FBI Season 7, Episode 17, “Lineage,” felt like the end of the road for Alana De La Garza‘s Isobel Castille. Very rarely do characters get such a good setup for an exit as the character did in this hour. First, the episode revealed that she had reached the 20-year milestone at the FBI, meaning she could retire with full benefits. Her husband, Philip (Tom Cavanagah), was very supportive when she suggested a possible retirement, and then the case-of-the-week turned out to be around Jack Grippo, a criminal Isobel had been trying to catch for years. So, when the case was closed and Grippo was dead, it felt like Isobel’s career had all come full circle, making retirement all the more possible.
Is Alana De LaGarza Leaving FBI?
Despite the setup, the answer is no. Alana De La Garza’s Isobel Castille is not leaving FBI. At least… not yet. Part of the reason was that she really felt that she just wasn’t done, and the case exemplified that. At the end of the episode, the team learned that Billie, Grippo’s daughter, had actually outmaneuvered them all and had now taken over for her dad at the head of his criminal empire. So, really, Isobel hadn’t totally closed the case on the Grippo crime family. It was just the beginning of another chapter.
When Isobel went home and confided in her husband what had happened, she seemed a little dejected that, in many ways, the work never ends. But Philip didn’t really seem upset that Isobel wasn’t ready to call it quits and instead offered some perspective and encouragement. “You decide when your part in the work is finished,” he told her. That’s when Isobel said she’s “not finished.” At least, not yet.
FBI has already been renewed for two more seasons, so knowing that Isobel isn’t going anywhere is good news. The other good news? The show has established Philip as Isobel’s support. Relationships have a way of not going well in this show; just ask OA and Gemma. And we went from not knowing much about Isobel’s personal life to her being married and not seeing her in what looks to be a pretty stable and loving relationship.
How will that affect Isobel going forward? De La Garza teased that it would come into play. “Phillip will definitely come up in future episodes. There is a vulnerability that comes with loving your family and having them mean so much. As the SAC, Isobel feels that tremendously. She has a responsibility to protect the public but also her heart,” she told TV Insider in an interview.
This is a very interesting dynamic for a character we usually get to see being in control and in charge, and we rarely get to see her emotional side. Who is Isobel Castille with her husband? And more importantly, how does he come into play in a case? Who will she become if her husband is in danger? This is FBI, after all. We don’t think that’s out of the realm of possibility, particularly considering the show cast an actor like Tom Cavanagh to play Philip. You don’t bring in such a capable actor if you’re not going to give him something to do.
With the season finale getting closer, Isobel and her husband could come into play in whatever cliffhanger the show has planned to end the season. If so, it could be a long summer for fans as they wait to find out if the happiness Isobel Castille has found will be long-lasting or if this marriage will end in tragedy.
