FBI: International Season 4, Episode 10, “Keep Calm and Deliver the Biotoxin,” may not be the most memorable episode, but it’s one that does a lot for the CBS show. The episode addresses two of the big questions surrounding the Fly Team, and even though it follows obvious paths in its case of the week, the answers to those questions make it worthwhile. When the episode is over, audiences get a better sense of what the team looks like under Jesse Lee Soffer’s Wes Mitchell.
“Keep Calm and Deliver the Biotoxin” involves the squad protecting a young Russian woman named Yulia Sviridov, whose father Vasily sent her away with his critical biochemical research. Desperate to keep it from falling into Russian hands, Yulia is forced to trust the Fly Team. But trust is also an issue for Tyler Booth, whose story arc in FBI: International comes to a surprisingly bittersweet end.
FBI: International Shifts Its Focus to Andre Raines
Carter Redwood Receives an Overdue Turn in the Spotlight
One of the issues facing FBI: International Season 4 has been that Wes and Cameron Vo have gotten most of the spotlight, leaving the other members of the Fly Team with little to do in certain episodes. In particular, Andre Raines has had a difficult season; the biggest plot twist he’s had is getting kidnapped in Episode 9, “The Kill Floor.” Right after that outing, the writers let Raines take center stage — not just in terms of being the lead agent on the case of the week, but in terms of the emotional storyline, too. Audiences see him earn Yulia’s trust and equally importantly, her respect. There’s no doubt that Raines is the hero of this story.
Given much more material to work with, actor Carter Redwood acquits himself well. Even in the scenes that are predictable, such as Raines and Yulia’s hiding spot being swarmed by Russian henchmen, he keeps the episode moving forward. Viewers feel Raines’ concern for Yulia, but Redwood never overdoes it. He also gets a good balance between those emotional beats and action sequences. “Keep Calm and Deliver the Biotoxin” is a welcome improvement over earlier episodes, in which Raines and Megan “Smitty” Garretson felt like they were just present to fill in the blanks.
Cameron returning from her injury and Wes staying in Budapest to help her recover opens the door to further exploration of other characters like Raines, Smitty and Booth. This episode gives a full picture of the Fly Team, which makes its underlying message about how special the team is hit home. It would have been even more effective if FBI: International had been willing to let Cameron sit completely on the sidelines instead of having her sweep in to assist the team. Yet as is pointed out, she’s not the type to stay at home, so the writers do their best walking that line between what the episode needs and what’s true to character. Raines gets the spotlight episode he deserves, and that’s what matters most, even if it’s not perfect.
FBI: International Season 4, Episode 10 Lets Go of Tyler Booth
Jay Hayden’s Character Gets the Best Possible Exit
“Keep Calm and Deliver the Biotoxin” includes a subplot surrounding Smitty and Booth, and referencing a key moment from “The Kill Floor.” In that prior episode, Booth and Wes entered an apartment in Paris without a warrant, causing plenty of legal trouble. Booth is startled when he learns that someone from the FBI’s office in Philadelphia wants to talk to Smitty about what happened in Paris, which would potentially torpedo his long-awaited promotion. He spends most of the episode trying to convince her to “do nothing” while Smitty argues that she doesn’t want to lie on anyone’s behalf.
Megan “Smitty” Garretson: Apparently someone has questions about Paris.
Tyler Booth: What are you going to tell them?
The way FBI: International handles this storyline is incredibly awkward, just because it’s so obvious how the story is structured to leave Smitty and Booth alone together to continue their argument. The episode also gives Booth a bit of a cop-out by saying that he wants the promotion so that he can be closer to his daughter Charlotte. That detail feels like a way to engender sympathy from both Smitty and the audience. The creatives have been willing to make Booth abrasive in other installments like Episode 8, “You’ll Never See It Coming,” so it’s strange that he now becomes more likable. But actors Jay Hayden and Eva-Jane Willis deserve flowers for making the interplay between their characters fun to watch, even if the writing leaves something to be desired.
And “Keep Calm and Deliver the Biotoxin” finally answers the question of what FBI: International is going to do with Booth. Viewers knew he couldn’t stay as a permanent member of the Fly Team, since Hayden was only billed as a recurring cast member, and because the writing had well established Booth as someone who stirred up trouble. It would have been easy to have Booth “break bad” and do something that crossed the line, forcing Wes to turn on his old friend. But that’s a storyline audiences have seen plenty of times before. By having him leave on good terms, the audience sees another side of the character — one that would’ve been great to see before — and the door is left open for his future return. Hayden has certainly earned the opportunity to come back whenever he wants to.
Is Smitty Leaving FBI: International in Season 4?
Eva-Jane Willis Gives Viewers a Scare in Episode 10
The most shocking moment in FBI: International Season 4, Episode 10 is when Smitty randomly declares she’s quitting the Fly Team. It is a massive leap to say the best way to solve the Booth situation is for Smitty to resign, so that she doesn’t have to answer any questions about Paris and therefore can’t say anything bad about Booth. That’s going from zero to 60 — and Booth bringing up his family feels like a very flimsy justification for this choice, even given Smitty’s own family issues in Season 3. When she explains her rationale to Booth, it doesn’t even sound halfway convincing, either.
Megan “Smitty” Garretson: I shouldn’t make a fuss. I should just move on… I think a big change might be exactly what I need.
Naturally, this prompts the question of if Eva-Jane Willis is looking to leave the show at some point. Where did Smitty’s want for change come from, and will it come up again? There are no indications that Willis is exiting FBI: International, which is a relief because she’s one of the best performers on the show. But if Smitty has some dissatisfaction with her life, that needs to be explored in the rest of Season 4. If the writers have her give this whole spiel and then just ignore it, it feels like they’re just moving Smitty’s character to service Booth’s story. FBI: International Season 4, Episode 10 has some considerable holes in its writing, but the efforts of the main cast and the opportunity to have a Raines-centric story makes it worth the watch.
FBI: International airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. on CBS.
