Occupation: College professor

Appearances: Seasons 5 & 6

Who’d Play Him: Taylor Kinney

The Professor Who Led Her Astray: Ross Fuller was Suzanne Rogers’s creative-writing professor, entering her life at a time when she was trying to rebuild both her confidence and her identity as an author. Intelligent, attentive, and apparently supportive of her work, Ross offered Suzanne the kind of encouragement she was no longer receiving from the people closest to her.

When the publicity surrounding Suzanne’s book attracted an obsessed fan named Lon Christensen, she was kidnapped from a parking lot and held captive in his apartment. Ross joined Brett Armstrong in tracking her down, and together they rescued her after more than a day in captivity. The ordeal left Suzanne shaken, while Jordan Rydell’s dismissive response made her feel increasingly isolated from her family.

Ross stepped into that emotional void. He told Suzanne about Warren Abbott, a self-help guru living in Death Valley whose teachings supposedly inspired people to abandon their old lives and become better versions of themselves. Feeling rejected and overwhelmed by her past mistakes, Suzanne accompanied Ross to Warren’s desert compound.

The welcoming atmosphere of New Abbott immediately appealed to Suzanne. Warren and his followers offered her acceptance without judgment, and she quickly became immersed in the community. Ross’s presence helped legitimize the experience for her; he was not a stranger making extravagant promises, but a trusted teacher who appeared to believe in Warren’s philosophy himself.

Suzanne soon surrendered more than one hundred thousand dollars to Warren. When he insisted that New Abbott needed additional financial support, Ross joined Suzanne in driving back to Los Angeles and breaking into Jordan’s home. Together, they stole furs, jewelry, priceless artwork, and other valuables for the compound. What had begun as spiritual encouragement had drawn both teacher and student into criminal behavior.

Brett desperately searched for Suzanne and eventually learned about New Abbott from one of Ross’s students. When he reached the compound, Suzanne rejected him and insisted that Ross and Warren had helped her find a better life. Brett’s investigation soon revealed that Warren was a professional con artist who preyed upon lonely and emotionally vulnerable people.

Warren’s deception ultimately collapsed when Brett discovered that he planned to destroy the compound, steal the accumulated money, and disappear. Suzanne began questioning the guru and helped Brett attempt an escape. After Warren’s true intentions were exposed, his followers fled shortly before he detonated explosives that destroyed New Abbott.

Ross’s exact response to the revelation remained unclear, but his influence had already caused significant damage. He had rescued Suzanne from one dangerous obsessive only to introduce her to another man who exploited her loneliness, took her money, and persuaded her to commit crimes in the name of personal transformation.

Ross may have sincerely believed in Warren Abbott’s teachings, or he may simply have been too enthralled to recognize the manipulation around him. Either way, his story demonstrated how easily the authority of a trusted teacher could become a gateway to something destructive. He entered Suzanne’s life as a mentor and rescuer, but ultimately helped lead her into one of its darkest chapters.