FBI Season 7, Episode 17, “Lineage” does remind viewers how lucky the CBS show is to have Alana de la Garza. The episode is meant to be a spotlight hour for de la Garza’s character Isobel Castille, and in that sense it’s successful. But in a broader sense, the script has more than its fair share of struggles. culminating in a plot twist that every viewer will see coming.
“Lineage” starts with the murder of a high-profile rapper on his tour bus. Yet the episode quickly pivots to being about drugs and those who traffic in them, settling down into something much more predictable. While it’s not close to the most underwhelming episode of the season, it is a collection of missed opportunities.
FBI Season 7, Episode 7 Tells a Prototypical Drug War Story
There’s Nothing Here Viewers Haven’t Seen Before
FBI Season 7, Episode 17 has two different plot fake-outs in relatively quick fashion. First, the murders might be because the rapper has a very public feud with another rap artist, who has accused him of being a pedophile. Secondly, they might be because his tour bus is packed full of pink cocaine. Somehow, this script manages to directly or indirectly reference the Kendrick Lamar feud, the Sean Combs case and the death of One Direction’s Liam Payne in maybe 20 minutes — which isn’t unexpected for Wolf Entertainment’s “ripped from the headlines” approach, but which might give some viewers whiplash. And all of this turns out to be just a bunch of red herrings.
Despite former House star Peter Jacobson chewing every ounce of the scenery as shady manager Jeff Mills, the real plot is that the cocaine belongs to the Solano organization. The folks who opened fire on the tour bus are from a rival group, the Grippo crime family, who are coming back to reclaim what’s rightfully theirs. The identities of the actual shooters are totally irrelevant; they’re hardly acknowledged, quickly shot themselves when the FBI raids the club they’re operating in. From this point on, the beats of this story are incredibly familiar. The head of the family is Jack Grippo, whom Isobel has been chasing for over a decade and a half. Grippo is responsible for the death of someone close to her. And when the episode introduces Grippo’s daughter Billie Abbott, she protests so much that viewers already know she’s the one pulling the strings.
But before FBI gets to that unsurprising reveal, there are several instances of smart characters doing not so smart things in order to keep the suspense going, which make the episode even more underwhelming. Jubal Valentine, an experienced FBI agent, is somehow unaware of the common practice of people leaving messages for one another in draft emails. OA Zidan spooks the suspects by getting into a fight at the airport hangar the team is surveilling. Stuart Scola is the only agent sent in to do reconnaissance in the bad guys’ bar, so he gets almost immediately taken hostage. “Lineage” is full of moments where the audience has to suspend their disbelief.
FBI Lets Viewers Finally Meet Isobel Castille’s New Husband
Tom Cavanaugh Is a Welcome Addition to the Show
For all its storytelling flaws, “Lineage” does allow Alana de la Garza much more room to shine. The Law & Order veteran is the most underrated actor in the FBI ensemble, since her character usually has limited screen time. But even if Isobel is given a very typical backstory, the episode is a chance to see her more vulnerable and outside of just giving orders to other people. Most importantly, viewers meet her husband — played by Tom Cavanaugh from The Flash. Cavanaugh’s performance as Phillip justifies a completely random plot point. Having Isobel marry someone totally off-screen felt like a detail thrown in haphazardly, but the actor brings his typical effortless charm to the role. Isobel and Phillip don’t yet have fully developed chemistry that makes them feel like a married couple, yet since this is Cavanaugh’s first appearance, that’s forgiveable.
What is particularly impressive is that the scenes between the two are handled maturely. Isobel contemplates retirement, having reached her 20-year anniversary with the Bureau. The idea of catching her proverbial “white whale” in Jack Grippo and then riding off into the sunset has some appeal. But Phillip is written as an incredibly supportive spouse. He gives her his opinion as someone who has already retired, but then he also respects her autonomy. One of his last lines says volumes about his character and their relationship.
Phillip (to Isobel): You decide when your part in the work is finished.
It’s fantastic to see a relationship where the work-life balance discussion isn’t depicted as just an argument, with the spouse feeling neglected. Those arguments have been done to death. Cavanaugh is a familiar face whom audiences can easily attach to, and hopefully his presence is a sign that de la Garza will also have more to do in the remainder of FBI Season 7. If nothing else, this episode will give fans a renewed appreciation for what she brings to the show every week.
One Major FBI Member Is Missing in Action – Again
Missy Peregrym Is Completely Absent From Season 7, Episode 17
Another red flag with FBI Season 7, Episode 17 is the total absence of series star Missy Peregrym, as her character Maggie Bell does not appear. This isn’t even the first time Peregrym has missed an episode this season, but it’s always obvious when she hasn’t been around, because she’s the co-lead of the show. In-universe, one can chalk this up to Maggie needing a break after being nearly burned alive in the prior episode, yet from a viewership standpoint it’s still disappointing. In her stead, viewers are treated to more scenes for new addition Dani Rhodes, who continues to integrate herself into the team. Emily Alabi is off to a good start — but more Maggie (and more Maggie who’s not being hurt or threatened or otherwise traumatized) is a must in the remainder of Season 7.
FBI Season 7, Episode 17 accomplishes its underlying goal of showing viewers more of Isobel Castille and letting Alana de la Garza spread her wings. It’s just not a very well-written episode in terms of the actual procedural content, as viewers will be scratching their heads at some points and smarter than the characters at others. But that doesn’t keep it from being worth the watch, since de la Garza delivers great work, Cavanaugh adds some charm to the mix and the rest of the cast is as reliable as ever.
