All three of CBS' FBI shows are back in the 2024 TV schedule, and they are as closely connected as ever following the three-part crossover back in 2023. While that TV event was nearly a year ago, the delays due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike mean that the series only just returned with new seasons. FBI: International kicked off its third season with a case that involved FBI's Jubal pitching in from an ocean away. Star Luke Kleintank opened up to CinemaBlend about the complications of mini crossovers, and a possible future for FBI: Most Wanted cameos.
While the agents of International and FBI are rarely even on the same continent, characters like Jubal (Jeremy Sisto) and Isobel (Alana De La Garza) have sporadically appeared via video call. When I spoke with International's Luke Kleintank for Season 3, he addressed the cameos from Jeremy Sisto after Forrester and Jubal worked the crossover case together in Rome last year, saying:
I think that just over time, the more crossovers that we do, and the more times we do these FaceTime things, that it just solidifies that [history] more and deepens that relationship so it just feels more natural. That's hard, and I think they might try and do that for Most Wanted too, because I don't think we've kind of crossed into that world too much as far as the phone calls and stuff go. But when we're doing those phone calls, by the way, I don't ever see his face. I'm only ever looking at a blue screen, so that's tough.
It's possible that we could see some Most Wanted characters making video appearances on International this season, although Luke Kleintank couldn't confirm when we spoke. The actor did confirm one of the complications of filming the video calls with Jubal: he doesn't actually get to see Jeremy Sisto when shooting Forrester's side of the scenes.
While that's not a huge shock considering all the moving pieces of producing major network TV shows, Kleintank went on to share why it's not as simple as the FBI team shooting Jubal's half and sending it to the International crew. He shared:
Sometimes I hear his voice if they had recorded it, if they had filmed it beforehand. A lot of times because the same director that works with us in Budapest has to then fly to New York City to then film that part, for DGA rules they can't just film it with somebody else over in New York. Typically, the person is here first and then they go to New York to film Jubal's part, so a lot of times it's not his voice, it's actually somebody else speaking right next to me, and I'm just looking at a blue screen. When I get the chance to hear his voice, it's nice.
The director of the International episode has to film the FBI half of a crossover scene, even though that could mean traveling from Budapest to New York for just a few moments of footage. So, while it's a treat to see familiar faces chat with Forrester and Co. on International, fans may not want to count on it happening on a weekly basis! Still, it's not wild to hope to see some Most Wanted stars making a video call to the Fly Team, or perhaps vice versa.
Of course, the Fly Team has gone through a lot of changes after just a few episodes of Season 3. After resolving the explosive cliffhanger, the show lost a series regular with the departure of Heida Reed as Jamie Kellett. Analyst Amanda Tate, played by Batwoman's Christina Wolfe, has fit in well with the team so far. Whether that continues – and whether we'll see some FBI and Most Wanted characters sooner rather than later – remains to be seen.
The good news is that the new seasons of all three shows are just getting started. You can find new episodes of FBI: International on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET, between FBI at 8 p.m. ET and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. ET, all on CBS. You can also revisit earlier episodes of all three series streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.
