As surprised as we were to learn that AMC would officially pull controversial murder-mystery drama 'The Killing' off the scrap heap for a third season, we knew that a third year would likely feature new cast members outside of the Larsen clan, focusing on an all-new mystery. To that end, 'The Killing' season 3 has made its first major casting outside of returning leads Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman in 'The Sopranos' star Elias Koteas. Find out who the latest 'Killing' season 3 cast member plays inside!

Back from the dead after AMC revived the series for a surprising third season, 'The Killing' is already filling up with new blood. New reports announce that actor Elias Koteas ('The Sopranos,' 'Unforgettable') has joined the cast of the Seattle murder drama's third season as a series regular, taking the role of Detective Sarah Linden (Enos)'s former partner Ed Skinner.

An otherwise upstanding cop who carries on an affair with a co-worker, Skinner likely comes into play as Linden is drawn back into the life a year after the Rosie Larsen case, when Holder's search for a runaway girl leads him to discover a gruesome string of murders that connects to Lindens' previous murder investigation.

Set to begin shooting on February 25 for a likely summer debut, 'The Killing' season 3 understandably won’t involve the Larsen Family, nor will seasons 1 and 2 regular Mayor Darren Richmond (Billy Campbell) appear. However, casting descriptions for a number of regular roles already made their way to the internet.

What say you? Are you excited to see 'The Killing' season 3 return with a partial new cast? Will the third season prove less frustrating than the first two? Give us your thoughts in the comments!

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