Spoilers ahead for the Season 4 fall finale of FBI: International, called "You'll Never See It Coming", which aired on CBS and will stream for fans with a Paramount+ subscription.
Rarely has a TV show made me feel so called out by an episode title as FBI: International's fall finale did to close out the 2024 TV schedule, because I truly didn't see it coming when the episode ended with Vo on death's door and Wes joining forces with Tyler for some vigilante justice against the man responsible. While the very last scene was technically Wes and Tyler getting ready to go break some laws and avenge Vo, I'm thinking more about the bloody twist when Raines revealed that Vo's odds of surviving her surgery aren't looking good into the 2025 TV schedule.
Not only did Carter Redwood tug on my heartstrings with his delivery, but the twist reminded me of what Vinessa Vidotto told CinemaBlend last season about Vo's hopes for her future.
What Happened To Vo In "You'll Never See It Coming"
Vo was tempting fate in the fall finale by making an enemy of Greg Csonka, although he wasn't the person who would pull the trigger on her by the end of the episode. Even seeing that and knowing that Vo was seemingly shot in the promo for the episode, I didn't think that things would get as bad as they did. The shooter was armed with a rifle and shot from a distance, nailing Vo in the collarbone just beyond the protection of her bulletproof vest.
Wes quite literally had blood on his hands, and Raines stayed behind at the hospital for the latest updates on his teammate. He later had this news to drop on the rest of the Fly Team:
She was in surgery and losing a lot of blood, but they were fixing it. And then, I don't know, something went wrong and they're saying she went into shock, and it doesn't look good.
Raines was barely holding back sobs while delivering the news, which was a great performance from Carter Redwood and reminded me of how Vo and Raines used to share a fair amount of their screentime. Also, credit to FBI: International – Raines' phrasing and Redwood's performance had me sincerely wondering if Vo had died until he clarified that it "doesn't look good."
What can I say? FBI: Most Wanted killing off Jess all those years ago keeps me on edge whenever anybody in any of the three FBI shows is on death's door. Unfortunately, FBI: International won't be back to reveal what comes next until the winter premiere in January, so instead of thinking to the future, I found myself flashing back to when I spoke with Vinesssa Vidotto back in the spring about Vo's big undercover case of Season 3.
Vinessa Vidotto On Vo's Hopes For Her Career
Now, when I spoke with Vinessa Vidotto for Season 3 back in March, there was no way of knowing at the time that Vo would be on the verge of death by the end of the year. In fact, last season, Vo had become the second in command to Forrester and taken on a leadership position within the Fly Team after Kellett left Budapest.
The actress shared that portraying Vo stepping up was "a lot to take on quickly" and "not an easy transition," but got a handle on it by imagining that she was "auditioning for a different character, and this character is already in this position." While Vo has always been open about her hopes to rise up the ranks in the Bureau, it was a big move quite quickly!
It was a major change for the young agent at the time, and I'd wondered: what was it like for Vo to suddenly be in a position of power over her former peers, like Carter Redwood's Raines? Vidotto answered that very question back in March, and her response really packs an emotional punch now:
We've definitely thought about that! And we're always poking fun at each other, because obviously as characters, both him and I are competing to be the Director of the FBI. It's been fun on the sidelines to play around with him about each other's positions.
There was never any friction between Vo and Raines over her suddenly becoming second in command on the Fly Team, and it sounds like the actors had fun with the plot twist behind the scenes. Vidotto went on to share another way that the storyline of Vo getting closer to her hopes of advancement within the FBI felt strange, saying:
Even an age thing as well. Obviously, I'm the youngest one, and so it's strange, even as Vinessa to call the shots and talk to my seniors in a very assertive way. It's strange! [laughs] And I have to be confident in that. Even if we are around the same age, like Raines and I, it's interesting for sure. It's a funny feeling.
Have Vo's hopes for the future been dashed by the events of the Season 4 fall finale? FBI: International is the one of the three FBI shows that historically is most likely to end a finale on a cliffhanger, although both the original show and Most Wanted have a stronger track record of killing off agents. My fingers are crossed that she'll be on the road to recovery in the new year, hopefully before Wes and Tyler do something that can't be undone. If the worst does happen for Vo... well, Vinessa Vidotto's comments from the spring will hit even harder.
FBI: International will return with the winter premiere on Tuesday, January 27 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, between FBI with the aftermath of OA's betrayal at 8 p.m. ET and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. ET. If you want to revisit the big Vo episode from Season 3, you can find it streaming with a Peacock subscription now.
