‘FBI’ 3-Show Crossover Introduces the ‘International’ Team (RECAP)
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the FBI Season 4 premiere, “All That Glitters,” FBI: Most Wanted Season 3 premiere “Exposed,” and FBI: International series premiere “Pilot.”]
Dick Wolf’s FBI franchise has expanded to include newcomer FBI International, as well as the original show and Most Wanted. And to kick off their seasons, it takes all three teams to solve a case that starts in the United States and heads overseas to Europe.
It all started on FBI in New York with a murder after a yacht party, one of the agents we know in the hospital, and a kidnapping. Then over on Most Wanted, the manhunt began for the head of a criminal enterprise. And the action finally moved to Croatia on International as we met the Fly Team.
Read on for how it all went down in this massive crossover event that sees FBI‘s Zeeko Zaki (OA) shine across all three hours.
FBI “All That Glitters”
The investigation into the murder of a young woman, Nicole (Emma Ishta), seemingly a hit, leads Maggie (Missy Peregrym), OA, and the rest of the team to discover she was a pimp for a 15-year-old girl, Julia (Christa Wennerstrom). When they link the owner of a security firm, Curt Williams (Elias Toufexis), to the case, they turn to Most Wanted‘s Crosby (Kellan Lutz), who served with him. In the process of trying to bring Curt in, he shoots Crosby — whose boss Jess (Julian McMahon) immediately blames Maggie, for bringing him in.
That’s when we find out (sort of) what happened at the end of the Most Wanted Season 2 finale: Crosby has been struggling since being involved in the off-duty shooting involving Jess’ daughter, his girlfriend, and her abusive ex. As Jess sees it, Maggie should’ve asked him for permission. The bits we get of the tension between those two make us wish we’d see a lot more of it: neither holds back. (In the second hour, Jess notes to OA that because he and Maggie have known each other a long time, he thinks she should’ve come to him before bringing in Crosby.)
Michael Parmelee/ 2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.
Maggie, OA, and Julia’s mom witness the teen being kidnapped and put in a car belonging to a foundation that links back to one of the owners of the yacht at the beginning, Fiona Grand (Gia Crovatin). She claims not to know anything, but when they trace a call she makes after Maggie and OA pay her a visit, it leads them to that car — and Julia. She’s been shot, and she dies in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. OA still has her blood on her when he joins the others to arrest the rich guy they think has hired hitmen to take out anyone who can link him to assaulting underage girls. As the first hour ends, that rich guy’s body falls to the street in front of them.
FBI: Most Wanted “Exposed”
As the second hour begins, we find out who died in that finale shootout: the abusive ex, and both Jess and Crosby have been cleared.
After witnessing the teen die, OA is taking this case personally and joins the Most Wanted team as they begin putting the pieces together of this criminal enterprise hosting these parties with underage girls. Among his goals: find Sunny (Samantha Blaire Cutler), off Julia’s dying request. Along the way, FBI Special Agent Kristin Gaines (Alexa Davalos) joins them from the Miami division, having been tracking one of the men in the sex trafficking ring.
Mark Schfer / CBS
But there’s a major problem: the one running this ring, Fiona’s partner Colin Kent (Oded Fehr) is tying up loose ends. He has his men kill the other girls and takes Sunny with him. When the Fugitive Task Force catches up with Fiona, trying to flee, she eventually gives them the list of politicians, businessmen, and the like all guilty of attending their parties.
One of those men tells them about one of Colin’s properties they hadn’t known about, but by the time they get there, Colin’s had someone collect the hard drive with video of all the wrongdoings that happen at his parties. And he’s one step ahead of them again: By the time they arrive at his place in Montauk, he’s taken off with Sunny in his private plane.
As for Crosby, last we hear about him in this episode, his surgery is taking longer than expected.
FBI: International “Pilot”
OA joins Scott Forrester (Luke Kleintank) and his team — Jamie Kellett (Heida Reed), Andre Raines (Carter Redwood), and Cameron Vo (Vinessa Vidotto) — along with Europol Agent Katrin Jaeger (Christiane Paul) in Croatia. Immediately, OA and Forrester get off on the wrong foot, with the latter thinking the former was sent by Isobel (Alana De La Garza) as a babysitter. Then, OA is too focused on taking Colin down at the first chance possible, while Forrester argues they have to wait to make sure they get their hands on the blackmail material he has with him; otherwise, those predators may never face justice and could go after other underage girls.
Katalin Vermes/CBS
It turns out to be a good thing that they wait and don’t take in Colin when he picks up a phone they wire to track him (thanks to a contact from one of the local detectives). He’s planning to trade the blackmail material for safe passage. And while he ditches the phone, via a tip from one of Kellett’s contacts, they know where he’s heading for the trade: Zagreb’s Gric Tunnels. With Tank leading, Forrester subdues Colin (who when even faced with OA’s fist refuses to say where Sunny is) while Raines and Vo track down the man with the briefcase.
That case does contain Colin’s laptop with the videos from his parties, and in one of the videos is Sunny, with a rich man from Croatia who has the local police in his pocket. “I didn’t know,” a local detective admits after threatening to put Forrester and the others on a plane earlier in the episode if they harassed another of his citizens. As satisfying as it is to see them make that arrest and save Sunny, it’s even more so to see Colin think he’ll get away with it with his connections only for Forrester to inform him he’s being taken back to the U.S. (Also of note: 28 pedophiles are arrested because they got those videos.)
It’s at the end of the episode that we check in with Crosby back in New York: He’s going to be OK, but he has a long recovery ahead of him. Jess also apologizes to Maggie for his behavior (in yet another scene that makes us want to see more of those two together because Peregrym and McMahon work so well together), while she tells him in turn that she didn’t handle it well either.
As for the Fly Team itself, Kleintank makes Forrester believable as team leader with his drive, going toe-to-toe with OA, and making the tough decision to focus on the bigger picture. You can see why Jubal (Jeremy Sisto) says of him, “If I had to go to war and could only pick two agents to go shoulder to shoulder with, he’d be one of them.” As is usual with procedurals, there is a newbie (Vo) who will need to be shown the ropes of this specific unit (and therefore can serve as the introduction to how they operate for the audience). Vo also has some sort of bad blood with her former boss, who warned Forrester she’s a problem; he brought her into the team anyway.
Jaeger’s an interesting addition, as the one who has to think of the more political side, like the trouble Forrester runs into by not informing local police the team’s operating in the area. Forrester’s dog, Tank, is of course a standout — and not just because he’s the one to alert us (and the agent) to the fact that someone’s in his bedroom: Kellett, naked in his bed. We just have one question: How long have they been together? (We know they’ve been working together for five years.)
What do you think of the latest FBI series and team? Let us know in the comments below.
FBI, Tuesdays, 8/7c, CBS
FBI: International, Tuesdays, 9/8c, CBS
FBI: Most Wanted, Tuesdays, 10/9c, CBS
Conversation26 Comments
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Comments are closed on this story.
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R
I was riveted for three hours. Good entertaining television!
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O
I'd love to see a crossover every week tbh, great 3 hours spent and well blended yet still the focus of each hour being on the relevant teams. Loved it, want more!
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C
I love all of them..Its really exciting shows...all of them!!!
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C
FBI and FBI Most Wanted as always were good watches. Too soon to tell about International. I am not familiar with any of the cast so they need to grow on me. I wonder FBI International was put it in the middle on the schedule. I don't see that as a good move.
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R
Marilyn neither do I....
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C
Hated the crossover! Never watch a show that isn’t taped so only had FBI taped so missed the ending. If you do this again, will stop watching completely.
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B
Time will tell! I enjoyed last night but I'll have to watch a few more episodes before making a decision. I really enjoy FBI, but I don't understand why they choose to dress Maggie so casually while everyone else is dressed as professionals. Seems to me she should be too.
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G
Thanks for bringing that up/ I cant figure out how the men look like well dressed
and the women look like they are going to the gym ? It is Insulting.
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R
YES I Noticed that right away....not a good change.
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G
I think FBI & FBI MOST WANTED are awesome. FBI International, I’m not sure yet. I’ll need to see more episodes. Why mess with the perfection or top the greatness of the original shows. Adding the latest in the group prob isn’t necessary. It’s hard to top perfection. I’ll give FBI another episode before committing to watching it.
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B
Really enjoyed the premiere. It was a seemly crossover from one show to the other. Story was thrilling. Will wait to decide on the international
Team. But good start.
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D
Heida Reed must have had a wig on Poldark since she had jet black hair on that show... Her hair on here looks more natural... She also has a similar look as Kristin (Katja Herbers) on Evil...
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O
FBI is really mediocre series franchise. Very formulaic and loaded with really dumb police drama cliches.
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G
NO, i'll wait for the original's next episode after the crossover,
just like NCIS can't make me watch NCIS LA in their crossover
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O
I like all 3 shows, but the order needs to changed or the crossovers need to be in the correct order according to the shows airing.
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B
Unfortunately, we were not home, so set the dvr for FBI Most Wanted, only. Didn't know that we had to tape two other shows just to follow the story. We are unable to watch the other two shows now, because we don't subscribe to Paramount+. I imagine there is some free streaming somewhere, but probably not interested now. Only interested in FBI Most Wanted.
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G
Three series based on FBI. Woof. First one was stretching thin with predictable plots as it was. Then a crossover tried to force a second one on us, and now a triple crossover to try ro shoehorn a third. I'm done. The characters and actors are interesting, but the writers are phoning things in. They have the characters making dumb decisions, and there's too much contrived high school drama occuring. I'm barely invested in the first show, and it annoys me when you try to force me into the other shows with crossovers. Focus on one show with quality writing. Stop stretching things thin, and beating a horse dead.
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B
We record everything to watch at our convenience, and often we'll choose a show at random on a given night. Fortunately, we started watching FBI and Most Wanted in order (because it was confusing enough!), but I hadn't heard anything about International. About ten minutes before the end of FBI, I said, "This is starting to feel like a 'to be continued,'" and sure enough it morphed right into Most Wanted. But when it then continued into the first minute or two of International, I realized it was a three-parter and I did not have International set up to record. Fortunately, we were able to see the pilot On Demand (tho with non-fast-forwardable commercials), and now I'm set up to record all three. Not sure yet what I think about International. It feels a bit like The Mod Squad, but without Linc Hayes's sensibilities.
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G
In NYC the order of the FBI’s didn’t work for the premier. Most Wanted was last. I only record FBI - had to watch rest “on Demand”…still watching & hope it will be worth it. Would have been nice to know up front
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R
I enjoy the FBI series not sure about international yet I'll just have to watch and see where it goes. As far as the lineup I think international should be last.
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R
I sure hope this "crossover" will NOT be from now on !!!!!! I would also like to see the International FBI go to 10pm!!!!!!!!! and leave FBI: Most wanted in its old slot!!!!!!
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B
Crossovers are always one-of. You're getting rabid for nothing.
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G
I'm getting sick of these Dick Wolf 3 hour marathons! I missed the first hour because I don't care for the characters and thought I was going to see episodes of the other programs. I was not happy to find that it was all one long program! As to "International" - prefer it to the new NCIS Hawaii series. At least there don't seem to be any unnecessary romantic entanglements which is a Wolf staple (he must have slipped up on this one, or else I missed it). Please - NO MORE of these 3 hour marathons!!
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B
You missed it. Very last scene of the pilot.
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P
International is bad. They entered a foreign country without notifying the proper authorities. They entered a private house without a warrant. And that was the first few minutes.
Rules for the FBI are different for agents who work overseas? They wouldn’t do those things if they were in the states. Why train agents to gather evidence by the book and have them ignore them once they cross the border?
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R
You need to get your information straight, eastern Europe's laws are alot different than in the US you can't relate the two.
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