After surprising viewers with multiple character deaths, Will Trent is bringing in a new cast member from The Pitt.
Alexandra Metz is joining season 5 of the hit ABC series as Birdie Palmer, according to Deadline. Birdie is described as “the newly appointed Deputy Director of the GBI — confident, ambitious, and razor-sharp, but deeply guarded by a life-altering event from her past.”
Birdie is taking over at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation following the death of Amanda Wagner (Sonja Sohn) in season 4. Metz, 40, is currently filming season 3 of HBO Max’s The Pitt, with Deadline confirming that the show has been in production since June. Will Trent, meanwhile, began filming two weeks ago.
Based on a book by Karin Slaughter, Will Trent follows a special agent at the GBI who was abandoned at birth and grew up in Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system. Will (Ramon Rodríguez) now relies on his unique perspective while pursuing justice, resulting in the highest clearance rate in the bureau.
In addition to Rodríguez and Sohn, the show stars Iantha Richardson, Erika Christensen, Jake McLaughlin and Kevin Daniels.
Season 4 threw viewers for a loop when Sohn’s character, Amanda — who had been on the show since the beginning — was killed off.
The season finale kept the surprises coming when Angie (Christensen) finally gave birth, but her happiness was short-lived. Her husband, Seth (Scott Foley), died after collapsing in the hospital.
“It’s just Game of Thrones out here,” Richardson, 35, who plays Faith, joked during an exclusive interview with Us in May. “I have no clue if death is imminent on this show, [but] I hope not.”
Richardson recalled the explanation she heard for Seth’s death, adding, “It sets up a beautiful emotional arc for people in the coming season of what’s to come. So there’s a lot to look forward to.”
Despite the potential for growth on screen, Richardson acknowledged how “hard” it is to see cast members leave the show.
“Losing people like that definitely keeps you on your toes. Nobody expected to lose one person — let alone two — in very different genres of what the show has. But to lose two in a matter of three weeks is just gut wrenching over and over again,” she noted. “What is expected is a lot of emotional roller-coasters. I don’t know if it’s death necessarily, but I hope not. I do know that there is a lot of emotional recoil that will come in the season to come.”
Will Trent is currently streaming on Hulu.
