R.J. Decker's Dad Beau Bridges Explains Why He's Not Who We Expected Him To Be — Plus, Shantel VanSanten Returns As Trudy!

Tuesday's episode of "R.J. Decker" introduced viewers to Reggie (Beau Bridges), the man responsible for bringing the show's titular P.I. into this world. But is he really the monster that R.J.'s childhood stories might lead us to believe?

Our verdict after this first hour is... no. For all of his shortcomings, R.J.'s estranged father does appear to have a big heart, one that was on full display when Reggie joined R.J. on a stakeout. He took full accountability for his absence in his son's life, expressing a genuine willingness to reconnect.

"It's not so great that he was absentia for a lot of his son's life, but in his mind, he was going out there trying to score a touchdown, not just for himself, but for his family and his son," Bridges tells TVLine. "He just hasn't been able to find his mark. He's tried a lot of things, but they haven't worked."

Reggie will return next week ("I've been told that I can't talk about that one too much," Bridges says), and it sounds like we'll get more development on the father-and-son front, along with a few more hiccups.

"The real strength of this series is that all of the characters are constantly evolving," Bridges says. "You think they're one way, and then they change, just like all of us folks do. I think Reggie and And R.J. will continue to get to know one another again. There are ups and downs, of course, and I think forgiveness is such an important part of any relationship, especially in family. You can't really get comfortable in your life unless you forgive."

Bridges also has a funny response to Reggie and R.J. ending the episode with a day of father-son fishing. It used to be a favorite pastime of Bridges', something he would do with his children, but that all changed when he became a vegan 30 years ago.

"I don't eat fish anymore, and I've never really gotten into the catch-and-release thing. Somehow I think that's kind of barbaric, you know, to hook some little creature in the mouth and then throw it back in there," he says. "I stopped fishing, so it was funny to get out there with a pole and have to cast out and all that stuff. It was pretty bizarre."

Even though R.J. and Trudy (Shantel VanSanten) flirted up a storm in Episode 2, we were hesitant to call her a love interest, considering she was completely M.I.A. from Episode 3. Well, the quirky lab tech returned in a big way this week, providing a crucial assist with R.J.'s investigation into a fisherman's murder.

Catherine even suggested inviting Trudy to R.J.'s conditional release party, with Mel confirming that R.J. has been extra flirty with her lately. And since R.J. has been pretty definitely friend-zoned by Emi, who needs to focus on her family's crumbling empire, we're going all in on R.J. and Trudy.

OK, let's talk: How do you feel about R.J. and Trudy as a potential couple? And was Reggie also far more likable than you expected him to be? Drop a comment with your thoughts on all things Season 2 below.