FBI: International‘s Fly Team needs a new leader now that Forrester (Luke Kleintank) has disappeared, and it should consider borrowing someone from one of the other shows in the franchise. For the past three years, Forrester has kept the Fly Team together despite losing several of their agents, and he must be replaced quickly. This team deals with violent international criminals who have the means to corrupt local authorities and make themselves disappear, so the Fly Team must be tightly coordinated to prevent the bad guys from making good on their threats against the United States.
When Kleintank decided to exit FBI: International to spend more time with his family, the series prepared for his departure by adding some new characters who aided in the search. Chicago Med alum Colin Donnell joined FBI: International season 3’s finale and displayed potential as a new leader. However, he was billed as a special guest star, and his character didn’t appear interested in staying with the unit after it was determined that Forrester was gone. Instead, a character who recently left FBI: Most Wanted is a perfect choice to be the new team leader.
Alexa Davalos Should Replace Luke Kleintank As The Lead Star of FBI: International
Her Character Was Written Out of FBI: Most Wanted Without Explanation
Until recently, Alexa Davalos played Kristin Gaines in FBI: Most Wanted, but her character was abruptly written out of that series ahead of season 5. This leaves both the actress and the character free to take a job on another member of the franchise. Gaines was one of the best agents in FBI: Most Wanted before her departure. In addition to being smart and analytical, she was not afraid to stand up to her bosses if she believed they were headed in the wrong direction, making Gaines a natural fit to lead the Fly Team.
Gaines’ leadership would also lead to a compelling conflict for her, as she has a teenage daughter that she struggles to parent effectively despite the demands of her job. Although her personal story wouldn’t be as enigmatic as Forrester’s, it would provide enough conflict and drama to make her character more interesting than the average leader. Additionally, the Fly Team is different than many other FBI teams, so she’d have to adjust to its requirements after working domestically while under pressure from government leaders who want cases solved and the Fly Team out of their hair as soon as possible.
A Familiar Face Leading The FBI Team Could Make The Storyline More Worthwhile
FBI: International Needs Compelling Characters & Stories
FBI: International features foreign criminals, local government officials that get in the way, and crimes that are not as typical as other police procedurals. This makes it harder for this series to retain audience interest than the other FBI shows. Additionally, when a major character like Forrester leaves, he needs to be replaced with someone equally interesting and complicated to keep the series moving forward, as FBI: Most Wanted‘s inability to recover after Julian McMahon’s exit demonstrates.
The key to making FBI: International compelling is to make the characters relatable, and bringing Gaines on can help do that.
Tapping Gaines to lead the Fly Team could solve this problem. The segment of the audience that watches both shows would already be familiar with Gaines, and the Fly Team characters may also be familiar with her. Davalos’ move to International automatically opens the door for interesting storylines revolving around Gaines’ leadership and reputation with the Fly Team and with the international community.
The key to making FBI: International compelling is to make the characters relatable, and bringing Gaines on can help do that. Gaines’ work/home-life balance challenges have the potential to be relatable to a large segment of the audience, and stories in which she has to learn quickly how to work with international agencies would be more compelling than simply continuing with the crime-of-the-week format. Gaines thus has a lot to offer the series if she were to become the new leader. Additionally, it would make more sense to bring her in than to promote from within, considering that FBI: International‘s Cameron Vo only recently got promoted to second-in-command.
Kristin Gaines Was Written Out Of FBI: Most Wanted With Zero Closure
The Character Disappeared Without Warning or Explanation
Although it had been announced prior to FBI: Most Wanted season 5 that Alexa Davalos would not be returning, there was no on-screen explanation given for her departure. The only hint the series provided for why she left was that her personal relationship with Remy Scott (Dylan McDermott) was causing her to be uncomfortable on the job. Nina Chase brought this up, but after Scott insisted that wasn’t the case, the subject was dropped. Thus, the reason Gaines left is mostly a mystery, and the series does not appear interested in exploring it further.
The reason for Gaines’ departure could be explained in FBI: International if she became the new Fly Team leader. Additionally, if she did quit her previous job because she was uncomfortable with the gossip surrounding her relationship with Remy Scott, that provides a perfect excuse for her to change shows. Gaines’ background and skills make her a strong choice for the Fly Team’s new leader and could lead to more compelling storylines, whether or not the reason for her abrupt exit from FBI: Most Wanted is addressed.
