Critic’s Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
4.5
Talk about a tension-filled hour!
FBI Season 8 Episode 1 pit the New York Field Office against a small town so desperate to lower crime rates that the mayor was helping a private militia wreak havoc.
And if that wasn’t enough, the premiere also dragged out Isobel’s fate, making it unclear at first whether she was alive or dead.
(CBS/Bennett Raglin)
Port Turner’s Vigilantism and Scapegoating Were Believable, And That’s What Made This Story So Terrifying
Port Turner was a nightmarish version of Mayberry, the small town featured on The Andy Griffith Show back in the 1960s.
Theoretically, it was the type of town where everyone knew each other and neighbors supported neighbors, but instead, it had declared war on all outsiders, and it was only a matter of time before people living there got caught in the crossfire.
The mayor was softspoken and gentle… and had no problem holding FBI agents hostage or ordering a bridge blown up.
Caleb thought he was protecting his town by going to war with everybody else, and it didn’t help that this town seemed to be all white people.
I figured out almost immediately that the reason they kidnapped Eli and killed his father was because of the color of their skin.
And of course, it was all based on a lie — the real perp blaming outsiders so that no one would realize that he was the one terrorizing his neighbors.
(CBS/Bennett Raglin)
It’s an all-too-familiar story that has happened throughout history and, in some ways, is happening all around us right now: a group of angry, afraid people turning against a smaller group because of lies about who is responsible for their problems.
The only part of this scenario that was unrealistic was how quickly the mayor accepted that he’d been lied to.
I’d like to think that when people who have been lied to are confronted with the truth, they immediately accept that they were manipulated and turn against the liar, but that’s not how it works in real life.
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A man like Caleb would usually double down on believing Dustin’s lies because he wouldn’t want to admit that he’d kidnapped a man and allowed another to be killed based on falsehoods.
The psychology around lies, manipulations, and scapegoating is far too complex for a 45-minute show, so Caleb redeemed himself somewhat by accepting the truth right away.
(CBS/Bennett Raglin)
I did wonder whether that six-man militia was the entire population of the town.
Logically, it couldn’t be — there were too many mom-and-pop stores for that to be the case.
I know it wasn’t important to the story, but I couldn’t help wondering what was going on with the rest of the town’s population — were they hiding in their homes, hoping to stay out of the crossfire, or praying that this situation would end somehow?
The town was under martial law, using a homemade military, so it was a matter of time before the militia ran out of outsiders to blame and started attacking each other.
I Predicted Dani’s Death From The Moment The Shooting Began
FBI Season 8 had announced months ago that Dani was not staying, so when she popped up in this episode, I knew that she’d either be killed or decide to transfer out after this case.
Once she got shot, it was obvious which one it would be.
(CBS/Bennett Raglin)
I feel bad about not shedding a single tear during her death scene.
It was supposed to be a senseless, tragic death, but I was ready for it — plus, it was just the latest partner of Scola’s to be written out.
Scola losing partners became a habit during FBI Season 7. Most of them left with minimal or no explanation, making it seem as if Scola were cursed.
Were you more heartbroken than I was about Dani’s death?
Sound off about this scene in the comments (or about anything else having to do with the episode.) I love hearing your opinions!
Dani was supposed to be the real deal, but actress Emily Alabi was never put on contract, so I had my doubts.
(CBS/Bently Raglin)
Scola is supposed to get yet another new partner soon, this time played by Juliana Aidén Martinez, fresh off being unceremoniously written out of Law & Order: SVU.
Hopefully, FBI Season 8 will at least have Scola grieving and not wanting another partner for a while. I know it’s a bit of a cop trope, but he never really got to deal with Tiffany leaving the unit, and the death of a partner is so much worse than someone simply moving on.
This would be a great time to bring Nina back to support Scola. Plus, he should be aware that that could have easily been him, leaving Dougie fatherless.
Scola knows that risk is part of the job, of course, but the arrangements he and Nina have made to protect Dougie have all been contingency plans, so it could hit him harder to see his partner die and realize what those plans actually mean.
They Had To Drag Isaboel’s Fate Out Until The Last Possible Second, Didn’t They?
I was confused during the opening sequence. The supervisor Jubal met with was speaking as if Isobel was dead, but Jubal’s “it’s only been three days” comment made it seem like she was still alive.
Fortunately, they cleared that up quickly by having Philip call and tell Jubal that Isobel needed surgery and her chances weren’t good, which was a slightly less ambiguous clue as to her fate.
(Bennett Raglin/CBS)
I had scoured the credits for Alana De La Garza’s name and didn’t see it, so I was fully expecting her to die by the end of the episode.
What a pleasant surprise for her to be awake and talking after they made it sound like the best case scenario was that she’d be in an irreversible coma!
Isobel and Jubal’s talk came at the same time as Dani’s death scene, almost as if the FBI team was only allowed one miracle.
Still, we needed that win after such a heavy episode, or at least I did.
It Could Be An Interesting Season Ahead
(Bennett Raglin/CBS)
Isobel is not ready to return to work, so Jubal will have to continue taking over for her, and it looks like the FBI wants to push her out altogether.
Plus, after this scare, Philip will be eager for Isobel to retire.
Scola’s reaction to Dani’s death and his new partner should also be interesting, which leaves only Maggie and OA without a major storyline yet.
What are you looking forward to this season? And what did you think of FBI Season 8 Episode 1?
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If you like FBI, be sure to check out our coverage of other Dick Wolf shows like Chicago PD and Law & Order. You might also like our thoughts about Boston Blue, the new Blue Bloods spinoff.
FBI airs on CBS on Mondays at 9/8c and streams on Paramount+ on Tuesdays.
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