After FBI: Most Wanted's Season 5 Return, One Star Explains That 'Really Sad' Moment With Remy And New Dynamic With Nina
What a way to start Season 5!
Spoilers ahead for the Season 5 premiere of FBI: Most Wanted, called "Above & Beyond."
While Season 4 of FBI: Most Wanted ended on about as high a note as could be hoped for the darkest show in the FBI franchise, the Task Force had some extra problems to deal with on top of the hunt for their fugitive of the week in the Season 5 premiere. Remy getting justice for his brother didn't automatically translate to contentment in Season 5, and there were plenty of complications to come along with Shantel VanSanten's debut as a series regular. Roxy Sternberg, who plays Barnes, opened up about what she dubbed a "really sad" moment for Remy as well as Nina as replacement for Kristin Gaines.
Remy's Sad Moment In The Premiere
FBI: Most Wanted relied on a session between Remy and his therapist to catch viewers up on what happened over the time jump to the 2024 TV schedule, including the release of the documentary about the man convicted of killing his brother, the departure of Kristin Gaines, two replacements who hadn't worked out, growing distance with his nephew, and FBI's Nina joining the Task Force. He wasn't feeling his best, and even told his therapist that he wasn't sure if anybody at work even liked him. I asked Roxy Sternberg how Barnes would respond to that, and the actress said:
Remy and Barnes didn't get off the to the strongest start, with him coming in as the replacement for Jess and her stepping away before Dylan McDermott joined the show due to Sternberg's real-life maternity leave. It wasn't until Season 4 that fans really saw them together, and it was quickly clear that their dynamic wouldn't be a carbon copy of what she had with Jess. But the actress was quick to say that Barnes definitely likes her boss now! Sternberg continued, naming a specific Season 4 moment that wasn't great between the characters:
Considering that Barnes went from Jess' right-hand agent to working under a new boss she didn't know at all, it made sense at the time that they needed some time to iron out all the wrinkles in the working relationship. Sternberg went on to clarify how the fiction emulated real life with Dylan McDermott's arrival, saying:
Barnes may have needed some time to get used to Remy as the new leader of the Task Force, but Remy apparently doesn't need to worry about her liking him now that Season 5 has kicked off. If anything, he may need to worry more about Nina after she told him to his face that she'd heard a rumor that he and Gaines had started something outside of the office before she left the job. And that brings us to...
Barnes' New Dynamic With Nina
While the majority of the friction within the team was between Remy and Nina in the Season 5 premiere, Nina and Barnes spent some time bonding. Roxy Sternberg previously opened up about Shantel VanSanten having a "smoother transition" into Most Wanted compared to previous cast changes, due to Nina starting out as an FBI character.
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There are still questions about what went down (or what didn't) between Remy and Gaines that Most Wanted lost another series regular, but Barnes and Nina seem like a dynamic duo. I noted to Sternberg that I loved the moment between the characters after the car chase when Barnes told Nina not to apologize, and the actress opened up about the characters' dynamic moving forward:
The two agents spoke a bit about parenthood in the Season 5 premiere, with Barnes establishing that Nina came back from maternity leave a month early and Nina sharing that Scola (FBI's John Boyd) is a great dad for when she doesn't make it home before the baby is asleep. While it remains to be seen if they connect any further, Sternberg continued:
See what's next for Remy, Barnes, Nina, and the rest with new episodes of FBI: Most Wanted on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS, following FBI: International – which just said a goodbye to a series regular – at 9 p.m. and FBI at 8 p.m. You can also revisit earlier episodes of all three hit shows streaming with a Paramount+ subscription now.
Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).