"Person of Interest" shocked audiences in November 2013 when the CBS show killed off one of its main characters, Det. Joss Carter, played by Taraji P. Henson.
The unfortunate death of Det. Carter actually worked out well for all involved parties. Her death led to the eventual takedown of the criminal organization HR on "Person of Interest" and Henson had time to star on a little show called "Empire."
The Fox series broke multiple primetime ratings this winter and will likely earn Henson some awards recognition for her role as the outspoken matriarch of the Lyon pride.
With a short 12-episode season, the "Empire" star had time to return to New York and reunite with her "Person of Interest" cast for tonight's episode, "Terra Incognita." They were thrilled to have her back and just as excited to see where her skyrocketing career will go next.
The main cast screened the episode on Monday night at The Paley Center for Media and spoke with Headlines & Global News among other reporters about welcoming Henson back as Det. Carter.
"I'm always happy seeing Taraji P. Henson anywhere near the set," Michael Emerson, who plays Harold Finch, said. "Regrettably I don't have any scenes with her in this episode. This is the Jim [Caviezel] and Taraji show. It's very rich and smartly written."
Caviezel, who plays John Reese, didn't find out about Henson's arrival until the day before shooting. Her name in the script was changed up until filming to keep her guest-starring role secret.
"I thought it was wonderful, but the next thing was, 'Is she alive again?'" Caviezel said.
He and Henson share a majority of their scenes together. His character John, still posing as a New York City homicide detective, opens up one of Carter's old cases that she never solved. Walking through the cold case causes him to reflect on his own past and what he's missed out on in life.
Kevin Chapman, who plays Det. Lionel Fusco, also said he misses both Henson and Det. Carter, who was Fusco's old partner.
"She was my pal. I'm so happy for her success," Chapman said. "She was remarkable on this show. She did a great job on this weekend's 'Saturday Night Live.' We do miss her."
Henson does seem to be everywhere, and Emerson predicts she will soon have her own perfume line.
"I said to Carrie [Preston], my wife, yesterday, 'We're going to see a full-page ad for her cologne sometime soon,'" Emerson said. "And it's probably going to be called Cookie, but if she can't get the rights to that then it will be called Taraji. All I can guarantee you is that will look fabulous in the ad."
That's right, Boo Boo Kitty!
