Season 8 got off to a bloody start when a team member was killed, although not the character who was on death’s door in the previous finale’s cliffhanger. Alana De La Garza’s Isobel survived, while Agent Dani Rhodes lost her life. It was a game-changing twist in a show that doesn’t usually kill off the series regulars.
The hits kept coming for some characters. Isobel’s decision to pass on a promotion has had worrisome consequences for OA, and possibly Maggie. That was on top of OA’s relationship with Gemma falling apart. Maggie’s sister was brutally killed by her old nemesis, and Jubal nearly lost his son in a city-wide terrorist crisis.
That’s not to say that there haven’t been good moments as well. Scola and Nina got married, Agent Eva Ramos joined the team as Scola’s new partner, and CIA quickly became a hit as the newest spinoff. The two series wasted no time in delivering small crossovers with one show’s cast members appearing on the other.
CBS has had the future of FBI locked down for a while now, and there should be plenty to look forward to regardless of whether there’s another bloody cliffhanger to end season 8.
FBI Season 9 Has Already Been Confirmed By CBS
Back in April 2024, CBS announced the renewals of FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, and FBI: International. While that didn’t result in Most Wanted or International continuing, the original series was much more fortunate. The network ordered a renewal for three more seasons while FBI was still airing season 6.
At the time, CBS cited the fact that FBI was averaging more than 12 million viewers per episode on CBS and Paramount+, which was a notable increase from the year before. Most shows don’t get multi-season renewals, but FBI had a lot going for it to get that guarantee through season 9.
FBI isn’t going quite as strongly in season 8. The drama missed out on the list of Top 20 network and streaming shows over 28 days in April, while CIA made it to No. 13. FBI did make the Top 20 for the first week of March, however, over the course of one week.
When Will FBI Season 9 Release?
The network is changing the time slot for FBI on Mondays, although not by much. After being moved to 9 p.m. ET for season 8, CBS is airing new episodes at 8 p.m. ET for the upcoming season. The slot was wide open after the cancellation of Watson and the ends of both DMV and The Neighborhood.
CIA takes over the 9 p.m. slot to keep the two Dick Wolf TV shows paired in primetime. Harlan Coben’s Final Twist, a true crime show hosted by author Harlan Coben, will air at 10 p.m. It remains to be seen if CIA and FBI will deliver a two-part crossover, but the pairing on Monday nights bodes well.
What FBI Season 9’s Story Could Be
As a hit procedural, FBI stories generally don’t carry over from episode to episode. There are notable exceptions, however, and season 7 ended with Isobel collapsing without a pulse into Jubal’s arms. The season 8 premiere undid that twist by revealing that Isobel was just fine after a hospital stay, but another agent was killed off.
It’s therefore likely that storylines from the later episodes of season 8 will carry over to season 9, possibly including OA considering a potential promotion. The new ADIC punished him for disobeying orders by benching him out of his usual field work, and a passive role doesn’t seem sustainable if Zeeko Zaki remains in the cast.
Maggie has shown no sign of wanting to stop honing her analyst skills by working BAU cases, while the episode focusing on Eva ended without any closure. FBI delving further into Scola’s marriage may depend on Shantel VanSanten’s availability to reprise her role as Nina.
Isobel and Jubal seem pretty solid as the most hands-on leaders for the agents at 26 Fed, although that may change for season 9 if ADIC Lawrence Green decides to involve himself in their work on a daily basis.
A cast change also can’t be ruled out. FBI has cycled through new partners for Scola ever since the departure of Katherine Renee Kane as Tiff, and Dani Rhodes seemed like she was there to stay when season 7 ended. Eva has fit in well with the team, but that doesn’t guarantee longevity. If nothing else, fans will have the option to revisit FBI season 8 on Paramount+ over the summer hiatus ahead of season 9’s arrival this fall.
