Change is on the way for FBI: International, and not just in the usual way of anticipating a potential season finale cliffhanger. Luke Kleintank, who has been the leading man of the second FBI spinoff since its premiere in 2021, is leaving the hit CBS drama... sooner rather than later. Despite International's renewal for Season 4, Kleintank's final episode as Agent Scott Forrester will air on May 7, with two more episodes left in the 2024 TV schedule.
So, in light of the short notice of Kleintank's departure, the casting of a Chicago Med alum as his potential replacement, and how the FBI shows historically say goodbye to characters, I came up with a handful of ways that Forrester could leave the Fly Team. One is a bit more fairy tale than the others, but let's start on a serious note!
Forrester Could Be Fired
The Fly Team often pushes the boundaries of what they can do in their international cases, although usually within reason. Forrester has had to reason with FBI's Jubal about what can happen in Europe vs. the U.S., and he had to recently have a talk with Vo about needing to cooperate with local authorities if they want to do their jobs. Luke Kleintank's departure could be incorporated into the show in the form of Forrester going too far one last time and having to take the hit. Plus, considering that International hasn't been setting up a departure throughout Season 3, him being fired could be abrupt enough to work.
Why This Might Not Work: Forrester has arguably been better about sticking to the rules in Season 3, as a contrast to Vo as she learns the ropes of leadership and as an example to newcomer Amanda Tate. If he's going to be punished for crossing lines, it's harder to imagine for Season 3 Forrester than either of the earlier seasons.
Forrester Could Quit The FBI
Forrester has certainly been through the wringer over the years, so I'll say the same thing for him that I've said for characters elsewhere in the nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe: he deserves a break from his extremely high-stress job. He's held up pretty well so far over the years in the grand scheme of things, but losing Jamie Kellett from the Fly Team in the premiere threw him a bit. Plus, now that Vo is becoming a leader, he might feel like he could leave the Fly Team in good hands rather than feel like he's abandoning the agents.
Why This Might Not Work: Forrester hasn't really given any indication that he's ready to leave the job, and the threat of being given a stateside desk job back in Season 2 was clearly pretty nightmarish for him. Plus, something pretty big would have to happen sooner rather than later if he's going to be ready to quit within just two more episodes. Perhaps concerning his mom, and all the baggage associated with their relationship? Otherwise, I'm not sure I see it.
Forrester Could Take The Fall For The Fly Team
This scenario is actually a combination of the options of Forrester quitting the FBI and being fired from the FBI. The character has consistently shown how important the lives of his agents are to him, and perhaps that could extend to their jobs in Luke Kleintank's last remaining episodes. Vo is already in place to lead the team after him, and him taking the fall for the Fly Team crossing a line or making a huge mistake would be a way to write him out that's pretty definitive but also pretty noble.
Why This Might Not Work: It's hard to imagine a specific scenario where Forrester could take the fall within the span of two episodes, but this is a bittersweet option that's not too devastating to consider.
Forrester Could Change Jobs
A much more straightforward explanation would simply be for Forrester to change jobs. FBI: International said goodbye to Jaeger at the end of Season 1 when she was promoted, and Kellett didn't leave the entire Bureau when she decided to leave the Fly Team. We can even look at Powell as an example, as he left to go back undercover this season. There's precedent for Forrester to leave his job in Budapest without actually giving up his role in the FBI. This would be a straightforward way to say goodbye that really wouldn't rule out him returning someday, even if just as a guest star like Christiane Paul did.
Why This Might Not Work: The obstacle here is similar to the obstacle to Forrester just quitting the FBI: why would he do it? He has seemed satisfied in his role as Fly Team leader, after all, and International would need a way to sell it. This option doesn't seem implausible, though!
Forrester Could Be Killed off
And here we come to the worst case scenario for saying goodbye to Scott Forrester! In a different franchise, the idea of abruptly killing off a lead character in an episode that's not a premiere or finale would seem absurd. In the FBI franchise, however... well, isn't that exactly what FBI: Most Wanted did to write out Julian McMahon as Jess LaCroix and replace him with Dylan McDermott?
I'm not saying that death has to always be the outcome for a departure just because that's what happened with Jess, and Most Wanted has said some less deadly goodbyes in the seasons since. But the parallels between Julian McMahon exiting part of the way through a third season and Luke Kleintank doing the same are hard to ignore.
Why This Might Not Work: Well, it wouldn't be ideal for fans, but it would be a straightforward way to write out the actor without needing too much setup. So, it objectively could work, even if it would be sad. And on the sad note, let's look at the fairy tale option!
Forrester Could Ride Off Into The Sunset With Kellett
Who says it has to be an unhappy ending just because this is a crime drama? Forrester had to say goodbye to his close friend and one-time love interest in the Season 3 premiere when Kellett decided to return to the U.S. to honor her sister's memory with a safer job. At the time, Luke Kleintank noted to CinemaBlend that we "never know what the future holds, so she could always be coming back."
He also said that "that ship had sailed" when it came to romance, but "there's still that love for one another" and "part of him is definitely gonna miss her." So, I think the best case scenario for a happy ending would be for Forrester to reunite with Kellett, and I'd love to see Heida Reed make a surprise cameo somehow to make it happen.
Why It Might Now Work: Well, it's an awfully happy scenario for a franchise that's not always too happy, and I described it as "fairy tale" for a reason. Still, Forrester deserves a happy ending, and I think reuniting with Kellett could work for that.
For better or worse, the wait to find out isn't too much longer. Only two episodes are left with Luke Kleintank as Scott Forrester, so be sure to keep tuning in to CBS on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET for FBI: International, between FBI at 8 p.m. and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. You can also find all three shows streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, and the season finales air on May 21.
