The Rookie 6×10 “Escape Plan” Spoilers Ahead
Welcome to Chenford Chats, a column dedicated solely to highlighting Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen’s interactions during the latest episode of The Rookie.
The Rookie’s Season 6 finale gives us far more on Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford (Chenford) than I thought we would get, so I’m calling it a win. This is network television, after all, and before a true happy ending (or steadiness, at least), the show’s big ship has to take time apart before they get back together again. Still, The Rookie’s “Escape Plan” gives us a thoughtfully tender beat of vulnerability to keep Chenford’s longing locked until Season 7.
There’s a bit of humor in the episode when Tim tells Lucy that he called her a freak in the sheets in therapy, and there’s a good chunk of action that once again proves there’s nothing either of them wouldn’t do for the other. However, what needs further analysis is the detail that we get another moment of vulnerability in an elevator—a confined space where even while they’re feeling small for a beat, they’re braver because of the person standing in front of them.
One of Tim’s most admirable qualities is his lack of pompousness with Lucy. He isn’t putting up a front or an act anymore. He’s no longer her training offer, but they’re equals. He has no problem acknowledging how a woman’s place in his life matters, which can be said about Lucy and Angela, too. Tim recognizes what powerhouses they are and the voices that out loud. This is one of the significant factors that makes the moment commendable, but what gets me is his admission of gratitude for her kindness. In that single sentence, Eric Winter conveys so much affection that you feel every ounce of Tim’s gratitude. He’s holding nothing back, and as hard as opening up tends to be for him, it’s easy to see and believe how this moment is effortless.
With this in mind, there’s something to be said about how one of the reasons Tim held back on therapy is largely because kindness isn’t something he’s often exposed to. It’s Lucy who’s shown him the importance of it, and it’s Lucy who’s consistently reminded him that it could be a saving grace. More than anything, Tim is grateful for how deeply Lucy understands him.
When he says, “And I will spend the rest of my life trying to pay it back,” it’s a promise, spoken aloud into the space between them that The Rookie 6×10 “Escape Plan” ultimately foreshadows to another type of vow. We have a long road ahead before the kind of vows I’m thinking of, but this moment solidifies what we all know without a shadow of a doubt: Tim and Lucy are it for each other. They might spend some time apart, but they’re holding on for dear life the next time they’re a couple again. They already do, day and night, by putting themselves at risk to protect each other.
He knows he hurt her. He knows he needs to crack open her walls again alongside his to break the barriers in front of them, and Tim is promising that he’s going to try. He’s going to put aside his stubbornness, the years of pain gnawing at him alongside the guilt, and eventually, every fear stopping him from giving her all the pieces of him. He’s going to try harder than ever because he knows that her kindness is the light that’s consistently pulled him out of every dark path he’s crossed. And promising that out loud is tremendous proof of that.
Now streaming on Hulu: What are your thoughts on Chenford’s scenes in The Rookie 6×10 “Escape Plan?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ABC