With the cop drama FBI: International ending its four-season run on May 20, 2025, CBS and Wolf Entertainment must figure out a way to keep new Fly Team member Tyler Booth (Jay Hayden) around in some capacity. Introduced in Season 4, Episode 7, “Keen as a Bean,” Hayden immediately became a fan-favorite as the affably charming FBI agent and acquaintance of new Fly Team Leader Wes Mitchell (Jesse Lee Soffer), and who showcased gallant leadership and dutiful actions that reached a pinnacle in the most recent episode, “Lone Wolf.”
“Lone Wolf” sets the stage for Hayden to shine bright as Booth, returning to the Fly Team after premature reports of his exit and return to the U.S. The episode revolves around Booth so much, with Hayden giving such a superb performance under intense fire, that it would be unwise for CBS not to expand Booth’s character and increase his presence in a spinoff or crossover TV event. If CBS is smart enough to listen to FBI: International’s fan base, then the network should promote Hayden from guest star to series regular and let him lead the Fly Team.
Tyler Booth’s Role in Lone Wolf, Explained
After returning briefly one episode prior in “Dead Dead,” Jay Hayden gave a tour-de-force turn as Tyler Booth in “Lone Wolf.” The classic throwback episode finds the U.S. Embassy marauded by heavily-armed assailants in the country of Georgia, with Booth stuck inside the building as a hail of bullets whizzes by his face. Booth returned to the Fly Team to help his old friend Wes out of a jam, but Wes ignores Booth’s sage advice in a manner that proves Booth is best-suited to lead the unit.
Despite Wes ignoring Booth’s advice, Booth defends his colleague during an enthralling action scene in which an American recreation center is exploded by terrorists. Brave beyond belief, Booth shows even more proactive leadership when he is under siege inside the Embassy. Booth blasts his way through a throng of armed assailants and safely gathers the innocent bystanders into a nearby antechamber. While the title “Lone Wolf” first appears to reference the lone gunner who enters the embassy, it more accurately describes Booth’s brazen blitz through the baddie’s frontline.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, Hayden balances the physical demands of the grueling shootouts with heartfelt emotional candor. Tasked with an impossible moral dilemma under fire, Booth struggles to usher a woman named Natia into the safe chamber. Making the calculation to save one life or many, doing so in a nanosecond, Booth shockingly opts to close the door with Natia on the outside, exposing her to the terrorists. It’s a decision that threatens to turn viewers on Booth in an instant, undermining all the goodwill he has earned in Season 4.
Once Smitty saves Natia from sudden death, Booth approaches Natia and explains his decision to leave her behind to protect the others. Booth emotes with raw authenticity, saying:
“I wanted you to know that I waited as long as I could to close that door. I had the others’ well-being I had to consider as well. I had to make a call, so I made it. I hope you understand. I apologize. I’m really sorry for any added trauma that may have caused you.”
Booth looks directly into Natia’s eyes while apologizing, giving a genuinely moving performance. As Wes looks on in admiration, it becomes clear that Booth has the leadership qualities necessary to take the Fly Team to new heights. Honestly, any series regular or guest star could have been written into this one-episode character arc, but few actors have the versatile chops to give a physically imposing and emotionally attuned performance like Hayden.
Why Tyler Booth Needs To Stick Around in the ‘FBI’ Universe
By placing such a dramatic focus on Agent Tyler Booth in “Lone Wolf,” it appears as though CBS and Wolf Entertainment had plans on either graduating the character to series regular or as the lead in a new FBI spinoff. And that’s the correct decision. Given the Season 4 throughline about Agents Raines (Carter Redwood) and Vo (Vinessa Vidotto) vying for a Fly Team promotion, either result regarding Booth’s fate would be a wise decision. After all, with FBI: International Season 4 canceled, fans won’t be able to witness whether Raines or Vo gets promoted.
This opens the door for Booth to fill in for, if not replace, Wes outright, get promoted to equal rank as co-leaders should the FBI franchise continue in some fashion. The way Booth protected Wes in the line of fire, handled the embassy attack, and took honest accountability for his treatment of Natia, he deserves to expand his Fly Team role. “Lone Wolf” presented a 42-minute audition for Jay Hayden to flash his diverse range, and he more than acquitted himself as a beloved fan-favorite character who earned viewers’ desire to see him lead more FBI missions.
With four episodes remaining in FBI: International, CBS and Wolf Entertainment must figure out a way to keep Tyler Booth in the spotlight.
