SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for FBI Season 9, Episode 3.
Jubal Valentine got a major shock to start FBI Season 9, as he realized that his colleagues had been keeping OA Zidan’s undercover operation secret from him. At the beginning of “White Rock,” Jubal finally got the truth—and had a somewhat uncomfortable conversation with his boss and friend Isobel Castille about leaving him in the dark. But he took the subterfuge in better stride than most people would have. So why wasn’t he more upset? And where does he go in the rest of the season?
In an interview with Fangirlish, FBI star Jeremy Sisto spoke about his reaction to Jubal following Isobel to that secret meeting. He also reflected on their relationship, and how his friendship with co-star Alana de la Garza helps inform that dynamic on the CBS series. Plus, what does Jubal see in his future, and what is it like for Jeremy being the linchpin between FBI and its spinoff CIA?
Brittany Frederick: Let’s go back to that last scene of FBI Season 9, Episode 2, when Jubal walks out onto that rooftop. What was your reaction to how that reveal played out?
Jeremy Sisto: I had mixed emotions about it, because it goes against Jubal’s normal personality. He usually respects his boss’s choices, you know, and she is intentionally leaving him out of something, so it took me some thinking to find my way to why he might do that.
It really was, I think, a fear that there was something that she wasn’t able to bring him in [on], like she was kind of saving him—which is true. At the end of the day, the less people she brought into the situation, the less chance those people would be in trouble with her, depending on how it goes down. And so it was really an act of trying to make sure she was okay,
And then when they turn on [him] and they’re like, “What are you doing here?” This sense of like, sorry, but can you just can you tell me what’s going on? Because I can’t not know. These people I care about so much seem like they’re in some kind of trouble. Whenever I have a chance to play more than one thing in a scene and a dynamic, the more I relate to it.
On another show, this would lead to a huge argument, but Jubal actually seems to understand Isobel’s decision-making. How much does this affect their relationship, when he’s hurt but he also grasps why?
I think to some degree in the writers’ room, they kind of thought [he] was going to be more hurt by it. And Jubal, he’s a little neurotic. Everything is his fault to some degree, which is another reason why he’s good at his job. But he’s able to zoom out a little bit.
The hurt is more like wishing it was a no-brainer that she had to tell him, that she could not go through this without him. He wants to be needed by her. But the choice to not do it is one of these difficult choices that he’s glad Isabel has to make more often than him. That’s kind of why he loves his job. She has to make choices that walk a real fine line at times, and I just don’t think Jubal’s super-comfortable with that kind of stuff.
Which brings up an interesting point: his career is kind of frozen in place. There was a time he thought he might get her job, but does Jubal actually have any ambition to be more than ASAC at this point? Or is he happy where he is?
I think he was flattered, and he got a little excited about it, just because in any job, the only time where you’re really focusing on you is when there’s a possible promotion around. The rest of the time you’re just doing the job. So it’s easy to get caught up in it, but I think in reality it was pretty easy for him to be like no, I like my position much better. I want to be in the JOC with all the whole team, solving this. That’s what he’s good at. That’s what he feels comfortable at.
And he also doesn’t hate having to check himself out of a situation when things get political or when [there are] some of these calls that Isabel has to make. I think he also understands his own psychology. He obviously has history with substance abuse, and so there’s certain things he knows that are going to keep him up at night. And some of these big questions, these big moral dilemmas that Isobel has to make calls on might actually send him into a bit of a tailspin—or at least that’s what he feels. So I think he’s very happy with where he is, and you know hopefully she won’t be leaving the role anytime soon, because she seems to be right where she wants to be as well.
There’s a bit of art imitating life, because you and Alana de la Garza have now known each other a very long time, going back to co-starring in Law & Order together. Does that help you in building Jubal and Isobel’s friendship?
Over two decades, is what we’re talking about. Before kids, I’d just met my wife, so I’ve known Alana as long as I’ve known my wife, basically.
She brings a warmth and also an authority—a combination of those two things—[as Isobel] and it’s very different than her normal personality, so it’s hard to know if it actually is in there at all because Jubal and Isobel’s relationship is very different than than Jeremy and Alana’s. But I imagine you can’t separate the two. It’s also just nice to have someone you’ve known for so long. We’ve gone through parenting together, and we’ve known each other through so much, and it’s a real nice comfort. And she’s just the easiest person to work with.
I really like [Jubal and Isobel’s] relationship, too. They have some moments that are pretty unique in their intimacy. They’re work friends, but they are super into their work, and so their closeness is unique.
Jubal has all of this experience he brings to the JOC, and you also have a lot of experience to draw on, having played the guy in the field on Law & Order and elsewhere. What’s it like for you to now be portraying the guy in charge?
There are moments when I have to step into a situation with one of the agents, and it’s like the difference in sort of military situations. Sometimes it can be challenging with officers who have gone to college and then have higher ranks, and some of the lifelong military members have to take orders from someone who hasn’t come from where they’ve come from. That’s not the case with Jubal at all.
This crew has been together for so long; they know enough about each other to really understand that there’s not a sense of judgment… There’s a sense of understanding the challenges and being able to step in and say, look, this is what I learned when I’ve been in similar situations.
And also, these actors going out there and doing all this action stuff, they work really hard… It’s long hours. You have to really lift a lot of stuff. And so it’s good just in that way too, because I have a pretty sweet job on this. I work inside most days through the winter, which is a huge benefit. [Laughs.]
Instead of getting all the action scenes, you’re getting all the crossover scenes with CIA. Jubal’s the point person whenever their characters turn up. What has that experience been like for you?
I love it. I have a really nice one coming up, and Mike [Weiss] is such a great writer and a great showrunner. He’s handling both shows, so obviously he understands quite intimately the difference in the tone, and I think that’s a real benefit. We have two shows that complement each other’s tone quite well.
A lot of Jubal’s humor and sort of lightness, you have to be really careful the way you bring that in on FBI, because it’s such a run-and-gun show. CIA moves very fast too, but there’s a little more room for some of humor and asides that that Jubal tends to enjoy employing in moments. He has a really cool relationship with Bill and Nikki and and the crew over there.
And as an actor, it’s really nice to be able to go and jump into their whole thing because they’re [in] year two, so it’s a very different vibe of still exploring things. I’m really looking forward to this episode coming up that we get to do together.
Now that you’re in FBI Season 9, what keeps Jubal Valentine interesting to you? Is there anything you still want to know about this guy, or what keeps you coming back?
He’s had an intense history and backstory, and the stuff he’s gone through during these nine years is has been a lot to explore. But he’s a character that I just enjoy playing, because he’s somebody who is impressive in how he shows up for himself and the people in his life, but he’s also somebody that the flaws are there. He’s not the easiest person to be sometimes, and that’s something I can relate to.
For me, if I can ever play more than one thing, if I can have competing internal stuff, that’s when it feels the most truthful to me… Jubal’s somebody who you can get a lot out of siphoning story through him, because he’s complicated. He sees both sides. He’s not just one way or another about most things, and that for me makes an interesting character to play and a relatable character to watch.
FBI airs Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Photo Credit: Courtesy of CBS.
