Every television series has an episode that is meh, but also delivers. Maybe it delivers on its premise and on being great because a person loves it overall. Maybe it’s delusion on the part of the person watching. When it comes to FBI: International, Season 4, Episode 10 – I am asking myself am I living in delulu because I liked it and still felt meh about it?
Maybe it is the anger I felt watching the show over some things that happened. It could also be the way that a character I love has left (even though I knew it was temporary casting). That’s the thing about loving television – it is so subjective. I don’t normally find that FBI: International can do many things wrong in my eyes.
It’s just with this episode – I did. This is a new feeling for me, especially after I got over last season and the cast changes. There were just some moments where the pacing of the story was off.
And that to me, pulled me out of the show, because I was frustrated.
VO IS HOME
Look, I know that a lot of people don’t like to hear the word ‘ship’ but I don’t care. Yes, I am going to say it – I ship Vo and Mitchell so hard.
When it comes to Jesse Lee Soffer, I am guessing that even he wouldn’t want the intensity that ships can bring. When he was in Chicago P.D. – he was the subject of many (2) ships. The fans of that show still ship his ships so hard and want him to return. I am sorry (not really) that I have found myself shipping his character of Wes Mitchell with Cameron Vo.
Vo is finally out of the hospital and Mitchell brings her back to her place. He’s basically had it cleaned, stocked, and tried to make everything easier for her. I can’t help the fact that I smiled during this entire scene. I was watching through my fingers and smiling.
When she said that he didn’t have to do any of this – I smiled and found myself telling her to shhh. When he said he did and she’s his partner – I clapped. He cares about her. She may not realize it, but I can.
If he’s not supposed to care about her – he’s playing it wrong.
Mitchell is a leader that I now think we all needed from this show. We needed to see the dynamics that can change this team, but also bring them together. It is definitely special to see the characters that felt like they were in the background, find their way to leading the way.
Vo may not want to sit and rest (which is obvious after she talks Amanda into letting her have remote access), but she does need it. In the same thought though, I am so happy that she’s back.
THE GIRL AND THE CASE
Yulia didn’t know what her father was up to – but before the bad peeps were after it. He is destroying his research and putting things in a briefcase, telling his daughter he can’t explain, but he needs her to get this to a man in the USA.
It broke my heart when he looked at her and said, “I’m sorry.”
What was he sorry for? Well, Yulia is definitely going to find out. First, though, she’s handcuffed the case he gave her to her arm. When Raines and Smitty tell her that they are there to take it from there and will get the case to where it needs to go – she says no. They are going to have to take her too.
With Raines in charge, he says yes, they will bring her.
The thing that I love about Raines is that he wants to be Director one day. He’s a team player, yes. Raines is motivated, always. Raines is someone that you can truly count on and he would give his life for the job if he had to. Though I get annoyed when he keeps saying “trust me” (in my experience, that means don’t trust), I want everyone to trust him. I want everyone to see how amazing she is – how devoted she is.
Raines is the one who is with Yulia most of the time, which is why she gets really mad when he leaves her on the train. She is scared and there is something about Raines she trusts.
When the train becomes unsafe, the team exits and has to have another plan. Yulia still won’t remove the case from her arm. I wonder how bad her wrist hurt – cause mine hurt for her.
Yulia has pain written all over her face but I know that’s probably more that she saw her father murdered. She’s realizing that she can never go home. The panic that she must feel is a lot. Then she is let down when she realizes that her father did what he said he wouldn’t – he built a weapon.
THE CASE IS STOLEN
There are so many things that could go wrong with Yulia, as in her mind it’s been the worst of the worst days. No one can blame her for feeling that way, cause we all know that this has been a s*** show for her.
Fear is what she feels.
She is with Raines in one car, while Booth and Smitty are in a different car. They run into a roadblock. Turns out that an APB was put out on the two of them.
When they are pulled over – the men who killed her father are there. They give Raines an ultimatum – give them the case or they will shoot Yulia. He was willing to give up the case because he wanted to save Yulia.
Yulia, on the other hand, was like don’t give it up. Let them shoot me. It didn’t matter what her father did – she was willing to die to honor his final wish. I was so confused that he was willing to give it up because it felt like he had lost his mind. Giving up a biological weapon. Not a good thing to do Raines.
I should have known that Raines wasn’t giving up the weapon. I also should have known that Smitty really is that girl who will tape it to her body and not blink twice to get it where it needs to go.
The team is able to get Yulia back to Hungary with them. They are able to get the bioweapon to the lab so that it can be safe. I clapped for them because I love when they win.
And they definitely won.
BOOTH AND SMITTY ISSUES
Small talk never ends well in my opinion. I do also hate small talk, so here we are. This episode was a perfect example of what small talk can do – gives you a little bit of the information and results in arguments.
Booth thought that for a promotion they would be talking to Mitchell about him. When making small talk on the train – Booth finds out that the board wants to talk to Smitty. They want to ask questions about Booth and Paris.
Paris is one of those moments that wasn’t on the up and up, but things needed to be done to save Raines. Things were left out of the report for a reason.
Mitchell and Smitty may not always see eye to eye, and she may not have liked what Mitchell and Booth did in Paris. However, I do think that if the tables were turned, Smitty would have done it too. She would have done anything to get Raines back.
When she can’t commit to what she’ll say, Booth should have backed off. Yet instead of doing that, he doubled down on pushing her. He pushed her so hard, that she said that in order for him to get his promotion she was willing to resign from the Fly Team.
Okay, Booth, I was rooting for you, but now that she wants to resign you’ve gone too far. Right when I wanted to hate you, you pulled me back because it bothered you too. Smitty is a part of this team – a GREAT PART.
Thank goodness that Mitchell rejected her resignation.
While I have gotten used to change-ups with this team – I don’t think that Smitty can be one that leaves. She keeps them in order and keeps them in place. She needs to be here.
SHE CAN’T REST
Vo not being able to just take it easy – no one can really be shocked over that. Hell, most of us are incapable of that. Even I am guilty of that.
What I was shocked about was that she showed up at the office. Mitchell should have sent her home, but he didn’t. He just seemed to accept that she was there.
However, her being there did help to complete the mission.
This season Vo has stepped up in a way that she didn’t when Forrester was in charge. She’s very proud of being an agent and is going to do everything that she can to keep delivering her best. She has goals.
The team returned to the office and saw her – I loved how Raines was the first to call her out and tell her that she was supposed to be resting. Even Mitchell shaded her being there, by saying that he has no idea how she got access or knew they were in trouble. Amanda is right when she says that they shouldn’t focus on the specifics.
The team is back together – adore it. Adore that Raines says someone else can be in charge next time.
Staring at the screen and the team, I know that they will be able to get through anything all the time. Being on the Fly Team is a job, but it is also their way of life. The team is where they are supposed to be right now. They are good together and they are going to solve some pretty big cases.
But most of all I do believe that they need each other. That being said watching them find footing, exploring what being part of the team means, and making sure that they all have support on and off the clock – I am here for it. They teach the meaning of loyalty.
GOING HOME…
I really liked Booth. Even though I knew that him as part of the Fly Team was temporary, I hate the fact that he’s left. I hate that we are not going to get the dynamic between him and Mitchell.
Booth was intense in this episode. I do understand that he wanted a promotion, but him giving that up – well that was meant to be admirable. What it was to me though – it was a lesson for him to not be so selfish. Yes, I said selfish.
I will never hate the fact that Booth and Mitchell did things that they shouldn’t have in order to get Raines back. I will hate though that it changed the trajectory of Booth’s career. It doesn’t matter though, because in the end what we got was a man that put his attitude in order and stopped acting as though he was all that matters.
What I respect about Booth is that he is a committed and loving father. I love that he wanted to have a job that was closer to his daughter. Yet, what I also love is that he listened to her and respected his daughter’s input.
For Booth, knowing that Smitty was willing to resign over him – that was a lot. I loved though at the end – he respected their friendship more than a job. He does have a sense of loyalty that you don’t always see. Just as Smitty does. It’s their commitment to not only the job but also to their friends and people that they love, that makes them great people.
I do hope that we get to see Booth more – that maybe he comes in from time to time. Even if he doesn’t – heading home and seeing his daughter with all of the things that Smitty had sent – he knows that he’s got a team that loves and respects him.
I loved the way that the episode ended with a personal moment. We all know that I love to get to know the character outside of the job. It makes you more invested. I am invested in Booth and am thankful we were given this character.
Even if it was just a short time.
OTHER THINGS
- I got excited seeing the doors and what was outside the doors of the Fly Teams office
- Smitty keeps surprising me and I adore that
- Booth heading home – I am actually sorry to see him go. I like him
- Booth raised a good woman – his daughter is always going to support him
- I don’t think I want to go on a train for a while after this
- I love how Yulia trusts Raines and sees he would do anything for her to keep her safe
- I really ship Vo and Mitchell
- How impressed am I that Booth took a taxi from the airport to home
- I am so impressed with Smitty
FBI: International airs Tuesdays on CBS.
