The FBI: International team is ready to fly.
CBS has announced the first official synopsis and character sheet for the second spin-off to the hit franchise. While the casting had been announced earlier, the producers finally reveal who’s who in this exciting new team.
FBI goes International
On the face of it, something called FBI: International seems a contradiction in terms. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is considered an agency that only works within United States borders.
The series takes the idea of a special unit that travels the world, protecting U.S. citizens. This is similar to the short-lived Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders spin-off that ran from 2016-17 on CBS.
CBS’ press release clarifies the special “Fly Team” the series will utilize.
“Headquartered (and filmed) in Budapest, elite operatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s International Fly Team travel the world with the mission of tracking and neutralizing threats against American citizens wherever they may be.”
One catch is that, due to international law, these agents cannot carry firearms overseas. Thus, they have to rely on their wits and skills to save the day.
Who’s who on the FBI: International team?
With casting completed throughout July, the cast is now set, and CBS is revealing who their characters are.
The Fly Team’s Special Agent Scott Forrester (Luke Kleintank) is “their accomplished and dedicated leader, puts his missions ahead of his personal life and is rarely seen without the team’s “secret weapon” – their trusty Schutzhund dog, Tank.”
Heida Reed plays second-in-command Special Agent Jamie Kellett, “who’s not afraid to tussle – in an alley or courtroom – and whose extensive network of informants is a powerful resource.”
Special Agent Andre Raines (Carter Redwood) “shines in the field and makes good use of his accounting background in tracking criminal enterprises moving money.”
Special Agent Cameron Vo (Vinessa Vidotto) is the new member of the team and will be the audience’s point-of-view character in how they work. She’s described as “a competitive West Point grad who excels at interrogation and strategy.”
Rounding out the cast is Europol Agent Katrin Jaeger (Christiane Paul), the multilingual liaison between the Fly Team and each host country they inhabit.
The decision to go with a cast of relative unknowns is notable. The most experienced is Paul, a popular actress in her native Germany.
While the other two FBI shows utilized a “name” TV actor as a linchpin (Jeremy Sisto for the first show and Julian McMahon for FBI: Most Wanted), it appears the producers feel a lineup of fresh faces are better for the audience.
The series premiere will be the final part of a three-part crossover with the other FBI shows on September 21 before settling into a regular timeslot between those programs the following week.
Currently filming in Hungary, the series is set to bring the FBI franchise into a global setting.
FBI: International premieres Tuesday, September 21 at 10/9c on CBS.