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Replacing a beloved main character is never easy. Do you quietly recast the actor, like Aunt Viv in “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”? Do you slowly reduce his role until there’s nothing left, like Mark Brendanawicz in “Parks and Recreation”? Do you [spoiler alert] the [spoiler alert] right in front of his [spoiler alert], like in “Game of Thrones”? The writers and directors of “Notre Dame” were faced with such questions when the actor portraying the university president, Rev. John Jenkins, C.S.C., decided to depart from the show last October.

Fans were shocked, and speculation about his replacement began circulating online and in residence halls shortly after. Many pointed to prominent members of the main cast, like “Fr. Pete” (played by Rev. Peter McCormick, C.S.C.), the loveable goofball with a heart of gold, and “Fr. Gerry” (played by Rev. Gerard J. Olinger, C.S.C.), the mastermind behind seemingly every facet of student life, as potential characters to elevate. It came as a great shock when the casting directors gave the role to a minor supporting character, “Fr. Bob” (played by Rev. Robert Dowd, C.S.C.). The character had amassed a cult following, particularly among the Cavanaugh Hall demographic, and the choice became more obvious as the audience learned more about the new lead.

“Notre Dame” continued as normal when the new season began, with little attention paid to the replacement in the first few episodes. All that changed, however, on Friday, Sept. 13, when “The Inauguration Special” premiered. Showrunners not only called fans’ attention to the change, but celebrated the recast with pomp and circumstance.

The climactic inauguration did not disappoint. Kudos to the costume department, whom I hear partnered with Warner Bros. to borrow robes from the “Harry Potter” films to outfit the faculty. Fan favorites from the show’s golden years returned for the event, like “Monk Malloy,” played by Rev. Malloy, C.S.C., and guest appearances from the Bishop, the Superior General of the Congregation of the Holy Cross and Jon Batiste.

The episode was held back, however, by the writers’ baffling decision to give Dowd COVID-19 the day before his inauguration. This dramatic twist was unnecessary and wound up being functionally irrelevant. It’s not a good sign that the writers are already reusing plotlines from earlier seasons, and the untimely presidential COVID-19 diagnosis had far more firepower as a Jenkins conflict.

Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing what Dowd will bring to the table in his new role.