Every TV show loses cast members along the way. FBI has been no different, but some cast exits have been more puzzling than others. One of the most puzzling has been the loss of Ebonée Noel after the Season 2 finale.
Ebonée Noel was a member of the team as Kristen Chazal back when the series first debuted. She initially worked as an analyst, but she ended up chasing her dream to become a field agent, which she managed in the second season. While she did face a near-death experience, she was able to overcome the trauma and it looked like she was going to stay with the team.
Then suddenly in the third season, Noel’s character was gone. Jubal shared that she sent a text to say that she was joining the Dallas Field Office. Fans were warned of Noel’s exit during the summer break, but the decision was a puzzling one.
Ebonée Noel and FBI haven’t explained the exit decision
It sounds like this was a creative decision for the series. When cast members have left the show on their own terms in the past, the actors have spoken out about it. We just have to look at the way Kellen Lutz, Julian McMahon, and Luke Kleintank all made their decisions to leave the FBI franchise public.
Neither Noel or the show spoke out about the decision to write Kristen out. It is puzzling that it was for creative reasons considering Kristen’s character development over the course of two years, but this could be the need for a series to keep people on their toes and to change things up within the dynamics of the series.
The problem with sudden changes to the cast is that they don’t always feel genuine. It would have been different had the series not seen Kristen get over her trauma of her near-death experience. This is a problem that a lot of TV shows have, and it’s not just about the FBI franchise. It is a huge issue with the Dick Wolf shows as a whole as they try to keep things fresh between seasons.