The Rookie: Eric Winter Previews Tim’s ‘Nightmare’ Revenge Dilemma, Definite Repercussions to Come

What has The Rookie‘s Sergeant Tim Bradford gotten himself into? And will his secretive behavior weaken his heretofore-strong relationship with Officer Lucy Chen?

When last we tuned into the light ABC procedural, David Dastmalchian (MacGyver, The Suicide Squad) kicked off a multi-episode arc as Ray Watkins, a former military comrade of Tim’s who years ago killed two members of their unit in order to claim an illicit payday. Unit member Mark Greer (Ray Donovan‘s Brian White) rang Tim out of the blue to report that, as they’d long suspected, Ray had not died but was alive — and as such, it was time for them to follow through on their vow of revenge… to kill Ray before he can do anyone else harm.

More from TVLine

• Chucky's Devon Sawa Calls Season 3's Back Half 'Our Best Work,' Breaks Down That Gory Episode 5 Ending

• Grey's Anatomy Bringing Back Cristina? Here's What Sandra Oh Says

• Jeopardy! Masters Returns: Get Full Schedule, List of Contestants

Tim balked, being a lawman and all. Mark in turn said that any future blood spilled by Ray will be on Tim’s hands. Ray meanwhile vowed to ruin Tim and Mark’s careers if they try to turn him in, seeing as the years ago lied on their after action report, so that Ray’s wife and kids would receive death benefits.

After abruptly dipping on date night with Lucy — and going radio silent for 36 long hours! — Tim returned home to questions he would/could not answer, lest he lead Lucy to compromise her own ethics. Lucy in turn sent him right back out the door whence he came. When last seen, Tim was staked out by Ray’s home, waiting to tail him as he drove away….

Ahead of this week’s episode (airing Tuesday at 9/8c on ABC), TVLine spoke with Eric Winter about diving into this new, knotty bit of Tim’s past, and how it might further impact the #Chenford relationship….

TVLINE | At winter press tour, you got fans excited by teasing that we’d be dipping into Tim’s past this season. But now I have to wonder if for them this falls under “be careful what you wish for”?
[Laughs] It’s a very complicated opening into his past, for sure — and something that definitely affects Tim in a big way. It’s been a lot of fun to play.

TVLINE | What went through Tim’s mind the instant he took that first phone call from Mark?
Complete disbelief. And a bit of panic, for sure. This is something that he thought was completely put to bed, something that in his heart he thought would never surface in any way. When that phone call came in, it’s one of those moments of, “Is this real, or am I in a nightmare?”

TVLINE | Were you surprised that Tim had made such a vow of revenge years ago?
No, not necessarily. Tim always thinks he’s doing things for the best interests of the people around him, the people he cares about… even his country or his city. He is a guy that truly is trying to do what is right in those moments, even if that means blurring the line a little. We saw a glimpse of that — and he would have been blurring the line a lot — a long time ago with his ex-wife, when he was planning a cover-up for her. Lucy called him on that and gave him a reality check. Again, it’s not the fact that Tim wanted to break the law or thinks he’s above the law; he’s a loyalist and he wants to put the people he cares about over his own safety, or his own self interests.

TVLINE | Do you think any fiber of his being right now stills want that revenge? His team lost, what, two guys because of greedy Ray?
Yeah, two of his guys, two of his friends — and Tim doesn’t take anybody that works under him lightly. He really does put his life on the line for those he’s supposed to be protecting, or those he’s trying to train or teach. Even in the military, that was a responsibility he assumed. So there is a part of him that has a revenge streak and would like to make things even in his own way, but I don’t think it would be to the extreme extent of breaking the law. But Tim would like to grab a piece of revenge in a way he can.

TVLINE | Could Tim have handled that conversation with Lucy better, when he reusrfaced after 36 hours?
Absolutely. Absolutely. I think you’re seeing a glimpse of how Tim often acts before he fully thinks. He acts on a lot of emotion, and in a panic, even the way he communicates to someone he loves and cares about like Lucy, he’s not the greatest when it comes to handling things sentimentally or appropriately. He is impulsive and he reacts instead of thinking things through, and it can come out a bit too strong.

TVLINE | When last we saw Tim, he was camped outside Ray’s place, and proceeded to tail him. What can you tease about his agenda at this moment?
He’s trying to find a way to uncover what Ray’s truth is. He knows he can’t be up to anything good, and if there is a way to eventually pin something on him or find out if what he’s doing is illegal, there might be a way of salvaging some of his past.

TVLINE | A lot of times with a TV storyline like this, at the end of the day it’s, “Oh, you lied for the right reasons” and we all have convenient amnesia about what happened. But here, will there be repercussions for Tim, regardless?
There are going to be repercussions for sure, and things that Tim is going to have to come to terms with and accept. You can only do so much for “the right reasons” when it’s still breaking the law. And even if it’s for the right reason, you’ll have to be held accountable.

TVLINE | So… how worried should #Chenford fans be going into this week’e episode?
Knowing how Tim isn’t the best at handling his emotions is something for Chenford fans to take notice of. He’s dealing with a lot, and he’s not always the best, as you saw, with the way he communicates. I think fans will have some empathy for what he’s going through, and they can only hope that the way he comes out of this, he is still the same Tim.

Want scoop on The Rookie, or for any other TV show ? Email InsideLine@tvline.com, and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line!

Best of TVLine

• Yellowjackets' Tawny Cypress Talks Episode 4's Tai/Van Reunion: 'We're All Worried About Taissa'

• Vampire Diaries Turns 10: How Real-Life Plot Twists Shaped Everything From the Love Triangle to the Final Death

• Vampire Diaries' Biggest Twists Revisited (and Explained)

Get more from TVLine.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter