After taking a week off from a new case on CBS, FBI is returning with one of its last remaining Season 8 episodes in the 2025 TV schedule. Called "Fadeaway" and airing on December 1, the field agents will be in grave danger at a prison while Isobel faces a hurdle before being promoted from Special Agent in Charge to Assistant Director in Charge. Alana de la Garza shed some light on what's in store with this promotion, including what it could mean for Jubal as Isobel's longtime second-in-command.
Isobel getting a promotion to ADIC has been in the works since early Season 8, and is coming after some incredibly trying times on the job. She hadn't even recovered from her very near-death experience when a member of her team was killed in the line of duty, but she returned to work all the same. In "Fadeaway," it will be up to Isobel to name her successor as SAC at 26 Fed before she takes up her duties as ADIC.
While fans will have to tune in to see what goes down, Alana de la Garza shed some light to CinemaBlend ahead of the episode on what's to come. First, she shared what becoming ADIC would mean for her character after she decided not to retire from the Bureau in Season 7:
I think the ADIC role for her is a sign that all her hard work and dedication to the job over the years has paid off. Since the beginning of this season Isobel has been mentally wrestling with what is next for her so being offered this role was a great way for her to assess her next steps at the Bureau.
Becoming an ADIC would certainly mean a step up for Isobel, and possibly be exactly what the FBI needs after the corruption within that led to her injuries in the first place in the Season 7 finale. (The finale is streaming with a Paramount+ subscription now.) Isobel still doesn't seem to have any regrets about not retiring; according to the actress, this is just time for her to consider her "next steps."
As for the question of naming her successor, Jubal would seem like the obvious choice, and even tossed his name in to be considered earlier in the season after getting wind of Isobel's potential promotion. That said, Isobel learned that some of Jubal's past actions don't make him the kind of candidate for SAC that the higher ups are looking for, which puts her in a tricky position for "Fadeaway." The Law & Order alum shared Isobel's take on Jubal's struggles:
Much like the audience has seen Jubal struggle in past seasons – so has Isobel. She has always been someone who acts in the best interest of the FBI and knows that Jubal is the same way. That being said, Jubal has had a history of abusing power which has been documented [in Season 7] and Isobel knows that could come back to hurt him in applying for the SAC job.
Of course, Jeremy Sisto is still a main member of the cast (unless fans are in for a second massive surprise of Season 8 after how Dani Rhodes was written out), so Jubal presumably isn't leaving 26 Fed no matter how the promotions shake out by the end of "Fadeaway." The episode's focus on Isobel's career also continues her serialized story, despite what may be an otherwise procedural episode. Alana de la Garza praised showrunner Mike Weiss when it comes to combining serialized with procedural:
It is an interesting part of long term storytelling we get to do on FBI. Mike [Weiss] does a great job laying the groundwork for storylines like these that allows us to really explore the emotions and turmoil of something like this.
While the promo that CBS aired after the previous episode that touched on Hudson University doesn't drop any clues about Isobel's storyline, the intense footage makes it easy to imagine plenty of "emotions and turmoil" to come in "Fadeaway." Take a look now:
Tune in to CBS on Monday, December 1 at 9 p.m. ET for the "Fadeaway" episode of FBI Season 8, and stream any episodes you might have missed on Paramount+. Only three episodes remain this fall after Isobel makes her successor choice, and fans will then have a few months to wait until FBI returns (and is paired with the long-awaited CIA) on Mondays in the 2026 TV schedule.
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