This article is about the 2021 American TV series. For international operations of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, see Federal Bureau of Investigation.
FBI: International is an American police procedural series that airs on CBS. It is the second spin-off from Dick Wolf's drama FBI and the third series in the FBI franchise. The series follows a team of FBIspecial agents who investigate crime and terrorism abroad. FBI: International premiered on September 21, 2021, and a full season was ordered in October 2021.
In May 2022, CBS renewed the series for a second and third season.[1] The second season premiered on September 20, 2022.[2] The third season premiered on February 13, 2024,[3] a delay from September 2023 due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. For the same reason, there will be just 13 episodes in the third season.[4] In April 2024, the series was renewed for a fourth season which premiered on October 15, 2024.[5][6]
The team is led by FBI Supervisory Special Agent Scott Forrester, a tough and grizzled FBI agent. Under his supervision are FBI Special Agents Jamie Kellett, a career FBI agent and second in command; Andre Raines, a young but highly intelligent agent with expertise in accounting; and Cameron Vo, an interrogation expert who is the newest team member, having formerly been a field agent in the SeattleFBI field office. Assisting the team is Katrin Jaeger, a veteran Europol Agent from Germany who helps the team navigate political and linguistic barriers. At the end of season 1, Jaeger is promoted to oversight of all Europol operations, and Megan "Smitty" Garretson, an old fling of Forrester, is assigned in her place.
At the start of season 3, in the aftermath of an explosion that destroys the Fly Team's headquarters, Special Agent Amanda Tate is assigned to the team as a tech analyst, while Kellett transfers back to the DC Field Office. Forrester later leaves the team and the Bureau after reuniting and going on the run with his fugitive mother. Special Agent Wesley "Wes" Mitchell gets assigned in his place.
In addition to facing a wide array criminal and terroristic threats, the Fly Team must also contend with the practical and legal challenges of operating in foreign jurisdictions, ranging from uneasy partnerships with foreign law enforcement to restrictions on using firearms.[9] The show's international flavor is meant to juxtapose it with the vast majority of American police procedural shows, which take place almost exclusively in the United States.[10]
Jesse Lee Soffer as Wesley "Wes" Mitchell (season 4 – present), a former L.A.P.D. officer who is the new Supervisory Special Agent and Head of the International Fly Team following Forrester's departure.
Vinessa Vidotto as Cameron Vo, an FBI Special Agent; she is a West Point graduate and is the team's newest member (until the addition of special agent Amanda Tate). In season 3, she is made second-in-command of the Fly Team following Kellett's departure.[11]
Carter Redwood as Andre Raines, an FBI Special Agent on the team, with a background in accounting.[11]
Eva-Jane Willis as Megan "Smitty" Garretson (season 2 – present),[12] a Europol agent and old acquaintance of Forrester assigned to replace Jaeger as the team's liaison.
Christina Wolfe as Amanda Tate (season 3 – present), an FBI Supervisory Intelligence Analyst brought on to lead the Fly Team's new analyst team.
Luke Kleintank as Scott Forrester (seasons 1–3),[13] an FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Head of the International Fly Team.[11] Near the end of the third season, he leaves the team and the Bureau to reunite with his fugitive mother, with the two disappearing shortly afterwards.
Heida Reed as Jamie Kellett (seasons 1–3), an FBI Special Agent who is the team's second in command.[11] She later resigns from the team in the third season premiere, having fulfilled many things on her list, while also revealing she's returning to the United States and joining the Washington, D.C. field office.
Christiane Paul as Katrin Jaeger (season 1; guest season 2),[12] a multilingual Europol agent from Germany who acts as a liaison for the team, until her promotion to the head of Europol at the end of the first season.[11]
On January 12, 2020, it was reported that Dick Wolf was having conversations with CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl about launching a second FBI spinoff, following the success of the first spinoff, FBI: Most Wanted. Wolf claimed he always envisioned FBI as a franchise, as it offers an "endless trove of stories", while Kahl states "We are always talking to Dick [Wolf] and Dick is always bouncing ideas off of us and I can't rule anything out." It was also reported that development of the proposed spinoff would begin during the 2020–21 television season.[16][17]
On February 18, 2021, it was announced that a second FBI spinoff titled FBI: International was being developed for the 2021–22 television season. Derek Haas was announced as the series showrunner and one of its executive producers, alongside Wolf, Peter Jankowski, and Arthur Forney. The new series is also likely, to begin with, a backdoor pilot.[18] On March 24, 2021, CBS officially ordered the series, announcing it would debut in a crossover episode of FBI and FBI: Most Wanted, with Rick Eid also being added as an executive producer.[19]
FBI: International premiered on September 21, 2021;[20] a full season was ordered on October 11, 2021.[21]
On May 9, 2022, CBS renewed the series for a second and third season.[1] The second season premiered on September 20, 2022.[2] The third season premiered on February 13, 2024.[3] On April 9, 2024, CBS renewed the series for a fourth season which is scheduled to premiere on October 15, 2024.[5][6]
FBI: International aired the first episode of season 1 on Sky Witness in the UK on July 22, 2022, at 9 pm with new episodes of FBI: International airing every Thursday at 10 pm, an hour after the main FBI series which airs in the UK on Thursday nights at 9 pm.
In July 2021, Luke Kleintank, Heida Reed, Vinessa Vidotto, Christiane Paul, and Carter Redwood were cast to star.[22][23] On July 14, 2022, Paul exited the series with Eva-Jane Willis replacing her as a new character.[12] On November 29, 2023, Christina Wolfe joined the cast as a new series regular for the series' upcoming third season. On December 7, 2023, it was announced that Heida Reed will leave the show some
time during the upcoming third season.[24] On April 23, 2024, it was announced that Luke Kleintank will leave the show during the third season. The next day, Colin Donnell joined the cast as a guest on third season.[14] On June 20, 2024, Jesse Lee Soffer joined the cast as a new series regular for the series' upcoming fourth season.[25]