Rita's first episode features an incident at her flat when her ceiling caves in; Howman liked the introduction and found it dramatic.

Producers also establish a feud between Rita and lead ED consultant Connie Beauchamp (Amanda Mealing) following Mark's first return.

However, Radio Times critic Alison Graham branded the character "Mother Teresa in trainers" and "a frowning, joyless nun" following her darker stories.

In one audition, Howman performed a screen test with Casualty cast members Patrick Robinson (Martin "Ash" Ashford) and Jane Hazlegrove (Kathleen "Dixie" Dixon), before being told she had won the role of Rita.

[4] The costume department style Rita in a leather jacket and jeans, which Howman thought the character is suited to as she is "boyish".

Howman said that Rita's managerial style with the nursing staff would be different from how clinical lead Connie Beauchamp (Amanda Mealing) manages the doctors.

[3] Rita later works a shift with the paramedic team, Dixie and Jeff Collier (Matt Bardock), to experience their view of life.

[12] The trio later attend to a man stuck in machinery at a junkyard, who Rita connects with and chats to as they wait for the fire crew.

[7] Howman told Elaine Reilly of What's on TV that Rita wanted to start afresh, but Mark's arrival has disrupted that.

She told Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy that Rita would "face a really tough time and be pushed to her emotional limit".

[15] Hossington commented, "In medical stories, Rita always wants to know the facts, but when the spotlight is turned on her and she's forced to face up to the truth about herself, she doesn't deal with it too well!

[14] Rita subsequently struggles and begins drinking alcohol, resulting in her being repeatedly late and making mistakes on the job.

Howman told Reilly (What's on TV) that Rita sees her new position as "a chance to prove her professionalism" following Mark's first appearance.

[8] Beckett reprised his role again in 2016 and Mark returns in April after being admitted to the ED with his girlfriend, Fiona Holden (Aimee Barrett).

[20] Beckett sympathised with Rita and told a reporter from Inside Soap that Mark ends the episode as "a pathetic man who's had his comeuppance and runs out of Holby with his tail between his legs".

[9] Outside of her feud with Rita, Connie develops a close friendship with former surgeon Alfred Maxwell (Michael Byrne), who is dying from motor neuron disease.

[26] Senior nurse Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) soon realises that Rita has framed Connie and pressures her into letting him return the drugs to the police without incriminating her.

[27] Following her darker storylines, producers romantically paired Rita with paramedic Iain Dean (Michael Stevenson) to provide the characters with lighter stories.

[28] While remembering Jeff on the one-year anniversary of his death, Iain makes sexual advances towards Rita and asks if she would like a one-night stand, which she agrees to.

Rita only receives support from consultant Elle Gardner (Jaye Griffiths), who had experienced a similar incident recently.

[36] The scenes, featured in the series 30 episode "The Fear", first broadcast on 16 July 2016, marked Howman's departure from Casualty after three years on the drama.

[37] Reflecting on her character's storylines, Howman told Reilly (What's on TV) that there was "always a lot going on with Rita Freeman", which she felt made her captivating to an audience.

[13] Radio Times critic David Brown predicted that Rita would be "the dynamic yet sensitive type" upon viewing her introduction.

[38] Reviewing Rita's first episode, Sue Haasler, a writer for Pauseliveaction, called the character a "practical, independent, feisty" nurse who "knows what she's doing".

[40] Brown also reflected on the episode, commenting, "You don't send a bubbly, easy-going nurse like Rita out on a shift with the paramedics without her confidence being completely shaken by the end of it.

"[41] Reilly thought that Rita's life "hit rock bottom" when Mark arrives at the hospital,[14] while a South Wales Echo reporter named the moment in their "3 to see" column of the day.

[43] Brown's colleague, Alison Graham, expected that Rita would be promoted to senior staff nurse due to her empathetic nature.

She also observed that when Mark is admitted to the ED, "Rita's eyebrows shoot up and before long she’s casting furtive glances like death rays.

[48] Graham thought it was obvious that Rita was struggling as she appeared "hunched on her sofa drinking too much red wine and watching Countryfile" after a challenging shift.

"[52] Graham thought that after her darker storylines with Mark and Connie, Rita had become "a frowning, joyless nun", so was pleased when she was paired with Iain.