FBI - General Discussion

[LisaM]

I thought that Jeremy Davies did a nice job as Sentinel. 

[Chaos Theory]

I am not sure about the Kristen story but they might be going for the “she is awesome at this job but passable at that job”.  Where would you have her especially where lives are at risk?   No matter how much she wants to be an agent she might not be agent material but damn is she the best at what she does in the office.   

[Waterston Fan]

2 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

I am not sure about the Kristen story but they might be going for the “she is awesome at this job but passable at that job”.  Where would you have her especially where lives are at risk?   No matter how much she wants to be an agent she might not be agent material but damn is she the best at what she does in the office.   

That could be true but I admit, do you think Maggie said something to Jubal or do you think Jubal noticed she didn't seem ready? I think three weeks is a bit short but not sure how long agents take getting back when they get hurt. 

I liked the episode, just a shame that Isobel got lied to but I want to think that the NYPD did a sweep of the NYSE to make sure there is no bomb. 

[illdoc]

Incidentally, it seemed awfully bright out (you could tell through Jubal's blinds) for 7:30 am! Here (in Chicago), it's still kind of dark (or at least dim) at that time. But, of course, if it had been dark out, Sentinel would have realized it wasn't 9:30 am & that it was a hoax.

[UnknownK]

21 hours ago, mxc90 said:

Adam Mizrah is a honest thief. He only takes the memory stick from the safety box and leaves the $40,000 in cash. I admire that!

How long was Jubal waiting to say the 'fatal error" line?

The first person that wants to kill Bates/Sentinel is the hot dog vendor for throwing away the buns every two or three times a week. 

Almost felt bad for the Sentinel (Manson wannabe). He got caught because he was responsible to wash his dishes and careless to not wash his clothes so the dog could track him to the panic room. He was so close to tears when he realized his bomb plan failed. 

Too bad for Kristen! She got screwed and is never getting out of the JOC now. Jubal couldn't see the look of disappointment on her face.

So why was Agent Emily Ryder added to the show? Kristen could have stayed in the field and those background agents in the JOC could provide the same skills she has in deducing. 

I assume the thieves were going to get paid very very well (I mean the hacker stole $2M just from the FBI a few months back and that thumbdrive is his life) and $40K or whatever else was around would have cut into their 3 minute get in and out time.

The new agent is going to be needed if or when the lead actress who is pregnant gets too fat to hide or needs time off after childbirth.

Kristen has always seem super confident and competent in the office with computers and not so much out in the field (no matter what the rest of the FBI says). 

In the real world people who do well keep getting promoted until they find a position they suck at and are miserable when stuck there.

[threebluestars]

I wonder if they've brought the new agent on so they'll have someone to cover when Missy Peregrym goes on mat leave? I've noticed they've given names and personalities to more of the computer analysts, so I was wondering if they're setting up to cover that - they could put Kristin back in the field and not really lose anyone from JOC since we're getting to know more of them.

[WendyCR72]

Here is the description for S02.E13, "Payback", to air on January 21, 2020:

When the son of a well-known retired FBI agent is taken just blocks from their home in what appears to be a revenge kidnapping, the team must uncover if it's tied to the agent's past or trouble the son has gotten into on his own. Also, Isobel must make a hard call when information from the past comes to light.

[mxc90]

On 1/15/2020 at 7:28 PM, UnknownK said:

I assume the thieves were going to get paid very very well (I mean the hacker stole $2M just from the FBI a few months back and that thumbdrive is his life) and $40K or whatever else was around would have cut into their 3 minute get in and out time.

If $40k is placed right there to be grabbed..... you make time and take it.

 

Back in the day, Dan must have thought Isobel was a real gullible supervisor and would never do a thorough follow up to know if he took the million dollars from the drug bust. He probably left the scene with bags of money right in front of her.

The way SWAT stormed that house with no plan, they are lucky Jake wasn't in the living room and hit by their gun fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Xeliou66]

Another very good episode IMO - I like the twists it took, although it was very coincidental that Jake got beat up by another kid on the day he was about to be kidnapped. That was the only flaw with the episode IMO, I liked it otherwise, it was a good case and investigation and I really liked how everyone got a nice role - all of the field agents plus the background people in the office. I had a feeling Dan was going to be dirty but I still liked how the case played out. 

I liked Jubal digging in to Dan’s past and knowing something was up with Isobel and I liked that he wasn’t afraid to confront her about it. I liked Isobel doing the right thing once she got the proof and having Scola and Emily arrest Dan, Jake’s kidnapping was pretty much Dan’s fault, I felt no sympathy for Dan. I like how by the book everyone is and how Isobel ignored Dan’s pleas to look the other way. 

Overall another very good, enjoyable case and episode. 

[LisaM]

I liked that the action was spread around and not mostly focused on Maggie/OA. Perhaps that is because of Missy's pregnancy but regardless, it made for a better show. 

[Waterston Fan]

I liked this episode too and it was Dan's fault for sure. Its funny how you remember a name after five years. 

I loved how Jubal called out Isobel. I bet noone would confront their boss like that. 

[preeya]

23 hours ago, Waterston Fan said:

I liked this episode too and it was Dan's fault for sure. Its funny how you remember a name after five years. 

I loved how Jubal called out Isobel. I bet no one would confront their boss like that. 

I can't fathom why she got so pissed at Jubal. After-all, she was already suspicious and he was 100% correct. He's like her 2nd in command so he should be able to "talk" to her.

[MerBearHou]

4 minutes ago, preeya said:

I can't fathom why she got so pissed at Jubal. After-all, she was already suspicious and he was 100% correct. He's like her 2nd in command so he should be able to "talk" to her.

When Isobel got so offended and told Jubal to leave her office, my husband and I couldn't believe it -- we both said "yeah right, she is way more professional than that".  It was bizarre and seemed out of character.  Jubal was right, of course.

[Waterston Fan]

55 minutes ago, preeya said:

I can't fathom why she got so pissed at Jubal. After-all, she was already suspicious and he was 100% correct. He's like her 2nd in command so he should be able to "talk" to her.

Only reason I can think of is, she was scared of what her suspicions were and maybe having Jubal make his suspicions and she realized he was right but she had to make sure that he was right. 

[Carmel Cub]

I must have missed something, but was there ever an explanation as to why the son had $5,000 cash in his baseball glove?

[preeya]

14 minutes ago, Carmel Cub said:

I must have missed something, but was there ever an explanation as to why the son had $5,000 cash in his baseball glove?

He was selling "study drugs" to students.

[WendyCR72]

Here is the episode description for S02.E14, "Studio Gangster", to air on January 28, 2020:

When a U.S. attorney is found dead steps away from the body of a private escort, the team must piece together what connected the two seemingly random victims. Also, Jubal’s connection with one of the victims makes finding the killer much more personal.

[mxc90]

Is breaking out in song the new way to make sure the rejected person doesn't make any more attempts?

Did Jubal make sure his badge and gun were shown to intimidate the principal/teacher?

Jubal is proud his son didn't rat out the other student?! Funny! Most of his business is to break people down in interrogation. His ex-wife sure wasn't happy with that.

Jubal must secretly really hate Big Tracey's music to let him get that beating. It was nice of the gang to not put any bruises on Tracey's face and just focused on the body. That beating would not have made Suge Knight proud.

Davina is lucky Jubal was on some guilt trip and gave her a pass.

Where was TMZ to catch Thumper and Tracey out in the public?

So Thumper was the killer from the start and nothing shady with Conway or Tracey's manager. The writers took a pass on any twists and turns with this one.

 

Edited January 29, 2020 by mxc90

[WendyCR72]

I know this sounds dumb, more than likely, but I do like that the mother of the murdered kid that Jubal kept getting shut down by wasn't all grateful to Jubal as some savior.

Maybe her behavior was strident and too angry, but too many times on cop shows (hi, SVU!), the cops make an arrest/do whatever and all is forgiven and the focal cop (hey, Olivia!) becomes said savior.

I liked that Jubal's past with this kid made this case more realistic in terms of the reactions, etc. Not everything is pretty and gets a pretty upbeat ending.

Like I said, probably small potatoes and sounds dumb, but just my take here.

[Xeliou66]

That was as straightforward of an episode as I can remember - it was a decent episode but the case was solved quickly, it was just about getting the evidence to prove it. 

I thought it was a very low move to make the rapper think he was being shot at, I thought they could’ve come up with another way to try to get him to cooperate, that could’ve backfired massively. 

I liked the scene between Jubal and Isobel in Isobel’s office, I like their interactions. 

I also liked that the mother of the victim wasn’t all thankful towards Jubal at the end, it kept things more realistic and I liked that it wasn’t a cliched ending. 

I liked Scola’s tackle of Thumper at the end, Scola and his partner didn’t get much to do in this episode but that was great. 

[The Ringo Kidd]

I thought this was an excellent episode and was very realistic. Especially how the Mom still hated Jubal at the end.
 

Do they have new writers?

[Dowel Jones]

4 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

it was a decent episode but the case was solved quickly, it was just about getting the evidence to prove it. 

Such as a complete dependence on known-to-be-inaccurate facial recognition software (especially with African-Americans),  and some intuitive leaps.  Oh, a picture that looks like her is on an escort service brochure?  She must be an escort!  And I'm pretty sure that using someone outside the PD to rifle through a house to get evidence is considered the same as the cops rifling through the house, i.e., you still need a warrant.  Nothing personal, xelihou66, I just shake my head at some of the shortcuts used in police procedurals, sometimes.

Was the accusation that the rapper had participated in an armed robber accurate?  His manager/quasi-attorney either was right that it was nothing, or he was bluffing the agents. If it was true, OA did have him over a barrel with that 'you aren't done til' I say you're done' thing.  If not, he had nothing over him.  In then end, though, he's no more safer with Thumper off the streets.  There's a whole gang behind him.

Maggie (Missy) is getting big!  They better think of something pretty fast.

[Netfoot]

5 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Maggie (Missy) is getting big!  They better think of something pretty fast.

They could shoot her...

She could spend several episodes in a hospital bed, and they could shoot all those scenes in one go and dole them out as needed on an episode by episode basis.  

[dubbel zout]

10 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

I liked the scene between Jubal and Isobel in Isobel’s office, I like their interactions. 

I was kind of surprised he wasn't reprimanded more forcefully when Isobel realized there was a connection to one of the victim's mother. He really should have been removed from the case at that point.

10 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

I liked Scola’s tackle of Thumper at the end,

Same here. It was blocked well, too—he sort of came flying out of nowhere. 

[Xeliou66]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

I was kind of surprised he wasn't reprimanded more forcefully when Isobel realized there was a connection to one of the victim's mother. He really should have been removed from the case at that point.

Same here. It was blocked well, too—he sort of came flying out of nowhere. 

I’m not really sure why Jubal should’ve been removed from the case, it’s not like he was related to a suspect/victim, he just happened to have arrested a victim’s mother years earlier. I think it was fine letting him stay on. 

I wonder what Jubal could really do regarding Thumper’s girlfriend who had the drugs in her apartment, wouldn’t that be up to the prosecutor regarding what to charge her with? I didn’t feel a lot of sympathy for her, if she cared so much about her kid why was she seeing a piece of crap like Thumper. 

I wonder how longer Emily, Scola’s partner, will be on for, I don’t see them adding her to the main cast but it doesn’t seem like Kristen is returning to the field anytime soon. I’m curious to see how that will play out.

[shrewd.buddha]

14 hours ago, mxc90 said:

Jubal is proud his son didn't rat out the other student?! Funny! Most of his business is to break people down in interrogation. His ex-wife sure wasn't happy with that.

It seemed like an odd yet directly connected scene to add to the episode. Jubal doesn't respect classroom snitches ... but in his 'esteemed' chosen profession, he uses his authority to bully people into snitching on one another on a daily basis.

That, along with OA's fake drive-by shooting and other questionable decisions, made the FBI come across as both slimy and police-state authoritarian in this episode. 
Maybe there will be some c***** shown in the FBI armor ... which isn't a big stretch considering the agency has plenty of scandalous behavior, both recently and all the way back to J. Edgar Hoover.

But I did like Jubal's feelings of regret at the end. It was a nice alternative to the haughty moral superiority reactions we see from OA and Maggie most of the time. 

Edited January 29, 2020 by shrewd.buddha

[LisaM]

Over the past few episodes, I've noticed a move away from having Maggie/OA dominate each episode to sharing the screen time with the other characters. The analysts in the bullpen are getting more screen time as is Jubal and Isobel. I wonder if this is due to Missy's pregnancy or whether it is a new direction for the show? I definitely like this "sharing the wealth" much better as opposed to the Maggie/OA show. Interesting that Kristen was not seen much in this episode - even at her indoor desk. 

[WendyCR72]

Here is the synopsis for S02.E15, "Legacy", airing on February 11, 2020:

After a truck filled with armor-piercing rifles is hijacked, the team works to discover who stole it, and what they have planned for the stolen weapons. Also, a friend from OA’s past in the military intelligence unit returns to help with the case, but OA isn’t sure he can trust his judgement.

[Netfoot]

Armor-piercing rifles? Probably those AK-15s we keep hearing about.

[mxc90]

The US government now knows Mansor is alive, why wasn't Brooks brought in immediately for questioning on why he gave a positive ID? OA should be the last person in line to "grill" him for his blunder. Now Brooks is exposed to be a poor at tailing a suspect a few steps in front of him in the market.

The NIA hit the front gate with ease, then decided to take their very sweet time going to the campus and were easily caught with none of their weapons fired. No wonder this group is not elite. When Maggie and OA arrrived, I thought they were too late. Maybe the NIA stopped for lunch.

If I'm General Carson and the other people at West Point, I would be pissed the FBI waited until the last minute to start evacuations when there are NIA members all over the place.

Real smart for Kevin to toss the fuel pump kill switch to be easily found. Valuable device could be used for another job. And good job bringing a nervous accomplice that cracked to the FBI in 5 minutes.

OA turned on the lights in the container without checking if it could be a switch to a bomb.

Did Mansor expect some container maid cleaning service to clean up after him? 

Scola must have a rule to study the layout of every office building before he steps in. He knew the exact spot where the kid would arrive for the takedown.

Kristen is getting back in the field, maybe Emily will be killed off soon.

Edited February 12, 2020 by mxc90

[MerBearHou]

I thought this was a good episode.  Love Scola.  He was great in that interrogation and in taking the guy down in the hallway.  

Emily is growing on me so I hope the show can keep both Kristen and Emily.  They’re so different in their manner.  I have the perhaps UO that I prefer Kristen as the computer wiz rather than in the field.  I like her very much but she seems so young and doesn’t have the gravitas/badassness for the field IMO.

OA’s emotions about Mansur and getting him in the end were very effective for me.  Loved Maggie’s little nod to him from downstairs.  

I held in a laugh though when Emily yelled the young man’s name from many feet away and sure enough he took off.  Made me think of the posts here wondering why they don’t just quietly walk up to the suspect and THEN say who they are??  

[mxc90]

23 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

I held in a laugh though when Emily yelled the young man’s name from many feet away and sure enough he took off.  Made me think of the posts here wondering why they don’t just quietly walk up to the suspect and THEN say who they are??  

Emily just said his name and he ran like an olympic sprinter. Maybe she reminded him of one of the kids that beat him up in high school and sent him to the hospital.

[Bobbin]

My favorite crime show tropes. Calling out the suspect's name from far enough away to give him a running start. And this exchange:

"Do we have any leads on his whereabouts?" "Well, I called every hotel, motel, inn and B&B in the tri-state area and every bar, restaurant and convenience store in New York City." "Any luck?" "Yes, he's in a bar on 49th Street." The unasked question: "Why didn't you lead with that??"

Gotta love it.

[Xeliou66]

Another good episode, I liked the intensity of it, this show almost always keeps my interest from start to finish. 

Best scene was OA and Scola interrogating the guy who made the phony visas and got the terrorists in, I really liked that scene, we don’t often see OA and Scola work together, and I liked Scola questioning OA afterwards about what was up with him. 

Once again I liked everyone working together, I really like how this season it’s a team effort and not just Maggie and OA, Scola has been a great addition, and I like the background people getting a larger role as well. I’m wondering how long Emily will stick around for, I like her but I doubt they will make her a part of the permanent cast. 

Jubal was cool as always and Isobel was good as well, I’ve really warmed up to her. 

I did wonder why Brooks wasn’t being grilled by higher ups about his epic screw up and was back out in the field instead. 

I laughed when they called out the guy’s name from a ways away instead of walking up to him and apprehending him, it’s a common trope and it makes me laugh every time. 

This was another good episode and I’ve really liked the show this season, I think it a very high quality show and I really like all of the characters. 

[Dowel Jones]

When Maggie and OA approached the box truck and the camera angle switched to inside the cab looking out at the rear view mirror, I had this mental image of Maggie yanking open the door and the terrified cameraman yelling "Don't shoot, don't shoot!  They told me to set up in here!"

That cargo company is going to be on the hook for wrongful death lawsuits in a big way.  You're hauling around automatic ammunition and armor piercing rifles (tips hat to Netfoot), and you can't even do a proper background check?

I am completely amazed the Army Military Police arrested the terrorists that they caught.  "You kill us, we will kill you back.  End of story."

3 hours ago, mxc90 said:

Did Mansor expect some container maid cleaing service to clean up after him?

Paging Raymond Reddington...

 

[FinnishViewer]

Quote

You're hauling around automatic ammunition and armor piercing rifles

I'm confused. I thought they said armor piercing bullets, not rifles.

[Dowel Jones]

It's a reference to the episode synopsis, which was in error.

[Netfoot]

9 hours ago, mxc90 said:

Scola must have a rule to study the layout of every office building before he steps in. He knew the exact spot where the kid would arrive for the takedown.

Ya, he turned and ran away.  How did he know where to go to intercept the guy?  Guess it helps to have a copy of the script...

8 hours ago, Bobbin said:

"Well, I called every hotel, motel, inn and B&B in the tri-state area and every bar, restaurant and convenience store in New York City."

Didn't take long, because there's only a few of them. I was going to mention my findings at the next department-heads meeting...

7 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

Jubal was cool as always and Isobel was good as well, I’ve really warmed up to her. 

I know he's generally well liked, but he is the most redundant person on the show.  He doesn't do anything but shout out the obvious to a team that shouldn't need hand-holding.

6 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

You're hauling around automatic ammunition and armor piercing rifles (tips hat to Netfoot)...

Heh! :)

Guns-R-Us used a sub-contractor to service the vehicles. Kevin who did the actual work is an employee of the sub-contractor. Or am I over-thinking? Did they just sub-contract the work to Kevin directly, making him the sub-contractor?

[LisaM]

I agree with the move towards including more of the team (and the background players) in the drama. 

I've warmed up to Isobel too because they have softened her character a bit and made her more like Dana. 

Curious if putting Kristen back in the field is permanent or if she is going to figure out that she excels behind the desk?

[dubbel zout]

9 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

Jubal was cool as always

What exactly does he do besides yell at everyone to instantly get him information? He annoyed me this episode. How about you give people time to search stuff before yelling that they aren't doing things fast enough? Gah.

1 hour ago, Netfoot said:

Guns-R-Us used a sub-contractor to service the vehicles. 

And do absolutely no background checks. COME ON, SHOW. 

1 hour ago, LisaM said:

Curious if putting Kristen back in the field is permanent or if she is going to figure out that she excels behind the desk?

Same here. I think she knows she's probably better behind a desk but can't accept it just yet, because the field agents seem to have more fun, as it were. 

[MerBearHou]

I see Jubal as the loud quarterback who makes sure the entire room knows what page the team is on.  That way, the guy in the corner has the same info as the person in the front of the room.  I love Jubal and if no one were there to shout the game plan, what they need, etc etc, they'd be wasting a lot of time bringing people up to speed.

[dubbel zout]

I get he directs the team, but he asks for such obvious stuff. "Check the financials!" "See what Customs has!" "Dig into social media!" These are all things that would be looked at without him barking orders. I know they need to give Jeremy Sisto something to do at the beginning of every episode, but I wish it varied a bit more.

[Bobbin]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

I get he directs the team, but he asks for such obvious stuff. "Check the financials!" "See what Customs has!" "Dig into social media!" These are all things that would be looked at without him barking orders. I know they need to give Jeremy Sisto something to do at the beginning of every episode, but I wish it varied a bit more.

I found that barking annoying, too, until I realized that Jubal isn't just giving orders to his team, he's telling the viewers what's going on. How many times have you seen a spouse or parent of the victim demanding to know, "Why aren't you out DOING something?!" How else would you know what they're doing just seeing them at their desks? Now you know.

[dubbel zout]

2 hours ago, Bobbin said:

Jubal isn't just giving orders to his team, he's telling the viewers what's going on.

He could just yell, "Do your thing, people!" and then ask the specific agent what was found. He does that anyway, and I think viewers are smart enough to realize what's going on, especially as it's the same stuff that happens in every procedural.

[UnknownK]

7 hours ago, LisaM said:

I agree with the move towards including more of the team (and the background players) in the drama. 

I've warmed up to Isobel too because they have softened her character a bit and made her more like Dana. 

Curious if putting Kristen back in the field is permanent or if she is going to figure out that she excels behind the desk?

I think they just had a special situation where all hands were needed out in the field.

[Netfoot]

3 hours ago, Bobbin said:

Jubal isn't just giving orders to his team, he's telling the viewers what's going on.

Sure.  He's Mr. Exposition himself. But that isn't a job you can get if you work for the FBI.  He needs to do something else in the show.

[preeya]

2 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Sure.  He's Mr. Exposition himself. But that isn't a job you can get if you work for the FBI.  He needs to do something else in the show.

He probably will. I can foresee an episode where he falls off the wagon or something similar. Stay tuned.

[SilverLake0315]

On 2/11/2020 at 11:13 PM, MerBearHou said:

I have the perhaps UO that I prefer Kristen as the computer wiz rather than in the field.

Right there with you. When Jubal asked if she was ready to get back out there, I said "Noooooooo!" out loud.

[LisaM]

3 hours ago, SilverLake0315 said:

Right there with you. When Jubal asked if she was ready to get back out there, I said "Noooooooo!" out loud.

Agreed! I hope that she figures out that she is most valuable as the computer wiz. Not everyone has to be the kick ass agent in the field. 

[Dowel Jones]

Or an ass-kicked agent in the field.