Season 3 of FBI may have started off with the agents dealing with the new status quo of the pandemic, but the return of Missy Peregrym's Maggie meant a return to normal on at least one front. While Maggie and OA picked up their partnership where they left off, she also returned from her undercover assignment with a love interest in the form of Nestor Vertiz, and OA and Nestor didn't exactly become fast friends. Now, FBI showrunner Rick Eid has shared what to expect from these relationships in 2021.
With OA and Nestor butting heads in the first couple episodes of Season 3, Maggie having to find a balance between supporting her partner and supporting Nestor on the job, and a trailer for the 2021 winter premiere showing the two men getting heated with each other, I asked FBI's showrunner how the first episodes of 2021 will impact the relationships between these three characters. Rick Eid shared with CinemaBlend:
All of these relationships will continue to evolve over time. Maggie and Nestor’s romance began while they were undercover; they were both literally pretending to be other people. That’s an odd, yet exciting, way to begin a romance. So, things are more challenging now that they’re actually back in the real world. As for OA… His relationship with Nestor got off to a rocky start. He doesn’t necessarily like or trust him. He’s also very protective of Maggie, so he’s probably overly critical, too. Over time, OA will begin to see the 'real' Nestor.
FBI didn't deliver a love triangle in the traditional sense with OA/Maggie/Nestor, but there are also complications between each of the duos. Maggie and Nestor have their romance (although obstacles are on the way) with its roots in undercover work, Maggie and OA have their strong partnership, and OA and Nestor seem to often come down on opposite sides of arguments. Based on Rick Eid's comment about OA beginning to see the "real" Nestor when he currently doesn't seem to think much of him, it's looking like Nestor won't turn out to be a villain. (Or Justin Voight's long-lost evil twin.) Good news for the good guys!
These relationships between the three characters may evolve "over time," but that presumably means FBI isn't going to deliver a quick fix to the contentious elements of the dynamic between OA and Nestor. Maggie might be in a rough position between these two men while also doing her job to the best of her formidable ability. Rick Eid shed some light on where Maggie's loyalties lie:
She’s caught in the middle. OA is her partner, but she’s falling in love with Nestor. Ultimately, Maggie is her own person. She’s a determined, ethical FBI agent and she’ll do what’s best for the case.
Maggie may have a unique bond with her partner (who had a temporary partner from another show while she was gone) and she may be falling in love with Nestor, but if the three seasons of FBI so far have proven anything about her, it's that Maggie isn't defined by her relationships. That's not to say that OA and Nestor lose sight of the greater good just because they're not each other's biggest fan at the moment, but it seems safe to say that Maggie is going to keep her priorities in order. Who else missed her while she was gone?
Fortunately, the wait for the return of Maggie and Co. is almost at an end, and CBS is delivering a double dose of FBI in one week. The first episode, called "Crazy Love," will air in a special time slot on Sunday, January 24 directly following the AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. "Crazy Love" is scheduled to air at 10 p.m. ET, but precise time of the FBI winter premiere depends on the end of the football game. The second episode of the week, called "Clean Slate," will take FBI back to its regular slot on Tuesday, January 6 at 9 p.m. ET.
