OA and Maggie failed to protect a Senator after her husband was attacked.
This story had some interesting beats, elevating it above the standard FBI fare (even if there were way too many gunfights).
Still, FBI Season 8 Episode 4 gave us a story about attacks on elected officials the night before Election Day — am I the only one uncomfortable with the timing?
The Initial Crime Was Likely Ripped From the Headlines
There has been so much political violence in the United States recently that several incidents came to mind, but the initial attack most closely resembled the murders of Melissa Hortman and her husband, along with the attack on fellow Senator John Hoffman and his wife.
I have very mixed feelings about that.
On the one hand, Hortman and Hoffman’s attacks have all but been forgotten amidst the chaos that has followed, and they shouldn’t be; it’s great that a mainstream show like FBI is referencing them.
On the other hand, the episode wasn’t really about that — it was a jumping-off point for a different story, so it doesn’t really help draw attention to the real-life crime.
And again, FBI Season 8 Episode 4 was broadcast less than 24 hours before polls will close on Election Day, when there are several high-profile, contentious races — so do we really need to give anyone ideas?
Obviously, FBI isn’t real life, and the series didn’t glamorize this type of crime. Still, political division is spilling over into violence too often as it is, so a story about that type of crime coming so close to a real-life election makes me uncomfortable.
Is Anyone Going to Address That Maggie and OA Failed at Their Mission?
The Senator insisted on returning to DC to take a vote.
If ever there was a time for the Senate to approve voting by proxy, it’s when your family was just attacked and there are death threats against you. However, I can imagine certain Senators refusing to approve this “special privilege” (in their view, of course).
Isobel insisted that the FBI take over protecting her, whether she liked it or not… and halfway through the plane ride, she turned up dead, which means their mission failed.
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It wasn’t entirely their fault — the bad guy had poison hidden in a cane, and the FBI didn’t know that the Senator had taken ill, never mind died, until the Capitol Police guy reported she wasn’t answering his knocks at the bathroom door.
Still, I’d think someone would have something to say, even if it were only the Capitol Police officer complaining that the FBI taking over did nothing to help protect the Senator.
The new attack made for a neat little whodunit. Though the solution was fairly obvious, the mystery didn’t last long.
The way Jubal and the team back in New York eliminated suspects reminded me of the children’s game Guess Who, where players have to eliminate cards that have certain characteristics (e.g., all the people with glasses).
I wasn’t surprised that the killer wasn’t any of the suspects on the board. They took about five seconds to eliminate everyone but one, and the remaining suspect had a chemistry background when the weapon was a deadly toxin.
Way too easy, and way too early.
Meanwhile, back on the plane, the team kept having random encounters with an older man who used a cane, so it was likely that he was the killer.
If he weren’t, there would have been no reason to keep focusing on him (unless they wanted to use him as a red herring).
They did almost fake us out with the fight that broke out right before OA went down, though.
He had to grab that guy who was making trouble earlier and speak like the angry parent of a preteen to get the dude to stop fighting, so it was logical to think this guy was the killer… until the truth was revealed two seconds later.
By the way, did anyone else find it weird that after Maggie gave OA the antidote, he just disappeared?
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I assumed he was still alive since there have been no reports about Zeeko Zaki leaving FBI or scenes where Maggie accused “Oslo” of killing her partner, but it was strange that his fate wasn’t explained until Maggie visited him at the end of the episode.
The scene where Maggie gave OA the antidote was suspenseful. We didn’t know for sure that the suspect had given her something that would make OA better and not worse, and OA had already passed out.
But after Maggie administered the antidote, OA vanished, leaving his fate to our imaginations, which was not the best way to handle this storyline.
I’m Also Not Sure How I Feel About the Cliffhanger
Dick Wolf shows do this a lot.
The case isn’t resolved at the end, and the bad guy pops up again halfway through the season.
It could be an exciting midseason finale if Stoll/Oslo returns to wreak more havoc.
Still, that gunfight leading to his escape was unoriginal. I think the same thing happened with that guy who Halstead Wes Mitchell was supposed to transport on FBI: International Season 4.
By the way, smooth move codenaming the international criminal Oslo! He’s only named after the capital of Norway. Sheesh.
Random Thoughts
- FBI is relying too much on gunfights. They’re almost as overused as chase scenes, and I find them boring. Plus, it seemed like some cops ran right into the line of fire during that last one.
- I was surprised the Capitol Police officer was so cooperative. It was a nice change from the usual fight over territory between cops from different departments.
- Was anyone else surprised that a Senator who was dealing with death threats flew on a packed commercial flight?
- Ramos and Scola continue to gel well, though they didn’t do anything particularly special this episode.
Over to you, fellow FBI Fanatics.
I’ve talked enough. Now it’s your turn.
What did you think of FBI Season 8 Episode 4?
Hit the comments with your thoughts, and don’t forget to vote in our poll to rank the episode.
