The third season of The Rookie has come to an end and won't be back until fall. But the season left viewers with plenty of things to ponder during the wait, and Angela's abduction at her own wedding is proof that the show is only going to get more intense when it makes its return.
One of the most anticipated aspects of the season was Tim no longer being Lucy's training officer. While that's how the two formed a friendship, it's also the reason why it couldn't evolve into more. Now that they're no longer T.O./rookie, showrunner Alexi Hawley admits that a barrier has been removed. There were plenty of moments between Tim and Lucy during the latest season, and even before it, that planted the seeds of what could come.
Lucy Gets Jealous Of Tim's New Rookie
Tim is known for being hard on his rookies, and Lucy was no exception. He was anything but pleasant during her first day and even made her get out of the car and walk when she couldn't tell him their location. Lucy was expecting Tim to act the same with his new rookie, Katie, but he's much softer towards her. Lucy catches Tim putting a hand on Katie's shoulder, and is upset by the touch.
Lucy confronts Tim about it and even worries that he's treating Katie better because she's more beautiful and fit, but, of course, that wasn't the case. Tim had to train Katie differently due to her military background, and Lucy seems embarrassed by her outburst. She sounded more like a jealous girlfriend, than someone who was just upset about Tim's different training methods.
Tim Passes Up A Sergeant Position For Lucy
With some help from Lucy, who had figured out Tim's learning style and made all of his books into audio recordings, Tim passed his sergeant's exam. He was offered a position at another precinct, which would start before the end of Lucy's rookie year. Lucy seems upset at the prospect, and Tim asks Grey if he can have the night to think about it.
But it doesn't take him long to decide, and Tim turns down the job to finish training Lucy. Considering that Angela became a detective and left Jackson, and Talia left Nolan to go to another precinct, they clearly share something different than the other training officer/rookie duos.
They Flirt When Lucy's Undercover
When Tim and Jackson accidentally pull over Lucy when she's undercover, the men she's with decide to kill Tim. To save Tim's life, Lucy convinces them to let her flirt her way out of the traffic ticket. They pretend like they don't know each other, and after Tim and Lucy flirt, he lets her off with a warning.
The two have an entire conversation with their eyes, and after seeing how dangerous the people in the car are, Tim immediately calls Harper. When Lucy misses her check-in later that night, he insists that they need to blow the operation to get Lucy out alive.
Tim Gives Lucy Her Final Evaluation
To prove to Tim that she could handle undercover work, Lucy gave him a fake confession of feelings. But the most ironic thing about her speech is that nothing she says is actually untrue. Tim goes through a roller coaster of emotions as Lucy goes on, and during his panic, he seems to even be thinking about what she's saying.
But it was still a line that wasn't ready to be crossed, and Tim begins to shut Lucy down before she busts out laughing and reveals it was a joke. Tim gets angrier at Lucy than she expected, and when he gives her her final evaluation in the parking lot, the camera lingers on Tim's gaze making it look as if he's seeing her in a new light.
They Have The "Separated By The Wall" Trope
The separated by the wall trope is often used when two people have an emotional connection, but something is stopping them from being together. The wall is a physical representation of the barrier, and it prevents them from touching no matter how close they are.
When Tim was thought to be infected by a deadly virus, they sit on opposite sides of the door and Lucy manages to make him smile through the fear. Tim Bradford doesn't like to admit when he's afraid, but Lucy always knows what he needs. She offers him hope, even when all hope is lost.
Tim Interrogates Lucy's Date
Tim was right to have his suspicions about Caleb, but there was still nothing about him that screamed "serial killer." Tim is standoffish towards him, and when Caleb tries to give Lucy his number, he snatches it away from her.
It's unclear why Tim was so against Caleb, as he admitted later that he never saw him as an actual threat to Lucy's life. Even Lucy was surprised by Tim's reaction, and while it could be chalked up to protectiveness, it felt more Tim's jealousy threw him for a loop.
Lucy Tells Tim That She Knows Him
Tim Bradford is a tough nut to crack, and it takes the right kind of person to get him to open up. Lucy managed to weasel her way into Tim's heart and got to know a side of him that he doesn't show to many people. After Tim's wife developed a drug addiction and left him in the middle of the night, Tim stopped believing that anyone could truly know another person.
But Lucy proves Tim wrong by telling him that she knows who he is. When Lucy was buried alive, she knew that Tim would find her no matter what. It was interesting that Tim was the one Lucy was holding out hope for, rather than her best friends.
Tim Bring's Lucy's Her Favorite Meal
After Tim finds Lucy's burial site and revives her, he stays in the hospital with her overnight. Tim tries to deny it, but Lucy always sees right through him. Not only did Tim stay by her bedside, but he even brings Lucy's favorite meal in case she's hungry—a veggie burger with fries and extra pickles.
Lucy smiles and comments on how well he knows her, and the looks they shared were anything but platonic. Tim's actions were those of a concerned boyfriend, as none of her other co-workers acted the way that Tim did.
Lucy Sets Tim As Her Lock Screen
Couples are known for setting each other as the background of their phone, and that's exactly what Lucy did with Tim. She was proud of him for receiving an award from the department and snaps countless photos of him despite his protests.
It felt like viewers were watching a wife forcing her husband to pose for pictures. Lucy shows Tim that she's set him as her lock screen, and although it was a joke, it's not something that Tim would have let any other rookie get away with.
Tim Asks Lucy To Save Him A Dance
Tim never liked the idea of Lucy doing undercover work after what happened to his wife, but he still tries his best to be supportive of her. After Lucy's mission is a colossal success, Tim congratulates her at Angela's wedding. Tim and Lucy have always walked a very blurry line, but for the first time, there's clear flirting between the two of them.
When Lucy turns to walk away, Tim contemplates for a moment before asking her to save him a dance. While there's no way to know what was going through Lucy's head, she looked happily surprised by his invitation. It was the last scene they shared in The Rookie Season 3, implying a possible shift in their relationship when the show returns.