Spoilers ahead for Episode 6 of FBI Season 6, called "Unforeseen."
The characters of CBS' FBI deal with unforeseen consequences on a weekly basis, but the latest twist for Maggie's personal life was particularly unexpected and potentially permanent. In case it seemed like Maggie's reunion with friend Jessica was going a little bit too smoothly for this show, tragedy struck and left Maggie with a responsibility she couldn't have seen coming. It happened during a case involving poisonous gas that was already stressful for Maggie, as it resulted in a throwback to the sarin gas exposure that nearly killed her back in Season 4.
The latest episode in the 2024 TV season started for Maggie in a meeting with Isobel about her future with the FBI, and she confided in her boss that she's considering IVF and potentially becoming a mother. While Maggie hadn't decided just yet, Isobel made it clear that the agent has her full support. Jessica's daughter Ella clearly triggered the idea in Maggie, and she didn't hesitate when Jessica wanted her to be named emergency contact and temporary guardian for Ella while she underwent surgery for a minor aneurysm.
Well, by the end of the episode, it became clear that the temporary guardianship of Ella might not be so temporary after all. Sadly, there were complications during the surgery and Jessica died, with Maggie presumably legally on the hook for caring for Ella. The episode ended shortly after Maggie got the news about her friend, and the promo for the next episode doesn't give away any spoilers about the Ella situation, but I think it's very safe to say that Maggie's life just got more complicated.
And here it seemed like OA was the character whose personal life was tricky this season! Hopefully he'll be there for Maggie, as they're definitely one of my favorite TV partnerships. In fact, the callback to the sarin gas crisis was a reminder of one of the FBI arcs with the heaviest focus on their bond.
As fans likely remember, the sarin gas arc got off to a scary start right away in Season 4 due to OA's experiences with the substance during his time in the army. When the investigation went sideways, Maggie and OA were exposed to sarin, and only OA was able to get away in time to avoid hospitalization. Maggie wasn't so lucky, and was out of commission for the rest of Season 4 and well into the first half of Season 5.
The real-life reason for Maggie's exposure was to accommodate actress Missy Peregrym's maternity leave, and her return in Season 5 explored the fallout of the sarin gas via OA's overprotectiveness of her. She seemed more or less recovered from the trauma of the experience at the time, but "Unforeseen" proved that she could still be triggered into thinking back on it. Fortunately, the ricin gas didn't land Maggie or OA in the hospital this time around, and the team closed the case and caught the bad guys by the end of the hour.
So, on the plus side, Maggie wasn't left comatose in the latest episode involving poisonous gas. On the flip side, her friend died unexpectedly, and Maggie may be facing the prospect of taking in Jessica's daughter. While the agent was considering motherhood via IVF, she definitely wasn't committed to becoming a parent, and I don't think it's a stretch to say that she never imagined taking custody of her late friend's daughter.
For now, we can only wait and see what's next for Maggie. The promo for the next episode, which airs on April 2, suggests that Isobel will be the one going through the wringer. Take a look:
Keep tuning in to CBS on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes of FBI, ahead of FBI: International at 9 p.m. and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. You can also find the latest seasons of all three shows streaming via Paramount+ subscription now.
