FBI: International Season 4, Episode 17 Review: Old Friends & Old Habits Cause Big Trouble

FBI: International Season 4, Episode 17, “Dead Dead” feels like an episode cobbled together out of parts from the rest of the season. From its bland title to the return of Special Agent Tyler Booth, the script just doesn’t come up with anything original. And that’s an even more worrying fact when fans already know that these are the last episodes ever.

“Dead Dead” involves the disappearance of Dr. David Steiner, a psychologist who does top-secret government work. His actual job description quickly becomes irrelevant as the Fly Team digs into Steiner’s mess of a personal life. But the lack of anyone worth rooting for is only one of two major issues with the episode. Wes Mitchell also has to get back on his trauma carousel, which will likely give viewers a sense of deja vu.

FBI: International Brings Back Tyler Booth in a Strange Way

Season 4, Episode 17 Doesn’t Jibe With Booth’s Original Exit

FBI: International Season 4, Episode 17 brings back Wes’s old friend Tyler Booth, who previously left the Fly Team at the end of Season 4, Episode 10, “Keep Calm and Deliver the Biotoxin.” This is not a bad idea in and of itself — although it’s surprising that the show is pulling Tyler back in relatively quickly after his story finished. Jay Hayden is a capable actor and has good chemistry with Jesse Lee Soffer; he’s earned his seat at the table. What is weird about the Booth of it all is how the character is written.

“Keep Calm and Deliver the Biotoxin” explained Booth’s departure by having him take a different position to be closer to his daughter, Charlotte. Yet in “Dead Dead,” he’s again working overseas in Switzerland, now assigned to the Extraterritorial Squad. So did Booth just give up on being near his child and recommitting to his family? That was a great exit storyline for him, and this episode seems to shoot that in the foot. In fact, it sort of doubles down on the retcon when Wes half-jokingly suggests Booth could rejoin the Fly Team. That seems to be just a throwaway line, but why would Wes even bring it up when he should know what matters to his friend?

The same problem is also evident in Wes and Booth’s interactions. The last time they worked together caused a problem that nearly cost Wes his career, but when they reunite, FBI: International doesn’t even make a passing mention of the whole Riley Quinn situation. One would think that Booth would’ve gotten word about the prior situation being investigated, even if the case was aimed more at Wes than him. Or at the very least, when Booth asks Wes if Ella is calling him, Wes should have made mention of what just happened with him and Ella. He doesn’t have to go into details, but considering that it’s still very fresh and Booth clearly doesn’t know, even one sentence would’ve made this episode feel more in context.

Instead, it feels like the script forgot all of Wes and Booth’s history. And while “Dead Dead” overemphasizes Wes’ reaction to events, as the son of another unscrupulous father, it misses the chance to similarly explore Booth’s reaction to the case as a dad himself. When the team learns that Steiner was grooming his best friend’s teenage daughter, a few terse sentences are all Booth gets. There’s so much more to play with in his character, especially since Steiner’s killer ends up being his 15-year-old son. But the writers put all of the personal emphasis on Wes and leave Booth behind.