Carra Patterson will be back on Elsbeth before you know it. The Season 2 finale in May was Patterson’s final episode as a series regular (at least for now). Detective Kaya Blanke’s exit was explained by her snagging her dream job and going off to Washington, D.C., for training. An update on Kaya’s new investigative work will come in Elsbeth Season 3, premiering October 12 on CBS. Showrunner Jonathan Tolins previously promised that Patterson won’t be gone for good. Now, Carrie Preston shares when to expect Patterson’s return, which Preston confirms has already been filmed.
“You’ll see her. She’s going to periodically come and be a part of our world, and so that’ll be fun,” Preston tells TV Insider. “I love Cara so much, and I miss her too. So when she is there playing Kaya, sometimes the lines are blurred because I’m as excited to see Cara as Elsbeth is to see Kaya.”
“We filmed her return. She shows up in — they all seem like one episode to me, but I think it was [Episode] 4.”
Elsbeth isn’t a cop, so she can’t walk onto any crime scene without a police escort. A rotating list of characters will fill the space Kaya’s absence leaves behind in Season 3, starting with Lindsay Mendez as Officer Grace Hackett. Preston confirms that they’ll have Ethan Slater back as Officer Reese Chandler, as well as B as Officer Nikki Reynolds.
“They’re back for a couple of episodes,” Preston says of B. “And then we have our recurring detectives that are coming back in. Danny Mastrogiorgio, who plays Mullen, and Daniel Oreskes, who plays Buzz Fleming. And we’re going to get Micaela Diamond back [as Detective Samantha Edwards]. So yeah, we have our little stable, and then they’re also trying to bring in new flavors to keep things interesting. It is fun for Elsbeth, and it’s fun for the audience too.”
Additional guest stars include Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, and Andy Richter in the Season 3 premiere. David Cross appears in Episode 2, with Julia Fox, William Jackson Harper, and Annaleigh Ashford set to appear in later episodes. Ben Levi Ross will be back as Elsbeth’s son, Teddy, this season as well. Wendell Pierce returns in his series regular role as Captain Wagner.
Elsbeth, Season 3 Premiere, Sunday, October 12, 9:30/8:30c, Regular Time Period Premiere, Thursday, October 16, 10/9c, CBS