When it comes to anything that Dick Wolf creates, we pay attention. Why? Because the man is a genius when it comes to a procedurals, no one creates them like he does.
One of our favorite franchises is the FBI franchise. Yes, we admit the only one that we don’t cover is FBI: Most Wanted, but we do watch it. There’s been a lot of talk about the franchise, with Julian McMahon leaving and Dylan McDermott replacing him.
We’re a little bit stuck on his last role, playing a complete and total a** on Law & Order: Organized Crime, but we think that he’ll slide into the role of Special Agent Remy Scott on FBI: Most Wanted.
CBS held a virtual press conference with McDermott and Executive Producer and Showrunner David Hudgins. The two discussed the role that McDermott would play and the season.
When McDermott started his role, he jumped in, feet first, not meeting the cast prior. He instead met them all on his first day of filming, “So that was great because Remy was introduced to them and Dylan was introduced to them at the same time. They had asked me, ’Oh, do you want to meet the actors, and would you like to sit down with them and talk to them?’ I said, ‘No. I want it to be as if it’s Remy’s first day and Dylan’s first day coincides.’”
“They were checking me out; I was checking them out. It was a little bit awkward. Not sure. New guy stuff. So, it actually worked out beautifully.”
We can respect that, because it would be what happens to most people. You don’t get to meet the people that you work with prior to working with them. However, on a set, it feels like it would be scary for everyone involved, as they work close together.
Day after day.
But when talking about about the show, and how Remy fits in with the team and how they work together, McDermott said, “I think that because these are professional people and these are agents, they know they have a job to do. Yes, maybe they have feelings, certainly, about who I am or where I came from, but I think that awkwardness really sort of diminishes after the first episode.”
We’re guessing solving a case together really makes a team bond. We can respect this. Filming a first episode is kind of the same, it’s like a group project, where you either ride or die.
With McDermott’s answer, FBI: Most Wanted showrunner Hudgins jumped in and responded, “I mean the idea of a new leader coming into a team is such an interesting dynamic to play as writers. You know, everybody has a different style. And what’s fun about this episode and even the next couple of episodes going forward is as we start to unpack more about who Remy is, you start to see the way the rest of the team is responding to him. One of my favorite things about the new energy and vibe of the team is there’s a lightness to it in a good way, you know? I feel like we can lean into the moment of the humor on the show now with Dylan. I think the way he’s playing him is very surprising both to the team, sometimes to us in a good way too.”
We had to admit, we were confused. What did he mean by lightness? Because anything with the FBI never seems light.
Hudgins added, “I think for the lightness what I’m talking about is, you know, with real FBI agents…I’m not going to pretend I know a million of them but I’ve certainly met a lot, and we have consultants on the show. When you’re doing this job, it’s always very serious and you’re always trying to catch your bad guy, pursue justice but, inevitably, there’s moments of humor that come up. It’s just the human condition. You know, sometimes even gallows humor.”
He continued explaining, “I think Remy’s ability to sort of do his job and be really good at it while at the same time not take himself too seriously – and to look for those moments of real connection not only with the people he’s dealing with in the case but with his own team – it just elevates the material. I always, when I started on this show, I was always like, ‘Yes, they’re always on a manhunt. That’s what’s exciting about this case.’ But life happens while you’re on a manhunt. They don’t always have to be in the MCC [Mobile Command Center] talking about the case. They can be having the same conversation at a McDonald’s because people eat when they’re on the road and on the run.”
We’d love to see life and not just the manhunt on all the FBI shows. So we’re definitely anxious to see what happens.
Dylan McDermott makes his debut on FBI: Most Wanted tonight. Will you be watching?
