Spoilers ahead for Episode 17 of FBI: Most Wanted Season 6 on CBS, called "Gut Job" and available streaming next day via a Paramount+ subscription.
FBI: Most Wanted combined its case of the week in "Gut Job" with a mini crossover that brought Alana De La Garza over from FBI as Isobel for a powerful scene with Roxy Sternberg as Barnes. That much was safe to predict ahead of the episode on April 8 thanks to some exclusive early looks. What I didn't see coming was a scene between Remy and the fleeing suspect of the week that felt straight out of one of the most famous scenes between Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive.
And normally, I'd be much more preoccupied by Barnes' fate after this episode than any moments that reminded me of a classic movie from 1993, but FBI: Most Wanted's cancellation means that I don't really have to be worried about losing the agent at the end of the 2025 TV schedule. It's happening no matter what!
Barnes Might Be Leaving The Task Force
It was clear from the start that this would be a big Barnes episode, with a scene showing that her attempts to move on from her marriage failing and family moving away weren't working too well. In fact, she stepped away from a date to try and call her daughter. A later moment revealed that the character is ready to at least consider making a major change, as she got an alert for a job posting that would result in her staying with the FBI but relocating to Washington D.C. and working behind a desk. The listing read:
The FBI is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Task Force Supervisor based out of FBI Headquarters (The Hoover Building) in Washington D.C. This position. operates within the Washington D.C. branch of the Criminal Investigative Division. This role will be responsible for overseeing every Violent Crimes Task force in the northeast and will require you to coordinate investigative strategies across corresponding field offices.
The deadline for applications was listed as end of day on April 11, so Barnes will have to make a decision soon if FBI: Most Wanted is keeping up with real time! The name of the agent listed is Dennis Polanco, which I suspect is an Easter egg nod to the show's longtime hair department head of the same name. (Oh, the things you learn when you Google names you see on TV!) You can check out the blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment for yourself when the episode is available streaming.
As I suspected after news broke that Alana De La Garza would make a guest appearance in this episode, Barnes went to the SAC about potentially leaving the Fugitive Task Force. Barnes didn't commit to actually applying for the job and asked Isobel to keep the conversation to herself for the time being, but she did get Isobel's full support and the promise of a recommendation. There are plenty of reasons for Barnes to want the job, as it would take her closer to her kids and involve a promotion and pay raise. She seems to be ready for a change.
And since Barnes is a favorite of mine in CBS' FBI franchise, I normally would be torn between wanting a great ending for the character and not wanting to lose Roxy Sternberg's character from the show. With Most Wanted confirmed to end after the current sixth season... well, that sad news at least means that I can root for Barnes to take a great job that would remove her from Remy's task force, and it's been a long time coming. I was questioning when Barnes would get a promotion as far back this season as Episode 4!
So, instead of worrying about losing Barnes from Most Wanted, I can just hope for the best before the final credits roll for the last time in May. And, of course, I can rewatch the moment with Remy that had me thinking of The Fugitive.
Remy Channels Tommy Lee Jones In The Fugitive
The man who initially seemed to be the killer of the week was Carm, who had woken up with the bloody corpse of his wife and no memory of how they'd gotten into their positions. After a violent tussle that didn't go well for either man, Carm trapped Remy in a chain link cage, pointing the agent's own weapon at him but not pulling the trigger.
That alone had me flashing back to Harrison Ford's Dr. Richard Kimble pointing a gun at Tommy Lee Jones' US Marshal Sam Gerard in the 1993 film, and then the Most Wanted characters had this exchange:
- Carm: "I didn't kill Monica!"
- Remy: "You ran, so it's my job to chase you. If you're really innocent, trust the justice system and turn yourself in."
- Carm: No, because you put the cuffs on me, and they're never coming off. They pin my wife's murder on me, and the real killer goes free.
Call me crazy, but doesn't that come across as a just wordier version of this iconic exchange between Kimble and Gerard in The Fugitive?
- Kimble: "I didn't kill me wife!"
- Gerard: "I don't care!"
Different words but same sentiment, if you ask me! Of course, the two scenes weren't exactly the same. Remy and Carm weren't in a dam spillway while having their confrontation, and Richard Kimble didn't learn the truth about the one-armed man in the span of an hour of television like Most Wanted. Still, I can't help but wonder if anybody else watched the episode and immediately flashed back to a soaking wet Tommy Lee Jones dropping an iconic line at Harrison Ford.
Hopefully FBI: Most Wanted has more juicy moments in store before the final credits roll. I'm at least confident that we'll get to see how Barnes' storyline with the job opportunity plays out, and hopeful that it's a sign that she'll get a happy ending in the series finale. For now, keep tuning in to CBS on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET for new episodes of FBI: Most Wanted, following FBI: International at 9 p.m. ET and FBI – a.k.a. Alana De La Garza's usual show – at 8 p.m. ET.
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