Pitt Star Joins Season 5 of Will Trent Following Cast Departures
Following a shocking series of character deaths, Will Trent is set to introduce a new addition from The Pitt.
Alexandra Metz will be joining the fifth season of the popular ABC series as Birdie Palmer, as reported by Deadline. Birdie is characterized as “the newly appointed Deputy Director of the GBI — confident, ambitious, and razor-sharp, yet deeply guarded due to a life-changing incident from her past.”
Birdie is stepping into her role at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation following the demise of Amanda Wagner (Sonja Sohn) in the fourth season. Metz, 40, is currently engaged in filming season 3 of HBO Max’s The Pitt, with Deadline confirming that production has been ongoing since June. Meanwhile, Will Trent commenced filming two weeks ago.
Based on a novel by Karin Slaughter, Will Trent tells the story of a special agent at the GBI who was abandoned at birth and grew up within Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system. Will (Ramon Rodríguez) now utilizes his unique insights to pursue justice, leading to the bureau’s highest clearance rate.
Along with Rodríguez and Sohn, the cast includes Iantha Richardson, Erika Christensen, Jake McLaughlin, and Kevin Daniels.
The fourth season left viewers reeling when Amanda’s character, who had been a staple since the show’s inception, was killed off.
The season finale continued the surprises as Angie (Christensen) finally welcomed her baby, but her joy was short-lived after her husband, Seth (Scott Foley), collapsed and passed away in the hospital.
“It’s just Game of Thrones out here,” quipped Richardson, 35, who portrays Faith, during an exclusive interview with Us in May. “I have no idea if more deaths are on the horizon, but I certainly hope not.”
Richardson recalled hearing about the rationale behind Seth’s death, stating, “It paves the way for a beautiful emotional arc for the characters in the upcoming season. So there’s a lot to anticipate.”
Despite the opportunities for character evolution, Richardson expressed how “challenging” it is to witness fellow cast members depart the show.
“Experiencing losses like this keeps everyone alert. Nobody anticipated losing even one character — let alone two — across such different storylines. To lose two in just three weeks is emotionally taxing again and again,” she remarked. “What’s predictable, though, is that viewers can expect plenty of emotional roller-coasters. I can’t say for sure if more deaths are in store, but I hope that’s not the case. However, I’m certain that the upcoming season will bring significant emotional fallout.”
Will Trent is currently available for streaming on Hulu.
