FBI: International season 4 set up several plot threads that could have easily been resolved in the finale, but were not. This disappointing ending to the procedural was not repeated in FBI: Most Wanted, which featured a more satisfying conclusion. Comparing the two finales makes it clearer that FBI: International made choices that did not lead to the type of ending the series deserved after four years on the air.
FBI: Most Wanted Satisfyingly Wraps Up The Fugitive Task Force’s Story
Every Character Got An Ending
Furthermore, after the case was over, the team gathered one last time to celebrate Remy’s birthday and share news about their lives with one another. Remy’s announcement that he was retiring was satisfying, though not entirely unexpected. It allowed him to honor every member of his team by sharing what they meant to him. This final scene, along with the group taking one last photo before their lives changed, allowed the procedural to end on a strong and satisfying note.
FBI: International Left The Fly Team’s Narrative Unfinished & Weak
It Focused Too Much on Wes And Featured No Real Ending
FBI: International‘s series finale ended in a far more disappointing manner. The episode felt more like a season finale than a series finale because important questions were left unanswered. Additionally, the finale focused mostly on Wes Mitchell’s solo adventure in Tokyo, while the rest of the Fly Team felt like an afterthought. They were in Budapest and only featured in brief scenes where Wes needed their help. This set-up made it difficult to find out how each character’s story wrapped up.
Vo (Vinessa Vidotto) and Raines (Carter Redwood) had been competing for a GS-14 position, but the series ended with them about to find out who got it rather than ending this storyline. Additionally, Wes’ visit to Delilah was ambiguous. The episode ended with him introducing himself to her, yet didn’t establish whether he planned to stay permanently or was returning to the Fly Team.
This ambiguous ending would have been acceptable if FBI: International season 5 had been greenlit. The cliffhangers could have been resolved in the new season so that the series could move forward. However, there is no new season coming; thus, the ending leaves the Fly Team in limbo and offers no satisfying wrap-up. Instead, it leaves the end of significant storylines to the audience’s imagination. Furthermore, some characters barely appeared and didn’t get an ending at all, adding to the disappointment.
Most Wanted Focused On Its Characters, While International Spent So Much Time On The Case
It Also Focused Too Much On Wes And A New Character
While there were relationship stories in FBI: International, they often seemed rushed, especially in the final season.
This dual focus likely made it seem more natural to the writers to create a satisfying ending for FBI: Most Wanted. It didn’t make sense that the characters immediately embraced Wes as their new leader when they had all been close to Scott. Additionally, Wes began a relationship with Tate near the end of the season that was abruptly dropped and wasn’t referenced in the finale.
The focus on Wes and Reiko contributed to the sense that this was meant to be a season rather than series finale.
FBI: International spent so much time on Reiko’s issues with the Japanese police force that it seemed like she was destined to join the Fly Team instead. However, this was not mentioned, making it even more confusing that the series spent so much of its final episode on this character.
FBI: International had two months to prepare for its series finale after the cancelation news, yet failed to wrap things up. The mistakes made in the finale are even more glaring because FBI: Most Wanted was able to do a much better job with the same amount of time to prepare. Thus, it seems that FBI: International’s decision not to wrap up the story properly was intentional, which is bewildering considering that the writers knew the series was not returning.
