Night Shift: Jennifer Beals is an Army doctor in the season 3 premiere

The Night Shift kicks off season 3 with some resolution to TC’s marriage-proposal cliffhanger and a notable introduction in Afghanistan: Jennifer Beals. The actress, who previously starred in Flashdance and The L Word, is guest-starring on six episodes of the NBC medical drama as Dr. Syd Jennings, an Army major at the tail end of a six-month tour in the war-torn country with Dr. Drew Alister (Brendan Fehr).

Above, get your first look at Beals as Jennings in Afghanistan, where she is videochatting with her daughter before the Army base is attacked and she is called into duty; below, see summaries for the new season’s opening episodes. The first half of the two-part premiere airs Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

(6/1) ‘THE NIGHT SHIFT’ IS BACK FOR SEASON THREE AND THE OVERNIGHT CREW AT SAN ANTONIO MEMORIAL BECOMES IMMERSED IN A BIZARRE CAR ACCIDENT RESCUE — In the first half of this two-part episode, the night shift crew is back for more action and the gang finds themselves immersed in a life-and-death rescue of a woman gravely injured in a car accident. While TC Callahan (Eoin Macken), Scott Clemmens (Scott Wolf) and Topher Zia (Ken Leung) deal with the situation at the hospital, Drew Alister (Brendan Fehr) is serving time overseas in Afghanistan and he, along with colleague Syd Jennings (recurring guest star Jennifer Beals, “Proof”), have to figure out a way around the cultural divide to treat a young Afghani woman. Jordan Alexander (Jill Flint) has recruited Shannon Rivera (Tanaya Beatty, “Lewis and Clark”) to the night shift team and the recent med school graduate is eager to prove herself, but her spunky, outspoken nature may not sit well with everyone, particularly Paul Cummings (Robert Bailey Jr.). TC’s sister-in-law, Annie (Sarah Jane Morris), returns and JR Lemon also stars as Nurse Kenny Fournette.

(6/8) THE TEAM WORKS FRANTICALLY TO FIND A YOUNG CAR ACCIDENT VICTIM WHILE DREW AND SYD HANDLE A POTENTIALLY FATAL SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN — In the second half of this two-part episode, TC (Eoin Macken) and Scott (Scott Wolf) work desperately to save a young boy and his mother who were injured in a car accident. With the boy’s life hanging in the balance, the team starts to realize there is more to the family dynamic than meets the eye. Meanwhile, Drew (Brendan Fehr) and Syd (Jennifer Beals), deployed overseas in Afghanistan, deal with the aftermath of shots fired in the OR. Ken Leung, Jill Flint, Robert Bailey Jr., JR Lemon and Tanaya Beatty also star.