A well known character has made a surprising comeback on The Rookie, which has gotten fans talking.

After first appearing on season 7 as rookie Seth Ridley, Patrick Keleher has made an unexpected return to the series during the recent episode of season 8, released on January 20.

Deric Augustine’s character Miles stopped by to see how Seth was recovering from losing his leg. But the encounter was anything but comfortable, with the conversation soon turning tense.

Later in the episode, Seth pays a visit to Miles to mend fences, taking the first step towards fixing their relationship.

Fans were divided over his return, and took to X to share their reactions.

"I'm not sure who told the writers of The Rookie that we wanna see Seth again but PLEASE wrap this up," a user penned.

"It was only okay to see Seth because of Miles. We care about Miles, and bc Miles cares about Seth, it’s the only reason why it would be fine to see Seth again this season, even though I don’t think he needs to be back at all. His story is wrapped," another expressed.

Creator of the fan favourite police procedural crime drama Alexi Hawley told Deadline that he was planning to bring Seth back because his character’s previous arc was "provocative and interesting."

"Can you redeem a character who really has not just f***ed up, but really crossed the lines? That was what was interesting to me," he shared.

Alexi also confirmed that fans will get to see more of Seth this season, teasing the January 20 episode was just the beginning.