Season four of the Emmy Award and Golden Globe winning police sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine left audiences in the dark as to the fate of fan-favorite Gina, after she was hit by a bus in a surprising mid-season finale. The show is due to pick up where it left the NYPD in April, finally answering whether Gina survived the accident or not. Chelsea Peretti, who plays the quirky cop, recently announced her pregnancy on Instagram, so her survival might not rule out an absence from the show in the future. This rumor might come as a blow to the hit sitcom, which has been widely praised for its cast of zany characters and the chemistry between its actors.

There's good news for fans however in the form of Firefly and Castle star Nathan Fillion. The actor is confirmed to appear on an upcoming Brooklyn Nine-Nine episode in a guest spot on the show.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Fillion will be appearing on Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Mark Devereaux, the star of a Law & Order-inspired show titled Serve & Protect. Jake (Andy Samberg) and Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) will team up with the actor as they investigate a crime that occurred on the set of Devereaux's show. Fillion's character attempts to assist the detectives by drawing on his extensive experience of playing a fictional detective. Once Upon A Time's Greg Germann will also appear on the episode as Serve & Protect's executive producer.

This plot is oddly reminiscent of Fillion's previous role on the comedy-drama show Castle, in which he played a mystery-novelist turned consultant to the NYPD. The Canadian actor has something of a cult following, after the notorious cancellation of Joss Whedon's Firefly. Nathan Fillion starred in the subsequent movie adaptation Serenity, but the internet has never forgiven FOX for axing the much loved show. The actor himself argued that one great season of Firefly was enough, and has since made something of a career out of guest appearances and brief stints on TV shows. He's due to reprise his role as Rainer Shine in the upcoming episode of Modern Family.

Guest stars are always a highly anticipated staple of sitcoms, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine has a history of satisfying its fans in a way that's typical of the show. While shows like New Girl call upon mega stars like Megan Fox and Taylor Swift, Brooklyn Nine-Nine tends to draw actors with the same sort of cult following as Nathan Fillion. Community alumni Dan Baakedahl, Friends and Pineapple Express veteran Craig Robinson, and the voice of Archer's Cyril Figgis, Patton Oswalt. Fillion is the perfect fit for the show's off-kilter style, and is almost guaranteed to impress fans with his own brand of comedy.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine will return to TV for the second part of season 4 on April 11th.

Source: EW