Since the inception of FBI in 2018, there have been two spinoffs created. There is another one on the way, but the jury is still out on how that will turn out.
Each of the FBI shows has a different vibe, drawing in a slightly different audience. This is certainly beneficial for a franchise, as you want each of the individual shows to have their own voice. However, it can also mean that those who love one won’t end up tuning in for the others.
Sadly, FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted were canceled, but this wasn’t arguably their fault. There has been a lot going on with CBS over the years and some bad cancellation decisions. Being canceled early is not a sign that they were bad shows, although we do have to admit that FBI: International ended badly.
CIA is on its way, but that won’t premiere until January 2026 at the earliest. We’ll be sure to check it out and add it into this list when the time comes for that. For now, we’re ranking the three FBI shows.
FBI: Most Wanted
Personally, I loved FBI: Most Wanted to start. Julian McMahon was admitted the reason I tuned in from week to week, and I was gutted with his departure (and I’m even more gutted how). The series did start to lose its spark with his exit, and while Dylan McDermott tried, he just didn’t have was McMahon did.
The series was able to bring some slightly darker elements to investigations. There were tougher crimes to solve, and a chance to go to some different parts of the United States. I don’t think the series utilized that as best they could, and there was also an issue of an ever-revolving door of cast members, which made the quality struggle.
FBI
The flagship series is the longest-running, and it is still going pretty strong. There are characters that we can root for, and it has been the most stable when it’s come to cast members. Only Scola has struggled to find a consistent partner, but that is adding to some excitement to the story.
With the series set solely in New York City, you do have to start wondering how the FBI can be needed in so many cases. At least it’s a major city to be set in rather than a small town that makes you wonder why people even live there anymore! There’s a great mix of personal and work drama thrown into the mix, but the writing is starting to struggle just a little for some characters the more the seasons go on.
FBI: International
I love the ability to go to different parts of Europe. There is so much to explore, and the beauty of FBI: International, is that we get to see the team have to work with the different police forces. There are rules that don’t make sense to Americans to follow, and that adds to the excitement.
While FBI: International has struggled with cast members coming and going, it was already a small team and so it was somewhat expected. The biggest change came with Luke Kleintank’s exit, which led to Jesse Lee Soffer coming in. This season could have worked better if it wasn’t the last, but that’s not a fault of the writers (at least, not to begin with).
I’m going to just pretend that the finale didn’t end with that cliffhanger, because it was a strong show up until that point. Now I need Vo to be part of CIA to get some answers about what happened at the end!