SPOILER ALERT AND WARNING: The following contains spoilers for FBI Season 8, Episode 19. It also contains discussion of sexual abuse.
FBI Season 8, Episode 19 is that rare hour of any procedural that ends up in a completely different place from where it started. There’s only one line at the start of the CBS show that hints it’s going to turn from an armed-robbery caper into an episode about a pedophile ring. That’s what makes “Fidelity” memorable; it finds ways within a crowded genre to pull off a few surprises.
After a few episodes focusing specifically on one character, “Fidelity” is a story that is a real team effort. All of the main cast members are present, and all of the agents make different contributions to the case. It’s always entertaining when Jubal Valentine is out of the office and in the field, but even the scenes within the JOC are relevant. Nothing here feels like filling time or just giving someone anything to do. The flip side of that is that no one star has a particularly memorable moment, acting-wise, but that’s a reasonable omission in an episode that’s a true ensemble piece. As much as the character deep dives are rewarding, FBI has also never lost its sense of being an ensemble show.
The actual case of the week has been done better elsewhere; anyone who hasn’t watched Line of Duty needs to do so immediately in general, but the third season of the BBC hit involves a high-powered pedophile ring. And as that’s a season-long plotline, Line of Duty has far more time to dig into the idea (plus an excellent, all too brief performance by Lynley‘s Daniel Mays). For what it is, “Fidelity” is good enough. It moves the plot along at a steady clip, and doesn’t go into detail about the sexual abuse just to shock viewers.
Its only weak points are when it goes back to the story elements that have become FBI staples (and which, in fairness, are also common to other Dick Wolf series). There’s usually a foot chase or shootout in most episodes; in this case, both are combined into one sequence, while there’s a second foot chase later. And perhaps because there are a few extra plot twists taking up screen time, the conclusion of the episode is crammed into the final eight minutes. No sooner is the leader of the ring identified than he’s quickly located at a Red Hook bus terminal. But while those bits are not new, there’s enough here to keep fans wanting to see more.
The subplot in FBI Season 8, Episode 19 is also a breath of fresh air. After Isobel Castille turned down the promotion to Assistant Director in Charge, every fan knew that was opening the door for the show to introduce a new foil for her and Jubal. Enter ADIC Lawrence Green—played by Curtiss Cook, also known as Lt. Scott in Chicago Med Seasons 7 and 8. He has the most typical “new boss” introduction ever, but at the end of “Fidelity,” turns out to be more sympathetic to Isobel than he first appeared. The audience will have to see if Green stays that way, but for now, it’s nice to see a higher-up who isn’t automatically an antagonist for the heroes. That’s another way that this episode goes left when it could’ve gone right.
“Fidelity” may not have a standout performance or any particularly huge scenes (unless one counts Maggie Bell executing a flying tackle at the bus station). But it offers a plot that doesn’t feel paint by numbers, and it also brings all of the main characters back together. It’s a good, solid effort as FBI Season 8 begins to wind down.
FBI airs Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Photo Credit: Courtesy of CBS.
