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Fans are preparing their goodbyes for Scott Forrester, but the question of how the beloved Fly Team leader will be written out still remains. Why is Scott Forrester leaving FBI: International? Here’s everything we know about Luke Kleintank’s character’s departure.
FBI: International is the third spin-off of Dick Wolf’s FBI. It follows the elite operatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s International Fly Team. Headquartered in Budapest, the team investigates crime and terrorism abroad, neutralizing threats against American citizens. Luke Kleintank has starred as Scott Forrester, the head of the Fly Team unit, since Season 1. Rounding out the cast is Carter Redwood as Special Agent Andre Raines, Vinessa Vidotto as interrogation expert Cameron Vo and Season 3 newcomer Christina Wolfe as Special Agent Amanda Tate.
In April 2024, Kleintank announced his departure from the show after three seasons of leading the Fly Team. His sudden exit, which will come in the May 7 episode, begs the question of how Forrester will be written out and how the show will go on without him. We have the answer below.
Why is Scott Forrester leaving FBI: International?
Why is Scott Forrester leaving FBI: International? Although we don’t know for sure, fans speculate that he could die. Kleintank’s final episode as Forrester was Season 3, Episode 11, “Touts.” In the next episode, Season 3, Episode 12, “Gift,” Forrester is missing as the Fly Team investigates where he went. The team discovers that Forrester’s mom, a double agent in hiding, sent him a message about how to find her. The episode ended on a cliffhanger as Amanda Tate, the Fly Team’s Supervisory Intelligence Analyst, gets information from the NSA to where Forrester’s mom is.
She then asks Brian Lange, the NSA’s liaison to the FBI, for his help to track Forrester down. Lange doesn’t give her an answer, as the episode ends on a “to be continued.” Considering that Kleintank has already filmed his final episode of FBI: International, fans speculate that he could be killed off screen in the Season 3 finale, though there are clues that Forrester won’t die.
For one, there is no mention in the finale’s logline that Fly Team will mourn the loss of their leader, so it’s possible that Forrester won’t be killed in the line of duty like other FBI franchise leads (we’re looking at Julian McMahon’s Jess Lacroix on FBI: Most Wanted). Prior to Episode 11, fans assumeed that Forrester would leave FBI: International to transfer to another department, just as Jamie Kellett (Heida Reed) did early on in Season 11. Fans also hoped that Forrester would leave to be with her again. It’s also possible that Forrester will be fired. He has a history of putting his team first, no matter the cost, so we could see him taking the fall for the Fly Team for something major.
Why is Luke Kleintank leaving FBI: International?
Why is Luke Kleintank leaving FBI: International? Kleintank is exiting the show to spend more time with his family, which includes wife Christina Vignaud and 1-year-old daughter Ruby Roland. He announced his decision on April 26, releasing a statement that read: “After much thought and consideration, I’ve made the difficult decision to leave FBI: International. This decision is driven by my unwavering commitment to my family, whose love and well-being are paramount in my life.”
“I’m profoundly thankful for the extraordinary cast and crew of the show, who have not only been colleagues but also a family away from home,” he continued. “Their unwavering dedication and remarkable talents have made every moment on set an unforgettable journey that has enriched my life in countless ways.” The actor concluded: “Lastly, I would also like to extend my thanks to the fans who have supported us through the first three seasons.”
Kleintank previously told Parade in 2022 about how many FBI: International cast members had to uproot their lives and families to film the series. “When we started this show, it was a big step for the majority of us. Taking a big jump over here because we were leaving our families and everybody, but it’s been a real blessing so far to be honest,” he said.
Kleintank also told the site about the logistics of filming in multiple countries. “We haven’t done a lot of moving this year because of logistical reasons and production reasons because we started late in the season. But we went to Croatia for the finale,” he said. “We went to Prague for an episode. They’ve done some exterior things in France and some in Austria as well. Our art department’s amazing. They’ve been able to convert Budapest into a lot of these different places. And I know from the producers next year we plan to go to a different country every three to four episodes. For me, it’s amazing. It’s a blessing I get to go see a new country that I’ve never seen in my life.”
Following Kleintank’s departure, Chicago Med alum Colin Donnell will be joining the cast for the final two episodes of Season 3. Donnell plays Lange, the NSA’s liaison to the FBI, who was introduced in the penultimate episode in Season 3.
FBI: International airs on CBS on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST and streams on Paramount+.
