Summary
I love all of theFBIshows, but I thinkFBI: Internationalis the best of the three. The youngest member of theFBIfranchise focuses on the Fly Team, an elite group of agents who deal with international crime that affects Americans at home and abroad. For the past three seasons, this team has rescued kidnapped children, stopped international terrorists, and faced off with corrupt officials all over the globe, andFBI: Internationalhas been renewed for season 4, which will undoubtedly involve similar types of stories.
I’ve coveredFBI: Internationalon and off during my career, and I’ve found that most people either love it or hate it. Those who hate it find it confusing or boring, which I can understand since it took me a while to understand why the FBI was involved in international investigations. However, I’ve fallen in love with the spinoff over the past three years. I’m now convinced that it’s the best of the three shows, and the newestFBI: Internationalcasting updatemakes me even more excited for season 4.
FBI: International Is A Globe-Trotting Adventure
The Fly Team Goes All Over Europe
As the name implies,FBI: Internationaltakes place in various countries, primarily in Europe. The Fly Team is based in Budapest but travels to other countries as needed and sometimes goes out of Europe to other continents, making the stories truly global. This is a marked difference from the otherFBIseries, which both take place in New York City, though the Most Wanted team often travels throughout the United States in search of dangerous criminals.
Although the Fly Team is pursuing international criminals, it is focused on cases that affect American interests.
The global nature ofInternational’s stories allows the Fly Team to face different types of conflicts thanthe otherFBIshows. The team often has to find a way to get local police to cooperate and sometimes faces pressure from the international community to back off to preserve relationships with other countries that may be important for US security. These stories are usually well-researched, allowing for realistic international conflicts that American audiences might not otherwise have been familiar with.
FBI: Internationalnot only takes place on foreign soil, but the show is also filmed outside of the US. These on-location shoots give the series a different look and feel and add to its authenticity and charm. I love learning about various cultures and look forward to learning where the Fly Team is headed each weekbecause the stories give a glimpse into the people, places, and cultureof each new location.
FBI: International Flawlessly Bounces Back After Cast Exits
The Series Handles Departures Far Better Than The Other FBIs Do
FBI: Internationallost lead actor Luke Kleintankshortly before the season 3 finale, and he is far from the only actor to move on from the series. Season 3 was particularly brutal, with three actors leaving. However,I’m more impressed with howFBI: Internationalhas dealt with cast departures than I have been with other entries in the franchise, especiallyFBI: Most Wanted. While the other shows often gratuitously kill people off or, worse, have them vanish with no explanation whatsoever,FBI: Internationalusually offers reasonable explanations for character exits. It also does a better job of writing replacement characters.
The international setting makes it easier for this series to explain the absence of characters who are no longer with the show. They can decide to transfer to a team in the United States for personal or professional reasons. Scott Forrester’s (Kleintank) exit was less clear-cut, which I’m not sure was the best choice for the series. However, Forrester’s exit fit his character even if it felt rushed compared to othercharacter exits in theFBIuniverse.
I’ve been critical of howFBI: Most Wantedreplaces characters, as that series has a bad habit of writing new characters that are far less three-dimensional and compelling than the characters they replaced, butFBI: Internationaldoesn’t have this problem. During the final two episodes of the season, NSA agent Brian Lange was an interesting temporary leader after Forrester disappeared, and in the fall a new character will debut to replace Forrester. Similarly, I’ve been pleased with Smitty in place of season 1’s Katrin Jaeger, and I am looking forward to learning more about Amanda Tate, who replaced Jamie Kellett.
FBI: International’s Leadership Overhaul Could Be The Secret To Season 4’s Success
FBI: International season 3’s big exit could be the secret to the success of season 4 and beyond, but it will all come down to who returns.
Less Formulaic Stories Featuring a Smaller Cast Help Hold Interest
While I love the originalFBI,it can be predictable at times
This series doesn’t have to put up with the type of cast reductionFBIandFBI: Most Wantedare reportedly getting for their new seasons, considering the cast is already small.I don’t findFBI: International’s small cast limiting as it allows each episode to focus closely on the characterswho are investigating the crime of the week. I’ve long felt thatFBI: Most Wanted’s cast is too big and that the characters' personal stories were rushed because the writers had to squeeze so many people into each episode, butFBI: Internationaldoesn’t have this problem.
FBI: Internationalis less formulaic than the otherFBIseries. While I love the originalFBI, it can be predictable at times. The case usually involves domestic terrorism of some sort, a chase scene through the streets of New York, and a high-stakes confrontation near the end of the episode.FBI: Internationalhas a wider variety of cases, and though there are plenty of chases and gunfights, the different locations and antagonists keep me guessing about what is going to happen. The unpredictability is one more reason I think this series is the best of the threeFBIfranchise shows.
