After FBI: Most Wanted's Finale, I Am More Frustrated With Fly Team's Fate In FBI: International

 I'm even more annoyed with the way that FBI: International season 4, episode 22, titled, "Gaijin," wrapped up the series after watching FBI: Most Wanted's finale. Both spinoffs were, unfortunately, on the list of shows that CBS canceled in 2025. After their cancelations were announced in March 2025, I was eager to learn how both procedurals would wrap up. However, FBI: International's series finale was disappointing because it failed to wrap up any character's storyline as the episode drew to a close.

FBI: International season 4 set up several plot threads that could have easily been resolved in the finale, but were not. This disappointing ending to the procedural was not repeated in FBI: Most Wanted, which featured a more satisfying conclusion. Comparing the two finales makes it clearer that FBI: International made choices that did not lead to the type of ending the series deserved after four years on the air.

FBI: Most Wanted Satisfyingly Wraps Up The Fugitive Task Force's Story

Every Character Got An Ending

Although FBI: Most Wanted's finale featured an intense case, it made it clear that "The Circle Game" was the last installment in the series. The episode began with a strong opening between Nina (Shantel Van Santen) and her father, wrapping up their story, before moving to the case. It also foreshadowed Remy's (Dylan McDermott) retirement and included a scene where Ray (Edwin Hodges) revealed his wife was pregnant with his child. These early scenes helped establish that everyone in the Fugitive Task Force was moving into a new stage of life in some manner, making it feel like a finale.

Furthermore, after the case was over, the team gathered one last time to celebrate Remy's birthday and share news about their lives with one another. Remy's announcement that he was retiring was satisfying, though not entirely unexpected. It allowed him to honor every member of his team by sharing what they meant to him. This final scene, along with the group taking one last photo before their lives changed, allowed the procedural to end on a strong and satisfying note.

FBI: International Left The Fly Team's Narrative Unfinished & Weak

It Focused Too Much on Wes And Featured No Real Ending

FBI: International's series finale ended in a far more disappointing manner. The episode felt more like a season finale than a series finale because important questions were left unanswered. Additionally, the finale focused mostly on Wes Mitchell's solo adventure in Tokyo, while the rest of the Fly Team felt like an afterthought. They were in Budapest and only featured in brief scenes where Wes needed their help. This set-up made it difficult to find out how each character's story wrapped up.

FBI: International spent so much time on Reiko's issues with the Japanese police force that it seemed like she was destined to join the Fly Team instead. However, this was not mentioned, making it even more confusing that the series spent so much of its final episode on this character.

FBI: International had two months to prepare for its series finale after the cancelation news, yet failed to wrap things up. The mistakes made in the finale are even more glaring because FBI: Most Wanted was able to do a much better job with the same amount of time to prepare. Thus, it seems that FBI: International's decision not to wrap up the story properly was intentional, which is bewildering considering that the writers knew the series was not returning.