In depth analysis
The different responses of Lucy Chen
Part 2
Tim
Tim is Lucy's tough as nails T.O. He is her teacher/mentor and sometimes tormentor. From day one he has made it very clear that he would train her, that he would be hard and demanding because that's exactly what the job is. He put her through various tests and for the most part she managed to come out on top (pun intended) and impress him. Tim tries to keep boundaries between their T.O.-Rookie relationship but in my opinion they blurred pretty quickly. Between Isabel, his possible contamination with a deadly virus, spending the possible end of the world together, her helping him study and everything in between, their relationship isn't as straight cut as Tim expected. It is evident in this episode that he cares for Lucy.
He feels responsible and blames himself for Lucy's abduction. In my opinion, that has to do with the way he wants to approach her return. Rile her up, push her and remind her that she is not a victim but a cop in hopes of helping her overcome her tragedy. The thing is that this approach is partly for both of them. He will make sure to train her in a way that a) she will push through the pain and be better prepared and b) he will be reassured that he has done everything in his power to protect Lucy and maybe dull his worry (we all know that he will always be worried about her wellbeing).
At the end of the day Tim wants the best for her even if it's not him. He is convinced that Nyla could handle the situation better and all though a little hesitant he makes the tough call.
For both days of the switch he is concerned, gives her space, trying to trust Nyla, but still keeps tabs on her and has an eye out for any sign of trouble. Ready to jump in if the need arises.
As far as the tattoo is concerned he doesn't share the popular belief that she should remove it. In fact he doesn't stir her in any direction but makes a point about the importance of visible and invisible scars. He knows Lucy will overcome the challenges but he believes that she shouldn't erase or sweep her trauma under the rug but instead embrace and learn from it.
Last but not least, he is willing to open up about his past and briefly mentions the things he has had to face and we all know how hard it is for officer Tim Bradford to trust someone so much.
Lucy's response
In contrast to the way Lucy handled everyone else, mostly keeping them at arms length and pretending that she had worked through her trauma and was ready to return to work without much fuss, she isn't afraid to be vulnerable in front of Tim.
When he pretty much offered to help her if she needed anything, she asks him if her has a time machine. Tim is practically the only person whom Lucy dropped her brave "I'm fine" facade for and actually felt comfortable enough to admit, in her way, that she was hurting. She was more open with him than with anyone else and didn't pretend that her abduction hadn't affected her or try to play it off. She knew that he would see right through her and didn't feel the need to have her guard up or be defensive because Tim is the person she can trust her life with.
For me their interactions this episode show how much their partnership/friendship has evolved. They both respect each other enough to open up, not be as defensive as with everyone else and really listen to the other's person advice.
