Spoilers ahead for the March 22 episode of FBI on CBS, called “Scar Tissue.”
FBI put the team on the trail of a serial killer after a local murder case took a turn, and the investigation took them to a hotel that resulted in a family connection for Alana De La Garza’s Isobel. Her father was in charge of the hotel, but wasn’t cooperating with the case – which turned very violent for the team – until his hand was forced. Isobel was convinced that Robert (played by guest star Nestor Serrano) was being difficult to punish her for not making time for him, and the tension came to a head at the end of “Scar Tissue” with the reveal of why she joined the FBI in the first place.
Isobel didn’t actually endure any of the violence in this episode, as Tiff was caught unawares by the killer and attacked (although she survived) and OA (who has had a difficult enough season already) later had to fight for his life, and he almost certainly would have been killed if not for the timely arrival of Maggie to shoot the bad guy dead. It was a high-stakes and stressful hour for Isobel as her dad stonewalled the investigation, so when he showed up in her office unexpectedly, she didn’t pull her punches even when he tried to say that he was proud of her.
Robert established that Isobel’s mom dreamed of working with the FBI, and after he wouldn’t drop the subject, Isobel explained her true reason for joining the Bureau:
You know, for the record, I didn’t join the FBI to make Mom proud. I joined to make you crazy. … Yeah, you wanted me to go to law school, so I did the opposite just to piss you off. I guess I should be saying thank you.
Isobel tried to rebuff her dad suggesting that they reconnect and actually have a relationship again, and didn’t soften until he explained that he didn’t go to her mother’s funeral because she asked him not to. It was enough for Isobel to agree to go to dinner with her dad, so this may be the beginning of a new era for them.
Plus, now fans heard directly from Isobel about why she joined the FBI, and her reveal definitely wasn’t one that I saw coming, considering how well she’s done and how high she has risen at the Bureau. She may have joined with the goal of pissing off her dad, but she definitely flourished at the FBI. In fact, after the death of Rina earlier in Season 4, Isobel is the highest-ranking regular on the show.
FBI also used Isobel’s story to touch on the most recent major tragedy in the CBS corner of the nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe. FBI: Most Wanted said goodbye to former leading man Julian McMahon by killing off Jess LaCroix, and Jubal – who knows a little something about losing somebody on the job after Rina’s loss – tried to be there for Isobel.
Most Wanted showrunner David Hudgins has shared that Alana De La Garza will appear in an episode as the show deals with the aftermath of the death. As for whether or not she’ll react to the addition of Dylan McDermott as the new character who will “reinvigorate” the season, only time will tell. For now, you can look forward to new episodes of FBI on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, and find more viewing options on our 2022 TV schedule.
