SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for FBI Season 8, Episode 12.
FBI Season 8, Episode 12 is the follow-up that CBS viewers have been expecting. It’s the sequel to Season 8, Episode 4, “Manifest,” which ended with the escape of a hitman known only as Oslo. In “Daybreak,” Oslo returns, but the show decides to answer some questions and just not bother with others.
Rudolf Martin, well known for his turns as killers on 24 and NCIS, is back as Oslo, and the script does fill in the blanks of his character. He gets a real name, Daniel Pierce, and explains why he does what he does. He’s also revealed to have a daughter named Imogen, who is successfully rescued near the end. So audiences just wanting to know if Oslo would ever be caught, get that answer, and a few details about him besides. An elevator fight scene between Martin and Zeeko Zaki is excellent, too, although the on-off emergency lighting largely spoils the scene because fans only see it in bursts. It would have been much more fun and impactful to just let the scene play out unobstructed, especially with veteran director Milena Govich at the helm.
There are some other cool aspects of the episode, too. Kerry O’Malley, who was so wonderful in Showtime’s Brotherhood and has more recently appeared in Snowpiercer and SEAL Team, guest stars as Lynette Caddick, one of Oslo’s targets who manages to survive. And on a personal note, OA finally tells Maggie that Gemma broke up with him (from Season 8, Episode 8, “Ratlined”). That scene only serves as a tag, but at least it happens.
Yet “Daybreak” is largely another “bad guy got into the good guys’ headquarters” bottle episode, which is unintentionally amusing since fellow CBS show Sheriff Country did the same thing three days ago as the conclusion to its midseason cliffhanger. Like that series, FBI isn’t as dramatic as it wants to be. Generic characters are killed for dramatic effect, including one poor guy in literally minutes, making the security look woefully lacking for FBI headquarters. There’s a little too much in the “suspension of disbelief” category.
And when push comes to shove, the writers don’t fully wrap up the storyline—they just handwave it away. Oslo is revealed to be working for someone named Tribune, whom some viewers will be able to guess is the returning Anna Volpe (Claire Coffee), because fans know there’s always a fourth-act twist. Plus, Anna’s characterization continues to be as subtle as a hammer. And when Isobel Castille confronts Anna about being Tribune, it’s a matter of seconds before Isobel gets a phone call from the Assistant Secretary of Defense to let Anna off the hook. That means unless there’s Part 3 to this story, the real villain will never face consequences, and the full extent of her machinations isn’t going to be explored. FBI creates a greater conspiracy, but then just asks Isobel, and the audience to forget about it.
Anyone who just wanted to know who Oslo was and see him arrested will be satisfied by “Daybreak.” There are fights, chases, and shootouts to make the episode entertaining. But anyone who’s used to FBI going that extra mile in its storytelling will be disappointed. The series has done better, both in terms of its plots and in the sense that there are no big character development moments here, either. The one notable bit is OA talking about his breakup, which audiences know happened months earlier. This is a fast-paced 42 minutes, and it’s never boring, but it doesn’t offer much to think about or to remember after the credits roll.
FBI airs Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Photo Credit: Courtesy of CBS.
excellent review!