This one is a little random, and I am going to confess this to you at the start because I did draft this before typing. I did the math with some leniency after drafting out my points and it’s not as bad as I thought it was, but nevertheless, it’s not great.
Also if any future episodes confuse things… just don’t bring it up. That is a future problem.
So, let’s dive in. As perusual.
SPOILERS, My Dudes!
Time Frames
See, most procedurals like this it is generally accepted that the season spans about the year it airs. The Rookie does not do that. I can see why they did that to start off with, to truly milk the limited amount of time the FTO program is for as many seasons as is reasonably possible. It is called The Rookie after all. But that choice has done nothing but confuse them and us for the last eight years.
They keep providing time frames and they regularly make no sense at all. Season 8 has been airing for two months, but I do think the timeline in the show is more than that so I’ll give them some leniency there, but I also can’t say for sure until the season is finished.
That said, Season 7 is finished and I cannot tell you how long that season was. About a year, give or take… but hold on, we’re going to complicate that.
Let’s talk about one timeline we know to be consistent every time it comes up, the rookie year is 13 Months. They are very clear about that in Seasons 1-3 and there’s nothing to indicate Aaron, Celina or Penn’s has been any different. They are a rookie for a year (and a month). Keep that in mind as we go forward.
We know for suresies that Season 1 and Season 2 are both six months. Season 1 ends with the Six Month exam, an exam that is literally never mentioned again and Season 2 ends with them talking about being in their final month. A final month that lasts a shit ton of episodes but nevertheless a final month.
With the addition of John’s month extension in the FTO program, a month that he completes at the end of Season 3, that means that Season 3 is a total of two months long. Which is perhaps only the second most insane period of time in the show, but it is only 13 Episodes so I’ll allow it. It’s not crazy. It aired over longer than that but *shrug*.
Shall we talk about Aaron, Celina and Miles now?
Aaron has completed his Rookie year by the time John and Chen return from training and Harper from maternity in the third episode of Season 5. He’s now riding with Tim. This means Season 4, for the first time in the series is actually a year long. Which is prototypical of TV Shows so ya know, go them. That’s actually the simplest timeline we come across.
Just remember as I am breaking this down just how much shit has happened in the series and how much shit happens in one season. Like in the two months time frame of Season 3, for example.
After the return to work, which I think is about a month that they skip for UC training and TO training and having babies. Season 5 sees Celina join for her Rookie year, which is, may I repeat, 13 Months. Celina does not graduate from the FTO program until Season 7 Episode 7.
Which, ya know, sure fine. That’s about the same length of time Jackson and Chen were in the program but erm do you remember how much shit happens in that time? Not to mention she overlaps with Miles and Seth for no discernible reason. Writing wise, the reason was so Chen and Bradford could flirt, but in universe it makes no sense because I am like 98% sure Celina doesn’t get extended in the program.
Now Season 6 is only 10 Episodes long, I recognise, and a shit ton happens in it for just 10 episodes. But, in my opinion, it could all have feasibly happened in maybe two months. A lot of the episodes do have some implication of picking up in quick succession to the one before, not including Aaron’s recovery. So, ya know, lots of leeway for the time frame of Season 6.
Regardless, if you’re keeping track of the maths, we’re actually up to hold on let me check Three Years. I didn’t forget Season 4 does skip 3 Months. which if you’re checking, Angela’s pregnancy does not last 9 Months but shhh. So actually as of 707 it’s been Three and a Half years. Give or take.
But wait, there’s more! See, the second half of Season 7 is next to undefinable in any capacity whatsoever. It is a period of time within Penn’s 13 Months. He is nearly at the end of his 13 Months in 807 before he royally f**ks it up. So from 701-807 about a year. Overlapping with Celina’s by an unknown amount of time. Truly. How long is Seth a rookie? Not a clue. I want to be nice and say that Season 7 in total is about a year… but considering how much so far has happened in Season 8 in an unknown and undefined amount of time that seems like… too much.
So, my conclusion based on FTO timelines is we are up to about 4 years give or take a couple of months. I don’t think it’s been 5 years at all with all the FTO programs back to back… but I can’t really say for sure how long because Season 7/Celina complicates everything. Speaking of Celina, shall we discuss something else she complicates?
Lucy stated Chenford started dating three years ago. No. Just no.
Bare with because this one broke my brain.
Firstly, she said that in Episode 808 and I went “No”. I was already assuming it had only been about two tops, but ya know she says this because so much shit has happened!
Breaking it down:
- 501: Undercover together
- 510: First date
- 514: Tim joins Metro
- 516: Valentines
- 602: ‘I love you’s
- 603: Chen fails the detectives exam
- 605: Tim ghosts
- 606: They break up & Tim’s kicked from Metro
- 609: Hug in the Elevator
- 706: Valentines Ex-Sex
- 708: Fire induced confessions
- 712: April Fools
- 715: Drug induced confessions
- 717: Lucy makes Sergeant
- 801: Move in together
- 806: Valentines
- 808: “We started dating three years ago, Tim.”
And that’s just them! Everyone else also gets up to a shit ton of shit!
Like, sure, for us it’s been about three years, give or take, but look, if 510 to 808 is three years Celina’s got some explaining to do.
For all of their first relationship Celina was in the FTO program, that means it all took place within 13 Months. From First date to ex-sex it’s thirteen months. I mean, hey, look, that’s not an unreasonable time frame to do all that shit in. It makes it one rollercoaster of a relationship but sometimes that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. It’s not even the fastest moving relationship in the show, let’s be real. Season 1-3 is 14 months and Wesley and Angela are married with a kid at the end of it. Their lives move fast. This one had a lot of ups and downs but it is what it is.
Ya know what it isn’t, though? Three years. Like even allowing for a shit ton of time to have passed between 707 and 808, that’s still not three years. Two max.
But wait, there’s Valentines Day. See, the observant will have noticed that the break down mentions Valentines Day three times. It’s almost like the inconsistency of Celina’s time in the FTO program completely f**ked with their timeline. So, Chenford have been together simultaneously for no more than two and also three years. It’s Schrodinger’s Chenford.
Now there is the little thing of their new release schedule in accordance with that. See because now they start a new season in January and have done for the last two seasons (and February for Season 6) putting Valentines at the start of the season. Whereas Season 5 aired in the industry standard, putting the second half of the season at the start of the year and therefor Valentines in the second half.
From 706 to 806 it has to have been a year, and if you consider the release schedule that means they started dating the January in Season 5. I think this puts us at about two years… still not three.
But this is the point, if they give a date they made it up right at that moment, crossed their fingers it was close to accurate and hit print. And ya know what they’re not far off. The mistake was giving numbers to begin with, but some cannot be avoided. The point is fans will do the math if you do give numbers, even if you just guesstimated in the right region.
Speaking of numbers let’s talk about ages.
As John explores his DC options we’re told he’ll be five years older. No. He could be if you really stretch Season 7, though, so ya know. It was a close enough guestimation. In 208 he has a birthday, they don’t specify his age to my knowledge but he says he’s 46 in 304. I think they’re guessing he’s about 50 in Season 8, which both tracks and doesn’t. It would make him five years older, yes, however it’s not been quite five years yet.
I’m not done. Do you see what I see?
Lucy was born in ’88 and Tim was born in ’78.
Except Lucy is 28 in Season 1 according to Nolan which aired in 2018, and at most is set in 2019 because that’s the date on her ribcage. I’m not great at maths but I do know that 1988 plus 28 does not get you to 2018. Girl would be at least 30.
Props indicate Tim is only ten years her senior, which is more reasonable than past given ages would indicate… can’t imagine why they would have possibly done that. Also, Tim is about 5 years younger than John, give or take.
Tim mentions he’s 45 in 716, by the way… and based on the above confusions for Season 7 that maths is not nearly as simple as doing ’88 to Season 1 so I’m just going to assume that’s accurate and Lucy is thereby 35.
But, oh wait, that would mean it has been five years and as discussed… it hasn’t. Four years tops, which does make the maths inaccurate, doesn’t it?
It’s so much easier to just ignore any and all ages/numbers they give.
Just further indicates my point that any numbers they give are either, wrong, inaccurate or a best guess/estimate within the region as to what it may have been if you’re recalling the show from memory and also taking in to account that it’s still been on air for eight years regardless of the in universe time line.
Like I get why it’s so all over the place because it has been longer our time than it has their time, but they’re still keeping up with current time trends, fashions, tech etc. and the number of events that have occurred in the eight seasons is equivalent to a show that assumes a year per season. They have very busy lives.
Also every time one of them takes a test we’re told the next one isn’t for two years.
- Angela takes the Detective exam I assume in Season 2? Gets the position in the first episode of Season 3.
- Tim takes the Sergeant exam in Season 2. Though he doesn’t take a Sergeant’s position until after he finishes training Chen and is therefore promoted in Season 4.
- Nolan just misses the TO exam in Season 4 and takes it in Season 5.
- Lucy takes but fails the detective exam in Season 6.
- Lucy takes and makes Sergeant in Season 7.
My brain is so broken at this point I can’t even tell you if those exams happen two years apart. I think they’re all in and out of two years by a few months. Ya know from Season 2 to Season 7 is a little over two years. And theoretically if Tim and Angela passed the required exam around the same time Lucy shouldn’t have been able to take both a year apart… but like, hey! It’s fine. Also, those exam’s aren’t a year apart, are they? Or, are they? Because who knows how much time has passed in Season 7, truly.
And also! Plain Clothes Day! Which for Round 1 of the rookie’s happens in Season 1, specifically at the 100 Shifts mark of their training. Aaron’s is obviously somewhere in Season 4. Celina’s is not until Season 7! This girl has the longest first 100 Shifts/6 Months in the shows history. In my opinion the Season 1 ‘Plain Clothes Day’ implies the day occurs because they got to 100 shifts. But that is not necessarily the case, it could equally occur as and when the TO deems the rookie ready for it. But they also make this huge deal about rookie’s washing out on Plain Clothes Day so who knows.
It doesn’t necessarily effect the timeline I just thought it was of note, considering the varying degrees of difference between the three completed FTO programs that we know of, as we have been discussing.
At the end of the day my point is: the timelines make no sense and they keep giving them.
Maths is a Lie
Look, it is a turn your brain off show. It is a very good show. Their narrative structures are tight, it’s engaging, it’s funny. It’s easy to watch but has the dramatic moments when it needs them. It has both made me cry and laugh on multiple occasions. It is character driven and every single character is well written. I love them all and all their personal and professional developments.
You should not be doing math when watching this show but you definitely should be watching this show.
Forget math. Math is a lie. Ditch all the numbers and just enjoy the rollercoaster, hectic and endearing unfolding’s of these characters lives.
Thanks
Hey so this is much longer than my first draft was and broke my brain thirteen times over.
It’s fine… and you thought Blindspot‘s timeline was insane.
Hope you enjoyed this post if you read it, and I hope you’ll join me for the next one, whenever that may be, as always:
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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the images, narratives or characters present or referenced in this post. All rights belong to ABC, NBC and all other relevant parties.