Seth Morgan
Seth Morgan, played by Brian Gaskill, made his first appearance on January 8, 2024.[2] The character and casting was announced on December 29, 2023.[3] The character was introduced as the sponsor of Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott), who she meets at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, with Seth being described as the man who would "Nikki Get Her Life Back on Track".[3] Gaskill, who had previously appeared on five other American soap operas, recorded his audition at his home and found out over several weeks that he had won the role, which he found "pretty affirming" as he had not auditioned for some time.[2] Following the casting announcement, Gaskill spoke about it on his Facebook page, saying that he felt "honored" to be on the soap.[4] Gaskill had previously been unsure of whether he would appear in daytime television again due to there being less soap operas and opportunities than there used to be.[2] He found adjusting to The Young and the Restless's climate stressful "in a good way", and revealed that he had previously spoken to some of his co-stars, such as J. Eddie Peck, on Facebook before he began working on set.[2] Speaking of the character, Gaskill explained: "As of now, Seth is a good person but he's certainly not a hero. He feels reachable and comfortable for me. In recent years, when I look at the kind of stuff that I would really like to be doing, Seth falls into that category. I usually try to find some lightness where it's dark and darkness where it's light, and I'm just trying to find that balance. This character sort of seems to allow all of that. So far, it's been an incredible experience."[2] On March 5, 2024, Gaskill made his final appearance as Seth, with the character being killed-off.[5][6] Following the episode being aired, Gaskill confirmed the departure with a statement on his Instagram page, where he explained that he enjoyed working on the soap with the cast and the rest of the team, and called it "incredible" to have received "so much support" on social media.[7]
Seth becomes the sponsor of recovering alcoholic Nikki, who has relapsed after having had alcohol bumped into her veins by Jordan Howard (Colleen Zenk). Nikki drops him as a sponsor when she finds out that he has drank alcohol and tells him that she cannot be around him. The following month, he meets "Isabelle", not knowing that she is Jordan in disguise, who claims to be a friend of Nikki's who wants Seth and Nikki to reconnect. He and Nikki later meet, where she tells him about Jordan and he tells her about his encounter with "Isabelle". Having figure out that Jordan is Isabelle, Seth confronts her and tells her that she is going to bring her to the police. Jordan pretends to agree to his plan, but when they are outside, she kills him by pushing him into an incoming vehicle.
Prior to his first appearance, Amy Mistretta from Soaps She Knows called having Gaskill appear on the soap a "real treat".[3] Mistretta's colleague, Charlie Mason, wrote that he had "high hopes" for the character, partially due to Seth not being related to other characters in the show.[6] Following Seth's death, Mason wrote that he would miss the character and called him "a short-term pawn in Crazy Aunt Jordan's game of Kill the Newmans."[6] Mason believed that Seth had made the "fatal mistake" by confronting Jordan.[6] Terrell Smith from What to Watch wrote that Seth's departure would upset fans, commenting, "Gaskill had a good run on the soap, and it's sad to see him leave".[8] EmilyAnn Jackman from Pennlive.com wrote that Seth's death "took a lot of fans by surprise" due to it being an exit "most probably didn't see coming", and she reported how fans commented on his Instagram statement to "express their shock" regarding his departure.[9]