The three FBIs on CBS are connected to the point that characters can pop up for cameos on shows other than their own, but something a little bigger than a one-off video call is finally on the way for FBI: Most Wanted and FBI in the 2024 TV schedule. John Boyd and Shantel VanSanten will cross over to each other's series as Scola and Nina, and the two stars spoke with with CinemaBlend about the kinds of "good old-fashioned" conflict on the way.
With crossovers few and far between – likely due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike delays – for the FBIs this season, I'd say that it's a safe bet that a multi-parter will feel long-awaited by many fans. It starts with John Boyd guest-starring as Scola in the April 9 episode of Most Wanted, called "Supply Chain." Scola and Nina were of course fellow field agents over on FBI prior to her pregnancy and then transfer to the Most Wanted task force.
When I spoke to the actors, I asked what their characters were like as a parenting team, as we'd already seen them as a professional team. John Boyd, who previously shared what kind of father he thought Scola would be, shared:
Well, the thing that's fun about Nina and Scola is just how they've always – the nature of their relationship – how they butt heads. You know, they struggle always from the get go, from the start of a one night stand to an unexpected pregnancy. I think what we can expect is to see that good old-fashioned Nina/Scola conflict, people bumping heads against each other about how to do this the best way, how to navigate raising a kid.
Scola and Nina – or "Scolina," as the actors dubbed them – went from teaming up to chase bad guys to making difficult decisions about her pregnancy in FBI Season 5, before a near-death experience for both Nina and the baby in the 100th episode. Based on John Boyd's comments, raising Baby Dougie will be an experience with its own set of challenges.
Shantel VanSanten, who joined FBI: Most Wanted as Nina in Season 5 to replace Kristin Gaines, shared her own perspective:
I feel really lucky that I found a home here at Most Wanted, and that I get to keep fighting crime as Nina, but then also that we get to peek behind the curtain a little bit more into who she is, and her childhood, where she comes from. We get to develop and know and understand her more. And I think that the whole idea was that we could do these mini crossovers, and it wouldn't just be bringing somebody's wife or husband, but that you could tune in to both of these nights and maybe you'll catch us involved in a crime over at FBI or coming over to Most Wanted and seeing us at home, and just slowly getting to grow with this couple that has really overcome a lot of adversity.
As VanSanten's co-star Roxy Sternberg noted earlier this year, Season 5 was Nina's transition from the FBI world to the Most Wanted world. That has involved shedding more light on her past, including everything from her family to her nerves of steel in car chases. The adversity doesn't really end on FBI: Most Wanted. While it doesn't give away details about Scola's role, the promo for "Supply Chain" shows the case of the week that will be causing trouble for the task force. Take a look:
For the crossover, fans will have to tune in to FBI: Most Wanted on CBS at 10 p.m. ET on April 9 to see what exactly Nina and Scola "bumping heads" looks like in the first half, with the FBI half of the event airing on April 16 at 8 p.m. ET. You can also revisit earlier episodes of Scola and Nina with FBI streaming via a Paramount+ subscription now.
