The Walking Dead Andrea
Laurie Holden fans might still be grieving over "The Walking Dead," but they can catch her on "Major Crimes" on July 21. AMC

Andrea on “The Walking Dead” is deceased, but actress Laurie Holden’s career is anything but. The actress was just cast in “Major Crimes” Season 3 episode 7, which might be functioning as a backdoor pilot to a potential spin-off, according to TV Line.

Holden will play Ann McGinnis, a member of LAPD’s Special Operations Bureau (SOB). McGinnis is second in command and is rising in the ranks quickly. Holden’s character is nicknamed Annie Oakley because of her impatience. Some love how she gets the job done, while some of her superiors worry that she is too forceful.

Creator James Duff claims that the episode is not a pilot for a spin-off…but it seems a lot like a backdoor pilot. The episode will require a longer shoot, which seems a little weird since it is episode 7 (so it’s unlikely to be scheduled as any sort of finale).

Also, look at that character description. That’s definitely not a background character, and it seems pretty developed for a one episode role. McGinnis also seems like a great character to have opposite Agent Fritz Howard (John Tenney), who will apparently play a major part in the introduction of the SOB.

“The Special Operations Bureau is interesting on its own," Duff told TV Line. "It has the largest municipal Air Force in the world. It’s in charge of all the tactical elements of the LAPD, including the dive team, the bomb team, SWAT, criminal intelligence and, in our version, SIS, which is Special Investigation Section, the undercover work. We were talking about doing a great big episode of ‘Major Crimes’ around Episode 7, because that’s when our audience begins to rise.”

Okay, sure, pull out a great episode when you know the audiences are there, but a great episode doesn’t have to include a new unit and characters that sound like they could stand on their own. If the SOB is really that interesting, Duff probably isn’t going to want to drop them. If the show truly isn’t a backdoor pilot, then it would seem likely that viewers will see the SOB and Ann McGinnis again.

You can watch “Major Crimes” on TNT on Mondays at 9 p.m. EDT. Season 3 episode 7 will air July 21.

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