SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for FBI Season 8, Episode 8.
“Ratlined” isn’t the first FBI episode with an international storyline. In fact, there have been so many of those that CBS had a whole spinoff devoted to the idea (and FBI: International still had plenty of life left in it). But FBI Season 8, Episode 8 knows exactly what it is and does that fairly well—until an ending that feels forced.
The episode takes its title from the slang for the Chinese government running illegal “precincts” on American soil, and secretly disappearing people back to China. Naturally, the plot largely revolves around trying to avoid an international incident while still getting justice done. The important thing about this plot is that it avoids stereotyping any of its guest characters. In fact, Isobel Castille’s respectful relationship with the Chinese Envoy General is the major factor in getting the case closed. So many times in plots like these, the “other” government gets characterized as a hostile antagonist—in the same way that FBI agents often play heel on TV cop shows. “Ratlined” doesn’t do that.
It’s also appreciated that in an episode involving torture, the writers don’t feel the need to show that torture to make their point. There’s nothing that happens just for shock value. The dialogue, and the idea of there being these secret prisons, is frightening enough.
And after the previous episode kept viewers in suspense, this one is back to being easier to follow. Audiences can be fairly confident from the opening scene that the target is not the Jordanian Prime Minister, but the journalist who briefly interviews him. That’s obvious from the time spent on her beforehand, and because there’s always a “but” in the team’s initial read of the case. Once that’s clear, it’s not a shock to learn that said reporter was working on a controversial story that got her killed and her cameraman abducted. That concept’s been done a few times in the procedural genre. The solution—to trick their suspect into claiming asylum and letting her reveal everything—is interesting enough, even if fans will likewise guess that Maggie is going to pull the rug out from under her.
But it’s a solid plot that will keep viewers entertained. The real issue in FBI Season 8, Episode 8 is the personal subplot, which is a callback to Season 8, Episode 4. It comes out that OA Zidan has just not bothered to tell his girlfriend Gemma Brooks that he was poisoned and almost died in that previous hour—and then in the final scene, Gemma reveals to OA that she’s been having an emotional affair with one of her clients, and they break up on the spot. It’s a sudden end to a relationship that didn’t actually need to end.
It feels like OA not mentioning his near-death is an excuse to write the breakup, as her reveal certainly comes out of the blue. His reasoning for not telling Gemma makes little sense when she was stuck on a train with him and injured in Season 7’s “Hitched.” She’s experienced what he has to go through—and when they’ve faced challenges before, they’ve been able to talk them out. It’s unlikely that they would both start going quiet on each other. Plus, what’s gained from having them break up? It’s not as if their being together is holding back his character or the show. This feels a bit like when FBI had Maggie start dating the 911 dispatcher in Season 7, only to end that after a couple of episodes. The writers can definitely improve how they write their characters’ personal lives (other than Stuart Scola, who’s doing just fine).
“Ratlined” is a solid case of the week episode. It doesn’t have any other significant scenes for the main actors, since the plot is largely devoted to the politics of it all, but it also doesn’t fall into any stereotypes. Yet it will probably be remembered most for that breakup scene, which FBI might end up regretting. OA and Gemma’s relationship felt like it had lasted a lot longer than two seasons, and especially with the decreased presence of his sister Amira, it was nice to still have a way to explore who he was outside of the job. This plot twist is certainly going to shake things up, but what is the series giving up by doing so?
FBI airs Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Photo Credit: Courtesy of CBS.
