I love all of the FBI shows, but I think FBI: International is the best of the three. The youngest member of the FBI franchise focuses on the Fly Team, an elite group of agents who deal with international crime that affects Americans at home and abroad. For the past three seasons, this team has rescued kidnapped children, stopped international terrorists, and faced off with corrupt officials all over the globe, and FBI: International has been renewed for season 4, which will undoubtedly involve similar types of stories.
I’ve covered FBI: International on and off during my career, and I’ve found that most people either love it or hate it. Those who hate it find it confusing or boring, which I can understand since it took me a while to understand why the FBI was involved in international investigations. However, I’ve fallen in love with the spinoff over the past three years. I’m now convinced that it’s the best of the three shows, and the newest FBI: International casting update makes me even more excited for season 4.
FBI: International Is A Globe-Trotting Adventure
The Fly Team Goes All Over Europe
As the name implies, FBI: International takes place in various countries, primarily in Europe. The Fly Team is based in Budapest but travels to other countries as needed and sometimes goes out of Europe to other continents, making the stories truly global. This is a marked difference from the other FBI series, which both take place in New York City, though the Most Wanted team often travels throughout the United States in search of dangerous criminals.
Although the Fly Team is pursuing international criminals, it is focused on cases that affect American interests.
The global nature of International’s stories allows the Fly Team to face different types of conflicts than the other FBI shows. The team often has to find a way to get local police to cooperate and sometimes faces pressure from the international community to back off to preserve relationships with other countries that may be important for US security. These stories are usually well-researched, allowing for realistic international conflicts that American audiences might not otherwise have been familiar with.
FBI: International not only takes place on foreign soil, but the show is also filmed outside of the US. These on-location shoots give the series a different look and feel and add to its authenticity and charm. I love learning about various cultures and look forward to learning where the Fly Team is headed each week because the stories give a glimpse into the people, places, and culture of each new location.
FBI: International Flawlessly Bounces Back After Cast Exits
The Series Handles Departures Far Better Than The Other FBIs Do
FBI: International lost lead actor Luke Kleintank shortly before the season 3 finale, and he is far from the only actor to move on from the series. Season 3 was particularly brutal, with three actors leaving. However, I’m more impressed with how FBI: International has dealt with cast departures than I have been with other entries in the franchise, especially FBI: Most Wanted. While the other shows often gratuitously kill people off or, worse, have them vanish with no explanation whatsoever, FBI: International usually offers reasonable explanations for character exits. It also does a better job of writing replacement characters.
The international setting makes it easier for this series to explain the absence of characters who are no longer with the show. They can decide to transfer to a team in the United States for personal or professional reasons. Scott Forrester’s (Kleintank) exit was less clear-cut, which I’m not sure was the best choice for the series. However, Forrester’s exit fit his character even if it felt rushed compared to other character exits in the FBI universe.
I’ve been critical of how FBI: Most Wanted replaces characters, as that series has a bad habit of writing new characters that are far less three-dimensional and compelling than the characters they replaced, but FBI: International doesn’t have this problem. During the final two episodes of the season, NSA agent Brian Lange was an interesting temporary leader after Forrester disappeared, and in the fall a new character will debut to replace Forrester. Similarly, I’ve been pleased with Smitty in place of season 1’s Katrin Jaeger, and I am looking forward to learning more about Amanda Tate, who replaced Jamie Kellett.
What Else FBI: International Does Better Than FBI
Less Formulaic Stories Featuring a Smaller Cast Help Hold Interest
While I love the original FBI , it can be predictable at times
This series doesn’t have to put up with the type of cast reduction FBI and FBI: Most Wanted are reportedly getting for their new seasons, considering the cast is already small. I don’t find FBI: International’s small cast limiting as it allows each episode to focus closely on the characters who are investigating the crime of the week. I’ve long felt that FBI: Most Wanted’s cast is too big and that the characters’ personal stories were rushed because the writers had to squeeze so many people into each episode, but FBI: International doesn’t have this problem.
FBI: International is less formulaic than the other FBI series. While I love the original FBI, it can be predictable at times. The case usually involves domestic terrorism of some sort, a chase scene through the streets of New York, and a high-stakes confrontation near the end of the episode. FBI: International has a wider variety of cases, and though there are plenty of chases and gunfights, the different locations and antagonists keep me guessing about what is going to happen. The unpredictability is one more reason I think this series is the best of the three FBI franchise shows.
