Spoilers ahead for Episode 5 of FBI Season 7, called "Pledges."
The focus of FBI shifted over to Jubal in "Pledges" before the end of the 2024 TV schedule, and focus on Jubal often means a rough time for Jeremy Sisto's character. The episode started on an action sequence, with the team busting a group of protestors on a college campus to rescue a woman. He was surprised to spot Tyler among the protestors who were detained by the NYPD, and he leaned on a police officer to release his son to him.
There were strings attached and he was in some serious hot water with Isobel by the end of the episode, but I was still thinking about how this was the perfect time for a cameo or two from Law & Order elsewhere in the nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe. If not for a couple of complications, that is.
Why "Pledges" Would Have Been Perfect For A Crossover
In all honesty, my mind flashed over to Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU as soon as I saw that the protest was taking place at Hudson University, when I'd just written about Hudson as the most dangerous place in Dick Wolf's TV world. Jubal then interacted with a few cops, which is really nothing new for FBI. What made me wish to see somebody specifically from L&O or SVU was an exchange at the JOC.
The agents learned that the Hudson hashtag was full of students blaming the NYPD for the murder of a student, with – according to Kelly – "dozens of claims of excessive force and demands for accountability." Jubal and Isobel then had this exchange:
- Jubal: "We know the NYPD doesn't have a ton of love for these protestors, but we really think some agro cop beat Jacob to death?"
- Isobel: "That is a bomb we're not willing to toss until we have evidence to back it up. And no one approach the NYPD until I've spoken with the commissioner."
- Jubal: "I would also like not to declare war on the NYPD."
Both Law & Order and SVU have already dealt with protestors this season, and we haven't even reached the fall finales ahead of the 2025 TV schedule yet. Hudson University of course remains a cursed area of New York City for both of those shows. Plus, it's not an impossible dream to hope that the CBS and NBC worlds can cross over, thanks to Chicago P.D.'s Tracy Spiridakos crossing over to FBI back in 2020. The three FBI shows, three current Law & Order shows, and three One Chicago shows share the same TV universe.
And dang it, both Law & Order and SVU film in New York just like FBI, so travel wouldn't be necessary like when SVU and Chicago P.D. crossed over back in the day! It wouldn't even need to be a full crossover – just seeing somebody from L&O briefly would have been fun. Alas, Jubal would have been a complication in this episode, which you'll be able to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.
Why Jubal Would Have Complicated Things
There are actually a couple of reasons why FBI featuring Law & Order or SVU characters even briefly might have been a problem in this particular Jubal-centric episode. The first has to do with the actual plot, which saw Jubal pressuring a cop to let Tyler go and then paying the price for it when a member of the NYPD brass reported him to Isobel, leading her to report him to OPR and suspend him.
There just aren't characters on L&O or SVU who really fit the bill for any of those actions, even though Maura Tierney's Lt. Jessica Brady is still a relative newcomer. Plus, the level of involvement of the NYPD on Jubal's story seems like it would have to affect the Law & Order side of the Wolf universe if there were any familiar faces, which might not be ideal for a storyline that presumably is only going to really matter on FBI.
The more straightforward reason is that Jeremy Sisto was a series regular on Law & Order for several seasons prior to its cancellation, as was Alana de la Garza. It's certainly not unprecedented for actors to play multiple characters in this TV universe, and Sisto in fact played more than one character on L&O itself. Those former roles definitely don't discourage me from wanting to see cameos, but perhaps not in an episode that focuses so strongly on Jubal.
So, will Law & Order and FBI ever cross over? Only time will tell on that front, but if the two NYC sides of the Dick Wolf universe are going to keep visiting Hudson University, I'm going to keep hoping for at least a cameo at some point or other. A mega three-part One Chicago crossover is reportedly in the works, so at least one major multi-show event is on the way for this world in the foreseeable future.
Keep tuning in to CBS on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes of FBI, followed by FBI: International at 9 p.m. ET and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. ET. CBS has confirmed when the FBIs will return in 2025, and you also have the option of streaming next day with Paramount+.
