(Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for the FBI Season 8 premiere “Takeover.”)
All summer, FBI fans were waiting to see if Isobel (Alana De La Garza) would live or die after collapsing – she had no pulse! — in the final moments of the Season 7 premiere. Well, the Season 8 premiere sees the team lose one of their own, but there’s a major twist.
The case of the week, a judge searching for his son, takes Maggie (Missy Peregrym) and OA (Zeeko Zaki) to an island where officials refuse to recognize the authority of law enforcement. The judge is dead by the time they find his son, then Maggie and OA are held hostage. When Scola (John Boyd) and Dani (Emily Alabi) come to their aid, just as it appears to be over, Dani collapses, having been shot earlier; she thought the vest had caught him. Dani dies with Scola by her side. (Peregrym was right when she told us before the premiere: “We have a mad thing that happens at the end that I’m not even going to tell you about, but no one will see it coming and it has nothing to do with Isobel. “)
“His death reminds us of the serious challenges that (the agents) face day in and day out – trying to protect people in a rapidly changing world, with new threats always lurking around the corner,” showrunner Mike Weiss told TV Insider.
Meanwhile, Isobel’s fate remains up in the air until the end of the episode. Jubal (Jeremy Sisto) is in contact with her husband, Philip (Tom Cavanagh), throughout, with Isobel suffering a brain hemorrhage that requires an emergency craniotomy. But she survives!
Below, Mike Weiss provides insight into how Dani’s death will affect the team, how Scola will grieve and feel about finding a new partner, what’s in store for Isobel, and more.
How will Dani’s death affect Scola? How are we going to see him grieve?
Mike Weiss: Losing a partner is always a difficult thing. And Scola will feel the loss of Dani for a while. But Scola joined the FBI after the loss of his brother. He’s a character who finds ways to grow and honor everyone he’s lost in his daily life as an agent. This is what makes him an extraordinary asset to the team.
How will Dani’s death affect Maggie and OA as well? They must be worried about Scola, and she was also their teammate.
Of course, Dani’s death will also weigh on Maggie and OA. She was on her way to join our team when the worst happened. Our FBI agents are tough, but their true strength is finding themselves in those tough times. Maggie, OA and Scola are all going to be closer after the events of (episode) 801.
Because of Dani’s death, what will Scola think about finding a new partner? Will we see him return to temporary? Is this where Claire Coffee comes in in episode 2?
I won’t spoil the next episodes or Claire’s next role, but I can say that she doesn’t plan to join the FBI anytime soon… Scola is not going to close herself completely when it comes to welcoming new partners. Coming back to his experience of loss, he is a character who has learned to appreciate every little moment spent with his friends and family. It’s the same with every new colleague and partner.
What can you preview about Eva’s arrival and Scola’s dynamic with her?
Eva and Scola have a very interesting dynamic. They are both cut from a similar fabric. Scola, as fans know, began his career in the world of finance. Eva comes to the FBI after a stint as a federal prosecutor. They are both intelligent, quick-witted, and do not scare easily. She’ll keep him on his toes – and vice versa.
Bennett Raglin/CBS
Isabelle is fine! Have you ever seriously considered killing her?
Every year, at the start of a new season, we writers ask ourselves, “What is the current dynamic of the show?” What happens if it moves slightly? Isobel brings the whole team together in many ways. We love Alana and her character so much that we never considered removing her from the show. However, we were excited about what it would look like if she were out of the office, even briefly. How does the team react when it loses this center of gravity? Who steps in to fill the void? And of course, we’re excited to welcome her back to 26 Fed, when she’s ready.
How will what she experienced affect her and her marriage? How often will we see Philip/his personal life?
Isobel is the heart and soul of the 26th Fed Office. This near-death experience weighs on his mind, but never stops him from leading our FBI team and keeping New Yorkers safe. It’s this quiet strength that everyone admires about her. We love Tom Cavanaugh, who plays Philip, but you’ll just have to wait and see!
How long until Isobel returns to work?
Again, you’ll just have to watch and see!
FBIMondays, 9/8c, CBS
