[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the FBI Season 8 premiere “Takeover.”]
All summer long, FBI fans were left waiting to see if Isobel (Alana De La Garza) would live or die after collapsing — she didn’t have a pulse! — in the final moments of the Season 7 premiere. Well, the Season 8 premiere does see the team lose one of its own, but there’s a major twist.
The case of the week, a judge searching for his son, takes Maggie (Missy Peregrym) and OA (Zeeko Zaki) to an island where those in charge refuse to recognize law enforcement’s authority. The judge is dead by the time they find his son, and then Maggie and OA are held hostage. When Scola (John Boyd) and Dani (Emily Alabi) come to their aid, just as it seems to be over, Dani collapses, having been shot earlier; she thought the vest caught it. Dani dies with Scola by her side. (Peregrym was right when she told us ahead of the premiere, “We’ve got a crazy thing that happens at the end that I’m not even going to tell you about, but no one’s going to see this coming and it has nothing to do with Isobel.”)
“Her death is a reminder of the grave stakes that [the agents] face day in and day out — trying to protect people in a world that is changing fast, with new threats always lurking around the corner,” showrunner Mike Weiss tells TV Insider.
Meanwhile, Isobel’s fate is left up in the air until the end of the episode. Jubal (Jeremy Sisto) is in contact with her husband, Philip (Tom Cavanagh), throughout, with Isobel suffering a brain bleed that requires an emergency craniotomy. But she survives!
Below, Mike Weiss previews how Dani’s death will affect the team, how Scola will grieve and feel about getting a new partner, what’s ahead for Isobel, and more.
How will Dani’s death affect Scola? How are we going to see him grieve?
Mike Weiss: Losing a partner is always a tough thing. And Scola is going to be feeling the loss of Dani for a while. But Scola joined the FBI after the loss of his brother. He’s a character who finds ways to grow and honor everyone he’s lost in his daily life as an agent. It’s what makes him an extraordinary asset to the team.
How will we see Dani’s death affect Maggie and OA as well? They have to be worried about Scola, and she was their teammate, too.
Of course, Dani’s death will weigh on Maggie and OA as well. She was just falling in with our team when the worst happened. Our FBI agents are tough, but their real strength is finding each other in these moments of hardship. Maggie, OA, and Scola are all going to be closer after the events of [Episode] 801.
Because of Dani’s death, how is Scola going to feel about getting a new partner? Will we see him go back to temporary ones again? Is that where Claire Coffee comes in in Episode 2?
I won’t spoil future episodes or Claire’s upcoming role, but I can say that she is not looking to join up with the FBI anytime soon… Scola is not going to close off completely when it comes to welcoming new partners. Going back to his experience with loss, he’s a character who has learned to appreciate every small moment with friends and family. That’s the same with every new colleague and partner.
What can you preview about when Eva shows up and Scola’s dynamic with her?
Eva and Scola have a very interesting dynamic. They’re both cut from a similar cloth. Scola, as fans know, started his career in the finance world. Eva comes to the FBI after a stint as a federal prosecutor. They’re both whip-smart, quick-witted, and don’t scare easy. She’s going to keep him on his toes — and vice versa.
Bennett Raglin / CBS
Isobel’s OK! Did you ever seriously consider killing her off?
Every year, at the start of a new season, we, the writers, ask ourselves, ‘What is the current dynamic in the show? What happens if it shifts slightly?’ Isobel holds the entire team together in a lot of ways. We love Alana and her character so much, we never considered writing her off the show. However, we were excited about what it would look like to see her absent from the office, even briefly. How does the team react when they lose that center of gravity? Who steps in to fill the void? And of course, we’re thrilled to be welcoming her back to 26 Fed, when she’s ready.
How is what she went through going to affect her and her marriage? How often will we see Philip/her personal life?
Isobel is the steady heart and soul of the 26 Fed office. This near-death experience weighs on her in the background but never deters her drive to lead our FBI team and keep New Yorkers safe. It’s that quiet strength that everyone admires about her. We absolutely love Tom Cavanaugh, who plays Philip, but you’ll just have to wait and see!
How long before Isobel’s back at work?
Again, you’ll just have to watch and see!
FBI, Mondays, 9/8c, CBS
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