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ABC‘s The Rookie Season 5 producers finally gave fans what they have been waiting years for — Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen dating. The former training officer and rookie shared their first kiss during the season 4 finale. But it wasn’t until halfway into season 5 that they came clean about their feelings for one another. Unfortunately, Tim and Lucy’s relationship might end before it truly begins in The Rookie Season 5 Episode 19.

Eric Winter and Melissa O'Neil star as Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen in 'The Rookie' Season 5 Episode 19 on ABC. Tim wears a dark gray suit. Lucy wears a green long-sleeved dress with multi-colored flowers on it.
Eric Winter as Tim Bradford and Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen | Photo: ABC

When does ‘The Rookie’ Season 5 Episode 19 come out?

The Rookie fans don’t have to wait long for the next episode of season 5 — episode 19, “A Hole in the World,” airs on Tuesday, March 28, on ABC.

The synopsis for “A Hole in the World” reads, “The team investigates a pattern of kidnappings which leads them to a discovery that hits close to home with one of their own. Meanwhile, Lucy and Tim’s relationship is put to the test as they begin to feel the hard hours of their jobs.”

Disney Entertainment Directing Program participant TK Shom directed The Rookie Season 5 Episode 19, which revisits Celina Juarez’s sister’s murder case when the killer strikes again.

What happened in episode 18?

Before dissecting the worrisome synopsis for episode 19, let’s recap The Rookie Season 5 Episode 18.

The previous hour was another installment into the show’s true crime documentary specials. And this time, the documentary crew (spearheaded by The Rookie creator and showrunner Alexi Hawley) were filming an exposé on Jake Butler and Sava, aka Dim and Juicy (Tim and Lucy’s doppelgangers). Coincidentally, while interviewing the LAPD about Tim and Lucy’s previous undercover work, Dim went missing. And Aaron Thorsen later discovered Dim dead in a dumpster.

As we learned over the course of the episode, Dim and his cousin were involved with underground arms deals. But his criminal ventures had nothing to do with his death — Dim’s affair with Lisa Miller, Juicy’s best friend, led to his demise. When Dim broke things off with Lisa, she got angry and ran him and Juicy off the road. Later, Lisa asked Dim to meet up with her, and she shot him.

Since Dim and Juicy were the primary focus of episode 18, that meant so were Tim and Lucy. The documentary crew constantly asked about their romance, including if they worried their relationship was doomed like Dim and Juicy’s. But Tim and Lucy were confident they were in a “beautiful place,” and their love was nothing like their doppelgangers’.

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Tim and Lucy’s relationship is in trouble in ‘The Rookie’ Season 5 Episode 19

Perhaps episode 18 foreshadowed the trouble for Tim and Lucy in The Rookie Season 5 Episode 19. As the synopsis suggests, their demanding jobs will cause friction in their relationship in the upcoming hour. But does that mean that they’re going to break up?

Honestly, we wouldn’t be surprised if the writers tried to separate “Chenford” the same season they brought them together. Shows (especially procedurals) love to build up a slow burn just to tear them apart the moment they develop feelings. As television fans know, the best part about onscreen relationships is the buildup. And often, when a couple finally gets together, all the magic is lost. So writers go back to the drawing board.

But we also could see this new problem just being an obstacle for Tim and Lucy to overcome. They are still in the beginning stages of their romance, and it’s not uncommon for shows to test new couples. Unfortunately, we won’t know if this latest hurdle will make or break “Chenford” until episode 19 drops.

The Rookie Season 5 Episode 19, “A Hole in the World,” premieres Tuesday, March 28, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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