'Sleepy Hollow' season 4 spoilers: Janina Gavankar talks about taking the role of Ichabod's new partner

The somewhat rebooted "Sleepy Hollow" is gearing for its comeback in roughly a week with a new backdrop in Washington D.C. However, arguably the biggest mystery that has yet to be determined is how Ichabod Crane's (Tom Mison) new partner, Diana (Janina Gavankar) will live up to the hype that was Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie).

It is no secret that a massive fan outrage ensued following "Sleepy Hollow's" bold move of killing Ichabod's original partner at the end of season 3. The death, though, does not feel shoehorned into the narrative — it almost seemed rushed and without any preamble whatsoever for the forthcoming tragedy. Needless to say, longtime viewers of the supernatural series were not shy in voicing their opinion about their distaste for the twist. Some of them even asked Fox to just cancel the show altogether as they reasoned that there is no point in continuing without the hook that is the chemistry between the two Witnesses.

Gavankar admits that she is very much aware of the commotion and the pressure that is on her shoulders to nail the "new partner" part. In a recent interview with TVLine, the actress details that while she is quite terrified of being the target of hate given that she is the newbie, she is more than honored to join in the show prompting her to take the plunge.

"I'm not an idiot," the "True Blood" alum candidly said. "I'm totally nervous that people are going to hate me. But someone had to take the job, and I was so honored that [Sleepy] called me in the first place. I wasn't going to say no."

In season 4, Gavankar will take on the role of a Homeland Security Agent that Ichabod will wind up taking as his new partner as he moves to work for the government's secret supernatural fighting organization. Interestingly, the character Diana, will initially pose as a non-believer in terms of what the fantastical world holds but eventually gets converted as she gets tangled up on the Biblical witness' adventures.

"When she at first finds out that maybe her mission is a little bigger than she expected, she naturally girds for what that means — not only to her, but the rest of her family and the people she works with — and immediately finds a side of her, a calling that she wasn't prepared for," showrunner Clifton Campbell chimed in, spilling more details on Diana's storyline when "Sleepy Hollow" picks up. "But once it happens, she is more than willing to throw down and join the fight," he continued. 

The task at hand include not just having to start from scratch in order to build rapport between Ichabod and Diana, there also needs to be a perfect fit for them as the show hinges on the dynamics between the supposed two leads.

"Sleepy Hollow" Season 4 premieres on Jan. 6 at 9 p.m. EST on Fox.