her roll because it was just that : an indulgence. And when he woke up for surgery, he confirmed he wasn't going to give it more thoughts. I haven't rewatched the episode since then, but I don't recall them being that affectionate so I can't comment on it. Even the kiss : not only did we see more passion from him when he was with Rachel, we also saw how he loves going back for more with Lucy. And since we almost got a scene of Lucy and Chris in bed in 5.03 (the director cut it due to time restraint), I'm not sure if it was supposed to show how much more committed Tim was.

As for why Lucy wasn't a factor in the breakup… At that point, why would she? As far as Tim was concerned, Lucy was still with Chris and apparently not interested in him. When he wanted to talk about how it didn't feel like pretend, he got shut down. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame her because the timing and phrasing could have been better. But the fact remains that she stayed with Chris. So I can see how he would want to stay with Ashley, if he couldn't be with her. Should he have broken up? Yes, the moment he decided to cross that line, that should have been his clue (for both of them actually). But I also get the impulse to stay. Was it fair? No. But that's human nature for you. And let's be real, when you're dumped by your girlfriend following a major surgery, while you're still feeling the effects of anesthesia, I think you're allowed to mope a bit. Even if the writing was on the wall, breaking up is rarely fun. And he didn't just mope because of Ashley : his longing look when Lucy left with Chris just showed that it was more than that. The only reason we didn't see Lucy mope around was because she jumped into a new relationship straight away. Tim didn't have that. Which is also why he was the first one to be single : it was his turn to pine after Lucy. It was a mirror to that scene in 5.21, when Lucy thought he was proposing. I'd have to check but I think it was practically at the exact same spot : in the parking lot, right in front of the main entrance.

It bothers me that Tim was always Lucy's first choice, that she was clearly unhappy without him, while Lucy didn't seem to be Tim's first choice, that he would be perfectly fine if he just kept dating Ashley. Except that if we go by this, Tim wasn't Lucy's first choice either : she stayed with Chris. Even after finding out Tim was single. If Chris hadn't opened his mouth and hadn't pushed her to buy a house, she probably would have kept dating him as well for a while longer. Tim was merely following his cues from Lucy. He only made his move once he realised she was unhappy with Chris. And even then, his priority was her happiness. They were each other's first choice : that's what made it so scary. Tim stayed with Ashley because he thought Lucy rejected him. And Lucy stayed because she was afraid to lose Tim. Ashley and Chris were, for a want of a better word, the consolation prize. Tim and Lucy didn't want to risk losing what they had, but had no problem gambling with their respective relationships when she invited him in...

Ta-Dam! We made it to the end... I promise it tried to keep it short (kind of failed). So those are my main thoughts and perspective on the topic. And again, it might be different but it doesn't make yours any less valid.

#Ask & ye shall receive #The rookie #Chenford #Lucy Chen #Tim Bradford #Meta Analysis

245 notes · View notes

come-rain-come-shine · 7 months

Text

As I was watching "Day of Death" a couple of weeks ago (as one does), I paused on this whiteboard to see what it said, and something stuck out to me.

On this whiteboard detailing the events of the night that Lucy was abducted, someone wrote this:

The board says:

hates cats (won't tell anyone)

sucks on lemons

This seems to be personal facts about Lucy that have been included with facts about the case. It's possible these points are about Caleb — maybe things that Lucy relayed to Tim while she was looking Caleb up on social media — but since it's stated repeatedly in the episode that they have "squat" to go on about him, it's more likely that these points are about Lucy.

I have two theories for why these bizarre points are on this board: an in-universe explanation (grounded in the story and the characters), and an out-of-universe explanation (grounded in reasons related to the actual creation of the show).

In-universe: Tim and/or Jackson, desperate to contribute to the investigation, were yelling out whatever they could think of to help build the case.

Now, I can't guess why anyone could have seen these particular tidbits as possibly relevant. But since they all had so little to go on, it would seem that they were throwing absolutely anything at the wall to see what would stick.

This theory mostly stems from the way that Tim was regurgitating every little thing he knew about Caleb the moment he knew that Lucy was missing. His wild spouting of facts is rather out of character: Tim is usually in control, focused on the job. But when Lucy is missing, logic flies out the window for him.

He tells Grey about the video of Caleb playing with a puppy, why?? Because it's all the information he has to offer to the case. Even if it's not really pertinent, he says it, because he doesn't know what could help Lucy. Also, he's not fully in control of his actions, and he's possibly suffering from motormouth.

I include Jackson as a possible contributor because he is probably the person who is second-most concerned about Lucy, plus one of the people who knows her best, and he has a history of babbling when stressed (I'm thinking of season 1, episode 13, "Caught Stealing," when he tells the Internal Affairs investigator about the gifted creme brulee completely unprompted lol). But in my Chenford shipper heart, I want to say Tim was the one to make these less than helpful contributions.

I can picture Armstrong writing out all this information about Lucy's whereabouts the night of her abduction, stating facts that they know, and Tim and/or Jackson blurting out personal details that might (somehow) give them a clue about where Lucy is now. Maybe Armstrong writes out the addresses of where she was on December 8th, then the stuff about other victims, and then he says, "What else do we know?" and then Tim and/or Jackson start wildly interjecting. They know literally nothing else that is relevant, so all they can say is random trivia about Lucy. And Armstrong, who can see that emotions are very high right now, writes it down to placate them? Or because he's like, "Irrelevant information is better than no information"? (I'm not sure how a detective would think in this scenario.)

Out-of-universe: Some of the set decorators or other crew were messing around, writing down whatever on the boards, and someone forgot to erase this. 😆

I like the in-universe explanation better, since the writing is rather large and this behaviour by Tim and/or Jackson would be consistent with what we see earlier in the episode.

#the rookie #analysis #season 2 #day of death #lucy chen #tim bradford #chenford #my posts #2x11

92 notes · View notes

makeitastrength · 4 months

Note

Your top 5 favorite Chenford episodes and 5 worst Chenford episodes, because I love hearing everyone’s varying viewpoints, and yes— you walked right into it 😉

I knew this was going to be difficult, but holy crap, I didn't expect it to be that difficult! I’m glad you asked, though, because it was interesting to actually put my feelings about these episodes into words... and as it turns out, I have a lot of feelings and a lot of words. Buckle up, this is a long one!

Favorites:

2x11 Day of Death

I mean, do I really need to explain this one? It’s intense, it’s terrifying, it’s emotional, and the acting is phenomenal. I’ll never be over the fact that Tim dug her out of the ground with his bare hands and held her so tightly in the aftermath. Plus, Lucy is an absolute badass from start to finish. And then, of course, the ending scene is one of my all-time favorites. I could go on, but I think you get the point. This list is in chronological order, but if I had to actually put these in order, this episode would be #1.

4x09 Breakdown

I will forever love this episode because it digs into Tim’s backstory. Watching him slowly crumble as the episode progresses is just… I don’t want to say it’s amazing, because he’s in so much pain and it breaks my heart. But Eric acts the absolute hell out of this one, and we get a look into Tim’s childhood, which is such an integral part of who he is. But also, this episode emphasizes the depth of the Chenford relationship and, in particular, how much Tim has come to trust Lucy. When she tells him he can’t do the interrogation, he hands it off to her immediately. No protest, no questions asked. This case is deeply personal to him and he trusts her with it unquestioningly. And later, we see just how deeply he’s internalized Lucy’s slip of the tongue about the Tim tests, how that’s played into what is probably his greatest fear - that he’s anything like his father. But we also see him feeling safe enough with her to verbalize this fear. He’s as close to tears as we’ve ever seen him, and his walls are just completely gone. He’s so damn vulnerable with her, and I hate seeing him in this much pain but I love that we got this scene. And then, of course, the hug, which is my favorite of their hugs because we finally see Tim allow someone else to shoulder some of his burden.

5x01 Double Down

This is another one I probably don’t have to explain. I mean, literally everything about it is so great. We start with Lucy dreaming about their kiss and Tim being so discombobulated by it that he actually tells Angela what happened. We have the entire undercover portion in which very little is actually pretend. We have the hand hold and the completely unnecessary airplane bathroom kiss (which is so hot, oh my god; it’s definitely my favorite of their kisses). We have all the other touches (his hand on her thigh, his hands on her shoulders, her arms around his neck, I could go on). And while I’m glad they didn’t actually hook up, the fact that they both wanted it says more than any words ever could.

5x19 A Hole in the World

This is one of my favorite Rookie episodes ever, and I’ve written two fics based on this episode, so it’s possible that’s impacting my decision to place this one in the top five. But I also truly love the Chenford scenes in this one, for so many reasons. First off, I will never be over the fact that Tim got off work in the middle of the night and still came to Lucy’s apartment. And we get our first “babe” which makes me so giddy. Jumping ahead to the ending, obviously it’s awful that Tim was forced to take a life, but I do appreciate that they didn’t blow past it. We see Tim being surprisingly vulnerable in Grey’s office, which really just shows how much his walls have come down. He’s still far softer with Lucy than anyone else, but overall he’s a little softer in general now and more in tune with his emotions. And then we get worried Lucy wanting so badly to be there for him and support him through this. And lastly, we have the scene at the beginning that gives us the first little glimpse into the cracks that are forming in their relationship. Up to this point, they’ve been basking in the honeymoon period, but now for the first time we start to see how the long hours are wearing on Tim. We see how they’re struggling to balance their busy schedules and maintain the open communication that a relationship needs. And we see that their communication maybe isn’t quite so open. After all, Tim’s “we’ll figure it out” isn’t a solution. And while he’s supportive of Lucy’s efforts to make detective, we start to see signs that he’s struggling with her desire to work undercover. This sets up what will hopefully be some productive angst for these two in season 6 as they work through these issues, and I have no idea how it’s going to play out but I’m excited for the possibilities!

5x21 Going Under

I don't even know what to say about this one except just... the emotions. They're so flirty on the phone, but then shit hits the fan and it's so intense. Tim holding his breath until he sees Lucy is okay. Him being so shaken up that he nearly gets shot. Lucy calling him the moment she can. The way they cling to each other in the laundry room. The looks of concern on their faces. The hookup, of course. And once again, we see glimpses here of the issues they've been ignoring (though they do at least start to talk about it a little) and everything Tim, in particular, is suppressing. This episode tugs at my heartstrings in all the best ways.

Honorable Mentions

I know this wasn’t part of the original question, but I’m including it here because my final list of favorites turned out differently than I expected. It almost pains me to write all of this, because the episodes listed below have scenes that I absolutely love, but in the grand scheme of things, they just didn’t make the cut for a variety of reasons that I’ll do my best to explain.

1x20 Free Fall

There are so many things I love about this episode, but mostly it’s that it leaves both of them emotionally exposed. It’s the most vulnerable we’ve seen Tim with anyone other than Isabel, and we see Lucy trying her hardest to support him through the door and shedding a few tears in the process. This one was a definite contender for the top 5 but just didn't quite make it in.

2x02 The Night General

Obviously the last scene is the highlight of this episode (and is another one of my all-time favorite Chenford scenes). I really like all their scenes in this episode, though, from Lucy’s sassy editorialization of the book to their badass fight. But the audiobook scene is just… everything. I’m willing to bet no one has ever done something like that for Tim. You can see he’s just stunned in the aftermath and has no idea what to say. I remember the first time I watched it, just being amazed at the lengths Lucy would go to for him. He’s always been worth the effort for her, and I love that so much.

2x12 Now and Then

First off, I appreciate that they devoted an entire episode to Lucy’s recovery, because so many shows just move on as though nothing happened. DOD was such a traumatic event for Lucy (and, honestly, for Tim as well) and I’m glad we got to see the aftermath. We see Lucy struggling but we also see her begin to work through it with the love and support of the people around her. It's also really telling that the only person Lucy fully opens up to in this episode is Tim. She tells everyone else she's fine, but she allows herself to be vulnerable with him. We also get some insight into how Tim is faring in the aftermath. We see his feelings of helplessness as he’s forced to let Nyla take the reins, and we see how much sadness and guilt he’s harboring when Lucy asks him for a time machine. And then finally, at the end, we see him figuring out how he can be there for her… by opening up about his own trauma and using what he’s learned to offer her a new perspective. And, of course, let’s not forget him tossing back the ring and the soft smiles on their faces as he does. This is another one of my all-time favorite Chenford scenes. It's just a great episode overall, and it was really hard for me to bump this one out of the top five.

4x01 Life and Death

While I initially thought 4x01 would make the top five, I ultimately couldn’t justify it due to the limited number of Chenford scenes. Other than the hug, they don’t actually interact that much. And don’t get me wrong, I love their hug. But I’ve always felt like there was a lack of follow-up to 3x14 and this episode. It’s clear they both feel something in those moments. It’s not clear what exactly they each are feeling, or how they’re feeling about those feelings, or why they never talk about it again. I know we all have our own headcanons about this, but I just feel like it could have benefited from some follow-up insights. Without that, in the grand scheme of things it feels like a false start for them.

4x22 Day in the Hole

I so badly wanted this one to make the top five because that kiss, and the scene leading up to it, and the aftermath - it’s all just so good. Every single time I watch it I’m laughing just as much as I’m flailing. They’re so uncomfortable, and then so lost in each other, and then so stunned, and then so awkwardly dorky in the aftermath. And I will never be over how many emotions Eric manages to convey in that 5-second long hallway scene. It’s all so masterfully written and acted. But ultimately, this episode as a whole just didn’t quite make the top five.

5x10 Hit List

There’s so much to love about this episode. I love that when Tim can't decide what to wear, he just calls her. I love that despite their nerves, as soon as she answers the phone it’s clear they’re still them. I love how jittery and utterly obvious they are at the station the next day. But not once does any of this impact their work. They remain calm and focused, and Tim absolutely owns that hostage situation. And then, of course, we have their second date and their first real kiss, which is just so soft and perfectly them. The only reason this one didn’t make the cut is because the Tim and Aaron almost falling to their deaths storyline left a lot to be desired. There was so much potential there for fear or angst or really just anything other than, ultimately, a joke.

5x11 The Naked and the Dead

This is one of the most underrated episodes, I think because it’s caught between the Chenford goodness of 5x10 and 5x12. But I love it! For two people who claim to be taking it slow, they’re very much not. No, they’re not sleeping together. But they’re spending a lot of time together outside of work, and supporting each other in everything they do, and pretty effortlessly melding their lives together. And like Genny says, it’s clear why these two work so well together. We see that in action when Lucy notices Tim’s coaching style and learns why, and then just quietly steps in and takes on the role of co-coach. She doesn’t call Tim out, she doesn’t try to change his behavior. She just fills that role for him. It shows how well she knows him and understands his motivations and his fear of being anything like his father.

5x12 Death Notice

This episode really highlights the lengths to which these two will go for each other, and it’s just amazing. They always put each other first; it’s something neither of them have had before in a relationship, and I'm so glad they've finally found that with each other. And that final scene… I’ve watched it far more times than is probably healthy. It’s so fucking hot! I’m not entirely sure why, but I just couldn’t quite rationalize this one being in the top five either.

Least favorites:

Let me preface this by saying, overall I am happy with the trajectory of Chenford's relationship, and I try not to contribute to negative energy in the fandom. But no show is perfect, and this is just my opinion on the episodes I've never been a huge fan of.

1x05 The Roundup

This episode didn’t really bother me the first time around, but knowing what we now know about Tim, the way he treats Nell in this one is just… not good. I know that’s probably the point; he’s in a bad place, he’s desperate to feel closer to Isabel, which makes him desperate to win, so he bribes Nell. But never once after this episode have we seen Tim behave anything like this. Never once have we seen him hit on someone he isn’t interested in anyone. Hell, he’s usually the one getting hit on, and he never seems to know what to do about it (like… he’s so adorably awkward in those moments, and I love it). When I go back and rewatch the series now, I just cringe so much at these scenes with Nell. He literally says the words “I’m married” and then goes and flirts with her. Even with him basically at rock bottom, it just doesn’t seem in character.

4x07 Fire Fight

I’ve never liked this episode, for reasons that have nothing to do with Chenford (which is an essay I’ll have to write another day). But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I really don’t love the Chenford scenes either. While I thought the bet was fun in 4x06, in this episode it comes across as juvenile. Asking Grey to mediate, Tim complaining that it’s “not fair,” Lucy talking about the bet in the middle of a UC op. Not only are they being immature, but they’re not taking their job seriously when that’s something that both of them - but especially Tim - are always very cognizant of. And Tim never gives a reason for calling off the bet (though it could be because he’s realized it’s interfering with the job). It just… ends.

4x08 Hit and Run

It seems weird to put this one on this list when I just wrote an entire essay on 4x09 and why it’s a favorite of mine. But for as much as I love 4x09, I don't love the way we got there. I’ll preface this by saying, my opinion here is likely colored by my own personal experiences growing up with an emotionally abusive asshole of a father. So I might be more sensitive on this topic. But Lucy’s behavior in this episode really rubbed me the wrong way. I understand what they were trying to accomplish: building out Tim’s backstory and Lucy being excited to meet his sister learn more about him. But her empathy toward Tim in this episode was just… gone. It’s not even the Tim Test line that bothers me so much, because it’s clear that one was just a slip of the tongue as she was trying to make sense of what she was learning. And she instantly realizes her mistake when she sees Tim’s face. It’s the rest of it that I have a problem with, because Lucy knows. She knows from 2x12 that Tim’s dad was abusive. And yet, she's empathetic toward Genny when she learns the man is dying while apparently just completely missing the fact that Tim absolutely does not want to talk about this or think about it or have anything to do with it. And she absolutely is overstepping at the end of the episode. If someone pushed me back toward my childhood trauma the way Lucy pushes Tim in this episode, I would be really upset. Now, do I think Tim ultimately benefited from fixing his relationship with Genny? Yes. Do I think he benefited from finally getting some closure with his father in 4x09? Absolutely. Do I think it all could have been more carefully executed? Definitely. I know Lucy had his best interests at heart, but the lack of compassion shown toward Tim’s trauma in this episode is upsetting.

5x04 The Choice

This is also one of my least favorite episodes, and while I understand why the storyline had to be wrapped up quickly, it wasn’t wrapped up well. There were so many flaws (I’ll save my essay on that topic for another post as well), but it's the dynamic between Tim and Lucy that lands this one on the list. Rosalind and Caleb were traumatic for both of them, and that doesn’t get acknowledged here. In any other episode, Tim would have gently checked in with Lucy, probably more than once. I know things were still weird between them, but it doesn’t make sense to me that in this episode Tim can’t be bothered to ask how she’s doing or be more gentle with her at the end, yet in the very next episode he’s more concerned about her than himself. To me, 5x05 was proof that no matter what went down between them, they still care deeply about each other. That was completely missing from 5x04. @theflyindutchwoman wrote more about this episode recently as well, and it’s like she took the thoughts right out of my head. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

5x06 The Reckoning

This may be a controversial choice, but I don’t love the whole radio gag. Once again, to me this just feels like we’ve taken a step backwards. Tim thinking Lucy is doing it to punish him for how he treated her as a rookie, as if that wasn’t almost a year and a half ago? Makes no sense. And I know she was doing it to distract him, which… fine. But “I might be able to help you look for your radio if you tell me what’s going on.” No. Lucy knows Tim well enough to know that forcing him to talk doesn’t work. He talks when he feels comfortable and safe, not when he feels pressured. It’s why he ultimately opens up to her at the end of the episode, once she stops playing games and expresses genuine concern.

Phew! If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading my ramblings, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on my choices. Also, you should go read @queseraone and @roguetwelve’s answers to these same questions because it’s super interesting to see everyone’s thoughts!

#asked and answered #chenford #the rookie #episode analysis #oh my god this was so hard

41 notes · View notes

convolutings · 1 year

Text

I’ve been reblogging chenford all week since it happened because i’m obsessed with them and am so happy Lucy finally broke up with Chris and Tim asked her out. Also, Melissa and Eric did a great job with the material they were given.

but… as a writer.

I’m very disappointed with how it played out. Those scenes did not feel deserved and it felt like the writers got bored? of the angst and just wanted to put them together already. Which doesn't make sense because the type of angst they set up in the premiere was prime television. But neither of them was anywhere near ready for how quickly their getting together actually happened. Lucy was still denying it and Tim was still worried about the backlash and neither of them had the buildup to express that to the other.

With slow burns I feel like the declaration has to be somewhere along the lines of “I just can’t hold this in anymore.” While I love how simple and communicative their conversations were it doesn’t fit with their previous interactions of miscommunication to automatically be able to share how they feel. After all they've been through, Tim and Lucy deserved a big, loud, declarative moment.

There also should’ve been time between Lucy breaking up with Chris (which should’ve been done without Tim’s input) and Tim asking her out. There should’ve been Tim questioning if he’d be taking advantage of her, and Lucy questioning if he’s worth it (like she did with Nolan when she decided he wasn’t). The risk is not just about them losing their friendship and I wish that was touched upon.

We got a little of it and I know this is an ensemble show but they could’ve stretched it out over the course of the season to get them to a point where these conversations could happen naturally. Tim has never been a talk-about-it guy and watching him get to that point where he willingly opens up to Lucy would’ve been so well deserved and not doing that is a missed opportunity for character growth. And having Lucy decide for herself what she is worth and what she deserves without being told by others (which happens quite often) would’ve been amazing for her personal development.

I’m not complaining (not really) about it because I love that they’re together but it just feels lacklustre and kind of like “what just happened” instead of “I knew it was gonna happen now bc it had to.”

The Rookie is fun to watch but there are often so many missed opportunities it gets kind of frustrating some times.

———

update: while reading other people’s analysis i’m starting to agree that the quieter reveal is better, sweeter, and more mature and in character with how they interact with each other. Also I’ve never been in a relationship and have trauma so I only understand angst and seeing them communicate is beautiful.

I’m also starting to recognize how Tim helping her and pushing her is in line with the trust they have in each other to tell each other the truth and how Lucy deciding to jump headfirst after breaking up with Chris makes sense.

I do still think that happened a little fast specifically on Lucy’s end. Looking back I can see the development of Tim deciding to put himself out there and it’s actually really nice and amazing to see how far he’s come especially when he’s talking to Angela about it. But prior to this episode we have never heard from Lucy or had her talk about her feelings toward Tim in any real way.

Lucy used to have Jackson the way Tim has Angela, but now she doesn’t have anyone. The first time we heard her questioning things with Chris was the same episode she decided to break up with him. It makes sense for her to open up to Tim about Chris but I would’ve liked to have her open up to someone (Nolan, Aaron) about Tim.

don’t get me wrong i’m still thrilled and can’t wait to see where they go from here I just thought I’d put out my thoughts into the ether.

#the rookie #tim bradford #lucy chen #tim x lucy #chenford #lucy x tim #tucy #5x08 #5x09 #alexi hawley #episode analysis

191 notes · View notes

hartz-penny · 1 year

Text

seriously what is the timeline of this show in relation to Angela’s pregnancies??? season 3 was over 2 months (!!!) and angela went from discovering she was pregnant to giving birth at approx. 7 months gestation (with the 3 month time jump) and now Tim and Lucy have been dating a “few months” per Tim, implying 3-5 at most and Angela is SO pregnant that she’s going on mat leave in AMERICA where this is not a thing that you often get early leave for??? AND Angela found out she was pregnant when Tim and Lucy had been dating for at least 2-3 weeks

#alexi hawley you and I will have WORDS about continuity should we ever meet!!!#chenford #angela lopez #the rookie #listen I made a whole ass analysis to explain this and then alexi says we’re in 2023 when at MOST it’s early 2022 #and I’m still mad lol #DONT GIVE SPECIFICS IF YOURE GOING TO FUCK AROUND WITH TIMELINES AND WANT EVERY SEASON TO BE A YEAR

30 notes · View notes

dylanconrique · 1 year

Text

okay, but please fulfil my fantasy of chris having an "if i can't have her then no one can" arc where he comes back to hurt lucy so i can have a crazy ex gf/bf parallel between her and wesley.

#*and this is icarly!#the rookie #the rookie s5 #s5 wishlist #chris sanford #wesley evers #lucy chen #the wo-chen sibling supremacy is very important to me #idk i just think underneath the surface these two characters are actually quite similar to one another #someday i'm gonna go deep on my analysis of these two and their relationship #i'm just thinking about that scene last season of lucy seeking parental advice from patrice for some reason it makes me so soft 🥺#vanessa and patrick chen could learn a thing or two from her... just sayin 🙄#chenford #(not but algorithm)

38 notes · View notes

songofsongs214 · 1 year

Text

I only watched like 6 episodes of Season 4 and almost gave up on The Rookie all together. But Mr. Eric Winter says that Tim developed feelings for Lucy through season 4 so I wanted to see how that played out and see the other storylines and see if I can get through it after enjoying where the whole show ends up in Season 5.

So here are Random observances for those that care to read after rewatching Season 4 episode 5 A.C.H:

I miss BA Lucy often. That was one of the reasons I first binged the show in the first place. This character's intelligence and wisdom were and will always be appealing to watch. Melissa O Neil is a joy

Tamera and Lucy this season=top tier. This apartment drama was and still is interesting to watch. I'd love to see more Angela and Lucy scenes too

Narratively, There are SO MANY mentions about Lucy's fertility, inability to find a partner, and loneliness in general. I can see now her getting all of these things is the focus. And the conversation with Tim about his aspirations sadly sets it up for him to be looking for someone to fulfill that unmet dream ( aka Ashley :( ) If you didn't know about Chenford, you'd never know it was with the other by just watching this episode ( but that was a major flaw with 90% of Season 4)

They foreshadowed Metro!! I never noticed that before. Tim and Nolan talk about Metro and it's brief but enough

Angela-love her, love her

BONES alum siting!

Pete and Nolan is delightful this episode. Peter Davidson allows the real Nathan Fillion to shine as Nolan in my opinion. Still not sold on Bailey, I forgot this whole season emphasized them and her

Side Note: while writing this it went into the next episode and Jerry's comments to Tim about him being proud of him and acknowledging his pain..ughh this (Tim) childhood trauma survivor didn't stand a chance not getting closer to Jerry, therefore Ashley. I will always be impressed with Eric Winter's ability to act down to his fingertips and he's believable as a childhood trauma survivor from his facial expressions, body language and reactions. *chefs kiss*

#chenford #the rookie season 4 #meta analysis #lets #see #how #long #I can stand season 4 for #tim bradford #lucy chen #The Rookie season 4 episode 5 #eric winter #melissa o’neil

15 notes · View notes

sylvies-chen · 1 year

Text

tell me why I’m seeing cold ass chenford takes on this app all of a sudden…. like y’all don’t make me switch over to that bird app lmao

#like idk what’s going on #i feel like some people either lack media analysis skills or are way too picky about the way they wanted chenford to become canon #maybe I’m just being sensitive or moody but like… it feels off to me

9 notes · View notes

gayofthefae · 1 year

Text

Drive-by analysis of the dinner double date.

Lucy was actually trying to connect with Chris at times but she immediately reciprocated when Tim brought up an inside joke or a conversation topic. She tended to just naturally get sucked into deep conversation with him.

Tim tended to steer the conversation towards Lucy and him - and not even in an inviting way to the others (not that he was being rude) - like when he brought up Gerald when the conversation was started to go towards being between Chris and Lucy. I don’t this was to block Chris from Lucy but rather that he was in an uncomfortable situation at a restaurant he didn’t like and a girlfriend he wasn’t actually that comfortable with or easy to talk with so he was naturally inclined to gravitate towards his safer and more comfortable zone. He was naturally inclined to talk more to Lucy. He felt uncomfortable so he clung to her and wasn’t actively trying to stop her from other people but rather just keep her talking to him because it helped him to enjoy the night more overall.

#the rookie #tim bradford #analysis #scene analysis #drive by analysis #lucy chen #chenford #chenford analysis

74 notes · View notes

mostowa · 1 month

Note

I don’t think Tim’s pain should be excused, however nobody seems to be acknowledging how DISRESPECTFUL Tim was toward Lucy in last episode … actually making not want them back together because he’s treating her like she meant nothing to him

Hey Anon!

I needed to take some time to answer your question for several reasons. One of them being that I didn't want it to be bundled (also in my head) with hateful comments about me being Tim defender. More importantly, I wanted to really think about what to say here. My answer is going to be one of tl;dr so here goes my general reflections about fandom, TV shows and life.

Firstly, someone said here very wisely at some point that it is great, how different we see scenes, dialogues and react to character building. I also think this is what makes things interesting as long as we keep our discussion civilized and open-minded.

Please, I don't want you, dear Anon, to find this lengthy answer as invalidating to your reflections. You have every right to this judgment, to your emotions and wanting to skip shipping Chenford.

You know, I rarely watch TV shows to judge or relive the drama. I am a sucker for TV shows that are well written (and I consider The Rookie one of these) is that they usually give me a lot of reflection on different characters and all kinds of life situation. I watch them mostly to analyze. And Chenford situation atm is nothing if not a deep pool to explore :D

The analysis is what I really feel like doing with Tim (and a lot of other plots in The Rookie). His perspective is a very distant to one that I follow in my life and that's what makes it interesting for me. He is a deeply bruised man in an obvious mental health crisis. And thus I am not feeling like judging his moves. I want to understand what he does and why he does that.

I've been in a mental health crisis myself. And boy, I was desperate. I was looking for any kind of reassurance I'm doing OK. I was left and judged by my friends. I felt so alone.

So, to add up all that. The way I see this situation is that it's not disrespectful for me, as I try to find different colors of Tim. It's a deeply wrong reaction, a scheme that he tries to fall into. The (once) safe common ground with Lucy: a work talk (that's the same he does in new sneak peek of 6x08). It's not an excuse, it's more of an explanation. I don't think it's good or right what he did, but I get why he did it and he is in an extremely flawed place.

Of course, if we are talking of disrespect and things happening in the relationship we need to consider both sides. So there goes Lucy side. As I see it, Lucy is, well, she is strong. To start. She also knows her boundaries so well. She sets them immediately with Tim. And I don't think also that she found his part disrespectful. I think she treated this a facade, maybe a BS also a little bit. I think she really hopes Tim will get his sh*t together (he needs to, let's be honest about that too). I'm happy she won't let that done at the expense of herself.

I don't think I see any of the disrespectful dynamic written in their relationship. But then again, I wouldn't have chosen to be with a partner like Tim, because I need a healthy attachment style and a good communication (which all I found in the beautiful mind of my husband). I think I've also always been rooting for guys like Tim has to find the good path. So, yeah.

Thanks to any of you that decided to stick to the end of this answer. I hope it makes any sense.

#anon ask #ask and ye shall recieve #chenford #the rookie #tim bradford #lucy chen #6x07

22 notes · View notes

theflyindutchwoman · 6 months

Note

You know what we don’t talk about enough…

THE WAY LUCY LOOKS AT TIM WHEN HES TELLING HER ABOUT CITIZENS ACADEMY!

She’s listening but absolutely not taking in a word of what he’s saying. She’s 100% thinking about how they were totally making out last night and wondering if she gets to do it again soon

We do not talk about this enough.

Look. At. Her.

You are absolutely right… We do not talk about this scene enough! Her mind is elsewhere entirely… Probably thinking about how they were totally doing "nothing" last night. And the way her body instinctively leans towards his when he starts talking… It's subtle but it feels so natural at the same time. And it's not the only time this happens. They just have this gravitational pull on each other. And Tim was so earnest in his advices - which probably didn't help Lucy one bit.

And their flirting right after this… Guys, you are in the middle of the break room… Where anyone can walk in… They are so bad at this secret relationship thing, it's hilarious. "Nothing" has never sounded sexier though… And the way Tim watches Lucy walk away after that… Yeah, I'm sure they were doing "nothing" at all the previous night…

#Also Bestie : are you reading my mind? I had just finished rewatching this scene for an analysis when I received your message!#Your power!#Little talks (with bestie)#the rookie #chenford

69 notes · View notes

bronx-bomber87 · 8 months

Text

Happy Tuesday Fandom! If that's a thing lol Officially half way through s3. Insane. I love this episode. It’s one giant married moment. They are at the height of their banter and marriage flow in this one. This episode is one big continuous work flirt that doesn’t stop. Idk why people didn’t like this ep when it first premiered. It’s Chenford gold. I remember loving this kind of ep for Castle too. It was split for that fandom as well. I think they’re hilarious snippets I enjoy them a lot. The looks alone in this one are primo. This one is more me analyzing their commentary on the case since everyone is segregated in this one. But lets get started.

3x07 True Crime

We start our ep off with Tim and Lucy being the ones called to Corey’s house. There was signs of blood and they enter the house and find a ton of it. Thus starts their amazing run of snippets in this episode. They are being interviewed since they were apart of the investigation. Tim is instantly surly with the director LOL Shock surprise eh? Last thing he wants to do is be here. To him they could be out on the streets instead of this. Lucy is the natural antithesis to him about this. Legit beaming and he is miserable.

The epitome of grumpy x sunshine in every single way. These interview pieces showcase that so well. It makes me giddy and happy haha Tim wants to get out of this ASAP. While Lucy is so excited to be there answering any and all questions. Even cuts him off in her excitement. She is bursting at the seams with elation. Then apologizes to Tim but still can't contain her glee by saying ‘This is fun.‘ Tim judges her some more I’m dying. The look on his face at the end of the second gif above. LMAO

This next section I like to call. ‘How to show you’re in love with someone without saying a word.’ By Timothy Bradford. He is all heart eyes in this scene. First one he's settling in to listen. When his girl speaks he listens, second is him agreeing wholeheartedly with her assessment and lastly is heart eye/admiration city. Doesn't take his eyes off her most of this scene. They’re talking about Corey Harris’s acting class. How he used them to start a bling ring to steal from celebrities. Tim goes on to say how anyone they caught wouldn’t flip on Corey. So he got away with it.

Lucy adds in her own portion. Explaining how Corey promised his students everything. Money, fame. This in turn inserted him in their lives even further. Basically convincing his students he could control their destinies. Saying he did this because he probably didn’t have any control over his own. Tim is just nodding along with a proud look on his face. Just admiring her take on it. 100 percent loving her analysis of him. You know he loves how her brain works. He is just sitting back and enjoying her breakdown of Corey. As transparent as a glass of water sir.

What comes next always has me rolling when I watch this ep. Gotta love the way Lucy tells him like it is no matter the situation. Keeps him in check. Tim is so cocky in his deliverance of his teacher line. Smug really and Lucy shoots that down instantly. He’s all smiles (love this man's smile btw it does things to me. mmm) then realizes how much she’s got him on this. He is dead to rights and has no comeback. You watch in the gifs above he goes from smug and smiley to straight up defeated LOL

He exhales with a ‘You win’ sigh. It’s fantastic. He thought he had this clever quip against Corey. Survey says no. Wifey shut you down lmao Her face through out the whole scene is so funny. Like this is her idiot and she can’t help but poke fun at him for his comment. This moment will always make me laugh. He’s being so ridiculous and she doesn’t let him live it down in the slightest. Her reaction in the final gif is the best. Can't believe he's being such a goober. The work flirt begins and does not stop. Be more married you two please.

They end up finding a script at one of their crime scenes. The director thinks this is an odd thing to stumble upon. Apparently it is a completely normal thing in LA according to Tim. Just another day on the job in this city ha Their polar opposite replies are so indicative of them as characters. The way Lucy is like well yeah when they’re asked if they’ve written one. Tim's is an instant and hard 'God, No' LMAO. These two. Opposites truly do attract.

Her face in the first gif what makes me laugh so hard. That sheepish embarrassment. Eric and Melissa are just pure gold in this one. Their looks alone are some of the best parts besides the banter. Tim can read her like a damn book. All he has to do is look over at her and see her answer. At first he’s waiting for her to say she hasn’t either. Expecting her to follow suit.

She does not…his body language while he’s waiting for her verbal answer is so funny. Like a slow realization. Then it’s judgy city after that. The way she weakly defends why she has is too damn funny. He is none too pleased she has written one. We all know how Tim feels about screen writers. His face says everything. God I love these two sfm.

Their looks in this one have me rolling the entire episode. Eric is the master when it comes to this in the first place. He crushes it in this one they both do. His reaction to her excitement as they get closer to the climax of this case is hilarious. The judgy side eye and furrowed brow he gives her above is extremely amusing.

Tim truly doesn’t understand why she’s enjoying this so damn much. He’s trying to just get through it and be done. His grumpy old man is showing extra hard in this moment. Her sunshine demeanor despite him is amazing. She is of course the opposite and doesn’t know why he doesn’t enjoy this whole thing more LOL Lucy is having a friggin blast. Its coming off her in waves every time it comes back to them.

I feel like Lucy owns Tim’s ass for most of this ep. He literally doesn’t stand a chance against her witty comebacks. Every time he tries to be cocky or make a joke she shuts him down so hard. His crack about a woman scorned. Lucy puts him in check real quick with that one. His soft tone when he says he’s not trivializing it....(but you are my love)

He doesn’t want her to be mad at him for his stupid comment. Then she takes him to school even further with her logical stats. He has nothing to say except 'Most...'' No leg to stand on Timothy haha. Lucy is proud of her self for this one. No one puts Tim Bradford in check better than Lucy Chen. We all LOVE it. (He does too let's be honest...) This episode is pure gold for their banter. Married idiots in this one for all to see.

The director then comments on how Lucy was the one who broke the case wide open. Lucy is beaming from ear to ear. Lights up like a Christmas tree at hearing this. She is so excited to be recognized. Tim isn’t so fast to heap on that particular praise. Now Tim doesn’t give praise out easily to begin with. Add in she just schooled him in front of the director, he’s gonna be extra salty haha The director then asks well if he wouldn't describe it as such how would he?

Tim takes a shot at her social media addiction as his answer. Then Lucy looks like she wants to punch him so hard. Like how very dare he say about her. Ha She is so affronted telling the director 'That’s hurtful' LOL (but a little true...) Side note. I can totally see them in bed. Tim falling asleep to her endless scrolling. It becoming a comfort thing for him. Her going till she is ready to sleep. Shortly after him I imagine. Tis a nice thought to think about now that they're together. But let's get back to the present ep at hand before I daydream any further hehe

The cute looks in that final gif though. Be still my heart. She is so exasperated with him and he’s soaking it up. No regrets whatsoever taking her praise and boiling it down to luck. The absolute shameless flirting going on between these two. It’s like they don’t even know they're putting on a show for this director LMAO It's truly delightful.

Lucy scrambles to defend herself. It’s pretty comical. Saying she was on her phone doing ‘research’ Tim shaking his head but enjoying this none the less. Says that she got a notification and that’s what drew her eye to Corey's video showing he's alive. Lucy says she still has the video on her phone. So ready to take Tim down a peg. She pulls it up and it’s her on her own page doing some sort of dance. I’m laughing so hard.

I want to see this video in its entirety. Read the comments. All of it. I don't know what’s funnier Lucy being mortified that came up or Tim wanting a peak at the video. He’s confused as hell but wanting to see what she was showing the director. If you need a pick me up episode this is it. This one doesn’t disappoint on so many levels.

His confused face is everything after she quickly hides her phone. There are facets to her personality that allude him completely. This is one of them. Alas Timothy this is the woman you’ve chosen to love hahaha I love her being a dork sfm though. It’s that light hearted dork that brings the best out in him as we see in s5.

Their final scene doesn’t disappoint. Lucy’s face during his rant LOL. Tim going off saying what a waste of time this is, he should be doing stuff more important. Said this before but that line from Aaron in S5 fits perfectly for this rant. He's the old dude from 'Up' Such a good line because its so true for him. I love him so much for his grumpiness though. You know Lucy does too. Loves every piece of this man.

Her face is like the wife letting her husband rant even though she thinks he’s wrong. Tim gets humbled one last time. The director tells him about his last project. The way Lucy watches him the entire scene is adorable. She loves her idiot. The look they share after he says ‘Oh. Alrighty then.’ The smirk on Lucy's face. I can not. He has grown so much btw to not to be continuously defensive after he's corrected. Just rolls with it in this last scene. Like Oh... Oops.

Tim gets the last laugh though. Lucy is beaming slash word vomiting her love of true crime while Tim rolls his eyes LOL Thanking the director for letting her be in this. She is exuding sunshine and happily looking at him. When she finishes up Tim pops her happy bubble. Tells her about the thing in her hair. They’re constantly trying to one up the other. Take each other down a peg. Competitiveness even in an interview. Unreal. Lucy has his number this entire episode. So it’s only fair Tim gets his shot in last minute.

I do love in the second gif he stops himself from getting said thing out of her hair though. You watch him reach for it then stop his hand before it makes the full journey. Lucy is so affronted she doesn’t even notice. Her arm is already up and blocking any attempt to grab it anyways. I do love his almost attempt though. It's the little things.

Lucy is so mad he let that be in her hair the entire time. He did it because well it’s Tim. I adore these two so very much. He sighs heavily as she berates him on the way out. So exasperated by her it’s so funny. This is such a fun flirty light hearted episode for them. We got their banter in spades with side helping of heart eyes and flirtation. One of my fav eps of the season for them. Much needed levity after the intensity of the last two.

~~~~

Side notes- non Chenford

Not much. Was good to find out what happened to Sterling. Gino just disappeared last year without a trace. So having ending to them was nice to have.

Harper was hilarious during the interviews to always love me some Nyla Harper. ❤️

Forever Thank you to all who read these reviews and like, comment and reblog means the world :) see you all in 3x08

66 notes · View notes