‘The Rookie’s Most Divisive Character Needs a Full Redemption Arc in Season 8

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Rookie Season 8, Episode 13.The LAPD’s Mid-Wilshire Division is currently facing a crisis in The Rookie Season 8, and it might open a pathway for a former rookie to make his return. Seth Ridley (Patrick Keleher), the failed former rookie of Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) and John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), from Season 7, came back this week in the latest episode, “The Thinker,” seeking reinstatement in the LAPD’s field training officer program. Although he did not achieve that goal in “The Thinker,” Seth has genuinely proven he wants to make a fresh start, and his actions in this episode prove that he has earned a redemptive arc in The Rookie.

LAPD’s Recruiting Crisis Opens a Path for Seth Ridley’s Return

Sgt. Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) reveals in “The Thinker” that the LAPD is facing an employment crisis, with rising retirements and declining recruits. Also, a bunch of other Mid-Wilshire officers literally win the lottery, signaling their collective resignation and sparking a big recruitment drive. Enter Seth Ridley, who made his presence known at the function and wishes to be reinstated into the LAPD. Despite Seth getting his lower leg amputated due to a shotgun wound in the Season 7 episode, “The Return,” John did encourage him to continue in law enforcement, provided that he is totally honest from that point forward.

Obviously, Lucy and Tim were not happy about this development with Seth, but Officer Miles Penn (Deric Augustine) was more than willing to endorse giving Seth a second chance. The LAPD needs officers on the streets, meaning that Seth presents a strong case for getting his job back. As John pointed out in “The Return,” Seth’s saving John’s life earned him a lot of goodwill in the department. Seth also saved Mile’s life and aided in the arrest of a dangerous fugitive earlier in Season 8 in “Baja.” All those factors should be taken into account for Seth’s potential return to the LAPD.

Seth Has Earned His Redemption Arc in ‘The Rookie’

Seth did commit some grievous acts as a rookie in Mid-Wilshire. However, he took John’s words to heart, and his personal and professional lives suffered massively as a result. Case in point, Seth hit rock bottom when the character initially returned in “The Red Place.” However, hitting rock bottom and Miles’ pep talk in that episode clearly affected Seth, as he finally took steps to stop feeling sorry for himself and own up to his mistakes. Although Miles is biased, he fully vouches for Seth and believes he deserves a second chance, which counts for a lot.

Later in the episode, Tim and Lucy request that Seth take a polygraph test as a condition for considering the former rookie’s reinstatement. Seth did take the polygraph test, with many harsh truths coming to light, including the incident in the Season 7 episode, “Wildfire,” where Seth failed to inform Tim and Lucy that they were entering a dangerous zone during a wildfire evacuation, endangering their lives. Seth also admits to fabricating his cancer diagnosis. Seth passes his polygraph, but Tim explains that Seth’s admissions regarding the wildfire incident are problematic, as they would have to be reported to Internal Affairs, hurting his chances of reinstatement into the FTO program.

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Although Lucy and Tim laid out why Tim’s actions of saving John’s life do not make up for his past mistakes, the revelation came off like a punch in the gut. Seth was completely honest and owned up to his past errors. Instead, Lucy and Tim basically utilized the session as entrapment against Seth to block him from ever returning to the force, despite Lucy and Tim both recognizing Seth’s sincere efforts and showing genuine respect for Seth’s honesty. Their actions in this episode came off more like payback against Seth, rather than a justified punishment. Although Tim is in charge of the recruitment drive, he and Lucy shouldn’t have been allowed to oversee the polygraph test, as they are biased parties.

Seth Ridley’s Exit Felt Less Than Final

Image via Disney/Mike Taing

Despite Lucy and Tim’s ruling, something tells us that we have not seen the last of Seth Ridley. His appearance in “The Thinker” came off as less than final, suggesting the issue of his potential return to the FTO program could still be revisited in the near future. The LAPD is still suffering from a lack of recruits, so Seth could easily slide back into the FTO program with any number of explanations, despite his past mistakes.

Seth’s run in The Rookie proved compelling as a flawed character and pathological individual. However, now that Seth has seen the result of his actions, it would be even more fascinating if he received the opportunity to turn his life around. Miles and John already forgave Seth and believe him worthy of a second chance, and his actions in “The Thinker” prove he’s worked on fixing lying to protect himself. Seth’s run on the show will always feel incomplete if he never gets the opportunity to fulfill his redemption arc. Hopefully, Seth will get that opportunity later as The Rookie Season 8 continues on ABC.