FBI: International is on the way back to CBS in the fall 2024 TV schedule after taking a week off in the wake of Wes' emotional reveal, and the Fly Team member who is usually the safest is going to be in danger in the new episode on November 12. Amanda Tate, who's usually using her skills as an analyst to help the team from back in Budapest, is heading undercover to investigate a DEA agent in Spain. I spoke with actress Christina Wolfe about what's ahead, and she shared the question fans should be asking and the setting in Madrid.
The new episode on November 12 (which will be available streaming via Paramount+ subscription) is called "The Unwinnable War." Tate is called on by the deputy inspector general to go into the field for an undercover op to investigate a DEA agent who might just be dirty. Undercover work is nothing new for most of the team, but how ready is the analyst for the challenges? Christina Wolfe shared:
How prepared is she? She's not very prepared. [laughs] She's not had the official training, but I suppose how capable she is, is the big question in this episode. Will she be able to pull this off? It's a big task, and she's told at the beginning by Wes that she could pass on it if she wants, so she makes this decision that she is capable and she can do it, and then she runs with it.
Amanda Tate may be willing, but being prepared isn't quite so guaranteed! The agent is incomparable as an analyst for the team; she's more untested when it comes to what "The Unwinnable War" has in store for her. When I noted that Tate doesn't seem like somebody who would just pass on something difficult if given the chance, Wolfe responded:
Absolutely not. Tate is so driven, and I think she has a lot of self confidence about her abilities in the team and I think she's also impulsive. She says herself – I don't know if it was actually in the final draft of the script – but she says she has a bit of a chip on her shoulder, and if someone tells her that she can't do something, then she's going to want to do it. It matters to her that she feels like she's up to the task, and that others would also think so, that they would trust her with these cases.
It should be interesting to see what the dynamic between Tate and Wes is like in this episode, as her previous field work back in Season 3 with Raines happened when Forrester was still the Fly Team leader. (You can rewatch that episode, called "Rules of Blackjack," streaming with a Peacock subscription.)
So, why is Tate the one going undercover when the rest of the Fly Team has more experience in the field? You'll have to tune into the episode for all the details, but her fluency in Spanish will be key. Christina Wolfe grew up in Spain, and she only had good things to say about how FBI: International is putting her Spanish to good use. She told me:
I think it's really clever how they weave it into the scripts, because there were a few moments in the previous season where Tate spoke some Spanish, but in this one, she's actively using it to solve the case, which I think is really interesting to watch and fun for me to play. And also having them set it in Spain and Madrid, of all places, which is where I grew up. Sadly, we didn't actually fly there. When I read the episode, I was like, 'Oh my god, going back to Madrid! This is really cool!' [laughs] And then they're like, 'No, we're faking Madrid in this one,' but it was still amazing. Really, really good fun.
FBI: International does often travel to the locations where episodes are set, including filming in London for last season's big Smitty episode. This time, though, Budapest will be doubling for Spain. Wolfe complimented the show for pulling it off, and shared the one part of the episode that she did film outside of a set:
The production team did such a good job of finding locations that would work as Madrid. I was really impressed. Most of it was actually in Budapest, but there was one town that we went to… which they kind of dressed up to look like Madrid. I actually drove there. It's a little bit away from Budapest, but I drove there to go and film a scene where I opened a door. [laughs] That was my most adventurous location so far.
Fortunately, fans don't have much longer to wait to see Tate tackle her first undercover job with the Fly Team, as "The Unwinnable War" airs on Tuesday, November 12 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. For a taste of the danger she's facing as the "honey" in a honey trap operation, check out the promo below:
CBS is keeping the action going on Tuesdays this fall season, with FBI Season 7 at 8 p.m. ET, FBI: International Season 4 at 9 p.m. ET, and then FBI: Most Wanted Season 6 – which is bringing back Barnes after a long absence – at 10 p.m. ET. You can also find new episodes streaming next day on Paramount+.
