FBISeason 7, Episode 9, “Descent,“will be huge forScola Stuart(John Boyd). The case the team is working on brings up feelings he’s been trying to avoid for a long time, and he must confront them. “The investigation into an assistant U.S. attorney’s death leads the team to a related airline whistleblower scandal — and the chilling discovery that they don’t have much time to thwart terrorists from crashing numerous in-flight commercial airplanes, using the airlines’ hacked computer systems,” reads the episode’s official logline. The hijacked flights remind Scola of his brother’s death on 9/11, and this becomes personal for him.
“We find out at the beginning of the case that there’s this letter that’s been on Scola’s desk [and] Maggie (Missy Peregrym) and OA (Zeeko Zaki) are giving him grief about the fact that he won’t open this letter that’s been on his desk for a month,” Boyd toldTV Insiderabout the emotional episode for his character. Scola and the rest of the team dive into the case and try to stop the attack. By the end, Scola has learned some things and is ready to open the letter whose contents surprise him. Boyd teased the letter’s effect on Scola, saying,
“What is in that letter is a huge cathartic answer and piece of his story that everyone’s always wondered that we’ve never gotten to know.”
A Mini ‘FBI’ and ‘FBI: Most Wanted’ Crossover Happens in ‘FBI’ Season 7, Episode 9
“Descent” also features an appearance by Scola’s life partner, Nina Chase (Shantel VanSanten), a character fromFBI: Most Wanted. She shows up to support Scola during a particularly troubling day. “We get to see Nina in the bullpen hanging out. We get to see Nina back at the house after the case,” Boyd teased. He discussed how Nina’s appearance speaks to growth on Scola’s part, saying,
“I think there’s a beautiful moment in their relationship, a maturity level that Scola has reached in his relationship, that he knows that he can ask his partner for help at the end of this. He is able to realize he’s mature enough, he’s grown enough, that he’s able to say, I can’t do this alone and I need your help. And he asks her to read this letter.”
The episode also shows Scola uncharacteristically emotional while talking to one of the hijackers. “There’s a beautiful scene where he’s dealing with a terrorist and asking her to land these planes. . . . . They carry the same loss. Even though they’re on opposite sides, they’re the same. They have to see one another’s humanity in it, and he has to ask her,” the actor said.
Tune in to CBS on Tuesday, January 28, to catchthe midseason premiereand learn what’s written in Scola’s letter. you’re able to watch past episodes on Paramount+ to catch up before new episodes return.
