About Last Night…FBI, THE ROOKIE, FBI: MOST WANTED, and More

Let’s talk about Tuesday night’s TV!

ST. DENIS MEDICAL: I’m not even a little surprised the staff lost their minds about the reviews. And Alex…oh, no, Alex. Honestly, given how hard her job is, it’s a miracle she’s not losing her temper regularly! 

FBI: Well…the episode was alarmingly relevant with an attempted cyber attack that could have taken down the FBI.

The story itself was interesting, but I do wish it had been positioned elsewhere in the season. It was kind of different, but the storytelling hinged on an agent being able to get key information from someone in custody by utilizing their own history…just like last week. It was incredibly different circumstances, but it felt more similar because it aired back-to-back. I do love that Isobel fully trusted Jubal, though. That dynamic has been woefully neglected recently, but they remain one of the most interesting pairings in the FBI world.

(I made jokes about Jubal embracing his inner Elliot Stabler earlier this season with this mess with Sam, and, boy…apparently, they’re doing this? A reunion for the exes doesn’t really make sense, especially for the reasons given. I guess we’ll see how this goes.)

KITCHEN NIGHTMARES: I do wonder if the timing of this airing was intentional. This was one of the most heart-wrenching stories of the season, with an owner who was truly overwhelmed versus toxic or harmful…and airing right as people were in or about to be in town for the Super Bowl. If so, I hope the restaurant gets the boost they hoped for. The family certainly deserves a break.



DEAL OR NO DEAL ISLAND: Philip lying to Parvati was dumb. And him throwing a fit about it was dumber…you have no high ground! This isn’t a situation where you told the truth and she lied to you. You lied first—very obviously! Would she have lied anyway? Possibly! But come on.

The Dr. Will of it all…I can’t. I never watched his BIG BROTHER tenure, but he’s quickly becoming one of my least favorite contestants on a competitive reality show in a very long time. And part of the frustration for me was that he remained a smart player, but he acted like a toddler. Throwing a tantrum because he couldn’t make Dixon fall first? What are we doing here?!?! You wanted to be dramatic and it didn’t go according to plan. Fine. Whatever.

But fake taking the offer from the Banker—while making sure he said it in a way that wouldn’t be binding (thanks to the rules) was smart. I don’t know what actual intel he got from it, but people were correctly upset about how ridiculous he was playing. And that’s the thing: For some of these people, it’s truly life-changing money. He’s being reckless and making literally everything about him. There are other competition show vets, and, yeah, they’re playing hard, but they’re taking it seriously.

Of course, it would have been too easy if he got eliminated this week. Hey, maybe next week.

FBI: INTERNATIONAL: Hey, Michael Tow! That was a fun surprise.

The filming on a train (or a train set?) was really impressive. A lot of the episode felt disconnected, but I think intentionally so…the team was split and everyone was trying to find their own footing. But I’m very glad Wes stood up for Smitty, especially given his close relationship with Booth. And Smitty’s note for Booth/getting his daughter out there for his homecoming? How very sweet.

DOC: It was very nice to see Amy and Sonya working together. I’m very, very curious how her defying the DNR order may come into play later in the season; when people are trying to find ways to take you out, don’t help them!

Man, Michael really needs a good therapist. He’s got a lot of trauma to work through, and he can’t avoid it given his newest kid is about to be born.

THE IRRATIONAL: I know there are possibly rational explanations, but the case was wild. Absolutely wild. And, honestly, a little lovely, too. Sure, I’d guess the dream came from some sort of grounded/logical explanation, but wouldn’t it be nice to think parts of us do live on after death, if given the opportunity? (This also now sounds like an X-FILES episode, which delights me on every level.)

Aw, Marisa met her biological son. I’m intrigued to see how that relationship might develop this season, especially since he could be involved in their work world, too.



THE ROOKIE: Love, love, love Seth Gabel. So excited—and a little terrified—to see what he does as this serial killer, especially since Nyla has made it clear she has her eye on him. Can’t wait to see them go head-to-head. (As long as our guys remain safe.)

I’ve also actually loved Steve Kazee’s work for years (he’s incredible on the ONCE soundtrack), but I didn’t really love the tone they had him play in this episode as Jason spiraled out. Domestic violence and abuse are such a serious problem in the real world, and it felt like this was an overdramatic reveal in a slasher film; it felt cartoonish at times. I didn’t think Bailey would be in real, serious danger, but I am confused about why this was the approach they took here. I’m really, really, really hoping this storyline is over, but if it’s not, I do hope they take a more grounded approach in the future.

(And, uh, yeah, worried about Seth’s constant lies and how it seems like he may have just weaponized his history to stay on the force.)



FBI: MOST WANTED: I’ve been excited about the opening sequence since literally October, and, wow, they pulled it off. This is one of the things that makes covering network shows interesting to me: There’s an inherent limitation on them (specific time the episode can/has to run, more episodes to produce, typically smaller budgets per episode, etc.), but there are also ways to be super creative within the restrictions. Good/great shows can make that happen. And this was wildly ambitious, a big risk, and it paid off. It set the entire tone for the episode, made us feel the frantic energy the agents were feeling, and was also a lot because this wasn’t just a continuous shot in a single building (which is still hard)—they TRAVELED. They had actors doing stunts and running. Wow. I have to imagine this was probably the most challenging, complex sequence we’ll see on network TV this season. Major props to the cast and creative team for pulling it off.

And the case itself also felt (unfortunately) timely and terrifying. The internet can be an incredible resource, and also bring out the absolute worst in some. The desperation to connect and prove yourself…I can buy this spiraled into this disaster. A really solid episode.

And, hey, good for Barnes!! It’ll be interesting to see if the relationship continues or if it ends up being a fling.

Which shows did you watch last night?

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