FBI: Most Wanted is only a few episodes into its fifth season on CBS, but it has already reached a notable milestone. After FBI reached 100 episodes back in the spring of 2023, Most Wanted has officially aired 75 episodes, and many more are still on the way in Season 5. Considering everything that has happened to the entertainment industry since Most Wanted premiered in early 2020, that's an accomplishment. Only two of the original stars are still on board, however, and one of them opened up about hitting 75 in the 2024 TV schedule.
I spoke with Roxy Sternberg, who along with Keisha Castle-Hughes has been part of FBI: Most Wanted from the beginning, ahead of the Season 5 premiere. After she shared her thoughts on the transition of Nina Chase from FBI to the spinoff, the Sheryll Barnes actress shared her thoughts on the show reaching 75 episodes:
That feels epic! I never even considered that. That feels mad. 75 episodes! That's like a lifetime's work for some actors. [laughs] That is unbelievable. That's incredible, especially as we've had so many stops and starts. Season 1 was a reduced season because of COVID and we didn't have the full 22. Season 2 was a reduced season because of COVID, because we started late. Season 3 was a full one but a reduced season for me because I had a baby. Season 4 was the first time I did the full 22. And then this season obviously is also reduced because of the strikes. So even with all the stop and starts, 75 is unbelievable. That's an achievement in itself. I'm very privileged to have done that much work on this show.
Given that Roxy Sternberg is British and shows from the U.K. side of the pond tend to have much shorter seasons than on networks in the U.S., 75 episodes of one series pretty much could be a lifetime's work! In all seriousness, Most Wanted is almost an unexpected success story. After getting a backdoor pilot on FBI, the spinoff premiered in January 2020, which was shortly before the entertainment industry shut down due to the COVID pandemic, which then affected the second season.
Season 3 was a time of major change with the death of Jess LaCroix, arrival of Dylan McDermott as Remy Scott, and Barnes deciding to step away from the Bureau to process the loss of her friend. Of course, the real-life reason for Barnes stepping away was Sternberg's real-life maternity leave, although some behind-the-scenes photos show how Most Wanted was able to hide the pregnancy for a while.
The WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike that delayed the fifth season mean that it also won't run for 20+ episodes, but the show is going strong with Roxy Sternberg and Keisha Castle-Hughes as the last remaining members from the original cast. Like Sternberg, Castle-Hughes was absent from a number episodes earlier in the series' run but ultimately returned full-time.
The rest of the original cast was comprised of Julian McMahon as the late Jess LaCroix; Kellan Lutz as Kenny Crosby, who left in the Season 3 premiere; and Nathanial Arcand, whose Clinton Skye was written off between seasons. The Season 5 cast is made up of Dylan McDermott as Remy Scott (who had a very sad moment in the premiere), Edwin Hodge as Ray Cannon (whose father was recently introduced), and Shantel VanSanten as Nina Chase in addition to Roxy Sternberg and Keisha Castle-Hughes.
The 75th episode aired on February 20, and the fifth season still has plenty of time left to spin more stories about the worst of the worst fugitives. Keep tuning in to CBS on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET for new episodes of FBI: Most Wanted, following and possibly crossing over with FBI: International at 9 p.m. ET and FBI at 8 p.m. ET. You can also check out earlier episodes of all three shows streaming with a Paramount+ subscription now.
