What Happened Last Season on ‘FBI,’ ‘FBI: Most Wanted’ and ‘FBI: International’

Here’s what you need to know before the CBS shows return on Sept. 20

FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, FBI: International
Zeeko Zaki in "FBI," Dylan McDermott in "FBI: Most Wanted," Luke Kleintank and Vinessa Vidotto in "FBI: International" (CBS)

Before you tune in for the return of the “FBI” franchise on CBS on Tuesday, Sept. 20, here’s a short overview of the biggest things that happened on each series last season. The three shows crossed over in their respective season premieres to launch the third “FBI” show, “FBI: International,” which is set in Budapest, Hungary.

‘FBI’ Season 4 Recap

Kellan Lutz left the show in October 2021 after his character, Kenny Crosby, was shot.

Maggie Bell (Missy Peregrym) went undercover and began dating a fellow agent, whom her partner, O.A. Zidan (Zeeko Zaki), did not trust. O.A.’s instincts proved correct when Maggie realized her new boyfriend’s maverick ways put everyone else in danger. In one of the last episodes before the finale, Maggie and O.A. faced off with a terrorist armed with sarin gas. Maggie’s exposure to the gas was near-fatal and last we saw of her, she was in the hospital, unconscious. The hiatus was written in for Peregrym’s real-life pregnancy. The actress has confirmed she will be back for Season 5.

O.A. broke up with his girlfriend, federal prosecutor Mona Nazari (Yasmine Aker), after she tried to convince him to leave the FBI and take a private security job. O.A. also turned down the chance for a major promotion after realizing he would have to “spin” the truth, including not supporting then-partner Tiffany Wallace’s (Kathleen Renee Turner) report of two cops who beat up a cooperating suspect.

Nina Chase (Shantel VanSanten) stepped in as a temporary replacement and was teamed up with both Tiffany and Stuart Scola (John Boyd), which was awkward since they once had a one-night stand.

Jubal Valentine’s(Jeremy Sisto) on-again girlfriend Rina Trenholm (Kathleen Munroe) was shot as part of drug lord Antonio Vargas’ campaign of terror against their unit. She eventually died. Vargas was captured after Isobel Castille (Alana de la Garza), who had previously released him to save another agent’s life, called his bluff this time. After Jubal’s son Tyler was diagnosed with leukemia, he had another scare in the still-unaired series finale in which the team investigates a potential shooting at Tyler’s school. CBS pulled the episode after the horrific real-life school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

‘FBI: Most Wanted’ Season 3 Recap

Original cast member Julian McMahon left the series in March, with his character, team leader Jess LaCroix, being shot and killed in the line of duty. Remy Scott (Dylan McDermott) took over as head of the FBI Fugitive Task Force while the rest of the squad (especially Hana Gibson, played by Keisha Castle-Hughes), was still grieving. Hana’s half-brother George Kouka (Matt Mercurio) showed up and moved in with her, but made some questionable choices.

Sheryll Barnes (Roxy Sternberg, who was pregnant in real life) had her baby in the middle of a tense shootout, but both she, her wife, and the baby were unharmed. She was out on maternity leave for several episodes. After the Season 3 finale, CBS announced that Miguel Gomez (who played Ivan Ortiz), would not return for Season 4. Edwin Hodge of “Good Sam” and “The Purge” film franchise has joined in a new role.

All the agent’s families, including Remy’s mother, who has Alzheimer’s, met after they were put in a safe house when they were targeted by a suspect.

‘FBI: International’ Season 1 Recap

In the three-series crossover premiere, we met the agents of the FBI’s International Fly Team, who are headquartered in Budapest, Hungary, but whose cases take them around the globe. In the series-spanning case that opened the season, Supervisory Special Agent Scott Forrester (Luke Kleintank) took the lead in the hunt for a dangerous sex trafficker and drug runner when the suspect turned up in Croatia. Forrester was backed up by Jamie Kellett (Heida Reed), Andre Raines (Carter Redwood), and Cameron Vo (Vinessa Vidotto), as well as his trusty Schutzhund dog, Tank. 

Christiane Paul’s Europol agent Katrin Jaeger will not return for the second season after her character received a promotion to an office in Western Europe in the Season 1 finale.

Joining the series for Season 2 is Eva-Jane Willis of “Gangs of London” as Megan “Smitty” Garretson, a “streetwise” agent with an “extensive undercover background.”

Comments