FBI: Most Wanted has tackled a number of changes in the third season already, ranging from adding a new character to replace an original series regular to saying a surprise farewell to Kenny to even Jess becoming an empty nester. As the second half of Season 3 continues, another big change could be on the way. Sheryll Barnes may not be racing headfirst into danger to save lives in the not-too-distant future, but for a nice reason in real life. Actress Roxy Sternberg is pregnant!
Roxy Sternberg shared the news on Twitter, and she was all smiles in the photo that showed a baby bump and revealed when she’s due:
Cats out the bag 🐣Little friend arriving April 2022 🎉 pic.twitter.com/M1UIqjBQOrDecember 28, 2021
Congratulations to Roxy Sternberg now that she’s expecting a “Little friend” in just a few short months! The fact that she’s due in April does presumably mean that changes are on the way for Barnes and the team on FBI: Most Wanted, however. She never hesitates to race into the line of fire if that’s what needs to be done to save lives, and it’s safe to say that Most Wanted won’t be writing the pregnancy into the show. Barnes is happily married to her wife, who just gave birth to a baby boy. Unless the show starts using a double for Barnes, though, we may want to expect to see less of the character until Season 4 or so.
A big question is how FBI: Most Wanted will handle Barnes’ storyline for the rest of Season 3. I’d be happy for her if the reasoning is just that Barnes takes some time off to spend with her newborn son, daughter, and wife, but things generally don’t stay that happy for that long on this show. That said, Most Wanted simply said goodbye to Hana for a while in Season 2 before bringing actress Keisha Castle-Hughes back in Season 3, so it’s entirely possible that Barnes will simply have something to take care of off-screen for a while.
Alternately, something could happen that she goes for desk duty for a few months. Even FBI found a way to write out Missy Peregrym for her maternity leave by simply sending Maggie undercover for a while. If Most Wanted does feature less of Barnes for a while but Roxy Sternberg hasn’t left the show, then there are plenty of ways for it to happen without making it too complicated to bring her back. There’s little reason to doubt that FBI: Most Wanted will return for Season 4, as it is one of the biggest hits on CBS and part of the super successful block of Dick Wolf shows spread across two networks.
Of course, it’s possible that FBI: Most Wanted found ways to keep Barnes as involved as ever, but only time will tell. Gaines fit right in with the rest of the team, so there are plenty of boots on the ground even if Barnes does have to warm the bench for a while in the story. See what FBI: Most Wanted does next for the character with new episodes on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS, following FBI: International (which is shedding more light on a character) at 9 p.m. and FBI at 8 p.m. in the winter TV lineup.
