FBI: Most Wanted ended its second season on such an intense cliffhanger that it left the futures (and fates) of several characters in question, but it's a character not involved with that deadly situation who has been confirmed as not returning for Season 3. Nathaniel Arcand, who has been playing Agent Clinton Skye going all the way back to Most Wanted's backdoor pilot on FBI, is leaving the series.
Nathaniel Arcand confirmed the news via social media, although the departure of Clinton Skye may not come as a shocker to fans after his much reduced presence in Season 2 of FBI: Most Wanted. Take a look at how Arcand broke the news on Instagram:
In his post, Nathaniel Arcand doesn't give a reason for his departure from FBI: Most Wanted as Clinton Skye, although his "Must Say Bye. Bye." caption may indicate that he was written out of the series, rather than that he chose to leave himself. Still, the hashtags of #movingon and #movingforward point toward an optimistic outlook toward whatever comes next, no matter the reason why he won't be back.
Nathaniel Arcand's exit has been confirmed by CBS (via Deadline), so there's no room for doubt about Clinton Skye's future (or lack thereof) when FBI: Most Wanted returns for Season 3 in the fall. A big question now is when it was settled that Arcand wouldn't be back, as Most Wanted didn't write a definitive exit arc for him.
FBI: Most Wanted showrunner David Hudgins opened up about Season 3 when he spoke with CinemaBlend ahead of the finale, and he had clear (if mostly spoiler-free) plans for what comes next. If Nathaniel Arcand's departure was known at the time, then Clinton Skye's absence may have already been planned out months before the news broke.
It's worth noting that after appearing in all but one episode of the first season, Nathaniel Arcand just appeared in three episodes of Season 2, and not at all in the second half of the season starting in 2021. His final episode was in early December 2020; depending on when FBI: Most Wanted returns in the fall, it could be close to a year since fans had seen his character on the show.
Even though Clinton Skye has been absent for a while, I for one still hope that Season 3 gives an in-show explanation for his whereabouts. That said, Season 3 of FBI: Most Wanted (which also added some new characters) is going to have a lot going on even beyond the usual gruesome cases of the week. In addition to all the character beats heading into the finale and the life-or-death cliffhanger, Most Wanted and parent series FBI will be launching the next spinoff, FBI: International.
All three shows will air together for one big FBI block on CBS Tuesdays, starting with FBI at 8 p.m. ET, FBI: International after its launch at 9 p.m., and FBI: Most Wanted holding onto its 10 p.m. time slot. CBS has not yet announced a premiere date for the network's branch of the expansive Dick Wolf universe, so be sure to check out our 2021 summer TV premiere schedule for some viewing options during the wait for the fall season.
