When it comes to FBI: International, I have never felt insanely uncomfortable watching an episode. Do I believe that this episode was a good one? Yes. Did I want to puke watching it? Yes. Were there points where I watched between my fingers? Absolutely. But, in the same breathe did I also think that FBI: International has shown that they challenge the procedural mold. I don’t think that anyone can be mad with that.
I’m not.
What I am going to reiterate with each of the final episodes is that I hate that we’re getting television that does that, knowing that it is ending. With FBI: International being cancelled – I admit I am bitter. What I also am though is going to cherish every last episode, because this is my must see appointment television show.
The May Get Their Wish was a lot, but what it showed is that CBS is willing to go there. If they only would be willing to keep this show. But hey, what do I know?
THE APOSTLE
I’ve been told before that one should never discuss religion or politics. However, that being said, there is no way around it here. This episode showcases both of those things and reminds me why it can be messy.
And that some people are deranged.
This dude is on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for a good reason – he’s a predator. He says that he “hears the word of god” but I don’t buy it. Yet a lot of people do. The. members of the religious cult believe that he’s a good man and he’s going to help them.
While I do think that a lot of us are always looking for something to have faith in, I do not understand this one.
The man, Santoso, is a wanted man. He’s shown his face in Gibraltar and that means that the FBI Fly Team needs to go get him. It’s been awhile since he’s shown his face and made it known where he is.
Only when the team gets to Gibraltar, it becomes more complicated. There is nothing wrong with complications, but in the same breathe, these complications were just so very wrong. Spain wants the extradition to go through their courts. The British want it to go through theirs. With Spain blocking the extradition, things are about to get really intense.
We all know that Wes doesn’t like it when things don’t go the way that they are supposed to.
THE WITNESS
Santoso is disgusting. He chooses young girls for “night chores” and that’s not anything like it sounds. We’re not talking cleaning up or anything. “Night Chores” is a euphemism for sex.
Part of the reason that Santoso is wanted by the FBI is that they have one girl that Santoso abused for years. She was chosen for night chores when she as eleven. Her mother saw it as an honor – which really makes me wonder what she was thinking.
The abuse went on for years, but because of how long it took her to speak up, the statue of limitations had worn out. Every woman that Santoso abused would take back what they said, but she wouldn’t. She was angry. She was mad. And she had every right to be.
Night Chores got her pregnant and Santoso made her get rid of the baby. She was forced – at fifteen – by this man to not keep her baby. It broke her and I think that they were able to show that with her quite clearly.
The team has brought her to Gibraltar because she is an expert on the cult. There is nothing that she wants more than to see this man suffer. I think if you watch this episode, you would too. She’s not afraid of this man, she is there with an open mind and a drive that no one else has.
Because she’s been through it.
THE TIE UP
When it comes down to it, politics is one thing, but when you are using politics to see if you can get a headline, you’re in the wrong. I feel like that is where Spain is here – they want to be able to say that they caught a fugitive. What kills me about that is that in the pursuit of a headline, all of these people are allowing people to be hurt.
And that makes me hate politics.
Being a hero – especially in procedurals – doesn’t mean that your name has to be on things. Being a hero means being able to do the job without any reward or recognition.
I do believe that the team did the best thing that they could – got a surveillance warrant. They weren’t going to just wait for things to go wrong, they were going to find a way to get the proof that they needed. All of the things that Santoso does – they have long just been talked about and not able to provide proof.
It kills me to see things like this, where you know that there is a possibility that someone else is going to get hurt and the laws don’t do anything. I think that shows like this, when they decide to take on this story line of sexual abuse, they are a cautionary tale. A reminder that things like this have happened and could happen repeatedly, if we’re not paying attention.
Spain was in the wrong here – delaying the extradition. But the Fly Team will find a way to make this case.
THE NIGHT CHORES
Millie is a young, 16 year old girl, who worked on putting together Santoso’s apartment in Gibraltar. Her Mom is with her. They are both devoted to the church, but when she is chosen for “night chores” her Mom is going to do everything to get that to stop.
Excuses can be made for anything, but I don’t consider what the Mom did to protect her daughter to be excuses. I consider it to be a Mom wanting to protect her child. She values her faith and it’s got to be really hard to balance that. I do believe that the Mom continues to make the right choices, even when those are hard for her.
Wanting a sense of belonging, it felt as though the Mom was wanting to do everything for the cult, because she wanted to feel like she belonged somewhere. It was hard for her to hear the things that Vo and the witness would tell her. It is just having the option of coming to the FBI, that would be something that she ultimately needed.
Asking someone to choose between faith and a way out is absolutely a hard thing. Faith drives people and for the people of this cult. It’s definitely something that is hard to watch, but also something that happens.
Mom may be able to get her out of this the first time, but how long she can protect her daughter?
THE SAVE
I do believe that in this episode, Vo is the hero. Her background of working with sexual assault victims is part of what made her so understanding and willing to go above and beyond.
The whole team is great, don’t get me wrong. The difference between this season and last is that the entire team is allowed the opportunity to shine. When the team has to bug the cults apartment, but aren’t allowed in the apartment – they go through the apartment above. Raines isn’t afraid to ask for it. And Vo, she’s not afraid to do whatever she needs to, in order to get the job done.
That includes when getting caught outside the cult door, pretending that she wants to give the apostle a gift. Vo has come so far from the very green agent – to being the one that is not going to let anything hold her back. She’s able to think on the fly and that is definitely something to admire.
Smitty was able to stop Millie from having to do night chores the next time she’s meant to, and the Mom then keeps Millie away. The apostle tells Mom that she needs to bring Millie to him and that’s enough for Mom. She agrees to help the FBI.
THE BOX
Amanda and her team are always on top of everything. The way that Amanda Tate’s mind works is an amazing thing. She, and her team have a way of finding everything on line and also not giving up on anything ever.
Mom is so mad at the apostle, that she puts a box down that makes Amandas team to be able to see what is on the drive.
For someone who should have nothing to hide, this man does. He’s got some hard core encryption going on, but like I have said, Amanda and her team are alway going to make their way through.
It’s just frustrating that the apostle knows that he’s gotta disappear again and is able to get out of the building. Especially after Amanda finds tons of child pornography – the apostle recording himself with the young girls chosen for night chores. I don’t know how she didn’t puke – I would have.
But, if you’ve ever thought that something would make the team madder than they’ve been – it’s definitely that. Mitchell is definitely in his “give no f***s” era at that point. He’s going to arrest the man if it’s the last thing he does.
Luckily Amanda and her team are able to find where he’s hiding.
THE ARREST
When the Fly Team gets to outside the house where this cult leader – fake *** apostle- is hiding, they are in for a big surprise. Spain won’t let it happen. They are like nope. Mitchell though, he’s not gonna settle for that and reminds them of what he’s done.
Spain says that they will review the footage and make their own decision. I had to laugh at this point, because I knew that Mitchell wasn’t going to let that fly. I also knew that because earlier in the episode, Jubel had said things that made me know he wouldn’t take it well – that they were going to go inside and get that guy.
Where a lot of the time I think that Jubel is annoying, one has to admit that he knows what is going on everywhere and always has some strings to pull. I like that about him.
He definitely has strings to pull and favors to call in here. I had to laugh, again, when Jubel gets the police to back off and they get to conduct their raid. The team makes it in – almost effortlessly. Midway through the raid, Spain lets them use their drone and they can get a heat signature.
The funniest part of this whole thing is when they get to the room where the apostle is – he’s hiding in a closet. Too bad, so sad, you’re going away sir.
THE TELL OFF
One thing that I can say about Wes Mitchell is that he’s always going to give a victim power. He’s on their side and it’s him being on the side of the witness that is helping her heal. She wants to be the person to tell the cult leader/apostle/rapist that he’s going to jail for the rest of his life.
And she does that. She does just that. She is putting him in his place and I loved that for her. Wes being right there so she would be safe was perfection.
Vo, she was helping Millie and her Mom. She told them the bureau had found a family member in the USA who was willing to take them in. She was able to secure passports and relocation for them for their help.
The thing about this team that I am going to miss the most is the way that they always come together at the end for the greater good. They protect the people around them and the people that need it.
I will miss them.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- Mitchells ex calling him – why do I have a feeling she’s pregnant?
- Mitchells ex showing up – why? I need to know why.
- Vo is such a strong leader and I think that her character development is so strong
- Why does this show have to end?
- I didn’t even know Gibraltar was a country – I feel bad for that.
- Raines has also had such great character development
- Also with Raines – him taking that guy out in a chokehold – full on terrified but also go you
- Smitty in the alleyway. I love her
