Spoilers ahead for Episode 10 of FBI: International Season 1, called “Close To The Sun.”
FBI: International spent “Close To The Sun” focusing on Jamie Kellett after she got some unwelcome news at the beginning of the hour. The FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility had opened an investigation into what happened with Ella in Prague, and the agent was confident that Kellett had something to do with it. Fans know well that she helped Ella flee and disposed of her bag, but Kellett had confided in nobody, and Forrester’s attempt to save her from the OPR review ended in a surprising split between them. Actress Heida Reed broke down what happened and what would be the worst thing for Kellett moving forward.
Forrester (who has had issues of his own in Season 1) seems pretty positive that Kellett didn’t actually do whatever OPR is accusing her of, and claimed that she had been with him in Prague at the time when the bag was thrown over the bridge. This not only outed their relationship, but puts Forrester on the line if clearer footage of Kellett doing the deed is discovered, and Kellett decided that they needed to take a break from their relationship. When I spoke to the actress about “Close To The Sun,” Heida Reed weighed in on whether Kellett was trying to protect him or protect herself by making the drastic and – to Forrester, anyway – baffling move:
First of all, I don't think that she's ever shared with him that deeply and she doesn't really know how to do that. But second of all, I think that first and foremost, it's the former in the sense that I think the worst thing for her is to drag anybody else into her mess. And she's already made a mess of things. And she can't think to have anybody else feel responsible for what she's done, let alone the man she cares for so much.
The “worst thing” for Kellett would evidently be for her to drag somebody else into the mess that she made, and she took a big step to try and prevent that from happening by telling Forrester that they need to spend some time apart. It was definitely not what he wanted to hear, especially since it followed his declaration that he’d take a bullet for her. So, does Kellett regret what she did in Prague now that it’s causing trouble for her and Forrester in Budapest? Heida Reed shared her thoughts:
I've been thinking about this, and I don't know. Obviously she knows what she did. What she did wasn't really the right thing to do, but I don't think she's even allowed herself to go there. I think she just kind of takes it day by day and just carries on. I think if she would really think about it, she might just turn herself in. [laughs]
Kellett is a champion when it comes to compartmentalizing, so it may be for the best that she’s taking things day by day rather than focusing on what she did. It’s hard to imagine her turning herself in at this point, but a lot probably depends on whether anybody else finds out and whether OPR finds any harder evidence. It would be interesting to see if the truth would change Forrester’s feelings for her, as at this point, that relationship isn’t necessarily done for good. The actress clarified how Kellett views the situation with Forrester:
I think for her it's a break. I think she's just taking it day by day, and this seems like the most sensible action at the moment. And I don't think she can sort of fathom kind of how the relationship will be down the line at the moment.
It might be a break rather than break up for Kellett, but what about Forrester? He didn’t want to take any kind of break at all, but it should be interesting to see how their dynamic changes since they have to keep working together. They didn’t let their emotional attachment compromise their work as a couple, so hopefully they’ll be able to work through the split as well. When I noted that it was a very pragmatic move, Heida Reed elaborated on Kellett’s decision:
I think that's kind of Kellett in a nutshell. I guess that's kind of ironic. I'm kind of contradicting myself as I say that, saying what she's kind of done. But she's aware that she was acting out of emotion with what happened in Prague, even though she seemed quite sort of calculated. I think this is how she's trying to rectify it, is by taking pragmatic steps towards correcting it.
This episode dropped some more details about why she might have been more emotionally affected by the case in Prague than in most cases. The OPR agent stated that her sister killed herself eight years prior, expressing his sympathies in just about the least sympathetic tone of voice possible. She also mentioned her niece, but with a smile on her face. The sister is clearly still a sensitive subject, and it makes more sense than ever that the Prague case involving sisters emotionally impacted her on the job.
So, what comes next for Kellett now that she’s on OPR’s radar, assuming that Forrester vouching for her doesn’t put the issue to rest forever? Find out with the next new episode of FBI: International on Tuesday, February 1 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, between FBI at 8 p.m. and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. for one big FBI franchise block. There are still more shows that have yet to return in the new year, so take a look at the 2022 premiere schedule for what to watch and when to watch it.
