One of The Rookie Season 7's controversial characters exited the series following his up-and-down journey that ended with a redemption arc in Season 7, Episode 16. Patrick Keleher joined the cast of The Rookie Season 7 as Seth Ridley, a new rookie under the supervision of Lucy Chen.
Throughout Season 7, Seth showed signs of dishonesty after lying about his cancer diagnosis and past relationships. In The Rookie Season 7, Episode 11, Lucy finally confronted Seth and reported him to Lieutenant Grey (with Tim Bradford's help, who may or may not be getting back together with Lucy).
The episode ended with Seth being fired on the spot after he rejects their ultimatum to submit to a blood test to prove that his cancer is back.
Despite losing his job, The Rookie Season 7 Episode 16 brought Seth back into the fold after he found a way to return to active duty after successfully suing the city.
While he tried his best to improve his image with the rest of his peers in the episode, his future in law enforcement hung in the balance after he took a bullet to save John Nolan's life, leading to his leg being amputated.
With his future uncertain, Patrick Keleher spoke with ScreenRant to confirm what's next for Seth Ridley following his gruesome injury, announcing that his character is "done" for the remainder of The Rookie Season 7:
ScreenRant: "It felt like this could be the beginning of a redemption arc. Do you know if you’re coming back to the show?"
Patrick Keleher: "I have no idea."
ScreenRant: "So you’re done for season 7?"
Patrick Keleher: "Yeah. I am done in season 7."
The actor also confirmed with one of The Rookie's ex-LAPD officers on set that losing a leg means that an officer can no longer return to active duty, but he is still hopeful about a potential return in the future:
"Yeah. It’s a good thing that he saved Nolan, right? But his leg is gone. I remember reading that, and I was like, 'God.' I have no idea. I still don’t know what it means for Seth to be legless. What does that mean as a cop with the LAPD? I remember when I came to set one day, I was talking to one of our ex-LAPD officers on set. And he’s like, 'Yeah, man. You lose a leg, you’re out.' But you never know. You never know what’ll happen."
The timing of Seth Ridley's departure from The Rookie is unfortunate, considering that he is only beginning to touch the surface regarding his redemptive arc.
One would argue that The Rookie Season 7 handled Seth's storyline generously since it allowed him to redeem himself and not end up in an abrupt exit that would ruin his arc altogether.
Despite that, there are still many stories to explore about Seth Ridley if he ends up returning for Season 8.
Joining Keleher in The Rookie Season 7 is a stacked cast of incredible actors headlined by Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Richard T. Jones as Lieutenant Grey, Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen, Eric Winter as Tim Bradford, Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers, and newly promoted series regular Deric Augustine as Miles Penn.
ABC has already confirmed that The Rookie will return for Season 8 in the 2025-2026 TV season.
Will Patrick Keleher Return as Seth in The Rookie Season 8?
Patrick Keleher's unsure comments about Seth Ridley's return in The Rookie Season 8 suggest that his story received the bookend in Season 7.
However, bringing back a complex character like Seth (albeit annoying at times) next season could benefit The Rookie's core cast by allowing the dynamic to shift and expand in interesting ways.
While a legless Seth means he is out of the field, he could remain in the precinct by doing desk duty and helping out Nolan and the others in any way he can.
The thing is, Seth knows what he did wrong, and saving Nolan in Season 7, Episode 16, could serve as his launchpad toward his full-blown redemptive arc (and Season 8 is the appropriate time to explore this specific story).
