Over the course of every television show, the main characters grow and show changes in their behavior. At least, they should — well-executed character development is a sign of a successful series. Sometimes villains turn into heroes; other times, broken people become healed. And one of the best examples of the latter form of character development is Tim Bradford in The Rookie Season 5.
Eric Winter plays Tim Bradford in ‘The Rookie’ Season 5
When The Rookie premiered, the ABC series portrayed Tim as a tough and unrelenting cop who seldom let down his guard. But that all changed when he ran into his ex-wife, Isabel. That’s when fans started to see Tim’s demeanor crack, which clued viewers into what made him into the police officer he was in season 1.
Isabel was an undercover cop who became addicted to drugs while on the job. She and Tim later separated, and he was clearly affected by the strain of their relationship. The dangers of the job led him to be harsh with his trainees, including Lucy Chen.
Sergeant Grey assigned Tim to be Lucy’s training officer in the pilot, and the two helped each other grow into better cops and people. They have come a long way since the first season, and although their development from colleagues to friends to lovers was gradual, it was more than satisfactory for fans. However, some argue that Tim is way out of character in The Rookie Season 5.
Fans explain why the change in Tim’s character makes sense
Amid the controversy over Tim’s character development from The Rookie Season 1 to Season 5, one fan started a Reddit thread defending the changes.
“I’ve noticed since Tim and Lucy started getting closer and got into dating, quite a few people feel his personality changed and that ‘this wasn’t how Tim was originally written!’” they wrote. “In my opinion, it’s not a failure in writing, but an achievement in writing.”
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They explained, “When we first meet Tim, yeah, he’s a total hard-a**. He woke up in the middle of the night to his wife missing and didn’t see her for a year. And then to find out she was addicted to drugs. That would break anyone … In the one scene during the stakeout, we see Tim watching an old clip of him and Isabel in happier times. And you can clearly see a glimpse of a guy who is happy, relaxed, laid back, and in love. I’m sure that’s truly who Tim was at one point in time.”
“I see that personality coming back with Lucy because he’s in love,” the fan concluded. “I feel with Lucy, because he truly does love and care about her, we’re going to see less and less of ‘Mr. Hard-A**’ and we’re going to watch him grow back into someone who is happier, more relaxed, and a guy who smiles a lot more.”
A different Reddit user added, “All of the characters have changed since [season 1]. And that’s a good thing, even if we don’t love their particular evolution. Tim was a very damaged and mistrusting person in [season 1]. Lucy has always had his back (literally from day one), and I think he has never really experienced that before.”
“[Tim and Lucy] changed each other,” someone else pointed out. “He toughened her up, and she showed him it was alright to be softer in his personal life.”
Tim starts a new job in The Rookie Season 5 Episode 13
In The Rookie Season 5 Episode 12, Tim came clean about his relationship with Lucy to Grey. As a result, Tim agreed to take a desk job so he would be out of Lucy’s chain of command. However, Lucy will try to get him a better position in episode 13, “Daddy Cop.”
The synopsis for episode 13 reads, “In the midst of a heatwave and a citywide blackout, Officer John Nolan and Aaron follow increasingly large leads after they discover criminals hiding at the station. While on duty, Officer Chen makes an alarming discovery after being called to a scene where a pungent smell has wreaked havoc. Meanwhile, Lucy and Harper scheme to get Tim out of his new job and into a more exciting position.”
The Rookie Season 5 Episode 13, “Daddy Cop,” airs Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
