The latest FBI episode had a major shift for Jubal that will affect him for a while. In the wake of a family emergency, the FBI ASAC made a huge mistake that can have big ramifications for his career.
Warning: This article has SPOILERS for the latest episode of FBI, which aired on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
In “Breakdown,” the team sprung into action when a gas attack on a bus killed three MTA workers. The team realized this was meant to be the test run for a larger terrorist attack and had to hunt down who was responsible.
However, Jubal was distracted when his ex-wife Samantha called to tell him their son Tyler, who had been recovering from cancer, had found a lump. The worry over his son, combined with the pressure of stopping a terrorist attack, caused recovering alcoholic Jubal to start drinking again.
Maggie noticed his erratic behavior, with Jubal refusing to admit she was right and even threatening to fire Maggie if she pressed this. The team was able to stop the attack, with Maggie telling Jubal to get himself cleaned up or she’d tell Isobel.
Jubal took her words to heart, confessing to Samantha how he’d slipped. Thankfully, Tyler’s condition was only a cyst, yet that made Jubal realize he’d cracked over nothing. The episode ended with him attending an AA meeting, upset that he’d allowed his demons to overwhelm him again. While he seems set to get clean again, this is likely to affect Jubal for some time.
Jeremy Sisto on Jubal’s issues in FBI
Jeremy Sisto had a few things to say about Jubal’s journey. He summarized to TV Insider that this was building for some time, since Jubal’s girlfriend Rina was killed last season and Tyler’s medical concerns pushed him overboard. At the same time, Jubal was able to keep from going over the edge.
"“Anyone who knows an addict or is an addict knows that’s always a possibility, and that’s why they say you take it one day at a time.But no, I think he caught it. He didn’t let himself go on a bender. He didn’t give in entirely. He was able to stop himself as he was veering off the road. He was on the side of the road, and there was a bridge ahead that he was heading towards and he pulls himself back just before he goes flying off the edge. And so I think we can be confident going forward that he pulled it back.”"
Sisto agreed that things will be tight between Jubal and Maggie as Jubal doesn’t want to admit Maggie was right about his problems.
With new episodes of FBI delayed until February, fans will have to wait to see how this unfolds, but Jubal’s recovery from his relapse is a big shift for the character.
FBI Season 5 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS.