Hate is a strong word, but we hate Ella. Yes, we said what we said and we have no love lost for her. Who is Ella? Well if you watch the show, you know. She’s Mitchell’s ex. She’s also a liar, manipulator, and did I mention that I said what I said. Yes, FBI: International decided that she’s going to give us chaos.
Returning to FBI: International every week is bittersweet, because we know it’s ending. However, after sitting here and staring at my computer for a few hours, trying to decide what to write about last nights episode – I realized something. I am going to go out with a bang. I am going to write everything that I want to – no matter how controversial. I am going to just put balls to the wall and say what is on my mind.
Why?
Because sometimes you don’t need to put things in a way that sounds poetic. Sometimes all you need to do is put out there the emotion that a show brings out of you.
And this show brings a lot of emotion out of me.
THE ANGRY CRYPTO DUDE
We know that there is a case. A case is always interesting – especially when you’re trying to figure out what it is and if that case even is something that you can get into. I have to say – the case – I instantly hated the dude. He’s a crypto guy who hasn’t gotten himself together.
He’s been receiving threats and the Czech police don’t seem to want to do anything to help him. He’s on his own, basically, and he’s fighting tooth and nail to stay above water.
His accounts are frozen and there is nothing that he can do to get his stuff in order. Instead he’s made everyone mad and his girlfriend and baby end up getting kidnapped.
It just so happens as that’s happening – Ella and Wes are having coffee. It’s kind of crazy to watch, because Wes has changed and Ella has not. She’s frustrating because she seems to use her sexuality rather than her brain to get Wes’ help. She doesn’t seem to believe that he will change or has changed.
But the Fly Team has changed him.
TO THE RESCUE
When it comes to all of these cases one thing that I think has happened this season is that Amanda and her team are the ones that show they are indespensible. Maybe it’s because they are looking at things from the outside to a point – never right there with the action.
But the real MVP has time and time again been Amanda. She’s always diving into things – her brain retaining every bit of information. She is ahead of the team, trying to figure things out as they prepare to leave. A baby has been kidnapped.
That is all that they need to know.
The Fly Team isn’t attempting to be Superman – they’re not looking to be heroes. What they are looking for is justice. Finding justice and making sure that the child is saved is what is important. I think that what I find to be so endearing about them all is that they are selfless.
While the case is important it’s more the inner workings of the team that unfortunately is going to be taken away from us because of the cancellation of the show.
The team heads to help, but they are immediately met with people that are lying to them. They are meeting with people who don’t want to tell them the truth about what is going on and what happened. Apparently everyone is a liar.
I think that is something that I do expect with this show, is that there will be a lot of lies told. The reality is that solving cases is wading through the lies that people tell. At least that is how I see it. I think that is part of the allure of procedurals – trying to figure out everything that is the truth and everything that is a lie.
AMANDA KNOWS THE TRUTH
Amanda is always on top of everything and that’s part of the best thing about her. SHe’s not one that doesn’t take a moment to think of all of the options. She wants to look at everything so that she makes sure that she doesn’t have to bug anyone about anything.
She can just be proactive.
The thing is that Ella is avoiding giving all of the information. Giving the information means that she would have to be honest and doing that isn’t what she wants to do. She stands to loose the most here, because she’s lying and not giving the full scope of why she’s THERE.
Why she wants their help.
Amanda is trying to get Ella to tell her what is going on and doesn’t accept her lies. She is not trying to challenge Ella, instead she’s trying to understand. She needs the angle that Ella is playing. For Amanda she needs to understand because she’s after justice and solving the case.
And she is going to be protective of he team. The Fly Team comes first and they will always be there for each other. I think that Amanda’s gut instinct is one of the best that I have ever seen in procedurals. She’s written very strongly.
It’s interesting to see how she came in and she became the person that glues this team together.
SMITTY AND RAINES
While for a majority of this series, Raines and Vo were partners and I really loved and shipped that. But this season i’ve realized that the reason that I shipped that because they have that great closeness and it felt as if they could have a relationship that is based on friendship and that can be the greatest kind. I am past that.
What I have also realized is that Raines is a great agent and I am captivated by his ability to run someone down. He’s devoted to the job and to the team. And well, him and Smitty work so well together that it’s like don’t turn away, because they are going to be getting the bad guy.
When the team goes to get the bad guy and Smitty is shot, I jumped off of my bed, afraid that something would happen to her. But luckily she was shot in the vest and she’s going to be okay.
The team gets the bad guy and I cheered. I just knew though that this team is different than the one that we’ve always known. Is that a good thing? Yes. They’ve grown. They’re a team with a different attitude. They will always protect each other and that is a beautiful thing. BUT – they are more directed than ever to get the bad guys.
THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE
Amanda. I feel like I am always talking about her, but she’s definitely one of the best characters on this show. She’s also the person that takes on the hard things and tells the team the harsh truths.
And the first thing she has to do is tell Wes what Ella has done. See, when the crypto exchange became unlocked, they first person to receive money was Ella’s father. All of the lies that Ella told are now front and center. For Wes, this is a lot. This is a man that loved her and now he’s hearing that she’s never going to change.
As a matter of fact she’s going to gaslight him and make him believe the worst about himself. She’s the worst.
Wes is having a hard time listening to her, but she’s not having a hard time spewing her words. She tells him why he can’t tell the brass and how it will make everything they’ve done be questioned.
I love that Wes has become a man who wants to tell the bad stuff, because he wants to be a good agent. I also admire the fact that he loves deeply and though Ella hurt him, he still loves her. He wants to protect her, but he’s also destroyed by her.
I think that Wes is going through a lot internally. He wants to feel love and give love. He wants to feel like he’s enough and Ella made him feel like that’s the one thing that he’s not… he’s never going to be enough. He’s just complicated.
I WILL DRIVE YOU HOME
How we all deal with pain is different. Wes, well that means that he’s going to drink the feelings away. The bartender calls Amanda to come and get him. She does just that.
Amanda is always there for the team, but this isn’t about the team. This is about being there for a friend. A friend who needs you.
Wes doesn’t second guess her taking him home. Instead he seems happy that she is there and he can talk to her. He wants her to know that she’s appreciated. I can see that he wants her to realize that she’s seen and that won’t ever change.
I think that’s part of what makes him a great leader. The way that he sees them all, but the way he sees Amanda is different. He sees her strengths, her loneliness, her strength, and well… her. And Amanda does see him.
I don’t think that Amanda realizes that she’s worth being seen and she’s not just existing. She’s changing lives and changing herself. It’s also kind of a beautiful thing that she lets down her walls and talks to Wes about the realities of who she is.
It’ll be interesting to see how these two – how their lives/friendship/work pans out.
FBI: International airs Tuesdays on CBS.
