After Zeeko Zaki’s OA was notably missing from FBI Season 8 Episode 5, fans are worried that he’s leaving the show. Since OA has been one of the central characters since the beginning, his unexpected sidelining has had people wondering the reason behind it.
Here are the details on why the actor could have been missing.
Why was OA missing in FBI Season 8 Episode 5 and is he leaving?
Since FBI Season 8 premiered in October 2025, the series has delivered strong episodes every week. However, after the season’s fifth episode aired, fans are now curious whether OA, played by Zeeko Zaki, is leaving the show. Fortunately, that’s not the case.
In Episode 4, titled “Falsetto,” OA and Maggie were assigned to protect and escort Senator Charlotte Hirsch. However, during their flight, the Senator was poisoned through a cane, which ultimately killed her. Although OA and Maggie identified the culprit, the poison also affected former during their investigation. After Maggie got the antidote, OA recovered to an extent. Nonetheless, he was hospitalized later.
While his health condition is surely out of danger, he still needs time to recover. Hence, the writers sidelined him in Episode 5.
Another reason is that the character was omitted from the episode as part of cost-cutting. CBS made budget-related changes affecting the FBI franchise to cope with the increasing production costs. As a result, some of the series regulars will now appear only in 20 episodes, instead of the usual 22. This is for shows like FBI and FBI: Most Wanted, where some seasons feature 22 episodes. On the other hand, FBI: International is reportedly unaffected by the decision.
So, to know whether OA returns in the next episode or not, make sure to tune into FBI on CBS. The next episode, titled “Parental,’ will air on November 17.
