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Jeremy Sisto has unpacked Jubal’s moral crisis in FBI season 8’s mid-season finale, revealing just how far he was willing to go. Following the terrorist attack that leaves his son, Tyler, in critical condition, Jubal uses the back half of the FBI season 8 Fall finale to try and torture information out of a member of the Third Testament.

In an interview with ScreenRant, Sisto explained how, had Maggie and OA not arrived in time, it’s possible Sisto would have gone even further, making it one of his darker moments in FBI. The actor said that, while he’s not sure if the team’s ASAC would have gone further, he also didn’t know anyone else would be showing up:

ScreenRant: In the dare-I-call-it “torture” scene, the Third Testament terrorist tells Jubal justice doesn’t work. Jubal doesn’t really have time to react before Maggie and OA come in, but what do you think would have happened if he hadn’t been interrupted?

Jeremy Sisto: I don’t think he would’ve gone further than he’s already gone, but I don’t know. It was definitely our goal to make it feel like that’s a possibility. That guy was not backing down, and neither was Jubal; they were at a really scary point in the game of chicken.

Already, Jubal had gone farther than an agent should go, and farther than he’s ever gone before. I like to think that it would’ve stopped there, but we’ll never know. He didn’t think they were coming in, and when you do a thing like that, it’s pretty hard to back down when the guy’s like, “Fine, cut me.” It’s possible he would have done worse, so I’ll just say I’m glad they came in the door when they did.

Following the gruesome actions he takes, Isobel tells Jubal the pair need to have a conversation. According to Sisto, the moment likely won’t lead to any direct punishment, considering the massive threat FBI‘s characters were facing. However, he’ll have to reckon with his own actions and “his own expectations of himself,” something nobody else can force him to confront:

ScreenRant: Do you think that this incident will affect him professionally moving forward, or even personally? There’s the moment where Isobel says, “We have to have a conversation,” but we don’t see that conversation in this episode.

Jeremy Sisto: I know he’s waiting for the phone to ring! But I think it was such a big threat, and a lot of people were already affected by it. If this threat had come to fruition, it would’ve been really catastrophic. When the stakes are that high, they’re going to be more likely to celebrate what the bureau has provided in terms of safety, so I think he’s going to get off the hook professionally.

But he’s going to deal with it personally in his own way. When you betray your own sense of ethics – and he’s strict about his own sense of ethical right and wrong, especially as an addict – you’re going to have to really do the work. He has to find his way back to who he is, who he wants to be, and focus on living up to his own expectations of himself.

His dedication to the legal process and using the proper channels for justice comes out when he saves McCaffery from dying. Sisto explained how his wife, Sam, was an important factor in his decision to save him, despite the amount of pain he caused. He says it allows Jubal to “redefine” who he is by choosing mercy over wrath:

ScreenRant: There is a moment of confirmation that he is still true to himself when he makes the decision to save McCaffrey at the end there. Was that a difficult decision for him to make, or did that come naturally to him?

Jeremy Sisto: Yeah, I think that’s more of who he is naturally. He does believe in the rule of law, and he doesn’t believe in vigilante justice. He’s dedicated his life to the law, and that’s how he operates.

But he was spurred on by his wife, who does not usually operate from a place of vengeance. She motivates him to channel his pain into finding these guys, and that’s what he does. He goes too far with it because he has almost been sent off on this path, and he becomes a little unconscious. His big thing is operating consciously, since he operated unconsciously [as an addict] for so long.

When he makes that decision at the end, I think that really is the final point of the arc where he comes back around before anything happens, and before he knows whether or not his son’s going to pull through. He really gets to redefine himself again.

Jubal’s character arc across the two-parter is one that pushes him to the edge, almost making him into someone he’s not. While he goes too far in his approach to gathering intel, he’s doing so because of what happened to Tyler, not knowing in the moment if his son will survive. Luckily, he pulls through by the end of the episodes.

His decision to save McCaffery is also a defining one for his character. Despite the revenge he wishes to take on him, he still ends up saving his life. Jubal doesn’t want to see him dead, as it goes against his belief that the law is the best way to get justice against those who have broken it.

Having made the bigger decision by the end of the finale, FBI confirms that Jubal is still the same as always, even though he can be pushed to a scary breaking point when his family gets hurt. Tyler’s recovery will keep him from going off the deep end, while his potential reconnection with Sam will factor into what comes next.