Seth Ridley Is a Pathological Liar on ‘The Rookie’
During Season 7, Episode 4, “Darkness Falls,” Lucy notices something did not connect with Ridley’s stories about his high school girlfriend. At first, Lucy is unsettled regarding Ridley and goes to Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) for advice, fearing the Los Angeles Police Department’s background check for Ridley may have missed something. Later, during Episode 5, “Till Death,” Lucy looks into Ridley’s background, and she realizes that Ridley’s previous stories were lies. Ridley then admits to Lucy that he struggles with telling half-truths to get himself out of trouble. In the simplest terms, Ridley is a pathological liar who habitually lies to protect himself.
The Jury Is Still Out Regarding Seth Ridley’s Cancer
The Rookie appears to be continuing the cancer subplot with Ridley and whether his illness is even real. The subject arises during Season 7, Episode 7, “The Mickey,” as Ridley notices that Lucy’s trust in him is shaken. Ridley claims during a patrol, “I would never lie about cancer. If you have any doubts, you know you can always check my medical records. I’m a rookie. I signed away my medical privacy when I joined.” While Lucy replies she might take Ridley up on his suggestion, it’s unknown if she ever checked on his medical records or doctor visits. Something tells us that, due to Ridley’s past, he’s not being genuine about his cancer. Lying about having cancer is pretty terrible, but Ridley’s fake-it-till-you-make-it mentality appears to be deeply psychological and habitual at this point. His believability lacks credibility.
Seth Ridley’s Actions Put Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen in Danger During a Deadly Wildfire
During Season 7’s latest episode, “Wildfire,” Officer Ridley is manning the phones during a deadly wildfire that broke out in Los Angeles. Ridley becomes so overwhelmed with the various phone calls that he fails to properly notify Tim and Lucy that they are driving on a dangerous road that needs to be closed. Ridley later rips up and tosses away his note about the road to hide his mistake. Thankfully, Tim and Lucy manage to survive the worst of the wildfire using a fireproof shelter. Ridley checks in on them in the hospital while they are recovering from smoke inhalation in the hospital. Rather than admit his error that put Tim and Lucy in danger, he continues to lie to protect himself, claiming that he yelled at the National Weather Service about the road closures. When a rightfully angry Tim mentions wanting to follow up with the NWS over the issue, Ridley persuades him from doing so, again by lying, saying, “No, I don’t think that’s necessary. I put the fear of God in them.”
Ridley’s incompetence is appalling in that his mistakes put Lucy and Tim in certain peril even though they managed to survive relatively unscathed. Yet, rather than coming clean and owning up to his actions, Ridley continues the charade and wrongfully blames others for his mistakes. This could cause future problems down the road, as Ridley appears to be dating Lucy’s close friend and former roommate, Tamara Colins (Dylan Conrique).
Seth Ridley’s Incompetence Makes Him a Liability for the LAPD
Whether or not Ridley’s cancer is legitimate, his habitual lying, coupled with his overall incompetence, make him a liability in the field for the LAPD. Ridley has had plenty of time to work on his competency issues, and he continues to worm his way out of trouble by lying and passing his mistakes onto other parties who were not at fault. While officers John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez), Lucy Chen, and the late Jackson West (Titus Makin) all made mistakes on the job during their probationary periods, they ultimately resolved the issues during their training. Thus far, Officer Ridley has failed to do so, as evidenced by his serious mistakes during “Wildfire.” Lucy’s unease with Ridley is understandable. If Seth is indeed lying about his cancer treatments, that would make him a rather terrible person. For now, Officer Ridley’s storyline marches on, and the outcome remains to be seen.
