Elsbeth is back on CBS with its new season but without its regular cast member!
In the first episode of season 3, which premiered on Sunday, Carra Patterson didn't appear as Kaya Blanke.
Explaining Kaya's absence from the show, executive producer Jonathan Tolins told Us Weekly, "I wish I could say there was some grand plan, but a lot of it is that we just have to see the way the conversation goes in the writers' room."
“When there’s a surprise for us, that excites us. We know that’s what we should be pursuing," he further said.
Jonathan added, “We [also] introduce some new characters who test Elsbeth’s feelings about honesty and trust. She is cultivating new friendships because of Kaya’s exit.”
When asked whether Kaya will return in the show, the series creator replied, "All I can say is, we love the relationship between Elsbeth and Kaya, and we love Carra Patterson. We hope to see Kaya on the show as much as we can."
Carrie Preston, who plays lead role in the show, also spoke to the outlet about how the series will roll with the changes.
“[This season] it works so well with the detectives. But with every case that Elsbeth goes on, it is not going to be the same detective every time. So we already had that set up with different detectives stepping in and now we’re doing the same thing with the uniformed officers,” explained the 58-year-old actress.
“She’ll click with people in different ways," she added.
Deadline was the first to report that Carrie wouldn't appear in season 3 of Elsbeth.