The Rookie Season 7, Episode 4, “Darkness Falling” 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 “Darkness Falling” finally gives us something a bit more tangible to hold onto by briefly reuniting Tim, Lucy, and Kojo in the same frame. We’ve got bits of the (unofficial but official) dog parents together individually, but the three of them haven’t been on our screens together in a long, long time. Yet, that’s not the part that has me on the edge of my seat.
More than anything, it’s Tim’s response to Lucy’s “I miss you” that shows us how he’s still clawing at himself from underneath to get back to her. It’s the equivalent of any romance novel giving readers an “It’s beautiful”/ “Yeah, it is” scene. In other words, one character is looking at a view while the other is looking at them. Lucy is talking to Kojo when she says I miss you. But Tim is very much talking to Lucy when he responds with “Feeling’s mutual.” And that, is all the proof we need that this breakup is now growing more and more challenging for him.
We also have to look into how The Rookie Season 7, Episode 4, “Darkness Falling,” picks apart little things that made Chenford the pair that they were, like bringing up the lie detector test, inviting her in for takeout, and the sole fact that she turned to him with her hesitations. Tim and Lucy continue to be partners, even when they aren’t. The trust they have in one another is something that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere, no matter how closely they rely on other people. But it’s how they continue to deny how much they love one another that’s so frustrating.
In many ways, I get why the show is drawing out this break. It makes perfect sense not to thrust Tim right back into therapy when he’s still so distrusting after the Blair situation. Still, Tim also inviting Lucy in tells me that the comfort they feel with each other hasn’t wavered and that’s an even bigger deal than anything else. They work as a couple because they work as friends. And it’s very normal to want to spend time with your friends outside of work.
Simultaneously, this is Lucy. And when it comes to Lucy, Tim is always willing to let himself be a little more open. He’s willing to let himself feel everything, even when he doesn’t act on those feelings, which is why the breakup is a direct aftermath of how daunting his fears are.
Still, Tim admitting that he misses her, even inadvertently and more so to himself gives us the understanding that he’s allowing that fear to take a temporary backseat. He’s giving himself the chance to feel something other than the dread that he puts her life at risk. He’s briefly giving himself a chance to put everything aside, and even though she understandably rejects his offer, we know that she wants it, too, because of the look on her face. Last week’s episode with Rachel gives us a few more questions, and while there aren’t immediate answers in The Rookie Season 7, Episode 4, “Darkness Feelings,” the emotions are certainly heightened in the quiet but incredibly loud scene.
Now streaming on Hulu: What are your thoughts on Chenford’s scenes in The Rookie Season 7, Episode 4, “Darkness Falling?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©ABC