The Rookie brings back controversial Seth Ridley while introducing a disturbing villain

Collider reports that Season 8, Episode 3 of The Rookie reunited the series with Seth Ridley, a returning former rookie whose presence the reviewer says undermines the episode, while also introducing a chilling one-episode antagonist.

The episode revisits Seth’s troubled arc: he previously lied about serious matters, was removed from the force, claimed to be the victim of an insurance scam, and was later shot, resulting in an amputation of his leg and a pep talk from John Nolan. In the new installment Miles finds Seth skipping physical therapy and living in disarray before Seth reluctantly agrees to seek help under a pledge of “radical honesty.” The episode’s primary case centers on Ezra Kaine (David Krumholtz), a man linked to a triple homicide who had been brainwashing a missing teenager, Samantha, into self-harm via a painted “Red Place”; Samantha is recovered and hospitalized while Ezra is taken into custody and another abducted girl is found and treated.

The reviewer praised the creepy, tightly written villain work but argued that returning Seth drags down the episode and suggested the series should close that thread. New episodes air Tuesday nights on ABC and are available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

Key Topics

Culture, The Rookie, Seth Ridley, Ezra Kaine, John Nolan, David Krumholtz