‘Reverie’ Spoilers: ‘Parenthood’ Alum Sam Jaeger Cast As Mara’s Ex

Sam Jaeger has landed a role on NBC’s “Reverie.”

According to TVLine, Jaeger is set to appear on the sci-fi drama as Mara’s (Sarah Shahi) former lover.

“In episode 6, we meet ‘the ex’,” Shahi told the news outlet, revealing Jaeger’s debut appearance. “That gets really, really freaky, really quickly, because again, I start going a little crazy! Without giving away too much it’s one of those, ‘Did he really happen or did he not?’ kind of things. My mind is sort of playing tricks on me with him.”

Mara started to experience side effects from using Reverie 2.0 in Season 1, episode 2 of the Mickey Fisher-created series. After Charlie (Dennis Haysbert) saw Mara confused someone with someone else, he asked Paul (Sendhil Ramamurthy) to check up on Mara. Paul asked Mara if she has noticed anything unusual since the chip was implanted into her brain. When Mara wondered why he’s asking, Paul explained that Reverie 2.0 digs pretty deep into her consciousness, so there’s a chance of side effects, like derealization.

When Mara asked what derealization is, Paul said that it’s a ghosting effect “like when you look at something bright and still see it when you close your eyes.” After Paul pointed out to Mara that Reverie 2.0 is programmed to recognize images she’s emotionally connected to, the former hostage negotiator admitted to the scientist that she saw someone from her past while on the program.

When Mara said that it has already happened twice but just for a moment, Paul said that it was just a temporary effect. Paul advised Mara to put away anything associated with the person she saw on the program just until the effect passes. He also gave her a bottle of mild anti-anxiety meds for her to take if it happens again.

Later in the episode, Charlie told Mara that the side effects are only temporary if she follows Paul’s instructions. But she didn’t.

In a promo teasing the remaining episodes of the first season, Mara tells Charlie, Paul and Alexis (Jessica Lu) that she’s barely holding the side effects together. “I don’t even know if you’re all real,” a stressed-out Mara tells her Onira-Tech colleagues.

Jaeger is best known for his role as Joel Graham on NBC’s “Parenthood.” His other TV credits include “Law & Order True Crime,” “When We Rise,” and “Eli Stone.” On the film side, the 41-year-old actor appeared in “Take Me Home,” “Inherent Vice,” “American Sniper,” among many others.

“Reverie” airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EDT on NBC.