Tuesday’s episode of Murder in a Small Town ( Fox , 8/7c) will feature Malcom-Jamal Warner’s final on-screen performance, which series creator Ian Weir tells TVLine is nothing short of “magical.”

The Cosby Show alum, who was 54 when he died while swimming off the coast of Costa Rica during a family vacation in July, filmed a guest appearance for Season 2 of the Fox drama before his passing.

In Episode 3, Warner plays Richard Buscombe, a protective father who becomes a lead suspect in a murder investigation when his ex-wife is killed just after returning to town. Still heartbroken years after the split, Richard wears his anger and pain on his sleeve, but his only goal in life is to keep his daughter safe.

Weir says working with Warner was “absolutely lovely,” and describes

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