FBI season 3 finale: Showrunner Rick Eid previews Vargas’ return
Tomorrow’s FBI season 3 finale is explosive, as Antonio Vargas (David Zayas) returns for a final showdown with the Bureau team. Will they finally be able to stop him?
Ahead of “Straight Flush,” FBI showrunner Rick Eid spoke to One Chicago Center about the decision to bring Vargas back—as well as how some of the show’s biggest strengths are shaped in the writers’ room, being part of three hit Dick Wolf franchises, and having familiar faces from Chicago PD guest star on the CBS drama.
“When we let Vargas go at the end of episode 3, we decided we had to bring him back in the finale,” explained Eid of having Zayas’ ruthless drug lord make a second appearance.
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Even though it’s now a dozen episodes later–his first appearance aired back in December—Vargas’ actions still have a chilling effect on certain characters, and the FBI writers made sure that the viewers won’t forget how dangerous he is, either.
“You try to find ways to remind the audience who Vargas is, what he did, that his actions caused a lot of pain, et cetera,” Eid said. “In Episode 14, for example, we see that Elise [Taylor, played by Chicago Fire alum Vedette Lim] is still suffering from the trauma he inflicted on her in Episode 3.”
Leading the charge to bring Antonio Vargas down, both literally and metaphorically, is Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille (Alana de la Garza). Isobel particularly doesn’t want to let him get away again, which means that we get to see some fantastic scenes where David Zayas and de la Garza square off.
“David and Alana play another round of liars’ poker,” teased Eid. “They’re both really strong actors and play off each other well. Their scenes are terrific!”
And this time Isobel has some backup: “This time around, it’s not just Isobel and Vargas; Rina Trenholm [Kathleen Munroe], whom we introduced in Episode 2, is involved as well,” he added. “She’s just been appointed Acting ADIC. In other words, she’s Isobel’s boss.”
FBI season 3 integrated the characters’ personal lives more than any other season, including the audience meeting Isobel’s boyfriend, Maggie Bell [Missy Peregrym] dating another agent, and the home life of Jubal Valentine [Jeremy SIsto]. That’s something that Eid has plenty of experience with; it’s also a major component of Chicago PD, which he also oversees. What’s his secret when it comes to balancing cases and character?
“That’s what we spend most of our time in the writers’ room trying to do,” he told us. “The key is finding a personal story you can explore, organically, in the context of the crime story. I call it the ‘story within the story.’ Most of the time, we try to find that story first. Then we dig into the crime story. It’s all about finding personal/ethical dilemmas that connect to the case, so it stil feels like you’re telling one story.”
Another strength that flew under the radar this season was the way that the FBI team interacted with police officers; on many TV crime dramas, the cops would be portrayed as mere antagonists to cause friction with the main heroes. Not so here.
“The goal is to make everyone—and everything—feel real,” Eid said. “The plots are obviously heightened, so we try really hard to make the people feel grounded and relatable.”
The FBI season 3 finale also includes some fun for Dick Wolf fans. Audiences probably recognize David Zayas from guest starring on Chicago PD as Carlos Mendoza in the episode “Endings.” He’s not the only person who’s done both shows; the list also includes Michael Trucco, Milauna Jemai Jackson, and of course Tracy Spiridakos, who actually appeared on FBI as her Chicago PD heroine Hailey Upton.
Since Eid oversees both shows, what’s it been like for him to work with some of the same talent on two different series?
“It definitely helps,” he said. “Our casting director, Jonathan Strauss, has great taste and always recommends interesting actors for both shows. When someone pops on one show, we try to find something for him or her to do on the other show.”
Speaking of working across multiple shows, Eid can say he’s been part of three primetime TV franchises. He started in the Wolf universe with the Law & Order brand, then joined One Chicago, and now he’s wrapped up both Chicago PD season 8 and FBI season 3. That’s a pretty impressive resume!
“It’s been fantastic. I’m having a great time,” he enthused. “Dick Wolf is a force of nature. I feel very fortunate to be working with him on these two shows!”
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The FBI season 3 finale airs Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. For the latest FBI spoilers and news, plus more on all of Dick Wolf’s other series, follow the Dick Wolf category at One Chicago Center.