I am more upset about the Fly Team’s fate than before afterFBI: International’s new behind-the-scenes reveal about the finale.FBI: Internationalseason 4wasn’t originally intended to be the last season of the procedural, which focused on crimes affecting America that took place overseas. Jesse Lee Soffer’s Wes Mitchell brought new energy to the team, and the series attracted a relatively high number of viewers per week as a result.
Unfortunately,FBI: Internationalwas one of theshows that CBS canceled in 2025. After the cancellation was announced in March, there was widespread speculation about how the series would end. However, I was disappointed in the ending, which utilized cliffhangers rather than wrapping characters' stories up and focused mostly on Wes' solo trip to Japan to catch a serial killer. This ending left several important questions aboutFBI: Internationalunanswered. Additionally, a recent behind-the-scenes update suggests that the writers did not have to make this choice.
FBI: International Season 4 Finale Was Filmed 2 Months After Its Cancellation
While the cancellation decision was made in March,theFBI: Internationalseason 4 finale was not filmed until May— two months after the decision came down (viaTVLine). Thus, during that two-month period, the writers, cast, and crew were presumably all adjusting to the reality that the series would be ending with the season 4 finale and making plans for how to craft an effective wrap-up for the procedural.
This reveal suggests thatthere was a significant period of time between the cancellation decision and when the final script had to be delivered. Some TV shows film further in advance; ifFBI: Internationalhad already filmed everything but the series finale when the cancellation news broke, it would have been understandable that the wrap-up was rushed and unsatisfying. However, this new timeline reveals that that was not the case and that episodes were filmed fairly close to when they were broadcast.
Ending With Cliffhangers Was A Conscious Choice
Given that the writing team had nearly two months to craft a proper ending, I am bewildered by the decision to fail to wrap up major storylines. TheFBI: Internationalending more closely resembled a season finale than a series finale, as it left open the question of who had gotten the GS-14 job as well as making it unclear whether Wes was remaining with the Fly Team or returning to the United States permanently.
Instead of leaving significant questions open, the writers should have tweaked their original plan to make it clear that either Andre (Carter Redwood) or Vo (Vinessa Vidotto) had received the promotion
This decision makes little sense considering that the writers knew the series was ending for over two months before crafting an ending. Instead of leaving significant questions open, the writers should have tweaked their original plan to make it clear that either Andre (Carter Redwood) or Vo (Vinessa Vidotto) had received the promotion. Similarly, the ending could have clarified that Wes was leaving the Fly Team and that Vo was taking his place as leader. These changes would have preserved most of the story structure while also wrapping up the series effectively.
Both Shows Were Cancelled At The Same Time
FBI: Most Wantedwas also cancelled in March, yet that series offered a more reasonable wrap-up. UnlikeFBI: International,FBI: Most Wanted’sendingincluded a scene in which every character’s fate was explained, followed by the characters all celebrating their time together. This was a far more satisfying ending thanFBI: International’s lack of clarity about characters and storylines. It also demonstrates thatFBI: International’s lackluster ending was entirely unnecessary,as theFBI: Most Wantedwriters created a more satisfying ending within the timeframe.
It is as unfortunate as it is baffling that the writers ended the popular procedural this way, as the poor ending damaged the series' legacy.
There is no logical reason for the way thatFBI: Internationalended. The writers had enough time to craft a real ending, yet chose not to do so. This led to a disappointing finale, a fact that is made worse by the knowledge that the writers did not have to end the series this way due to time constraints. It is as unfortunate as it isbaffling that the writers ended the popular procedural this way, as the poor ending damaged the series' legacy.
