Farewell to the Analyst: James Chen of the FBI series passes away md20

Although FBI season 8 always seemed unlikely to kill off Ana de la Garza’s Isobel permanently, CBS may have already spoiled her survival with a recent update. While FBI season 8 was always going to be one of the most anticipated TV comebacks of the 2025 season, the show’s cliffhanger ending made this return even more exciting for viewers.

In FBI’s season 7 finale, the fate of Ana de la Garza’s series veteran Isobel was left ambiguous. Season 7, episode 22, “A New Day,” saw guest star Kevin Sussman’s mole Kevin inform the team that the terrorist group Forefront had infiltrated their organization, only to be assassinated before he could name names.

FBI Season 8 Premiere’s Synopsis Hints At Isobel’s Departure

Ana de la Garza’s Character May Leave The Procedural After All

Custom image by Milica Djordjevic

Viewers soon learned the villains Forefront worked with rogue agents to place explosives in the cellphones of FBI agents, and this plan paid off when Isobel was seemingly killed in an explosion alongside Reynolds. However, Isobel’s death was soon revealed to be a fake-out as she survived the blast, discovered Keene was the mole, and tricked him into revealing Forefront’s plan.

The FBI team defeated Forefront and the traitorous agents, but Isobel began slurring her words and stumbling when the crew returned to the office. She then fainted as a horrified, helpless Jubal failed to find her pulse. “A New Day” ended with Isobel seemingly dead, although it seemed unlikely that she was really gone.

Indeed, the synopsis of season 8, episode 1 appears to imply that Isobel survived the attack, but she will leave the team after all. The news that Jubal will be weighed down by his new leadership role means that he likely needed to assume Isobel’s vacated position, meaning she must have left the force after her brush with death in the season 7 finale.

It is entirely possible that season 8 will actually go through with killing off Isobel, but this is unlikely for numerous reasons. For one thing, it ruins any future possibility of Ana de la Garza’s potential future return. For another, FBI season 7 already set up Isobel’s exit, so the show has a perfect out, amply foreshadowed.

Why Isobel’s Absence Doesn’t Mean That She Died In FBI Season 8

Isobel’s Exit Was Secretly Foreshadowed Earlier In Season 7

Isobel briefly mentioned the thought of retiring in season 7 and, although she backed out of it, the idea is still there. In season 7, episode 17, “Lineage,” Isobel celebrated 20 years with the FBI, and the episode opened with a conversation between her and her previously unseen husband.

She seriously discussed thoughts of retirement, although she eventually got distracted by a brutal case. Thus, FBI season 8’s Isobel exit makes sense even if she isn’t dead.