Rainn Wilson joins the cast of "Dark Winds"

'Winds' and Rainn: He may be better known as Dwight Schrute, but actor Rainn Wilson has racked up a lot of other TV credits since "The Office" ended its run in 2013. Wilson played the lead in the short-lived Fox series "Backstrom" and has since popped up as a guest or in recurring roles in series such as "Star Trek: Discovery," "Mom" and "The Rookie." In 2022, he'll be adding to his list of TV credits with an important role in the AMC series "Dark Winds."

Based on Tony Hillerman's mystery book series, "Dark Winds" is a psychological thriller that follows two Navajo police officers, Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon, "Reservation Dogs") and Chee (Kiowa Gordon, "Roswell, New Mexico"), as they search for clues in a grisly double murder case in the 1970s. The case will force the two to challenge their own spiritual beliefs and come to terms with the trauma of their pasts.

Wilson will play the role of used car salesman Devoted Dan, who relies on his charm and divine faith to recruit followers to the gates of his used car lot. Although a pious man, Devoted Dan has a dark side: he is a practitioner of practically every biblical sin he denounces.

Noah Emmerich ("The Americans") will also star as former FBI agent Whitover, while Jessica Matten ("Tribal") is to play the role of Navajo police sergeant Bernadette Manuelito.

Season 1 is due to premiere on AMC and AMC in 2022 and will consist of six episodes, which are already in production.

While based on Hillerman's books, the writer's room was staffed entirely by Indigenous writers, led by creator/executive producer Graham Roland ("Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan"), who had this to say about the experience: "As a Native American and a writer, the opportunity to work with iconic storytellers like Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin to tell a story in this world, with Native American leads, and do it at AMC, home to some of the most acclaimed dramas of all time, is a dream come true."

Yes, "Game of Thrones" author (and New Mexico resident) George R. R. Martin is on board as executive producer, and so is movie legend Robert Redford ("The Horse Whisperer," 1998), who previously produced two other screen adaptations of Hilleman's books: the 1991 film "The Dark Wind," starring Lou Diamond Phillips, and 2002's "Skinwalkers" (starring Adam Beach), which aired as a three-part instalment of "PBS Mystery!"

Poison Ivy: Nature lover or eco-terrorist? Mayhem-loving villain or misunderstood antiheroine? Known for her ability to control plant life, Poison Ivy has been a staple of DC Comics and a veritable thorn in Batman's side since her comic book debut in 1966.

Famously portrayed by Uma Thurman ("Kill Bill: Vol. 1," 2003) in the widely reviled 1997 film "Batman and Robin" (even George Clooney has tried to distance himself from that one), she has been more recently played by Clare Foley ("Sinister," 2012), Maggie Geha ("Ted 2," 2015) and Peyton List ("Jessie"), each of whom took turns for the TV series "Gotham."

Now, it's Bridget Regan's turn to bring the character to life on our screens.

Regan, who played Rose in "Jane the Virgin," has been cast as Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy in the CW series "Batwoman." Mind you, this isn't Regan's first brush with the superhero genre: she also starred in Marvel's "Agent Carter" series as Dottie Underwood, the precursor to Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson's ("Marriage Story," 2019) character in the MCU films.

Count on Regan and "Batwoman" to put their own spin on the classic comic book character once Season 3 gets underway on Wednesday, Oct. 13.

In announcing the casting, CW described Pamela Isley as a former botany student who became "a passionate, brilliant scientist with a mind for changing the world for the better. But her plans shifted when she was experimented on by a colleague and injected with various plant toxins that turned her into the infamous Batman villain: Poison Ivy. With a formidable power coursing through her veins, Pamela used her powers to do what she thought was right … even if Batman and those closest to her disagreed with her dangerous methods. Now effectively wiped off the board for years, Batwoman and the Bat Team must prepare themselves for Poison Ivy to return with a vengeance."

Back to 'Grey's': When an actor or their character departs a show, you don't tend to see them again unless there's a crossover event, a flashback scene or a spinoff. That rule, however, doesn't always apply to ABC's "Grey Anatomy" and the staff of Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, whether living or deceased.

Last season (the series' 17th) featured a number of familiar faces who put in an appearance during Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo, "Old School," 2003) COVID battle, from the late George O'Malley (T.R. Knight, "11.22.63," 2016) to the late Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey, "Enchanted," 2007), but this week's premiere will mark the return of another character from the past, one who is still alive in the "Grey's Anatomy" universe: Dr. Megan Hunt, played by Abigail Spencer ("Suits").

Hunt is the younger sister of Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd, "Trainspotting," 1996) and a former U.S. Army trauma surgeon, who was presumed dead after going missing in Iraq. After recovering from her PoW ordeal, Megan moved to Los Angeles with her fiancé, Nathan (Martin Henderson, "Virgin River"), and their son.

First introduced in the Season 14 premiere, Megan only appeared in six episodes before disappearing from the show, far fewer episodes than those starring another returning character.

After exiting to headline "Private Practice," actress Kate Walsh, aka Dr. Addison Montgomery, is finally coming back to Grey-Sloan. So far, ABC has been tight-lipped about Addison's storyline, but we do know she will be part of a multi-episode arc.

And despite her on-screen death in Season 3, Meredith's mother, Ellis Grey (played by Kate Burton, "Scandal"), is also set to return in Season 18, and her reappearance likely has something to do with Dr. Alan Hamilton, a new recurring character played by Peter Gallagher ("The O.C.").