‘Absentia’s Stana Katic on Emily’s Quest to Re-Piece Her Identity in Season 2

Patrick McAuley and Stana Katic in Absentia
Preview
Amazon Prime Video

FBI agent Emily Byrne spent the first season of Absentia struggling to regain her memory of the six years she was held captive by a serial killer and believed dead. She accomplished that, while bringing down her captor, but according to Emily’s portrayer, Stana Katic, her journey to reclaim the life that was stolen from her remains an open case.

“She is on a quest to re-piece a very broken identity,” says the former Castle star, who’s also an executive producer on the series. “In the first season she is a mystery for our audience. We spend a lot of time wondering if we can fully trust her. In the second season, she’s now a mystery for herself, and we want to ride that arc alongside her.”

Emily continues to be haunted by memories of her confinement — and prone to the occasional violent outburst — but she’s moving on with her life. Season 2 ramps up the action with a deadly gas attack on a government building and a woman claiming a connection to Emily’s past.

Although her husband, fellow agent Nick Durand (Patrick Heusinger), remains with second wife Alice (Cara Theobold), Emily goes back to work at the FBI and tries to forge a relationship with their son, Flynn (Patrick McAuley).

(Credit: Amazon Prime Video)

Absentia is set in Boston but films in Bulgaria — which is a nice change of pace for Katic, who spent eight seasons making Castle on a soundstage in Los Angeles. On her days off, “I get to explore a different part of the world, experience the incredible nature and travel to nearby countries, which are equally fascinating,” she says. “It’s an adventure for me.”

Absentia, Season 2 Premiere, Friday, June 14, Amazon Prime Video