Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Rookie Season 8, Episode 7.Season 8 of The Rookie kicked off with a major shakeup for the Mid-Wilshire division when it was announced that Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) would be taking over Lt. Grey’s (Richard T. Jones) old position as watch commander, ringing in a new era for Bradford’s career. However, with a new position comes growing pains, and it hasn’t been the smoothest ride for Bradford leading the precinct and handling the new responsibilities. On top of that, he’s finally gotten together with Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil), his long-time on-and-off love interest whose romance has been at the top of fans’ minds since the show started. Since moving in together, the Chenford ship has mostly been sailing smoothly, with the pair celebrating Valentine’s Day together last week, though knowing The Rookie writers, there’s always a possibility of conflict on the horizon.

The latest episode of The Rookie sees Lucy and Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) take on a long undercover mission, living in a van down in Baja, Mexico, and investigating the brutal murder of two women. The mission separates both Lucy and Nyla from their loved ones and even sees Tim donning a costume for a hot minute to check in on the two officers. We spoke with Eric Winter about potentially seeing Tim go undercover again and also discussed his character’s new struggles as a watch commander this season. Winter talked extensively about how these new changes have affected his character’s growth and his layers and went into why he liked being kept on his toes as far as Tim’s romantic life was concerned. With more action-packed episodes to come, Winter teases that someone from Tim’s past will come to cause some trouble for him in the back half of Season 8.

Eric Winter Talks Tim’s Latest Stress Now That He’s Watch Commander

“…that’s been a lot of his stress and struggle in the role.”

Image via ABC

COLLIDER: There’s been a lot of action-packed scenes this season. There’s been a lot of chases, shootouts, and exciting cases. Was it disappointing not to see Tim out there now that he’s the watch commander?

ERIC WINTER: Yeah, not gonna lie, it was a little tough for me to not see Tim in the action as much as he had been throughout all the years. I remember having a conversation even with Alexi [Hawley] and the writers just saying, “I want to understand a little bit about Tim’s new path. Am I going to be somebody that’s like Grey and I’m just behind the desk, assuming this managerial type of role more, and I’m not in it?” They came up with a nice solution and a way for Tim to get more involved in the streets later in the season, which I thought was good. But I definitely, as an actor, and I think even as a character, struggled a little bit with trying to figure that out and navigate it, because it was just so opposite for the character.

It’s interesting to see him in more of a desk role and see him take on more of the managerial side of things. And Lucy, at one point, says that he’s been super stressed and he hasn’t been sleeping very well. How do you think he’s adjusting?

WINTER: Yeah, I mean, he’s figuring it out, because he was in charge of a person, when he was a T.O. it was one person, and everything he said, that’s just how it went. He ran the ship. But now he’s in charge of a whole department, and he has to deal with so much, like office politics and the higher-ups and paperwork and things that I don’t think are natural to Tim. As much as a leader as he can be, I think this is a different way of leading, and he has to lead in a broader sense and, I think, have a bit more compassion for people in scenarios, while also trying to still be firm and get things done his way. Then he has to deal with all the nonsense of phone calls and paperwork that he doesn’t want to deal with. So, that’s been a lot of his stress and struggle in the role.

Winter Teases an Old Ghost From Tim’s Past Coming Back To Haunt Him

“He clearly loves his family, but he’s uncomfortable with things that they might share about him…”

Image via ABC

I love it whenever family gets involved in this show. I think it’s one of the highlights when we see any of these characters and their families coming in. What was it like reuniting with Peyton [List] for the last episode and getting to see her? And would you like to explore more of Tim’s past?

WINTER: Totally. Everything you said, for sure, I love working with Peyton when she comes in anytime. It brings Tim’s family into the fold, and I think we’re winning because we learned so much about him. He clearly loves his family, but he’s uncomfortable with things that they might share about him or he experiences with them, and you see a softer side, a more vulnerable side, for sure. I think, in general, Tim’s past is so unique and so fascinating that I love every time we explore something that either has gotten him into trouble, or he’s navigating through still or baggage that he carries. To me, that’s the best part: he’s so imperfect, and that’s what makes him great to play and watch.

There’s already been a lot of big stuff happening, but is there something specific for Tim that you’re excited for people to see in the back half?

WINTER: I’m super excited for people to see Tim get back out in the field a lot more that’s going to happen later in the season definitely at a bigger extent. And also a good old thing again from Tim’s past might come to cause some problems, so that’ll be fun to see.

Winter Talks Exploring New Sides to Tim in ‘The Rookie’ Season 8

“I feel like Tim, every single season, there’s just layer after layer that we’re peeling back.”

In this week’s episode, we see Lucy go undercover in Mexico, and she’s there with Nyla. I’m really curious, I know there have been moments where Tim goes undercover, but how do you think he would fare in long-term undercover work? And is that ever something you want to explore?

WINTER: I’d love it. I think Tim would do great. I think he was fantastic when he was playing Dim and he was undercover as Jake, I think that was a fun opportunity, and I welcome it for sure. So I do think it’s something he would be fantastic at. I think he’s doing better with Lucy doing it this time around than the last couple times, and accepting of it. He has to try to figure it out as the head of the department, but it’s still never easy, obviously, seeing your partner getting into situations like she gets into.

I loved in last week’s episode we got that cute moment between Tim and Lucy with the Valentine’s Day gifts and got to see a lighter side of him. Even when he’s undercover as a drive-thru worker this week, it’s a nice comedic moment. How is it getting to explore these more light-hearted sides of Tim this season, after we’ve seen him be so gruff in all the previous seasons?

WINTER: Yeah, I love it, because it’s another layer. I feel like Tim, every single season, there’s just layer after layer that we’re peeling back. He’s such a complex character, so I like that we get to see those levels, because then they often shift for the smallest reasons, and you see him get back to this tough, firm, sometimes a bit of a jerk to others. And I like dancing that back and forth, especially as an actor, playing both.

Eric Winter Highlights What Makes Tim Bradford Such a Dynamic Character on ‘The Rookie’

“It’s not that easy to do; it makes it challenging and fun.”

Image via ABC

Tim’s journey has been extensive throughout the last eight seasons. What has been the most rewarding part playing this character and seeing his evolution? What is it when you think back on this show that you’re going to say, “This is what I’m most proud of from this job”?

WINTER: I would honestly say the balancing of his growth and heart as a character while maintaining his mission to make people better in the department, even in his own rigid, firm style, like he stays true to himself. I think for me to look back as an actor, and getting so many fans on board with Tim’s journey from being completely unlikable, but then realizing why he’s that way, and it’s actually for the best intended reasons, to the point that people love him and care so much about him and feel for him. I think those are probably my biggest takeaways as an actor, knowing that I was able to navigate that journey and turn him into somebody that people just empathize with and resonate with. They can relate to him in such a big way in life and profession.

I think something that’s really attractive about his character is that there is a gruffness, but underneath it, there’s always good intention, which is often not the case with people like that. And I think it’s nice to see that come through.

WINTER: You can turn [his] flaws into one of his superpowers, in a way. Like his flaws as a character, making that what people love so much about him is a treat. It’s not that easy to do; it makes it challenging and fun.

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Eric Winter Reveals His Feelings About Chenford Now That They’re Finally Together

“I’m not saying it has to be complex to the place of falling completely apart again…”

Image via ABC

What do you think Tim’s more stressed about: being watch commander or not screwing things up with Lucy?

WINTER: Oh, wow. I think the combination is just making his life stressful, for sure. I think he’s stressed when he goes to work, and he’s stressed when… I think it’s a release when he comes home, and he’s doing his best to enjoy it all the time, in a sense. So, I think it’s a good escape from the stress at work. However, yeah, he doesn’t want to screw up again. So there’s a little bit of that with his growth as a person.

After all of these seasons of Chenford’s will-they-won’t-they, they’re finally together. What is it like for you and Melissa when you’re reading the scripts and you’re like, “Oh my God, they’re finally at peace,” and they’re now navigating this new section of their relationship? Is it a relief not to have to answer to people like me and be like, “Oh, well, we don’t know how it’ll play out”? Is it nice to not have to worry about that part anymore?

WINTER: I mean, look, I always think it’s fun worrying about what’s actually going to happen. I always feel they have ups and downs in the relationship, and everybody’s up with kids or married and seems happy, and they’re dealing with family life situations. Obviously, the younger cast on the show, the newer cast, is not necessarily in relationships, but I think with [Lucy and Tim], they’ve been a couple that people can relate to in everyday life, that are navigating complex relationships.

And I think it was fun as an actor to always wonder what is going to happen to them. Now it feels a little more safe and solid for sure, so it takes away from some of the questions. But I always still kind of feel, hey, is the rug gonna get pulled out? What is in store? And I still like keeping that open as a guess in my mind, versus feeling safe. It makes it interesting, it really keeps the relationship complex. And I’m not saying it has to be complex to the place of falling completely apart again, but trying to explore other problems or potential dynamics that we aren’t already showing on the show of people in relationships.

New episodes of The Rookie air every Monday 10/9c on ABC in the U.S.

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Release Date

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October 16, 2018

Showrunner

Alexi Hawley

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Directors

Tori Garrett, Chi-Yoon Chung, Michael Goi, Sylvain White, Lisa Demaine, Lanre Olabisi, Bill Johnson, David McWhirter, Liz Friedlander, Daniel Willis, Toa Fraser, Anne Renton, Jon Huertas, Cherie Nowlan, TK Shom, Rob Seidenglanz, Valerie Weiss, Barbara Brown, Charissa Sanjarernsuithikul, SJ Main Muñoz, Nelson McCormick, Marcus Stokes, Adam Davidson, Anna Mastro

Writers

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Corey Miller, Bill Rinier, Zoe Cheng, Mary Trahan, Ally Seibert, Liz Alper, Nick Hurwitz, Racheal Seymour, Madeleine Coghlan, David Radcliff

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With nearly as many episodes as there are days in a year, Supernatural has built an enormous catalog across its 15 seasons. Some episodes are genuinely scary, self-contained horror stories, but the series has always been bigger than its scary monsters. What kept fans coming back for more was the relationship between Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester, a bond strong enough to carry the show even when an episode didn’t fully stick the landing — and there were, most fairly, a few. Ackles has gone on record about his favorite hours, but Padalecki’s top pick is a more surprising choice, and it’s also one of the most debated episodes of the entire series.

The ‘Supernatural’ Series Finale Is Jared Padalecki’s Favorite

Ahead of the series finale, “Carry On” (which aired on November 19, 2020), Padalecki spoke with Entertainment Weekly in an effort to tease the show’s remaining episodes and reflect on Sam and Dean’s nearly two-decades on television. When asked about his favorite moment from filming the 15-season series, the actor’s response was somewhat surprising and gave fans hope for the remainder of the series.

“The series finale is my favorite episode of all time,” the actor said, but that wasn’t enough. Soon after, he doubled down on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account. “I love all of my children equally, but this one is my favorite,” he teased. Now, some folks may prefer the first episode, which sets the Winchester brothers on their dark path.

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It’s not exactly a secret that “Carry On” is one of the most debated episodes of Supernatural. Some fans love it, considering it the best ending that the Winchesters could have gotten under the circumstances. Others maintain that the show should’ve ended years earlier, possibly when series creator Eric Kripke departed after Season 5. But whichever camp you fall into, the series finale was something special for those involved in the making of Supernatural, and it left a powerful mark on the show’s star.

Interestingly, years before he had gotten the script for “Carry On,” Padalecki had another episode in mind as his most beloved, this one a fan-favorite all-around. No, this one wasn’t some monster-of-the-week special that put Sam and Dean up against a ghoul, ghost, or Djinn, but rather Season 6’s “The French Mistake,” which the star held onto for the next four years until Season 15 came around (via EW). But considering that “The French Mistake” is something of a love letter to Supernatural‘s production, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Padalecki would cling to “Carry On” by the time they’d completed filming.

“Carry On” Is the Perfect ‘Supernatural’ Finale, According to Padalecki

Although showrunners like Andrew Dabb and Robert Singer famously wanted “Carry On” to serve as a satisfying conclusion for all Supernatural fans, it didn’t exactly live up to fans’ expectations. In many ways, Season 15’s final bow — which was originally meant to have a different ending before the COVID-19 pandemic — felt more in step with the show’s earlier years. It even re-inserted Sam’s desire for a normal life apart from hunting into the narrative, something we didn’t know the character still wanted after all these years. While Dean’s ending was maybe a bit anticlimactic (something The Winchesters thankfully fixed later on), Sam got to live a full life and die in peace. Sure, he had to wear a terrible wig, but it was an ending that Padalecki adamantly approved of.

“I think I cried every time I read the script,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly after the fact, arguing that the finale’s dual “wonderfully tragic” and “wonderfully optimistic” tones were just what the show needed. However, you feel about the series finale, it’s clear that Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles were happy with how things turned out. It’s not often that a series finale is so impactful that one of the show’s leading stars believes it to be the show’s finest hour, but Supernatural is a rare exception. “I feel really proud to have been a part of this,” Padalecki reflected. Yes, they’re still open to returning for more, but if another season of the beloved low-fantasy horror series never happens, “Carry On” offered Sam and Dean Winchester the closure they’d long desired.

Supernatural is available to stream on HBO Max.

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Release Date

2005 – 2020

Network

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The WB, The CW

Showrunner

Eric Kripke

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Directors

Philip Sgriccia, John F. Showalter, Kim Manners, Thomas J. Wright, Charles Beeson, Guy Norman Bee, Richard Speight Jr., Mike Rohl, John Badham, Steve Boyum, Amyn Kaderali, Jensen Ackles, Tim Andrew, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeannot Szwarc, P.J. Pesce, Nina Lopez-Corrado, James L. Conway, amanda tapping, J. Miller Tobin, Stefan Pleszczynski, John MacCarthy, Jerry Wanek, Ben Edlund

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Writers

Meredith Glynn, Davy Perez, Raelle Tucker, Cathryn Humphris, Brett Matthews, Nancy Won, John Bring, Ben Acker, Daniel Knauf, David Ehrman, James Krieg, Trey Callaway

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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 27 seconds ago

While many Star Trek fans dislike various characters in Starfleet Academy, the one they hate the most isn’t one of the main characters. Like members of the early Discovery bridge crew, she has a name, but almost nobody watching actually knows it. To them, she’s mostly “the girl who ate her comm badge.”

This character (who is actually named Pickford) has only appeared in three episodes so far, and she’s always in the background, being generally useless. So useless, in fact, that you might find yourself wondering why the writers put such a stupid character in their prestige sci-fi show. Now, some Star Trek fans have a compelling theory about Pickford: that her stupidity is just an act, and she’s secretly a spy for Nus Braka!

The Woman Who Knew Too Little

In the very first episode of Starfleet Academy (“Kids These Days”), Pickford stood out in the worst possible way, nervously admitting to the Doctor that she had swallowed her comm badge. Critics pointed to this as an example of the new show having the kind of broad comedy more suitable to a Saturday morning cartoon than a new Star Trek show. After all, this was a character training to be the best of the best, but she appeared to have the wits and intelligence of a toddler in her first appearance.

She doesn’t acquit herself very well later, either: in that premiere episode, she has a full-on meltdown after Nus Braka’s pirate attack. Later, she’s rude to the holographic SAM, and in the most recent episode (“Come, Let’s Away”), she had another panic attack in a tense situation and had to be escorted off the bridge. So far, Pickford has revealed herself to be rude, stupid, and completely useless in almost any situation, prompting a growing number of Star Trek fans to ask why she was put in the show in the first place.

A Secret Spy?

Apart from just being annoying, the biggest issue with Pickford is that she doesn’t seem to be Starfleet material. Sure, she’s in the academy and wears the uniform, but she seems to have none of the emotional and mental discipline you’d expect from a future Starfleet officer. This is in direct contrast to Starfleet Academy‘s Big Bad Nus Braka, who presents himself as a goofy joke (complete with cackling monologues about time being an origami chicken) but is secretly hypercompetent.

That competence was on full display in “Come, Let’s Away,” an episode where Starfleet asks for his help in defeating nefarious villains known as the Furies. Braka pretends to cooperate, but he manipulates the situation to his advantage and has his flunkies destroy a Starfleet vessel. Later, he disables and ransacks an entire Starbase, which is quite the accomplishment; sure, the Klingons in Discovery took out a base, but now, a simple space pirate was able to obtain the same accomplishment as one of the fiercest space empires the galaxy has ever known.  

In “Come, Let’s Away,” this is presented as evidence that Nus Braka is a criminal genius, but some fans aren’t buying it. A growing number of viewers believe that the only way this skeezy pirate is able to so consistently outwit the smartest people in the quadrant is because he has someone on the inside, feeding him information. The primary suspect, surprisingly enough, is the girl who fed herself a comm badge!

Hiding In Plain Sight

Why do people think Nus Braka has a spy within Starfleet? For one thing, he has shown up whenever Chancellor Ake takes her students into space; this was explained in the first episode (he tracked Caleb’s transmission), but in the second episode, he seems to know enough about the Furies and their plan to coordinate an attack that destroyed a Starfleet ship and crippled a Starbase. He was likely coordinating with the Furies and possibly with his spy, which might be why he attacked a Starbase that focuses on researching (as Nelrec says) “classified things.”

Obviously, there are many characters that could be potential spies for Nus Braka: Genesis is still very mysterious and seems to share the space pirate’s Daddy issues. Nelrec is continually disillusioned by working with Starfleet, so he might very well team up with Chancellor Ake’s biggest enemy. Heck, even the Doctor may have become disillusioned enough (or just reprogrammed) to change sides, and since multiple versions of this character exist in the galaxy, Braka might have even replaced the Voyager Doctor with a copy loyal to him.

However, I agree with the fans who think Pickford is a secret spy: antics like swallowing her comm badge are a great way to ensure that nobody thinks she is smart enough to be a double agent. Plus, her frequent meltdowns could just be a convenient way to take her out of the action. For example, she could have easily communicated with Nus Braka in “Come, Let’s Away” after being escorted from the bridge, transmitting to the pirate once she is in her quarters and away from prying eyes and ears.

Is Starfleet Academy About To Redeem Its Worst Character?

There is no definitive proof that Nus Braka has a spy, and he may very well just be the criminal mastermind he presents himself as. But now that the Federation has placed him at the top of their Most Wanted list, it stands to reason we’ll see more of this villain going forward. Honestly, it would be downright shocking if we don’t get some big reveals in the season finale, and a secret spy update would be the biggest reveal of them all.

Right now, all my latinum is on Pickford, if only because it would be such a delightful heel turn: how cool would it be if the dumbest, most incompetent cadet turns out to be the biggest traitor since Seska? This would redeem Starfleet Academy’s throwaway character in the most unexpected way and give us a new villain to hate. If nothing else, she and Nus Braka could have an earnest, onscreen debate about the most pressing question in the galaxy: what tastes better, a comm badge or an origami chicken?

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