FBI: Most Wanted embraced the time jump between seasons with its return to CBS in the 2024 TV premiere schedule, starting with the transition of FBI's Nina Chase over to the Fugitive Task Force and continuing with Remy reflecting in a sad moment to his therapist. The next episode of Season 5, airing on February 20, will catch up with what is happening in Ray Cannon's personal life, and actor Edwin Hodge opened up to CinemaBlend about the storyline as well as Supernatural alum Steven Williams playing his dad, as introduced in the clip above.
As a procedural, Most Wanted doesn't often delve very far into the personal lives of the agents, but the Season 5 premiere (available streaming now via Paramount+ subscription) dropped a clue about Ray's romance when he declined dinner with his coworkers to go roller skating with Cora. According to Edwin Hodge, that's not the only relationship to get some attention in the next new episode. He shared:
We're definitely diving into the personal life of Ray. His relationship with Cora and also her son, how that affects him and how he moves through his life now. Some new change for him. Also, we are introducing my father, who will be played by Steven Williams, who is absolutely brilliant. He's got a long standing history within this industry. He popped onto set and he just shined. His personality, his dedication to wanting to know and understand who Ray's father is, how important he is to Ray and the crux of why Ray has made certain decisions in his life to become an FBI agent.
FBI: Most Wanted has dipped into Ray's backstory a few times since he joined as a series regular in Season 4, including reveals about his past in New Orleans before coming to the Fugitive Task Force. The new episode on February 20, called "Footsteps," will evidently explore more of his family history, with the excellent Steven Williams on board to play his father. The case of the week involves bombings that are seemingly targeting retired NYPD officers.
Steven Williams is a prolific actor over nearly 50 years in the industry, with notable TV roles ranging from characters in 21 Jump Street to The X-Files to Supernatural, to name just a few. While it remains to be seen how Ray Sr. fits into the Most Wanted story, the exclusive episode clip above sheds some light. I went on to ask Edwin Hodge how familiar he was with Williams' work prior to playing his son on screen, and the actor shared:
To be honest with you, I was very familiar with his face. Not so much the name, but growing up in this industry, we watched every Black artist in the world, and Steven Williams is one of those undeniable faces. He's one of those undeniable talents. You know him when you hear him, when you see him. He's got a dynamic look. And I did my research, just to understand who he is, as far as his career. There's projects that I did not see, did not know about, went and checked those out. Just to, like I said, acclimate myself to who he is as an artist. Once again, he came in and just gave everything he had.
Steven Williams' career has included so many TV shows over the decades that it's easy to understand why he'd be a familiar face, even if not necessarily a familiar name right off the bat. Based on Edwin Hodge's comments about his TV dad, fans have a lot to look forward to with how the guest star fits into the fabric of FBI: Most Wanted.
Of course, given that FBI: Most Wanted is generally the darkest of the three FBI shows, only time will tell if father and son have a particularly happy reunion in this episode. For a further peek at what's ahead, check out the episode promo:
Tune in to CBS on Tuesday, February 20 at 10 p.m. ET for this new episode of FBI: Most Wanted, and check back with CinemaBlend for more from Edwin Hodge. You'll also be able to find Hodge on the big screen this month, as star of the new thriller film Parallel, releasing in theaters on February 23 and on demand on February 27.
