The Rookie Season 6 Ending Without A Chenford Reunion Was The Only Good Thing About The Finale

Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from The Rookie season 6 finale, “Escape Plan.”

Following a season of ups and downs for Chenford in The Rookie, the season 6 finale ended without Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen getting back together, which was (unfortunately) the only highlight of the episode. The ABC crime drama series, created by Alexi Hawley, had been slowly building up to a romance between Tim and Lucy since the first season, and the two finally realized their feelings for one another and began dating in season 5. Unfortunately, the couple faced many obstacles, which ultimately resulted in Tim breaking up with Lucy in The Rookie season 6, episode 6.

Aside from the relationship drama, one antagonist ruled over season 6’s 10 episodes — Monica Stevens. Her storyline culminated in The Rookie season 6 finale, which featured Monica seeking revenge on Eric Ramsey, who hired someone to kill her because she was a threat who could obtain incriminating information about him. Unfortunately for Monica, though, she was hardly the only villain to pop up during the hour, unnecessarily stealing Monica’s spotlight and adding confusion to the overwhelming episode.

The Rookie Made The Right Choice To Keep Tim & Lucy Broken Up

Chenford Still Has Many Problems To Work Through

Tim had many demons from his past he had to face, and since he felt as if he wasn’t good enough for Lucy, he ended their relationship. Following episode 6, The Rookie season 6 did little to repair Chenford’s romance and instead focused on Tim seeking help to work through his issues (which was a good thing). By the time the finale rolled around, there had not been enough progress (if any) to fix Tim and Lucy’s relationship to warrant a reconciliation between the two. Thankfully, the episode acknowledged that Chenford must take baby steps before jumping back into a relationship.

Tim and Lucy shared a few moments throughout The Rookie season 6, episode 10, and while their final scene instilled hope for their future, the show never forced them to get back together. Earlier in the hour, Tim told Lucy about going to therapy and working through his issues (unfortunately, his therapist was a “blackmailing psychopath”). Then, after stopping Bautista’s men from taking out Gundo’s crew, Chenford met in the elevator, and Tim thanked Lucy for saving his life. Tim also acknowledged how he “ruined everything,” referring to their relationship, and promised to pay back the kindness Lucy had shown him.

Although the moment in the elevator wasn’t grand or particularly poignant, it was just the right conversation Tim and Lucy needed before the writers could work towards a Chenford reunion in The Rookie (likely in season 7). The scene will serve as the catalyst for Tim and Lucy to work through their issues, recover what they lost, and become better, well-rounded people for one another. So, it seems like Chenford fans have a lot to look forward to in season 7.

The Episode Contained A Convoluted Plot & Too Many Villains

The Finale Introduced Unimportant New Villains & Brought Back Forgotten Ones

While the Chenford of it all was perfectly executed, the rest of The Rookie season 6 finale lacked intrigue as it was too complex and stuffed with villains (old and new). The finale’s villains included Monica, Dr. Blair London, Eric Ramsey, Christian Bautista, Gundo, Jakob Olmstead, Oscar Hutchinson, and Jason Wyler (plus the two goons working for Monica). Somehow, all eight antagonists were interconnected in a plot that was hard to keep up with, much of which was inconsequential.

Monica is such a good villain on her own that she doesn’t need all these moving parts to make her character and story intriguing. Plus, Monica’s illicit affairs had nothing to do with any of the ABC crime drama’s main characters, meaning that the hour was taken over by the villains. So, even though The Rookie season 6 finale was seemingly thrilling, the exciting action scenes just masqueraded a convoluted plot and an unnecessary excess of antagonists, and the writers had the opportunity to end on a much better note.

Season 6 began with The Rookie characters trying to track down the criminals who robbed the Federal Reserve. By the premiere’s end, it was clear that Monica had a hand in it, but the hour made it seem like she was working for someone else (whose identity viewers would learn by the finale). Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, and apparently, Monica was running her own business of obtaining and trading incriminating information. Ultimately, the setup for a big reveal was there, but the writers missed out on the opportunity and brought back old villains and introduced new, unimportant ones instead.

The Rookie Season 6 Finale’s Lackluster Twist Ending Was Spoiled In Episode 9

Oscar’s Plot To Escape Prison Was Introduced During The Penultimate Hour

Monica met with Oscar Hutchinson (one of The Rookie‘s recurring villains) in prison during The Rookie season 6, episode 9, and she enticed him to get information on Eric Ramsey for her in exchange for his freedom. Of course, Oscar agreed, and in the finale, Oscar enlisted the help of Jason Wyler (Bailey’s ex-husband). The two men gave Monica what she wanted, and she helped them break free. Episode 10 ended with Oscar and Jason out of prison, and Jason’s intention to return to Los Angeles (presumably to get revenge on Nolan and Bailey).

After watching the penultimate hour of The Rookie season 6, it was obvious that Oscar would break out of prison, spoiling the finale’s lackluster twist. Once Oscar got Jason on board with the plan, anyone could predict that he would target Nolan and Bailey once he was out free. Consequently, the season 6 finale’s cliffhanger ending wasn’t surprising, nor did it build much hype for The Rookie season 7’s release.

The Rookie

The Rookie is a police procedural television series that stars Nathan Fillion as police officer John Nolan. At 45 years old, John becomes the oldest rookie at the Los Angeles Police Department. The show premiered on ABC in 2018.

Release Date

October 16, 2018

Seasons

6

Showrunner

Alexi Hawley