Melissa O’Neil and Eric Winter Open Up on Chenford, One of TV’s Best Ships

In their first detailed interview, conducted at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, O’Neil and Winter opened up about the development of Chenford and their collaboration as scene partners.

Let’s get one of the most important questions out of the way: Who do you think fell first?

Winter: I get asked this all the time. [To O’Neil] I’m sure you do, too.

O’Neil: I don’t get asked this.

Winter: I always say Lucy.

OK, let’s say Lucy fell first. Can you pinpoint a specific moment when you noticed a shift in this dynamic?

O’Neil: The first time Lucy ever played it — or that I intentionally played it as an actor — was definitely at that kiss moment. He was so cruel to her so many times that she was like, “I have nothing to do with this dude.” And then there’s that moment where there’s physical intimacy, and then chemistry does what chemistry does, and now she’s looking at him in a way that she didn’t before. But there’s always been love.

Winter: The only reason I say Lucy fell first is Tim has so many walls up, and he went through such a bad situation with his ex-wife. Tim had to let a lot more down to go: “I’m going to really let myself get to this place again with a partner and somebody I’m in the force with.” I feel like that’s my only justification, but I don’t think either of us really know.

O’Neil: Yeah, there’s not a point I can pinpoint from an actor perspective. And even when I think about all the times that Lucy was going out of her way to express her care, I really think that’s just her character. The only time I thought it was a little weird — and I tried to fish around to be like, “Why is she behaving like this?” — was when she followed him. I think it was in the pilot or shortly after.

Winter: When I’m going to his ex-wife’s?

O’Neil: Yeah, I show up, and I’m like, “What are you doing?!”

Winter: But I do think that was an early part when fans started to go, “There’s something there. Why is she, as a rookie, going so far away out of her way to protect this guy who’s such a jerk to her? What does she see in him that she might like?”

O’Neil: You know what’s a fun tidbit? The first time that Chen and Bradford got into a fight — it was the first fight where she’s saying that she’s going out of her way to try to save him, and he’s giving her shit for it, for suicidal ideation or something like that. She’s like, “I was trying to protect you.” [Richard T. Jones, who plays Wade] was like, “I saw right from that scene that you guys were going to be something.” And we were like, “What are you talking about?” Richard’s the original Chenford person!

After 100 episodes, you are certainly two of the only cast members I can think of who are still in a lot of the scenes together. What do you think you bring out in each other as scene partners? What do you think are the keys to fostering that sense of trust?

O’Neil: Eric and I are both dragons. This is our [Chinese zodiac] year. I am saying that because we learned that about each other on the pilot. We’ve always had a shorthand, and we’re very open to collaborating. Or rather, I would say, Eric’s very patient and gracious [laughs] with me when I’m like, “Hey, can I pitch you something?” But he’s always down to workshop a scene, and I really appreciate that.

As their relationship has unfolded, we’re navigating a lot of different things that require a certain degree of familiarity and intimacy — even just relationally. We recently shot a scene [in episode 606] that was super vulnerable, and I really feel like our friendship has facilitated the ability for those scenes to go deep in a way that’s honest and true.

Winter: We both care a lot about the show and these characters. So we collaborate well together. She likes to pitch me a lot of ideas.

O’Neil: [Laughs.] He’s so patient!

What can you tease about the 100th episode?

Winter: We dance! We have a good dance with a nice little confessional of information. Tim opens up to her a bit during the dance.

I don’t think we ever saw any of the other characters react to news of their relationship.

Winter: We’ve talked about that, actually.

O’Neil: Yeah, I do feel like that’s a bit of a loss that they didn’t do that.

Winter: And by the way, I don’t think Tim knows about Nolan [previously secretly dating Lucy] either.

That was going to be my next question!

Winter: I think that would be an amazing episode. And I would love for that episode to come out!

O’Neil: I mean, I feel like it would have to be a flashback at this point.

Winter: Because I think there’s so much gold to mine in that discomfort, just as a guy in my own life —

O’Neil: Wait, wait! With where they are now though, I feel like it would have to be a flashback. She must have told him by this point..

Winter: Nope.