“The Rookie” returns on Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 10 pm ET — but will Lucy snooze her way through the Prague-set Season 8 premiere?!
When last we tuned in to the ABC drama, Sergeant Lucy Chen (played by Melissa O’Neil) embarked on her first night shift with the “Dream Team,” who she learned got their name by sleeping in their cruisers in a parking lot. After whipping her team into shape, Sergeant Chen chose to catch up on her sleep in a different — but also quite compromising! — situation.
After her shift, Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) surprised dead-tired Lucy at her home with homemade breakfast — and a proposal… that they move in together! But Lucy didn’t hear his pitch — she had conked out on the couch during his speech. How will we find these two when the show returns on Tuesday?
“The premiere is a must-watch for ‘Chenford’ fans,” showrunner Alexi Hawley told TVLine’s Dave Nemetz during a set visit in October 2025. Hawley added that a #Chenford reunion has been “long-coming,” but their redemption arc has taken some time after such a devastating break-up in Season 6.
Meanwhile, O’Neil teased that the sleepy sergeant gets off the night shift “rather rapidly” in Season 8, though her character will remain stateside in the premiere. Other members of the team will head to Prague to work with Monica Stevens as they target high-value terrorists operating within and outside of the United States.
Luckily, Chen will be able to recalibrate to the daytime shift without the threat of jet lag, and O’Neil said Lucy’s personal life will also start to get sorted. She couldn’t say much about how #Chenford moves forward after that awkward Season 7 finale, but she did say that the aftermath of Tim’s invitation will be addressed “near the beginning” of Season 8. (Phew!)
Click “PLAY” on the video above to watch O’Neil, Winter, and more “Rookie” cast members — including Nathan Fillion, Jenna Dewan, Mekia Cox, Alyssa Diaz, Shawn Ashmore, Deric Augustine, and Lisseth Chavez — talk all things #Chenford, the Prague-set premiere, the forthcoming “Rookie” spin-off starring Jay Ellis, and more. Then, hit the comments with your reactions!