Spoilers ahead for Episode 15 of FBI: International Season 2, called "Trust."
FBI: International’s Fly Team has been missing Luke Kleintank’s Scott Forrester for a surprising amount of Season 2, and it wasn’t that long ago that he faced the likelihood that he’d be shipped back to the United States for a desk job while somebody new took over the team. While that situation was resolved early in the new year to Forrester’s benefit, he was absent again in “Trust.” This time, though, it was a good thing for the rest of the characters, especially Vo and Kellett.
Why Forrester’s Absence Was Good For Vo And Kellett
The case of the week involved the Fly Team staying local, to lend a hand to the Hungarian National Police when one of the cops seemingly turned dirty… and the evidence all seemed to point toward Kellett’s new boyfriend. This put Kellett in a tricky position, particularly in light of the fact that Vo was in charge of the mission. Vo had to decide whether or not Kellett could be trusted to be objective, and learn how to make decisions when hers is the final word.
And while the situation was tense for Vo and Kellett for much of the episode, the younger agent ultimately decided to trust Kellett to handle her emotions and investigate the case to the best of her ability. “Trust” ended with Vo more confident in her abilities as a leader and Kellett knowing that her instincts were right that her boyfriend wasn’t a dirty cop afterall. If Forrester had been around, the romantic history with Kellett might have complicated the case, and Vo never would have been able to step up as leader.
In fact, Vo and Kellett might even be closer moving forward, and that would be a good thing. After all, the Fly Team has to rely on each other off the clock as well as on the job when so far from home. Vo had generally been closer to Raines, and Kellett closer to Forrester; could we see more of Vo and Kellett? Only time will tell, but they weren’t the only ones better off for their usual leader’s absence.
Why Forrester’s Absence Was Good For The Whole Fly Team
Forrester was missing in “Trust” because he was at a conference in Washington D.C. to give a speech to legats from all over the world about the Fly Team’s casework and activities. Then, at the end of the episode, Kellett got the news from Forrester that “Washington was very pleased with our efforts here,” and they’d been commended by some people several rungs higher up the ladder. Vo even got special credit.
While it’s entirely possible that Forrester’s off-screen activities won’t actually play a role in the show moving forward, the Fly Team may have gotten some solid credit with the Bureau bigwigs back in D.C. for solving a high-profile case that they normally wouldn’t have been involved in. Would they still have closed the case if Forrester had been around? Probably, but the team adapted, captured a killer, and cleared an innocent man’s name. Not bad for a couple of days with the boss on the other side of the ocean!
Of course, Forrester’s absence will probably be the exception rather than the rule, and the real-life reason could have something to do with the big event coming up in just a few weeks: the three-part crossover between FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, and FBI: International. This will be only the second time that stars from all three shows have crossed over; with International filming in Budapest, perhaps working on the crossover meant Luke Kleintank spending some time elsewhere.
Whether or not the crossover played a part in Forrester remaining off-screen in “Trust,” the event is still something to look forward to. The three-parter airs on Tuesday, April 4 starting at 8 p.m. ET with FBI: International in a special time slot, followed by FBI at 9 p.m. and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m., all on CBS. If you want to revisit the first three-part crossover (which also launched International as FBI’s second spinoff), you can find all three shows streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.
