Too soon gone: The world mourns actress Missy Peregrym md20

The series brought viewers right back into the action they’d missed throughout the hiatus, and wasting no time getting into the chaos, FBI season 8 is already proving to be surprisingly complicated. After a hiatus that made it seem like Special Agent Isobel Castille’s (Alana de la Garza) life was one line, it was Stuart Scola’s (John Boyd) new partner Agent Dani Taylor (Emily Alabi) who lost her life, instead.

Although Dani’s death was something most FBI fans may feel is mild in terms of which characters could’ve lost their lives, it was clear from the overall reaction that the impact losing another partner will have on Scola will be a lasting part of FBI season 8’s story. Scola has gone through several partners since Tiffany Wallace (Katherine Renee Kane) left the series.

While Scola can often work with other agents on the team, FBI’s long-standing inability to keep him in a working partnership has been a consistent issue for fans. For someone who’s meant to be in a tandem team, Scola switching partners so frequently can be irritating for viewers, and seeing another person leave the show proves his lack of partnership is part of a bigger problem.

Dani’s Death Leaves Scola Will No Partner (Again)

His New Partner Will Join The Cast This Season

Although FBI season 8 was already set up to write out Dani and her departure had been reported late last season, FBI choosing to kill off Scola’s partner was a surprise to fans. As a reliable agent working alongside Scola and her fellow agents, Dani’s death is a tough blow both onsceen and off, impacting the season’s trajectory right off the bat.

While her time was short, Emily Alabi brought a grounded confidence to the role that was measured and level-headed in its intensity. Dani’s energy seemed like a balance with Scola’s more intense brand of work, and while it wasn’t a partnership that necessarily needed to last forever, her departure leaves another issue at hand. Scola, once again, is without a partner.

Though FBI has been through this before, Scola continuously finding himself partnerless has been an issue that’s run through the past few seasons of the series. After losing Tiffany, Scola found himself matched up with other FBI cast members, but nothing has stuck in a tangible way as the show has forged ahead. This has brought one of FBI’s biggest issues to light consistently.

Why Scola Has Struggled To Find A Partner After Tiffany

The Balance Has Consistently Been Off

Although Scola himself isn’t an issue in finding and sticking with a partner after Wallace’s departure, it’s been tough to find someone who works well within his scope of work. Scola, who was a stockbroker before joining the FBI, joined the series during season 2 and brought an interesting perspective into the team. Often an ousider, Scola’s contributions to the team have been immense.

While Scola and Wallace partnered together quickly after she joined the show during FBI season 3, it was clear that their characters were written to anchor the show. With Special Agents Maggie Bell (Missy Peregrym) and OA Zidan (Zeeko Zaki) in the field while Assistant Special Agent Jubal Valentine (Jeremy Sisto) and Castille work from headquarters, another pair was needed to play the middle.

Scola and Wallace were a well balanced team, but since her departure, FBI hasn’t been clear on what they want to replace Scola’s long-term partner. Cycling through several different cast members to try and fill the void, Dani seemed like the show’s best shot at giving Scola consistency, but the series has shifted once again. Ultimately, FBI needs to stop resetting his emotional arc.

What FBI Needs To Finally Give Scola A Permanent Partner

Someone Who Can Work With Scola’s Strong Personality

At this point, FBI’s path forward doesn’t seem difficult to discern, but may be tough to achieve. Scola needs a new partner, and while it should be someone he shares chemistry with, the series needs to decide whether they’re able to support a long-term partnership for the character, or if they’d prefer to have Scola working in a more isolated capacity on screen.

Partnerships on FBI can be tricky, especially since others have been able to balance so well. Scola’s partner needs to work in the same way OA and Maggie’s partnership works. Both share openly with one another, challenge each other, and trust each other implicitly. Scola’s next partner needs to be someone he can invest in, and FBI needs to give the pair space to work well together.

The most important piece of a new character on FBI coming into partner with Scola is that they shouldn’t simply be there to work as a piece of his story. Rather than coming in for Scola, they should be written with their own backstory and motivations, something FBI has occasionally struggled with when introducing short-term replacements on the series in the past.

If FBI wants to move beyond shock-value storytelling, especially with Scola and his new partner, it needs to take a cue from its earliest seasons and invest in character, not chaos.