S. Epatha Merkerson cast in 'Deception'

NBC and S. Epatha Merkerson have been very good to each other. 

After a whopping 391 episodes on 'Law & Order' spanning nearly a decade, Merkerson left the series. But Deadline.com is reporting that she's en route back to NBC, having been cast in a recurring role in the highly-anticipated drama series 'Deception.'

'Deception,' from writer and creator Liz Heldens, stars Meagan Good as Detective Joanna Padget. Padget returns to the wealthy and oppulent family that she grew up with (she was the daughter of the family's maid) in order to uncover secrets behind the murder of heiress Vivian Bower. Why so much interest in Bower's demise? Well Bower was Joanna's closest friend. 

The Emmy Award winner Merkerson will join 'Deception' as Joanna Padget's mother, Beverly, who worked for the wealthy Bower family while Joanna was a girl. Beverly undoubtedly knows things about the Bowers, having been their maid--it seems that in 'Deception,' Merkerson is going to be the one being interrogated in a reversal of the past ten years. 

Since 'Law & Order,' Merkerson had a guest appearance on 'Drop Dead Diva' as well as the role of Lydia Smith in the critically-acclaimed feature film 'Lincoln' starring Daniel Day Lewis. 

Merkerson will be starring in 'We the Peeples,' a feature ensemble comedy directed by Tina Gordon Chism to be released in 2013.