Why Ebonée Noel’s Kristen Chazal Left FBI
Kristen Chazal at a desk in FBIImage via CBS
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Kristen Chazal Was Written Out Without Explanation
It Seemed Ebonée Noel Wanted to Step Away
FBI Has Seen Many Exits & Many Returns
FBI has become a much-loved franchise for CBS, and has continued to expand with both FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International. While the latter two have now been canceled, ensuring the focus is firmly being placed back on the original concept, there is still a lot to explore within this show as it concludes its seventh season. The show has been running since 2018, and has seen all manner of guest stars and talented mainstays come and go, as the ensemble evolves to meet the demands of the showrunners. Network television is a difficult sector of the industry to survive in, and many of those performers are proud to have been able to continue on in their roles, even as the future of the show becomes more turbulent.
It is difficult to let go of some of those characters who have become so entrenched within this landscape, and it is often the case that once they have been removed from the series, it feels as if something is missing. Nonetheless, new colleagues are usually introduced to try and fill those gaps, ensuring that the show continues its momentum. What’s most fascinating is why a persona might leave the show, though. Sometimes it’s because of an organic narrative that’s taking shape, with the only end to the arc resulting in the departure or demise of a key character. But there is also the potential for a cast member to decide to step away on their own terms, and that seems to be what happened with Ebonée Noel, who portrayed Kristen Chazal in the series.
Kristen Chazal Was Written Out Without Explanation
Kristen Chazal first appeared in the pilot episode of FBI back in September of 2018. Becoming a core member of the cast, the character would go on to appear in 41 episodes of the show, across Season 1 and Season 2. She also cameoed in an episode of FBI: Most Wanted, with Chazal demonstrating that she was a critical part of the wider franchise, and could go on to lead one of those spinoffs in her own right. Depicted as a Special Agent, Chazal is a gifted analyst with razor-sharp wit, high intelligence, and a penchant for problem-solving. She was the solver among the group, helping to tear apart cases that seemed as if they would never be cracked.
However, despite being such a pivotal part of the show, Chazal was also written out without explanation. In fact, the character disappeared for good after Season 2, Episode 19, “Emotional Rescue,” on March 31st, 2020. The episode in question wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, with the FBI team investigating a rotten drug deal that resulted in the death of a student. However, there was far more at play here, with Chazal clearly still struggling with some of the traumas that she had experienced in prior outings. In fact, the character was seemingly about to make a major decision.
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Earlier in the season, Chazal had been stabbed in the neck, specifically in “Ties That Bind.” The character had attempted to protect Maggie Bell from a serial killer, but in the process, was almost murdered herself. The story was left on a cliffhanger, and viewers were relieved to see that she had survived the incident after the mid-season finale, but was still healing from the damage done to her carotid artery. For those who followed the show, it is well-documented that Chazal returned back in action, and made a full recovery. But that isn’t to say that the mental scars of the accident were gone forever.
In truth, Chazal was fearful thereafter and wasn’t always ready to jump straight back into the fray. Naturally, she even questioned whether she was ready to return at all, but with the support of her colleagues, she took that brave step. However, when Season 3 debuted, the character was completely absent, with fans scratching their heads. She was present at the end of Season 2, but nowhere to be seen in the debuting series. However, a throwaway line announced that Chazal had stepped away from the FBI altogether and moved to Dallas to get away from all the action. A newcomer was brought into the team and FBI continued on without the analyst. And while other stars have come and gone and then come back again, that wasn’t the case here.
It Seemed Ebonée Noel Wanted to Step Away
The ending might have seemed abrupt, especially since there was so much more that could have been done with the character, but it seemed as if there was more at play here. It’s rare that characters are written out of a show without a final goodbye, especially if they hav
