Blue Bloods fans will be happy to hear one familiar face is coming back.
Lauren Patten confirmed on her Instagram page that she’d be returning for a fifth season on the series as Rachel Witten, Eddie’s partner. Hopefully, this means more screen time for the intriguing pairing.
Who is Rachel Witten?
For five seasons of Blue Bloods, the partnership of Jamie (Will Estes) and Eddie (Vanessa Ray) was one of the best parts of the show.
The two got along great, trusting each other and always having each other’s backs. It built up to the eighth season finale when they finally faced up to how they were in love and getting engaged.
The two remained partners through their engagement and marriage. When Jamie was promoted to Sergeant, Eddie got a new partner, Maya Thomas, only for her to be arrested for corruption.
In Season 8’s “Legacy”, Rachel Witten was introduced as a patrol officer who got into hot water for asking a jaywalker about his immigration status. When the video of the incident created an outcry, Frank had no choice but to fire Witten.
That seemed to be the end of it, but Frank realized he’d made a mistake as Witten was a promising officer. Once the media fuss died down, he approached her in her new waitress job to hire her back for the force.
Since then, Witten and Eddie have worked as partners and formed a good bond. That included an episode of them dealing with a live-in nanny mistreated by her employers.
Expect more Witten in Season 12
Playing the role of Witten is Lauren Patten, a Broadway veteran. She’s starred in the title role of The Diary of Anne Frank as well as Our Town.
Her biggest role was in the musical Jagged Little Pill, which earned her a Drama Desk Award and she was nominated for a Tony.
Patten’s TV credits include a recurring role in Season 3 of The Good Fight, but Witten is her more notable TV role.
In a post on her Instagram page, Patten showed herself in uniform and noted how grateful she was that what was supposed to be a one-episode guest appearance is now a recurring part.
“First day of Season 12 on @bluebloods_cbs. I continue to be so grateful for this job – what was supposed to be one episode has now turned into my fifth season on the show. It’s a joy to be back with my friends on this set, especially my partner @vrayskull!”
Patten added how she enjoyed aiding various New York charities involved with the real NYPD.
Patten was still performing in Pill when it, along with all shows on Broadway, closed in March of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. That freed her up to appear in more True Bloods episodes as Witten.
Pill is scheduled to reopen on October 21st, which gives Patten time to film more scenes.
While the role is small, it’s possible that the new season explores more of Witten’s background and what drove her to be a cop. Fans do love the chemistry between Patten and Ray facing the challenges of female officers and becoming friends.
As filming starts on Season 12 of the hit show, Patten may become another recurring True Bloods face transforming into more of a regular.
Blue Bloods Season 12 premieres Friday, October 1 at 10 pm EST on CBS.