‘FBI: Most Wanted’: Dylan McDermott on Remy & Barnes’ Tension, New Agent & More
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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the FBI: Most Wanted Season 4 premiere “Iron Pipeline.”]
Welcome back, Sheryll Barnes (Roxy Sternberg)!
The FBI agent, who went on maternity leave before Remy Scott (Dylan McDermott) came in as Jess’ (Julian McMahon) replacement last season, returns and immediately clashes with her new boss during the FBI: Most Wanted Season 4 premiere. “Jess would never do something this reckless!” Barnes argues about an undercover operation. “Jess got shot. And if that’s still in your head, we got a problem. Things have changed since you left, Barnes. And I ain’t Jess,” Remy tells her. Ouch. (Watch that exchange below.)
McDermott tells us what’s ahead for those two after that, teases the introduction of new team member Ray Cannon (Edwin Hodge) in the September 27 episode, and more.
Things were tense between Remy and Barnes during her first case back. Is it entirely or mostly because, as he points out, he’s not Jess? Or is it also just the way they each work and the Jess of it heightens that?
Dylan McDermott: I do think that there’s definitely the residual effects of Jess being gone and she’s walking into a whole new situation. The ghost of Jess is playing out a little bit in that. And you’re probably right, it could be the way I worked, the way he worked. So yeah, there’s definitely some bumps to the road with her and I, and I think that’s good because that’s what it’s like in life. You don’t just walk into a situation and things are rosy. I think there’s some things that have to be worked out between her and I, and I believe that we get there in this episode. But I think that Jess is still looming somehow.
So things will start easing up with the next episode between the two of them?
I think so. I think that we will see them get used to each other, let’s say, and over time, but I like [how it’s playing out]. Life is messy. It’s not perfect. Relationships are messy. Work relationships are messy, they have to be worked out. We certainly are having a bit of a conflict, but I believe by next week, there’s more of our relationship exposed. You’ll see us work things out.
Remy also went undercover in this episode and he leapt at the chance to do so. What makes him enjoy that work?
That was something that I brought to the table. I really wanted to have Remy go undercover a few times. This is Dylan talking now. I love that because I thrive at being someone else. So I was like, can I please go undercover and have that experience? Because a character within a character is so much fun. I long for that. I want more of it — as many characters as I can possibly play undercover, the better for me.
Mark Schafer/CBS
Since you said you wanted to go undercover a few times, are there plans for more of that already in place?
I heard that there are, but I haven’t seen anything as of yet. But it’s a long season. I think we’re on six and there’s 22 episodes. So hopefully there’s a few more coming.
It seems like Remy and Kristin (Alexa Davalos) have an ease to working together and he maybe kind of sees her as close to a second-in-command? What makes them work so well together?
I think he trusts her and he also realizes how intelligent she is and he defers to her intelligence at times and believes in her. That’s not always an easy thing. She’s his right hand. She’s right there through everything. I think really the bottom line is that he has complete trust in her.
The task force is getting a new member in next week’s episode. How does Ray fit in? What’s his and Remy’s dynamic like?
He fits in beautifully with the team. He is a younger agent, a newer agent. There is some tension initially. There’s a couple bumpy moments for us as well, and that is worked out, but I think that he’s a great fit for the team. He’s smart, and he has special skills that Remy doesn’t have. And I think that Remy is really proud of this guy.
Mark Schafer/CBS
What are those skills?
He has some sniper skills that we will be seeing in the episodes to come.
Remy and his sister (Rebecca Brooksher) struggled a bit with putting their mom (Catherine Wolf) in assisted living, but it looks like she likes it there. And he mentioned losing his brother again. What else is coming up for Remy and his family? Are we gonna see more of his and his sister’s dynamic away from their mom?
He’s struggling with what to do with his mom. Obviously it does work out. She gets a lot of attention and she’s happy there and that was something he was afraid of, that she was gonna be alone and uncared for and he felt guilty about it initially. Then when he sees her thriving in the home, it really makes him happy because I think he was really flailing a little bit honestly, on what to do.
His sister is really the closest person to him and I think that Remy really struggles a little bit with intimacy overall. And I think that he’s aware of that and trying to course correct that as he goes.
Remy and April’s (Wendy Moniz) relationship was in a good place when last season ended. How are they doing:
You’ll see. She’s coming back in a few episodes. We will see them together. We will see them go through what they go through. But I think that relationship really is probably something new and different for Remy. I think that he’s really trying to be present and he’s trying to be loving and trying to be in some kind of relationship. And that’s not the easiest thing in the world for him.
Mark Schafer/CBS
And especially when you look at what they do and the fact that they’re on the road so much.
Yeah, exactly. And he goes in hard every case. He’s all in. This guy is not someone who takes a day off. He’s working 24/7. He’s on a mission, and everything, every case that he’s involved in, he’s completely passionate about and he has something to prove. And I think that always goes back to his brother. This loss of his brother looms so large in Remy’s psyche and he is really trying to correct something in his soul that he couldn’t save his brother so he puts all his energy and power into trying to save all the victims out there.
Do you think he can get close to correcting that part of his soul at any point in the near future?
It’s a good question. I’m not sure is the short answer. I think that he is attempting to. I hope he does, but I think that it’s a long journey.
Are there any personal cases coming up for Remy?
When you say personal cases, every case feels personal to him. When he takes something on and he tackles a case, it is personal. That’s something that I really thought about when I took this role on because I didn’t want to be an FBI agent and go in and solve cases. I felt that was too easy. As long as I’m here on this show, I will personalize every single episode and case that I’m in, because I think that’s who he is. I think that drives Remy. And it makes it compelling to play.
Are there any crossovers coming up? I know it’s hard to do with International, but what about with just FBI?
I know that they’ve done it before, so I won’t say they’re not doing it, but I haven’t heard anything.
What else is coming up for Remy?
These five episodes that you haven’t seen thus far are just jam-packed with action and there’s some really dynamic cases coming up. You’re gonna see lots of humor, lots of fun, lots of great cases. It’s what FBI: Most Wanted is: It’s a manhunt show, it’s dire circumstances, and it’s a great team. You’re gonna see lots and lots of that this season.
Will any of those cases challenge him in a way he didn’t expect?
I think they do. I’m sure you have to always be aware of the burnout factor. What does this do to a person over time? Seeing what Remy has seen in the past, what he is seeing now, he’s seeing people at their worst and at their best. What kind of toll does that take on a person? I’m always kind of keenly aware of that as I go through each episode and each case.
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