THE ROOKIE Post-Mortem: Melissa O’Neil Breaks Down ‘The Gala’—and Previews What Comes Next for Chenford

[Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Tuesday, February 11 episode of THE ROOKIE.]

THE ROOKIE’s Lucy (Melissa O’Neil) and Tim (Eric Winter) reunited (at least briefly) on the Tuesday, February 11 episode, “The Gala.”

After working together at Grey’s (Richard T. Jones) “Turn in Your Ex” booth—where Lucy learned that Tim had a date to the gala they were attending that night; she didn’t realize it was his sister—the squad went to the charity event. Unfortunately for Tim, when a drunken man got out of control, Tim had to try and subdue him…which ended with the man in custody, but Tim getting cut on the back of his neck. Lucy insisted she’d go with her ex to his hotel room to help with his wound treatment, given the placement of his cut on his neck.

In the hotel room, Tim thanked Lucy for her help and the duo shared a charged moment. 

“We shouldn’t,” she said.

“I know,” he replied. But Lucy kissed him and then the former couple fell into bed.

The two had an awkward morning after, as Lucy got dressed and prepared to go to her own room. “So, you want to talk now, or order coffee first?” Tim asked.

“Do we need to talk?” Lucy replied. “I mean, this just feels like a classic case of Valentine’s Day ex sex, right?”

Tim reluctantly agreed. (Though neither looked at each other to gauge how the other was actually feeling.) “Just a singular moment in time, aided by alcohol and shirtless triage,” he said.

“We can go back to normal,” Lucy insisted.

Tim was conflicted, and called out to Lucy—but by the time he faced her, he shifted his face to appear collected and said he’d see her at the station.

Later, Tim and Lucy ended their shift and shared an elevator together.

“I’m not sorry about last night,” Lucy said.“Oh, me either,” Tim quickly replied.

“But it can never happen again,” she said.

“I know,” he replied.

“For a million reasons,” she insisted.

Tim started rattling them off, including that he was in her chain of command and had recently gone viral as being #GrumpyCop. “Wasn’t grumpy last night,” he joked.

“No,” she replied. “You definitely were not.”

But will the duo affectionately known as Chenford actually be able to stay away from each other? Here, O’Neil talks with Give Me My Remote about filming “The Gala” and what comes next.

This was a big moment for Tim and Lucy, even if it’s not officially a reunion. What conversations did you have with THE ROOKIE showrunner Alexi Hawley and the writers—that you can share—about it, including what it means for them and Lucy going forward? 
You know I’ve had a lot of—this episode was absolutely a journey. I’m very protective of Lucy. I think when I read the script, I was confused and wondering if it was out of character. Alexi is so collaborative and patient. I’m often being like, “Uh, what about…?” [Laughs.] I really appreciate that…It was a really good exercise for me as an actor to remember that, you know, I’m a colorful pencil crayon that the writers are using to make their art. And it was really fun, once I got on board with what we were doing, to think about how to tell that story in the best way. And what was the story we wanted to tell?

And I think it was very important for me to protect Lucy’s intentions and orientation. It was important to me that she did not insert herself into helping him with a cut to get to his hotel room. It was really important to me that that was a sincere moment of offering to help because that’s the intimacy they have. They have years of working together, and then they also had an entire deep relationship. And, so, of course, when you’re cut and there’s glass in your neck that you can’t see, I’m gonna help you clean it up. Don’t be ridiculous. It’s late, everyone’s going home, I’ll just do that and it’ll be fine. That was important.

And so I did think a lot before we shot it. And our director was so wonderful, and collaborative, and receptive. And Paul [Theriault], our DP, we also helped with that—how we were going to shoot it. The blocking was important to me: That everything is about working on this cut and getting him cleaned up…until it’s not. So that was really important that the blocking was such that they’re not even looking at each other. That’s not what’s going on. “Let me get [the] first aid kit. Okay, sit down, take your shirt off. Let’s get you cleaned up.” And then, for whatever reason, he gets up, and she’s still doing her own thing, and then [she mimics a collision noise]. They’re right there, in front of each other. 

And we all know that moment where we see that thing in our lover’s eye, and it’s like, “No, not that. We shouldn’t do that. We should…I have a Band-aid. We should clean your back.” And then she can’t help herself, you know? And I think the proximity was also important, too. I’m just, like, thinking straight-up about chemistry and pheromones and having the proximity of your former lover, who you still are very much attracted to, [and] being able to play all of those things was really important.

So we actually spent a lot of time figuring out the blocking and to, also, like, have that gear shift. So it’s focus, focus, focus, first aid kit, first aid kit. Hold on. No; I can’t help it. And then it accelerates, you know, that want just accelerates the moment. And then suddenly we’re falling into the bed, kind of a thing.

It’s terribly unromantic and unsexy as an actor to do this choreography and to plan it, but all of that is kind of contributing to creating this moment. And I hope that it comes across [as] well, because for Eric and I, we just wanted to really make sure that we were protecting both of our characters and making sure that, with respect to where those two currently are and everything that is yet to be said, that they’re not just using each other physically. Because there’s real love between them, there’s real intimacy, there’s real history there. And it’s important that they’re not just using each other like that, but, instead, it’s just a moment out of time that transpired, because the circumstances led them there.

They’re very clear that they don’t intend for this to happen again. What can you share about how this changes their dynamic going forward in the immediate aftermath? Are we seeing a change in their physicality, in their banter, or are they going to be slipping because they can’t really help it?
All of it. All of the above. [Laughs.] All of the above! Nothing is off-limits!

I really do mean that. I think it’s the push and pull of being, like, keep our shit together, you know? Keep our shit together. And also, that was nice. Also, that’s not happening again. But, you know, you look nice. [Laughs.] I think it’s all of those things. It’s like the forbidden fruit kind of a thing. But, again, they are first and foremost professionals, and good at their job and good at being professional. And it’ll be fun to see how that plays out as well. [Laughs.]

As you alluded to, there is a lot of love here; these two people did not break up because of a lack of love. In your mind, what does Lucy actually need to be able to trust this man in a romantic sense?
My perspective is that it will require accountability. Lucy is an emotionally intelligent person. She has a psych background, you know…and she appreciates that in Bradford. [Pauses.] I think she’s waiting for accountability and a real conversation that shows that he understands what he did and how that hung her out to dry. And an assurance that, at least as far as his intention, he’s not going to do that again. I think that’s important.

And also it’s not—I mean, maybe this is me talking, but when someone says they’re going to do something, it’s important that they follow up, and not just use words and say whatever. So, I think that’s important, too. But more than anything, I do believe, over the seven years of their evolving relationship as coworkers and as lovers, that she does know who he is, at his core. And so this is a moment that even though it was really painful for her, she knows who he is. She knows where his heart is. And so she might let him off the hook a little bit, too, because she’s not confused, you know? I think!

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

THE ROOKIE, Tuesdays, 10/9c, ABC

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