There are millions of avid CBS viewers that are no doubt still severely bummed that the network decided to pull the plug on the futuristic crime drama/thriller Person of Interest. Thankfully, we'll be able to reconnect with one of those cast members later this year, as actress Amy Acker has signed on for a limited role on the upcoming MacGyver reboot, which will also call CBS its home.
Unfortunately, Amy Acker is currently only contracted for a guest-starring role in MacGyver, but nothing is stopping us from hoping it becomes something more permanent in the future. Acker will play an as-yet-unnamed CIA operative on an undercover mission in Caracas, but her attempts to gain information about an international arms dealer go balls up when she gets kidnapped by his crime syndicate.
As you can imagine, this is where the titular brainiac, played by Lucas Till, will enter her story, as he and his partner-in-criminy Jack Dalton (George Eads) travel to rescue her. And here's why I'm optimistic that this guest spot could turn into a recurring gig: according to TVLine, Dalton's days with the CIA had him up close and personal with Acker's operative, and he is still dealing with some unresolved issues from that time of his life. Perhaps we'll get to see some sparks fly on something besides whatever just crashed and blew up behind MacGyver as he walks toward the horizon.
Of course, even if Person of Interest would be back for Season 6 in some form, Amy Acker wouldn't exactly be reprising her role as the hacker extraordinaire Root, given how that final batch of episodes played out. (Although we would probably hear her, and that would do.) Prior to POI, Acker was best known for her work on series such as Angel, Alias, Dollhouse and Con Man, among others, and she'll soon star in the features The Energy Specialist and When Jack Went Glamping.
With Till and Eads as two of the co-leads, MacGyver will also introduce viewers to Sandrine Holt's ex-field agent Patricia Thornton, who runs operations for the clandestine government organization at the heart of the show, and Riley Davis (Tristin Mays), a computer hacker whose personal vendetta makes her unpredictable. Justin Hires of the short-lived Rush Hour reboot will play MagGyver's charismatic roommate Wilt Bozer. The show's original pilot was originally put together by director David Von Ancken and writers Paul Downs Colaizzo and Brett Mahoney, but when CBS ordered it to series, the execs decided to re-shoot the pilot with original director James Wan, and the cast went through an overhaul as well, with just Till and Eads making it from one pilot to the next.
MacGyver will make its debut on CBS on Friday, September 23, at 8 p.m. ET, with Amy Acker set to take on her guest spot in Episode 2. To see when everything else is hitting the small screen later this year, check out our fall TV schedule.
