The long wait for FBI to return to CBS in the 2026 TV schedule is nearly over, with a former FBI: Most Wanted star along for the ride after Jubal's nightmare scenario fall finale. Shantel VanSanten's Nina Chase is back beside John Boyd's Scola for the winter premiere, and the characters are in for some trouble before they get to tie the knot. The stars spoke with CinemaBlend about dressing in formalwear and high heels for some action, with a first look (seen above) revealing Nina and Maggie (Missy Peregrym) dressed to the nines undercover.
The winter premiere of Season 8 is called "Confetti," with Nina back in the mix after her undercover operation goes awry. The clock is ticking for the team to flip their one witness so they can crash a cartel wedding and stop a rip crew. It's clear from the first look that Nina and Maggie are the ones to glam up and go under to sneak in... and also clear that their witness is willing to play fast and loose with their safety. They're unharmed by the end of the sneak peek, but will that still be the case the longer they're under?
You'll have to tune in to CBS on February 23 (or stream with a Paramount+ subscription) to find out, but when I spoke with the stars ahead of the winter premiere, Shantel VanSanten addressed the added challenge of high heels and a long gown:
It was a new level of doing stunts, but it was fun. At first you kind of dread it, because somewhere along the way, you're definitely going to stumble or trip. You're not used to doing big action sequences in heels, and you just kind of have to laugh at yourself, because, yes, it happened. I slipped twice, and it's funny, and you're fine, but it only added maybe to the fear factor, which helps me look even more scared in the scenes. [laughs]
VanSanten was involved in action sequences and chases on a regular basis during her FBI: Most Wanted days before the series finale back in spring 2025, but that task force generally didn't have to embrace their inner glitz and glam for formal undercover operations. As VanSanten said, it was a "new level" of stunts. She went on to explain why the format of the episode was a treat, even before Nina and Scola get ready to wed:
But I know that Missy and I were excited to finally have a mission that we were doing together and getting to be partners, because it's just not something that we've ever seen before, and it just felt like such a different, fun, fresh, new episode.
Most episodes have Maggie paired with Zeeko Zaki's OA and Scola paired with his latest partner, the most recent being played by Law & Order: SVU alum Juliana Aidén Martinez. With Shantel VanSanten as a guest star and the early news of a Scolina wedding, the partner dynamics will be switched up for the first episode of 2026.
While that means high heels and long gowns for Shantel VanSanten and Missy Peregrym, John Boyd and Zeeko Zaki didn't get nearly as dressed up for "Confetti." When asked if he and his costar were more comfortable as Scola and OA, Boyd laughed and shared:
Zeeko and I have to figure out where we're pulling guns from. We got to have our normal attire... We don't have to do that hard work [in heels].
While some agents get high heels in the winter premiere, others get their bulletproof vests. It does seem that the usual field agents will be the ones in action in "Confetti," which may be good news after Jubal's disastrous venture out into the field in the fall finale. Whatever happens, Nina and Scola will finally get that push to say "I do," which hopefully means a much happier ending to the winter premiere than the tragic conclusion of the Season 8 premiere.
Find out when FBI returns to CBS on Monday, February 23 at 9 p.m. ET. That'll be a big evening on the network, with new series CIA debuting as the first spinoff since FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International were cancelled. The CIA premiere will feature Jeremy Sisto crossing over from FBI, but we'll just have to wait and see for any crossovers beyond that.
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