‘FBI: International Series Finale Ends With Major Moment for Mitchell & Promotion
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the FBI: International series finale “Gaijin.”]
FBI: International heads to Japan for the conclusion of a two-parter as the Fly Team searches for a serial killer, with Mitchell (Jesse Lee Soffer) working boots on the ground with Reiko Isokawa (Yoriko Haraguchi) and Superintendent Kosuke Kubo (Shintaro Kanaoya).
It doesn’t take long for Mitchell to be in Japan for he and Isokawa to come face-to-face with the serial killer. He takes another victim, Heather, while Mitchell’s put on the clock by Kubo: He has three days. Back in Budapest, the Fly Team — Vo (Vinessa Vidotto), Raines (Carter Redwood), Smitty (Eva-Jane Willis), and Tate (Christina Wolfe) — is able to get an ID, Lloyd Acuff, based on an analysis of the conversation between the killer and his beta. He’s “the definition of average,” with an ex who filed a restraining order against him.
When Mitchell and Isokawa question him, he claims he wasn’t around the club the night the hostess disappeared, then asks to see a photo. Mitchell watches him look at it. The two bring up the fact that he likes bondage (he’s written about shibari, rope binding, online), but he claims that’s just a fantasy. He even offers to ask around and brings up the “dark underbelly” of the city. Before they leave, Lloyd tells a horrible joke, about three men who interview for the FBI and are told to kill their wives to prove they’ll do anything to keep a secret; two refuse, and the third beats his wife to death when he finds blanks in the gun he was given. Obviously, Mitchell knows this is their guy, but Kubo insists they need more, specifically a confession.
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It’s when Mitchell has the Fly Team look for more victims, going back earlier than they thought, that they get a lead: Risa, who escaped and withdrew her report about being drugged and abducted by an American man. She reluctantly tells Mitchell and Isokawa about the two men who held her (one American, one Japanese) and escaping — and reveals she kept the dress that she realized has the American’s blood on it from when he hit his head when she fought him off. But then Heather’s mom, now in Tokyo, calls: A man saw one of her fliers, did some digging, and thinks he can find her daughter. Sitting there waiting to meet with them is none other than Lloyd.
Mitchell tells her he’s their suspect, but he insists he’s just a cab driver and not a criminal mastermind. Mitchell gets in his face, but Lloyd walks off — and Heather’s mom follows him. The good news? They get his DNA, and with that, a search warrant for his place. But he’s cleared out and destroyed his electronic devices (and left one of the fliers for Heather on the table). Mitchell knows that the family of the beta partner has the answers they need, and while Kubo has been refusing to let him speak to them, Isokawa agrees to make that meeting happen. The partner’s mother, though she wants to protect her son, after Isokawa reminds her he’s gone, gives up the building where Heather could be held (someone’s been trying to enter it in the last two days) and tell them to tell the families she’s sorry.
When Mitchell and Isokawa get to the building, however, it’s empty. They do find what’s very obviously Lloyd’s disturbing serial killer lair, with ropes and lots of polaroids of his victims, with the count at least 54. But then Kubo tells Isokawa to hand over her badge and gun. She’s been suspended, and while he’ll do the best to protect her, Kubo warns Mitchell that there’s nothing he can do for him. He needs to be out of Japan in 12 hours … which means that’s all the time he has to find Heather. Kubo has given the Fly Team access to the CCTV network.
Mitchell, with the Fly Team directing him, is able to track down Lloyd, who runs, but the FBI agent catches up to him. And when Lloyd goes for his cyanide pill, Mitchell offers him a deal: Tell him where Heather is, and he’ll give him his way out once she’s safe. After Mitchell finds Heather, he does give Lloyd the button which contained the pill … but as the killer discovers, he took the cyanide.
Mitchell stops by to see Isokawa before leaving, and he finds out that she plans to leave the police force since she’s facing a demotion that would tie her to a desk. But he encourages her to keep fighting, even if it may not be easy. “Do everything you can and leave the rest to fate,” she says. She then shows him two ema (plaques with prayers and wishes, a way of connecting to the divine) she’s made to hang up with others: one for her daughter and one for his half-sister. And after that, the episode ends with Mitchell going to Pittsburgh and introducing himself to his half-sister, Delila.
Meanwhile, for Vo and Raines, the wait is over to find out who’s getting the GS-14 spot. When the call comes in, they stand and wait for it together, holding hands … and we don’t find out who got it?!
What did you think of how FBI: International ended? Let us know in the comments section below.
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I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY ENDED LIKE THAT!!! WHO GOT THE PROMOTION? Wes was in the States only to see his sister. Doesn’t mean he was staying. FBI Most Wanted has a much better ending. Shame on you CBS!!!!!
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They should have told us who got the promotion. For a final show, it was sloppy. Left everything up in the air. I loved this series since the beginning, watched every episode. They shouldn't have cancelled it. Most wanted, I didn't care for, and FBI original while good is like watching L&O. International was different, dealing with foreign countries/peoples made it special
Dopes at CBS are shooting themselves in the foot with everything they canceled. Still hanging on to 'reality' TV? Get over it. Give writers stories to tell us. Stop with the nonsense fake reality shows. Your channel is gonna lose viewers, at LEAST bring some of Int'l characters into FBI or your new show, like Smitty! She's a great character. So disappointed you've canceled almost everything i watched. Not gonna tune in to CBS as often now that's for sure..
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I SO agree with ALL that you've conveyed!! Thanks!
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I agree also
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I think CBS made another bad decision. This was an excellent show.
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This episode works as a season finale. Unfortunately this show was cancelled in early March so there was enough time to adjust the ending. They basically gave us a cliffhanger for a show they knew was already cancelled. A complete embarrassment.
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I realize it wasn't supposed to be the series finale but I have to say I was a bit disappointed in International
I think everything was left in the air, Wes is back in the States, Smitty, what happens to her ?
I'd like to think the rest of the team got promoted together since they didn't tell us .
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They should have given us at least the name of who got the GS14, but with Wes being in the States his job would be open and they both can get a promotion, but knowing this was the end of the series they could have given us that answer. But overall a great episode. Still bummed it will be over with
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Why was GS-14 written in the middle of the Japanese sign when they were walking out of the shrine to hang the signs Mistake?
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Terrible ending. FBI International is a quality show. Should not be cancelled! There are so many lame shows on these days. This one, as well as other FBI showsvshould continue. We always look forward to "FBI night". Very sad to hear it is cancelled.
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Ridiculous ending. If you must stop show you should give closure
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It was an excellent episode but for a series finale they did the show a disservice and at the very least they should have ended as they do most of their missions celebrating their victories and congratulating whoever was promoted...shame on CBS as usual.
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It was a disappointing ending for the series. It should have included the whole team—which was a great team! The creative team, knowing they’d been canceled, should have reworked the finale to give the viewers closure. SWAT did and it was a satisfying finale. It’s frustrating when the viewers are left with questions. It certainly doesn’t entice me to buy the series later when the ending is unsatisfying. Best of luck to the great FLY team actors on their next journey.
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I loved FBI Ibternational! Really sad the network canceled it The Survivor & Amazing Race continue to take space on the schedule. The good shows get cancelled like Blue Bloods etc & stupid shows take their time.
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Ending sucked…….end of story
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Horrible ending this show deserved so much more
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They never should have canceled the series 😤 《BOTTOM-LINE 》
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Show should not be ending. Great show. Once they introduced Wes's sister they leave everything hanging. Lots more could have been done with the cast. Poor decision to end the FBI group in general.
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Should not have ended. Mitchell was a strong replacement that I'm sure Forrester would approve of for Fly Team. At least with International, there can be crossovers with upcoming CIA.
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I did not like the finale. It left the fans hanging with no closure on who got the job, what happens to the rest of the team, what's next for Wes and his half-sister. It was a terrible ending!!
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This was my favorite of the 3, sad it got cancelled. Will probably stop watching the original on principal and sick of the unrealistic story lines for Maggie.
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Wish that FBI" International was not cancelled! It's a great show!!!! Also love FBI: Most Wanted!! Would love to see them back on the air!!!!
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Worst series finale. The worst. The writers could not have cared less as to how a great show like this ended. BIG BIG MISTAKE for canceling FBI International.
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Awful and disappointing. Most of the fly team cast was not even in the show except for a minute or two. I thought I had missed something and there had to be another hour to wrap things up. The worst series finale I have ever seen. Guess should expect nothing different from CBS.
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I had really hoped they weren't going to cancel the International FBI spinoff. It was so good and it followed FBI which gave me 2 great hours of TV to look forward to every Tuesday. No one asked for the new CSI spinoff... we were
happy with the fly team we had gotten to know and care about.
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Terrible way to end a series...so much left up in the air and unanswered questions... NOT GOOD!! 😞
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Like others have said, this ending was horrible! They had enough notice to have tied everything up better as they did on Most Wanted. Sad to see both of the FBI shows cancelled. With so much trash reality TV on, it’s disappointing.
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It was awful. All you know is Wes is in Pittsburgh. It was like the rest of the team was not even there.
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I thought it was a terrible ending! The fly team should have been together. Let us know who got the promotion! Wrap up the murder investigation earlier so we could get back to the fly team along with Mitch and his sister! The ending was miserable!
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It was extremely a nail bighter season finale. I just wish that it would come back on for a season 5 I think. So that the fans can see who got the GS-14 job, and to finally see Wess get to know his half sister.
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Terribly disappointing!!! Never have cared for Wes’s character and everything was about him. He’s the least likable of all of them. Very sad not to see more of Raines, Smitty, Vo , Tank, etc. As has been previously stated, they knew far enough ahead of the last episode to plan something more fitting and interesting. CBS really doesn’t care about the viewer.
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Terrible finale for all the reasons already stated.. One that was worse was the old show The Glades that left the hero shot and maybe dying as it ended... geesh....My guess is the cost to operate in Europe vs sets in USA was too much... I did enjoy the subway shootout in the regular FBI but it has its own cliffhanger... Most Wanted ended as I expected with Remy retiring with his girlfriend who was played by an actress previously married to a clueless FBI agent on The Americans.... I wonder if the remaining actors will cross over to FBI... I suspect Nina will...
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It seems like they got the memo the show was cancelled after they stopped filming. Many stories weren't good or given a satisfying conclusion.
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They knew way ahead of the end of filming that the show was cancelled. This is exactly why the episode was so disappointing.
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AWFUL
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I can't believe they had us watching two random guest stars and the newest member of the cast in a series finale. They should have focused on the team we knew and cared about.
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Terrible decision to end this show. Period!
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If this was a "season" finale it would have been a good ending. As the series finale, it absolutely stunk. I am so disappointed with CBS for cancelling both FBI International and Most Wanted. Decision makers at CBS should be cancelled.
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What is CBS doing? They have cancelled so many shows in the last two years? We as fans get invested and you don’t even have the decency to end FBI international so the fans can at least see a good ending. You left it hanging. Why are you in this business? You don’t care what viewers think? It’s all about the mighty dollar. CBS do you really think people are going to want to invest in NEW shows? When you cancel them only after a few years. I could name at least 5-10 shows you have done this too. CBS do better!
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The ending proved why the show could continue. All about the money. Not about the viewers.
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As a finale and a show that has been cancelled…disappointment at best. Outcomes! What happens to the fly-team? What becomes of Wes, Vo, Raines, Smitty, Vanessa?
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It was a terrible ending, absolutely wasted four years of my life, watching this show for it to end like this
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MEH ....very underwhelmed.
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Love this show is loved the Japanese detective collaboration with the team. I am very sad it’s being cancelled!
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It just shows fans of show are used to get sponsorship, but other than that they could care less.
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Not a good ending, particularly when the producers knew it was coming. Just adds to why the show failed.
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What an absolute horrible ending. They knew well in advance the show was not being renewed and could have come up with a much way to complete the series. It seemed they just threw it up in the air to see where it would land. The cast deserved a much better ending and so did the fans.
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Terrible!! We didn’t even get to see the whole team work one last case together. The whole episode was Wes working a case and the other team members just at the office. Who got the promotion? What about Tank? One of the worst series finales ever, especially when they knew ahead of time.
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It would seem they left a cliffhanger just in case the series was renewed, and then it wasn't
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Hopefully the story will somehow continue in FBI or FBI : CIA.
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Best FBI series by far.
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I think the ending was the result of poor planning by CBS. An excellent show only to be replaced by crap to save some dollars. Their viewership will be affected!
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Terrible just dissapointing
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So disappointed in this finale. They could of did better. It was like any other episode. No closure or anything
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I am so angry that this great show was canceled
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Wish this and Most wanted could continue and have CIA on all together like the one Chicago shows and have a huge crossover.
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Let’s start by saying that it should have never been canceled, that’s all I’m gonna say
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It was very good I wish they would bring the show back I watched it every week it was a good show.
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After reading below comments, does anyone remember the end of the JAG series n 2025, which ended on a coin toss that we never saw drop?
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I think Vo got it. She definitely has the determination, but I don’t mind if Raines got it instead.
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Used to like FBI International until they brought that Mitchell character on board.
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