With Det. Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) missing in action, the next new episode of "Castle," slated to air on Nov. 9, will feature a pair of lawmen. 

According to TV Line, the veteran actress is busy tending to other business, so show execs have written her out of the episode, entitled "Cool Boys," as if Beckett is "out of town at a meeting for a couple days, at a work-related function."

Adam Baldwin returns to the cast as Det. Ethan Slaughter for the episode, though there is no word on how he and Castle (Nathan Fillion) might get along. Slaughter's antics once nearly cost the mystery writer his life and left him vowing to never work with the unorthodox detective again.

Meanwhile, execs are also gearing up for the arrival of Kristoffer Polaha, who will reportedly be starring in several episodes over the upcoming November sweeps period. Polaha is slated to assume the role of a public defender who comes to present "some unexpected complexity" for the gang.

"He's a little bit more than what he seems," co-showrunner Terence Paul Winter said. "The design of his character is that he's immediately at odds with the folks at the 12th, while representing a murderer. He's trying to do his job while the 12th is trying to do theirs."

Fans eager to see Castle and Beckett soon reunite romantically may have to wait a bit longer, as that isn't expected to go down until sometime around the eighth episode of the season, entitled "Mr. and Mrs. Castle." 

"Castle" also stars Jon Huertas as Javier Esposito, Seamus Dever as Kevin Ryan, Molly Quinn as Alexis Castle and Toks Olagundoye as Hawley Vargas.

Episode 6 of "Castle" Season 8 will air on Monday, Nov. 9 -- not on Nov. 2, due to a scheduling conflict -- at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.