On this past week’s episode of Quantico, character Shelby found out that her parents, who she thought had died on the September 11 terrorist attacks, had faked their deaths for the last 15 years and are actually alive.
After showing a photo of her parents before their faked deaths, it was revealed that Kevin Kilner and Kelly Rutherford will be playing Shelby’s parents in recurring roles, according to Entertainment Weekly.
This is Rutherford’s second show with executive producer and showrunner Josh Safran as she portrayed Lily van der Woodsen on The CW’s Gossip Girl for its entire six-season run.
Rutherford’s character was the mother to Serena and Erik van der Woodsen and was the stepmother of Chuck Bass. She was married to Bart Bass and Rufus Humphrey throughout the show’s run. At the end of the season, she had reunited with William van der Woodsen, the father of Serena and Erik.
In Sunday’s episode of Quantico, not only did Shelby realize her parents had faked their deaths but had also been siphoning money from her for the last 15 years and that they had been scamming her the whole time.
According to Entertainment Weekly, “Laura (Rutherford) will arrive with Glenn (Kilner) in a story that’s set to make Shelby’s relationship with Caleb (Graham Rogers) more difficult — and even complicate things between Caleb and his own politician mother, Claire (Marcia Cross).”
In the story, Safran also added that viewers should keep an eye on Shelby before her parents make a return because the discover that her parents are still alive has sent her reeling.
But if you found out your parents faked their deaths, it would be enough to send anyone reeling.
For six seasons, Rutherford played Lily van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl. Some of her storylines included her wedding to Bart Bass at the end of the first season of the show and her trying to fight her growing feelings for Rufus Humphrey when both of their eldest children – Serena van der Woodsen and Dan Humphrey – started dating. Ultimately, the two of them got engaged (after Bart had died) and got married, much to the dissatisfaction of her socialite mother. In the sixth season, after finding out that Bart was still alive, chose to divorce Rufus and stayed married to Bart before he ultimately died, but for real this time.
Rutherford started her career working on soap operas before being cast in Melrose Place and Gossip Girl. Her arc on Quantico will begin on April 3. Quantico airs 10 p.m. on Sundays.