The Rookie: Lucy Chen's 10 Best Episodes, Ranked (2024)

The lead on The Rookie is Nathan Fillion's John Nolan, but the show has truly become an ensemble series over the past six seasons. One of the most beloved characters is Melissa O'Neil's Lucy Chen, a rookie with Nolan who has become an accomplished officers, even working undercover. The best episodes of The Rookie with Lucy Chen are representative of all the different kinds of storytelling the show can pull off. Initially, Lucy Chen was romantically involved with John Nolan, but they broke it off (mostly) before the fifth episode.

Despite being one half of the fan favorite "Chenford" ship (the other half being Eric Winter's Tim Bradford), Lucy isn't just a romantic interest. She is a capable officer and survivor who, despite all she has endured, remains one of The Rookie's most compassionate characters. More often than not, Lucy has empathy for the suspects she encounters, especially those who've been dealt a raw deal by society or the system. She opened her home to a girl she met only after she stole Lucy's car. Even after Tim broke her heart in The Rookie Season 6, she never hesitated to show him kindness and concern. Lucy Chen is one of The Rookie's best characters, and these episodes are just a small sampling of why that is.

10 'In Justice' Introduced Officer Lucy Chen's First 'Puppy'

Tamara Collins Stole Her Car, and Then She Stole Lucy's Heart

The central focus of "In Justice" were stories about Nolan working out of an LAPD Community Center and Officer Jackson West (Titus Makin Jr.) seeing his new training officer Doug Stanton (Brandon Routh) harassing a Black family. Yet, it’s a great Lucy Chen episode of The Rookie because she gets her car stolen. Despite being a janky 1977 orange Datsun 280Z, Lucy loved the car. Yet, not as much as she loved the person who found it.

"In Justice" is the episode where Tamara Collins comes into Lucy's life. An orphan living on the streets, Tamara stole the car for a safe place to sleep at night. She was going to school and trying to make something of herself. Lucy was moved by her story, and made it her goal to help the young woman. Bradford gently chided her for it, calling Tamara her first "puppy," a person a young officer adopts to try and "save." By the end of the episode, Lucy gives Tamara her car on the condition the young woman stay in contact with Lucy.

9 In 'S.T.R.' Lucy Chen Goes Undercover With Bradford's Ex-Wife

The Rookie Broke a Problematic Mold With Lucy and Isabel's Relationship

"S.T.R" stands for "Skip Tracer Randy," a humorous character played by Flula Borg, who leads Nolan and Harper on a multiple murder investigation through a comedy of errors. Less funny was the story involving Isabel Bradford (Mircea Monroe), Tim's ex-wife and a former undercover officer. A person she cared for while undercover reached out to her, and Lucy had to go undercover with Isabel to save the young woman's life.

What makes this episode so special is that rather than making the two women catty or competitive over Tim, they worked well together. Lucy empathized with Isabel, and Isabel returned her compassion with advice about being undercover while also in a relationship with Tim. Rather than a problematic love triangle where two women fight over a man, "S.T.R." showed how the key to making Chenford work was trust.

8 Chenford Fans Love 'The List' Because It Was Their Disastrous First Date

Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen Jumpstarted Their Relationship in Classic The Rookie Fashion

In Season 5, "The List" was a thrilling crossover episode with the now-canceled The Rookie: Feds, but it makes the list because it was the beginning for Chenford. The episode begins and ends with Tim and Lucy's first dates. Their first attempt was foiled after a fight broke out in the restaurant, and they had to flee lest their relationship be discovered. Then Sergeant Wade Gray (Richard T. Jones) calls Tim and Lucy into his office to discuss how inappropriate a relationship within the precinct would be.

They think he's talking about them, but he's actually talking about two of the new rookies. "The List" is great because it shows the chemistry Tim and Lucy have while addressing the problem with their relationship head-on. Tim was in Lucy's chain of command, thus their relationship would be officially inappropriate. Instead of mining that for more "will they or won't they?" drama, The Rookie's storytellers showed they were deterred by that particular problem. Eventually, Tim transferred out of the unit, solving this particular conundrum.

7 In 'Five Minutes,' Lucy Chen Was Shown to Be a Truly Compassionate Person

Tamara Collins Was Never a 'Puppy,' She Is Lucy's 'Family'

In truth, "Five Minutes" is more focused on the love story between Nolan and Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan). Lucy rides with Nolan during this episode, and his former flame was supportive and encouraging as he pursued his eventual wife. However, this is a great Lucy Chen episode for a different kind of reason, still tied to love. In this episode, shortly after West was killed, Lucy asks Tamara to move in with her. Tamara and Lucy were close after she stole the Datsun, but the young woman still didn't trust the young police officer.

Throughout the episode, Nolan and Chen try to foil the plans of "master thief" Claire Ivey (Tricia Helfer). Still, what sets this episode apart from the rest is the way Lucy reassures Tamara that being her roommate isn't just convenience or a misguided attempt to help her "puppy" (as Bradford called Tamara). Lucy tells her that she considers her family. In fact, when Tamara Collins moved out in Season 6, Lucy told her she'd always have a home with her if she needed it.

6 In 'The Shake Up,' Lucy Chen Faces Her Family and Her Desire to Be Police

The Rookie's Earthquake Episode Shook Up Lucy's Relationship With Her Father

In "The Shake Up," Lucy is paired with Officer Talia Bishop (Afton Williamson) and has to prove herself to an entirely new T.O. The title refers to the earthquake that happens in the middle of the episode, and Lucy proves that she's a rookie cop who is right where she's supposed to be. From shielding a patient with her body to trying to help the people she arrests in this episode, Lucy proves to be the kind of cop most police procedurals don't include: one who cares for the suspects' well-being.

"The Shake Up" also has some Chen family drama, as Lucy sees her father in the hospital. He is an advocate for the rights of the accused, and he resents Lucy for choosing this career. Lucy gives him an impassioned plea for understanding as she explains why she loves the job and how she hopes to change the LAPD for the better. Even though she arrests the person who assaulted her father (though he didn't want to press charges), she does write a report pleading for leniency for the troubled man.

5 Lucy Chen Was an Epic Undercover Cop and Action Hero In 'Escape Plan'

In The Rookie Season 6 Finale, Lucy Saved Tim Bradford's Life

The Season 6 finale of The Rookie was over-the-top with Nolan on a secret mission in South America with the CIA to capture Monica Stevens. However, Lucy Chen was equally a super-cop in "Escape Plan." She started the episode working undercover for an international money-launderer, posing as a nanny. In tension-filled scenes, she's able to investigate while the crook is none the wiser. Yet, the real action starts after he flees the country, and she goes to join another part of the LAPD's operation to take down Monica.

Monica set up two rival gangs to kill each other at a neighborhood laundromat. The entire crew of The Rookie (minus Harper and Nolan) were present for this operation. When one of the shooters tries to escape in a pickup truck, Bradford jumps on to stop him. Except, this time, the normally capable Bradford was in over his head. His life was saved when Lucy jumped from her car onto the bed of the truck and took out the driver. This, along with Lucy's kindness throughout the back half of Season 6, left Chenford closer to getting back together than staying apart.

4 In 'The Overnight,' Lucy Chen Realized Asking for Help Wasn't a Weakness

She Also Almost Won American Idol In One of The Rookie's Hollywood Crossovers

One of the funnier moments from The Rookie's second season was when Lucy Chen inadvertently tried out for (and almost made it on to) American Idol. This is a bit of an inside joke since Melissa O'Neil was the winner of Season 3 of Canadian Idol. However, the episode was also a great Chen performance because of her team-up with crime reporter Valerie Castillo (Roselyn Sanchez, Eric Winter's real-life wife). She and Valerie go out together to try to stop a hotel armed robbery ring.

Lucy didn't take Valerie all that seriously, especially since Bradford told her not to trust the media. Yet, when it became clear that Valerie was onto a very real threat, Lucy realized she had to call for backup. She called in Tim, who jokingly said she was "in trouble," and they were able to bust up the thievery ring. "The Overnight" was important for building Lucy's confidence and helping her realize she was part of a team.

3 A Training Officer Swap in 'Safety' Reaffirmed That Lucy Was a Good Cop

Working With Nyla Harper Humbled Lucy and Gave Her a New Confidence

In another Season 2 episode, Lucy was sent out with Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) as her training officer, because Tim was coaching children's football. In her first season on The Rookie, Harper was as tough as Bradford or Bishop ever was. Instead of calling her "Officer Chen," Harper just referred to her as "Not Nolan." Many seasons before her action-heroics in "Escape Plan," Chen was not much of a fighter. After losing a fight to "a tweaker," Harper angrily spars with her, knocking her down. Harper berates her, telling her to "get used" to being knocked down.

At the end of the episode, Lucy and Nyla stop at a house where neighbors complained the owner was feeding squirrels. He was also making bombs, and Lucy ended up facing him down alone as he rigged an explosive device to take out himself and her rather than be arrested. Lucy uses her ingenuity to figure a way around his trap and arrest the suspect. Harper tells Chen that she was "wrong to discourage" her, and that Lucy shouldn't be a cop "like" Harper. She should be "better than" her.

2 In 'Double Down,' Lucy Chen Shows Why She Is a Great Undercover Operator

This Was Also the Episode Where Tim and Lucy Were Drawn Together for Good

Thanks to a silly premise in The Rookie Season 4 finale, two criminals are dead-ringers for Tim and Lucy. The two of them have to go undercover as a couple, and they find themselves on a private plane to Las Vegas. Lucy is comfortable in her role undercover, and she even kisses Tim to make their role convincing. It's in this episode that Bradford realizes he has feelings for Chen, and Lucy realizes she can no longer deny her feelings for Tim.

In fact, Chenford would've kicked off at the end of this episode if not for killer Rosalind Dyer leaving Chen's then boyfriend with slit wrists after she escaped. Still, the adventure to Las Vegas was a good one, both for how it showed Chen's capabilities as an undercover officer and ability to put her personal feelings aside. Rosalind Dyer's escape was a big deal for her. Yet, as thrown as she was by this turn of events, she was able to keep her cool and save Bradford's life when their cover was blown.

1 In 'Day of Death,' Lucy Chen Almost Died, but She Never Lost Faith

A Defining Character Moment, Lucy's Abduction Made Her Stronger

The late, great Annie Wersching played Rosalind Dyer, a serial killer who was already incarcerated. Yet, her acolyte, Caleb Wright (Michael Cassidy) was still on the loose and killing people. At the end of the previous episode, he grabbed Chen after the two went on a date. After all the heroics on this list, it may seem strange Lucy's best episode of The Rookie is one where she's a prisoner the entire time. Yet, that's what makes it great. Even though she is almost helpless -- she does almost get away -- this is another episode that highlights the character's strengths.

O'Neil's performance is top-notch, playing defiant and terrified with equal grace. After she was locked in the barrel and buried alive, she had to act from a camera at an unflattering angle. Still, this only elevated O'Neil's performance by making her fear real and viewers sympathize with her. Yes, she was rescued by Bradford and her colleagues, but Chen was still a hero in this episode. Not only that, her perseverance on the job after this horrific experience is partly why Chen is such a great character.

The Rookie Seasons 1-6 are streaming on Hulu, and Season 7 is expected in 2025.

The Rookie

TV-14

Drama

Action

Crime

Starting over isn't easy, especially for John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of joining the LAPD. As their oldest rookie, he's met with skepticism from those who see him as just a walking midlife crisis.

Release Date

October 16, 2018

Cast

Nathan Fillion , Alyssa Diaz , Richard T. Jones , Eric Winter

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

6