I’m going to come right out and say it. FBI needs to ditch the romantic subplots NOW.
I’m all for character-focused drama, but procedurals aren’t soap operas, and I don’t enjoy them as much when they’re all about who is and isn’t together.
I’m especially tired of this alleged Maggie/OA/Gemma triangle, which only seems to exist in FBI fans’ minds.
Maggie and Joel’s Blink-And-You-Miss-It Relationship Annoyed the Hell Out Of Me
Maggie doesn’t strike me as someone particularly interested in romance, but I’m still trying to figure out the point of her relationship with Joel, if you can even call it that.
Within the space of a few episodes, Maggie met Joel, went on a few dates, discussed how the danger involved in her work scared him, and broke up off-screen.
There was nothing worth investing in here. Joel was an underdeveloped character, and scenes related to this so-called relationship drama wasted time that could have been used on case-related plots.
It seemed like Joel’s main purpose was as an obstacle to OA and Maggie falling in love, but his character didn’t even work in that respect, since OA stayed with Gemma, and Maggie quickly broke things off with Joel.
I’m not saying that Maggie shouldn’t have any life outside of work or that all stories about her personal life are a waste of time, but this one definitely was.
I’d have much rather she kept her guardianship of Ella and had stories revolving around trying to find the right balance between working as an FBI agent and taking care of a child.
It Felt Like Maggie’s Season 7 Stories Were All Teases for a Maggie/OA Relationship That Isn’t Likely to Happen
The Ella story could have been an emotional gut punch, but instead, the series rushed it to a conclusion, and it felt like the point was for Maggie to inform OA that she had relinquished guardianship of Ella.
Maggie and OA have had less screen time, period, and that’s probably partially due to cast rotation policies. Some episodes didn’t include both characters, but others seemed to keep them deliberately apart.
Was that to increase angst so that viewers would wonder if they were going to get together?
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Maybe not.
There was also a lot of behind-the-scenes drama about finding Scola a new partner, and they had to do something with him in the meantime, so Maggie or OA often partnered with him instead of with each other.
Still, Maggie got mad at OA because she felt he wasn’t being objective, and she rejected his partnership for the rest of FBI Season 7 Episode 11, only for the season never to mention the issue again.
For the next several episodes, Maggie or OA was missing due to cast rotation, and then OA went on his ill-fated trip with Gemma on FBI Season 7, Episode 14.
This is what I mean about rushed stories. It’s not just romantic angst that’s the culprit here, but EVERYTHING.
The season never fully explored OA and Maggie’s conflict. Similarly, FBI dropped OA’s issues with Clay after an exciting midseason finale.
OA’s judgment had been clouded by his former friendship with Clay and knowledge that he owed Clay his life in Afghanistan, but after he was forced to fatally shoot him, nothing.
Character-Rich Stories Beat Romantic Nonsense Any Day of the Week
I’m not saying all romance is a distraction from the procedural’s main purpose, but this overemphasis on rushed romantic storylines certainly is!
FBI missed so many opportunities for character development this season.
Nina and Scola are the one solid couple on this series, but during rare crossover appearances where the two were together, there was no evidence of Nina offering Scola emotional support regarding Tiffany’s departure and Scola’s inability to find a new partner.
It was as if Scola’s most significant storyline didn’t exist.
And even though they’re on different shows (or were, until CBS canceled FBI: Most Wanted), there have been no one-sided phone calls or anything else reminding viewers this relationship exists.
It’s gotten so bad that some fans are speculating about whether Scola will have an affair with new partner Dani, which is something we definitely don’t need.
What do you think, FBI Fanatics?
Let’s keep this conversation going in the comments. Your voice matters — it’s what keeps our site going strong.
Do you think there’s too much romance on FBI? Or is there another way that FBI is shortchanging characters and stories?
Hit the comments with your thoughts!
FBI Season 8 is set to air on CBS in the fall. In the meantime, all 7 seasons of FBI are available on Paramount+.
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