There are times that a trope is tried and true. However, FBI: International is opting for trope that is way overdone.
In the latest episode, the show introduced two new characters. The first was Agent Riley Quinn, who seems to want to grow in her career while protecting her brother. That’s putting her in a tough spot when the FBI Section Chief David Zaleski gives her a mission she can’t really say no to.
He wants her to find something dirty on Wes Mitchell. And it’s clear that if she can’t find something legitimately, she needs to plant something on him. In a tired trope, we have an outside force going after the leader of the Fly Team.
What exactly does David Zaleski have against Wes Mitchell in FBI: International?
One problem with this storyline is that we haven’t got to know Wes Mitchell all that much. Zaleski has never been mentioned before. At least when people came after Forrester, there was some sort of backstory to it.
My only guess is that Zaleski wanted the original guy who took over as Fly Team leader when Forrester left. We know that there was a guy who was only there for the photo opportunities. Vo and the rest of the team didn’t rate him, and most of them were more than happy to have Mitchell come to lead the team after working with him.
It is possible that Zaleski put the other guy—who is so minor that I can’t remember his name and just don’t care about him—in charge because he wanted to control the Fly Team a little better. When that plan failed, he realized that he needed to get rid of the man who took the job instead.
The FBI: International storyline shows the writers are running out of ideas
The problem with this storyline is that it’s been done to death, and not just in FBI: International. This is a popular trope across all Dick Wolf shows. It happened at least once a season on Chicago Fire when Chief Boden was in charge, and we’re currently seeing someone going up against Voight—although I’ll admit that that is in an unusual way, so I’ll take it.
FBI: International has already dealt with this storyline a couple of times. There have been people in positions of power trying to take Forrester down every step of the way. Now they’re just coming after Mitchell.
It’s becoming a tired storyline that shows the writers are struggling for ways to keep the drama within the Fly Team itself. And the show doesn’t even need to do that. Personal drama in terms of the case or with individuals outside of the Fly Team and FBI would work well. FBI: Most Wanted and FBI have been able to manage it, so why not FBI: International?
It’s likely that one of the FBI shows will be canceled to make way for FBI: CIA. I have a feeling that it’s going to be this one.
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