The Rookie is not going to be back on the 2026 TV schedule, since it’s once again being held for midseason, and the wait could not be more excruciating. The Season 8 finale ended on a major cliffhanger that saw fan-favorite couple Chenford getting kidnapped right after they got engaged. Now, there’s no telling how things will go for them come Season 9. So, while the actors know this was "really bad," I also get why they loved it.
It’s no secret that Melissa O’Neil’s Lucy Chen and Eric Winter’s Tim Bradford have been through the wringer, together and individually, since the start of the series. Their relationship has been a roller coaster, but Chenford was as strong as ever in Season 8 after they finally got back together. It seemed like they were going to get their happy ending after officially getting engaged at the end of the finale...until they were drugged and taken by people tied to a crime boss. During the show’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con, which CinemaBlend attended, the moment was eventually brought up, and O’Neil admitted to feeling all types of feelings when she read the script:
