Zeeko Zaki promises some big moments for Omar Adom “OA” Zidan in the FBI Season 5 premiere.
The actor who plays the special agent opened up about what to expect when OA gets into a wild adventure in the first episode of the season airing this week, including a tough undercover assignment.
He also shared what’s happening with some of his FBI teammates and how this new year will affect them.
That includes OA’s superior officer balancing the case with a difficult personal issue.
The actor also talked about the controversial decision to not air the Season 4 finale following a real tragedy and when fans can expect a return for OA’s partner, Maggie.
His words amp up the excitement for the Season 5 premiere and the new season of FBI itself, which is sure to thrill viewers.
OA’s dangerous premiere assignment
The FBI Season 5 premiere has the team tracking a terrorist group who appears ready to set off a bomb somewhere in New York City.
This will have OA going undercover in the group, which could put him in a dangerous position.
Speaking to TV Line, Zeeko Zaki discussed how the episode opens with the team in a good place which can be challenging for the new season.
“You know, the team is in a really good place. We always have the opportunity to do really big premiere episodes, and our producing director, Alex Chapple, really gets to come out of the gates heavy. It was our opportunity to kind of show the health of the series, and this an interesting one because we do have our Season 6 pick-up, so at the end of the day, we’re hoping to stay earning that as we move forward. But it’s a really big episode. It’s got some really good stuff from all the cast that we’re really excited about.”
Zaki joked that he enjoyed the “undercover” outfit for OA, which is much different than his usual attire.
“The glasses were really fun, filming with that [prop]. I think about how Meryl Streep uses her glasses in every scene she does, so it was a fun time to use a new prop. Also, OA has always been suited up for four years…it’s kind of become my ‘supersuit,’ when the tie goes on and the jacket…so it’s interesting to do it a little dressed down.”
A subplot of the episode is Jubal (Jeremy Sisto) trying to balance the case with his son’s birthday, which puts him in a tough spot.
“I think it’s really, really nice to have Jubal’s character be a father figure to the agents and then also to get to play that storyline, outside of work with a family with his kid. It shows all the different realities of the FBI. We have agents that don’t have families, who can go hide underwater for 10 days to solve a crime, and then we have the ones that do [have a family]. It’s all part of it.”
This dangerous case is just the opening to what can be a huge season for the team.
Zeeko Zaki on the missing Season 4 finale and Maggie’s return
Zaki was asked about the planned Season 4 finale, which was to have aired in May. The episode was pulled hours before airing following the tragic Uvalde, Texas, school shooting.
Zaki couldn’t answer when the episode might air but does understand why it was delayed and hoped it would eventually be shown.
“At the end of the day, I’m kind of on the same side as the audience with that. I’m excited to see what happens with it as well. We usually have start-to-finish storylines, and having this episode still ‘out there’ is kind of interesting. I’m excited to see where we go with it as well.”
A major question of fans is when Maggie (Missy Peregrym) will return. The character was hit by a deadly sarin gas attack in Season 4 and has been bedridden since. This was an excuse for Peregrym going on maternity leave.
Zaki stated that when Maggie returns, OA will likely be more protective of her, still affected by her near death.
“The ‘protective’ thing, I think I’ve gotten to kind of scatter it over the last few episodes, with all the different partners and things like that. At the end of the day, a lot of things correlate with the real world. We have a long season ahead, with the protectiveness of my character and her character.”
Zaki was quiet over details on future episodes but did indicate that Episode 3 will see OA “get to step out of my comfort zone, and getting to do that on the show is always very exciting.”
As fans prepare for another great season of action on FBI, Zaki is set to let OA enjoy some character growth alongside the weekly thrills.
FBI Season 5 premieres Tuesday at 8/7c on CBS.