SPOILER ALERT: The following includes spoilers for FBI Season 8, Episode 6.
Every now and then FBI has a very strange episode. Season 8, Episode 6, “Parental” is one of those—but that becomes irrelevant because it gives center stage to actor Alana de la Garza. She’s been underrated and somewhat underused on the CBS drama, and so it’s wonderful to see her at the forefront again.
Isobel Castille hasn’t had the best time of it in recent FBI seasons. In Season 6, she was injured when a restaurant was bombed. She collapsed at the end of Season 7, leading to the Season 8 premiere making it seem like she might get killed off. Isobel’s marriage, while giving TV viewers more of the fantastic Tom Cavanagh, came out of left field. And in general, because she’s the Assistant Director in Charge, there’s just not as much for de la Garza to do in many episodes except be the boss.
So when “Parental” comes along, despite its slightly odd plot about a doctor drugging patients to steal their babies, it’s a pleasant surprise. The bookend scenes with Isobel and her stepdaughter Rowan don’t add a ton; mostly they provide a thematic throughline. But they also serve as a reason for Isobel to get out of her office and into the field, as she negotiates a hostage situation involving Lyle Brewer and the couple who thought they legally adopted Lyle’s son. De La Garza is great with the added screen time she’s given, reminding viewers that Isobel has more to offer as a character than just handing out orders. She’s been an underrated performer since she played ADA Connie Rubirosa on Law & Order, and deserves more episodes like this.
Isobel’s added screen time is made possible because of the absence of her number-two Jubal Valentine; Jeremy Sisto gets the episode off, in what’s likely another instance of cast-related cost savings. “Parental” is probably a good episode for him not to be in, though. Any of Jubal’s screen time would undoubtedly have been about his perspective as a parent, and his parental journey has been covered in other episodes, so it’s unlikely anything new could’ve been done with his character here. In contrast, this is still fresh ground for Isobel.
The rest of the FBI team serve in supporting roles, though it’s worth calling out one important scene between Isobel, OA Zidan and Maggie Bell. When Lyle’s wife Amy Brewer first makes the accusation that their son was stolen from her at birth, the three agents have a discussion to evaluate her claims, and OA is the first to point out that baby trafficking is far from new. It’s great that the script by Mae Smith doesn’t spend a ton of time making Amy seem “crazy” or unreliable, especially given her past as an addict. Smith has Amy and her claims treated with respect by the main characters, even as they do their due diligence. Anything else would’ve felt melodramatic—not to mention would’ve been a waste of time, as viewers can already tell by that point what the real plot of the episode is.
“Parental” certainly has a creepy plot, and some people may not like the relatively open ending. (Viewers are left to imagine how confused and traumatized Topher is going to be when he finds out who his real parents are, and what happens with the other abduction cases.) But the hostage situation ends peacefully, and the audience leaves with a little more appreciation for both Isobel Castille and the actor who plays her. With plenty of episodes left in Season 8, FBI has plenty of time to take what amounts to a character-development detour.
FBI airs Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Photo Credit: Courtesy of CBS.
