Warning: this article contains SPOILERS for The Rookie season 7, episode 8 (“Til Death”).The Rookieintroduced a new villain in the form of Seth Gabel’s Liam Glasser, but, with a lengthy career, audiences may very well have seen the actor before. Gabel joinedThe Rookie’s cast of charactersin season 7, episode 5, “Til Death.” In the lead-up to his appearance, the LAPD team had been investigating a serial killer and potentialmain villain named Harrison Novak (Noel Fisher). Unfortunately, upon digging up his burial site, they uncovered victims that he knew nothing about. As a result, it became clear that there was a second serial killer on the loose.
Their investigations ultimately led them to an abandoned hospital building, where the mysterious serial killer attacked Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) before escaping. Though they tracked a suspect down inThe Rookieseason 7, episode 5, “Til Death"and he confessed, Nyla remained convinced he wasn’t the culprit. She became even more sure of that fact whenshe met Liam Glasser and a cat-and-mouse game ensued, one that is likely to continue in upcoming episodes. Seth Gabel’s work as the inherently creepy Liam has already been applauded by critics and fans, prompting many to revisit some of his past work. Here are five more shows on which Gabel has previously left his mark.
5Nip/Tuck
Gabel Starred in Multiple Episodes in Season 2
Gabel made his debut in 2004’sNip/Tuckseason 2, episode 6, “Bobbi Broderick,” and deserved to be amongNip/Tuck’s best guest stars. He played Adrian Moore, the adopted son of the duplicitous Ava (Famke Janssen). Given the soapy nature of the Ryan Murphy-created medical drama,Adrian was, of course, a very disturbed teenand played perfectly so. As well as being in an incestuous relationship with his mother, he was briefly suspected of being the serial rapist and murderer known as The Carver. Ultimately, however, the only life he ended up taking was his own after recurring in another four episodes.
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4Salem
Gabel starred in all 36 episodes.
Gabel took a main role in the supernatural horror series back in 2014. Loosely based on a real-life figure, he played the Reverend Cotton Mather. Initially sent to investigate demonic activity within the town, Gabel’s character found himself caught up in the machinations of feuding witches. All the while, he struggled between trying to protect the town and resisting the more extremist actions of the Church,an inner conflict that Gabel played perfectly. BytheSalemTV show’s ending, however, his desire to protect people won out when he sacrificed his own soul to Hell in order to spare others. Sadly, his sacrifice was part of a demonic ruse.
Seasons 1-3 of Salem can be watched via Hulu and Disney+
3American Horror Story
Gabel Played A Famous Role In 2 Episodes of Hotel
Gabel reunited with Ryan Murphy and played another fictional take on a real-life figure in late 2015/early 2016. Long before Evan Peters made waves with the role, Gabel played Jeffrey Dahmer. He made his first appearance as the ghostly Dahmer inAmerican Horror Story: Hotelepisode 4, “Devil’s Night.” With ghosts able to walk freely, he joins a coterie of other serial killers for a night of bloodshed and mayhem. Once again,Gabel is on exceptionally creepy form in the role, one he would reprise for similar, bloodthirsty carnage inAmerican Horror Story: Hotelepisode 12, “Be Our Guest.”
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“Hotel” wasn’t Gabel’s only foray into this particular world. He also guest-starred in two episodes of the spinoff show,American Horror Stories. In the first, Gabel played another religious figure in Pastor Walter.Acting impeccably opposite Cody Fern, he similarly finds himself lost in a religious fervor and the two bounce well off each other. Rather than getting dragged to hell, however, Walter gives in to cannibalistic tendencies. In theAmerican Horror Storiesseason 3 episode “Bestie"Gabel plays the father of a lonely teen who develops a toxic online friendship and is forced to play increasingly dangerous and demented pranks.
2Arrow
Gabel Played A Comic Book Villain In 3 Episodes
Gabel joined the world of comic book adaptations back in 2013. Playing a drug manufacturer and kingpin known as Count Vertigo, he debuted inArrowseason 1, episode 12, “Vertigo.” Though there wereseveral characters wasted by the Arrowverse, The Count wasn’t one of them.With a performance likened to The Joker, Gabel was equal parts creepy and gleefully charismatic. He would later return, in a more subdued form, inArrowseason 1, episode 19, “Unfinished Business.” Gabel’s Count appeared for the final time, back in full glory, inArrowseason 2, episode 7, “State V. Queen”, where he was unfortunately killed off.
Count Vertigo debuted in World’s Finest Comics #251 in July 1978
1Fringe
Gabel Recurred In Dual Roles For 3 Seasons
Gabel is arguably best known, at least to sci-fi fans, for his work on cult-favorite,Fringe. Joining in with some ofthe weirdest cases investigated onFringe, Gabel played Lincoln Lee, a character from a parallel version of Earth. In that role, he debuted inFringeseason 2, episode 22, “Over There: Part One,” before recurring throughout season 3.Fringeseason 4 then added a fresh wrinkle, whenGabel also started playing the version of Lincoln Lee from the mainFringeuniverse. Gabel successfully made both versions distinct but equally likable. Though he only guest-starred inFringeseason 5, he got something of a happy ending. What fate will befall his character inThe Rookie, however, remains to be seen.
New episodes ofThe Rookieseason 7 air on Tuesdays at 10 pm ET on ABC.
