We’re back! The Rookie Season 7 Episode 15 ‘A Deadly Secret’ turns the show into a true crime documentary with a twist. And Chenford faces a couple of revelations that change everything between them. Despite this, this episode is still not our cup of tea. Ready?
Here we go!
Trying to Be Something Different
As we mentioned in the preview for The Rookie Season 7 Episode 15 ‘A Deadly Secret,’ these types of episodes are not our cup of tea. And this one didn’t change that. They indeed tried to put a twist on it, making it a mix of true crime and paranormal documentaries. And that still didn’t work for us. We’re into true crime documentaries, podcasts… whatever. We look for true crime stuff for fun. And we’re not against paranormal documentaries either. But a mix of the two? Nope.
But above all, it’s a no-no for us that this show tries to be either of those things. And it’s not the first time. This series is a procedural, not a true crime, not a paranormal documentary. It’s a procedural. And that’s what it’s meant to be. That’s what drew us to it in the first place—although we stayed for the ship and the emotional complexities of the characters. If we want to enjoy a true crime or paranormal documentary, we have thousands of options. But The Rookie isn’t one of them. Maybe it would be better to spend this time doing a crossover with 9-1-1, for example.
But what makes us most nervous about these types of episodes like The Rookie Season 7 Episode 15 ‘A Deadly Secret’ is that they usually air in the final stretch of the season. This season has 18 episodes, and in episode 15, when we only have three episodes left and the series should be putting all its effort into it, the show is doing an episode completely disconnected from the season’s plot.
These types of episodes don’t usually advance the stories or the characters’ struggles and usually give us a random case, disconnected from anything else we’ve seen in the season… and nothing more. This time, however, the episode did make some progress regarding Chenford, we’ll give them that, but it was too quick and short on time, almost like an oasis in the middle of the desert. If we had looked away for two minutes, we would have missed it. And they deserved more.
MORE: The Rookie Season 7, Episode 14 Review: ‘Mad About Murder’
Revelations in The Rookie Season 7 Episode 15 ‘A Deadly Secret’
Don’t get us wrong, we loved the little Chenford scene we got in The Rookie Season 7 Episode 15 ‘A Deadly Secret.’ It’s the conversation we’ve been waiting for all season—even though there’s still a lot left to say between them. It’s the first time Lucy and Tim destroy their barriers, and their defenses, and allow themselves to be vulnerable around each other, confessing how they truly feel.
Thanks to therapy—which we saw too intermittently this season to really make the connection—Tim realized that his childhood has a lot to do with how he behaves today. He was raised to internalize that if he failed, he deserved punishment. So he’s followed that pattern his entire life, punishing himself whenever he felt he’d failed. Breaking up with Lucy was a self-imposed punishment for failing to save his former comrade-in-arms and friend. Breaking up with Lucy was his penance.
And in The Rookie Season 7 Episode 15 ‘A Deadly Secret,’ Lucy finally gets it. She finally gets the answer to the question that has been tormenting her: why? She really does. But Tim didn’t just punish himself when he broke up with her. He punished her too. He broke her heart into a thousand pieces that she’s been trying to put back together ever since. Tim knows this. He’s aware of the damage he did to Lucy, how unfair it was, so while he hopes that one day she’ll forgive him and they can be together again, he’d understand if she didn’t.
That’s when Lucy confesses to Tim that she’s already forgiven him. And she surprises herself with this revelation. She doesn’t know when it happened, she doesn’t know at what point she finally put the pieces of her heart back together and forgave Tim for hurting her, but she knows what she said is true. Somewhere while trying to get back to normal, working together, coy flirting at work, and surviving a raging fire together, she forgave him. And this revelation changes everything for them, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for them! We’re still rooting for a reconciliation at the end of the season.
MORE: Why The Rookie’s Chenford is the Best-Built Romance in TV
Chenford Deserved Better
That said, precisely because The Rookie Season 7 Episode 15, ‘A Deadly Secret,’ gives us exactly the Chenford conversation we wanted to see, we feel like they weren’t done justice to them. Did they really have to be drugged up for this? If it’s about letting down their defenses, two glasses of wine at dinner at Lucy’s—or Tim’s—house would have been enough.
And we deserved more than just a couple of scenes almost on the fringes of the episode. We deserved one episode centered on them, bringing back Tim’s therapy, what it means to him, and having this conversation outside of work, with more time, and more space to say everything they’ve been holding back during this time.
What should have been a turning point for both Chenford and the season almost feels like a mere formality in the middle of an episode that was too busy with other things that, honestly, nobody cares about. Or not like Chenford, at least. So yes, we finally have the conversation we were asking for, but it left a bad taste in our mouths because, besides being short, it feels too insubstantial and shallow, and completely out of context in this episode. They deserved better. We deserved better. We just hope they get justice in the next episode.
MORE: The Rookie’s “April Fools” Takes a Step Back From Chenford Journey
Other Stuff in The Rookie Season 7 Episode 15 ‘A Deadly Secret’
- We’re glad Abigail is okay, although we’re saddened to know she and Henry didn’t make it.
- I’m with Wesley; Liam’s defense doesn’t have much of a run. Or it shouldn’t.
- We like seeing Liam again, but they should have made him a long-term villain for the show, instead of resorting to villains who’ve already closed their run with the series. And yes, we’re talking about our favorite shady lawyer.
- It doesn’t make much sense that Tim treats Lucy so distantly in the interview. In other episodes like this, we found it funny to see grumpy Tim, but now it feels disconnected from their story, given what happened between them.
- “I hate making mistakes in front of you.” Tim…you hurt us.
- We’re crossing our fingers that this is the last of these kind of episodes, or at least the last one in the final stretch of the season.
MORE: Why Bailey’s Lack of Consequences in The Rookie’s “Mad About Murder” Is Wrong
The Rookie Season 7 airs Tuesdays at 9 pm on ABC.
Most stupid and time wasting episode. Why would they are trying stupidity and ruined for the audience.