Which of CBS’ FBI Series Came First – And Which One Is the Best?
Dick Wolf’s reign of procedural dramas extends beyond NBC’s wildly successful Law & Order and One Chicago brands. The TV mastermind has a block of CBS shows known as the FBI franchise, including FBI, FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International. Like his NBC shows, the trio of FBI series have crossovers between them and air on the same night to create one three-hour block of programming.
The FBI franchise even shares a few familiar faces with the Law & Order dramas, establishing that there’s a shared universe between all of the Wolf programs. But given that Wolf has so many shows and the FBIs are continuing to expand, things can get complicated for viewers to follow. Here’s a chronology of the FBI series so viewers can understand which came first — and which one of the shows is best.
The FBI franchise originated in 2018 with FBI’s series premiere on CBS. The show stars Missy Peregrym as Special Agent Maggie Bell and Zeeko Zaki as Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan. Jeremy Sisto and Alana de la Garza, who appeared on Law & Order together, play Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine and Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille. The series follows the agents at the FBI’s New York office, so it mainly works on a smaller scale — something the two spinoffs changed.
FBI: Most Wanted received a backdoor pilot toward the end of FBI Season 1, but the spinoff — initially starring Julian McMahon as Supervisory Special Agent Jess LaCroix — didn’t premiere until 2020. After McMahon’s exit resulted in LaCroix’s death, Law & Order: Organized Crime actor Dylan McDermott joined the series as new team leader Remy Scott. FBI: Most Wanted follows the Fugitive Task Force as they pursue the criminals on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, and is noticeably darker in tone and content than its predecessor.
The second spinoff FBI: International premiered in 2021, leading up to the franchise’s first three-show crossover. This show centers on the FBI’s International Fly Team as they travel the world to neutralize threats against the United States. Though the team — including Luke Kleintank as Supervisory Special Agent Scott Forrester, Heida Reed as Special Agent Jamie Kellett and Carter Redwood as Special Agent Andre Raines — has a headquarters, their distance from the other series means International has the least connection to the rest of the franchise.
Sometimes the first show in a franchise isn’t the best, but it’s true for the FBI brand. Although FBI: International is quickly gaining steam as it further establishes itself in its second season, the original FBI is the best FBI series because of its consistency. Now in its fifth season on CBS, the drama has been more stable than either of its spinoffs.
While FBI: International is understandably still finding its bearings, FBI: Most Wanted’s frequent cast turnaround has created an unavoidable hiccup in the show’s appeal. The regrettable death of Jess LaCroix in Season 3 upset many of the show’s fans, some of whom have yet to warm to Remy Scott as his replacement. FBI: Most Wanted Season 4 did include a welcome addition when Chicago Fire’s Edwin Hodge joined the main cast.
During Missy Peregrym’s most recent absence, FBI introduced Shantel VanSanten as Special Agent Nina Chase, who also happened to be Special Agent Stuart Scola’s former girlfriend. Nina was only a recurring character, but her renewed relationship with Scola and the camaraderie she built with the team made the temporary substitution work. FBI also maintained an interest in Maggie’s story even off-camera, making her Season 5 return a celebrated occasion. Because of its ability to keep viewers invested in its characters and to keep those characters around, FBI is superior to FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International.
