‘9-1-1: Nashville’ adds ‘Law & Order’ star in a Season 2 role with a dark twist

The ‘9-1-1: Nashville’ dispatchers could use a break, and a therapist sounds like a good place to start. The mysterious Pharaoh killer, whose Biblical Plagues are terrorizing Nashville, has given them plenty to handle in Season 2. Now, someone is coming in to offer support. There is just one catch: the new arrival has a grudge of her own.

Camryn Manheim has joined the ABC drama in a key recurring role, according to Deadline. The ‘Law & Order’ actress will play Dr. Marcia Zellner. Manheim also won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for playing defense attorney Ellenor Frutt in ‘The Practice.’ Her other television credits include ‘Ghost Whisperer,’ ‘Stumptown,’ ‘The L Word,’ ‘Ally McBeal,’ and ‘Person of Interest,’ bringing another familiar face from crime and legal dramas into the franchise.

Zellner is described as “a brilliant, emotionally complex clinical therapist and crisis manager”. She arrives at the call center to help dispatchers cope with the Pharaoh killer, whose Biblical Plagues are terrorizing Nashville. But the description shared in the report comes with a warning: “However, as we’ll soon discover, Dr. Zellner harbors a dark grudge and is far more twisted and conniving than anyone can possibly imagine.” The report does not reveal the source of Zellner’s grudge or whether she has a connection to the killer.

Manheim joins an ensemble that includes Chris O’Donnell, Jessica Capshaw and Ryan Phillippe. Kimberly Williams-Paisley, LeAnn Rimes, Michael Provost, Juani Feliz, Hailey Kilgore and Hunter McVey also star. The series is billed as “a high-octane procedural about our heroic first responders, as well as their family saga of power and glamour set in one of America’s most diverse and dynamic cities.” Zellner’s arrival brings the season’s ongoing crisis into the call center through someone tasked with helping its staff.

Season 2 premiered on October 15. The series is produced by 20th Television in association with Ryan Murphy Television. Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear, and showrunner Rashad Raisani executive produce alongside O’Donnell, Brad Buecker, Brad Falchuk, and Angela Bassett. ‘9-1-1: Nashville’ airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, with episodes available to stream the following day on Hulu.