Spoilers ahead for the April 11 episode of FBI on CBS, called “Obligation.”
The agents of CBS’ FBI have never been especially safe when investigating the worst of the worst federal cases in New York City, but Nina’s recent brush with death nearly cost Scola the woman he loves and their unborn child. After her near-death experience in the global crossover event with FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted last week, Scola was considering stepping back from the action and exploring options that might mean fewer life-or-death situations. On top of this, there’s the question of what kind of father Scola would be. Fortunately, Boyd could shed some light on that!
Will Scola Step Back From The Action?
It’s no surprise that there’s some fallout after what John Boyd described as the “unforgivable breach” of trust when Jubal and Isobel hid the truth that Nina had been shot in the crossover, but Scola didn’t react by holding any grudges against his bosses. Instead, he applied for a supervisory special agent position in the considerably safer White Collar division. The rank of supervisory special agent would have put him on the same level as Scott Forrester on International and Remy Scott on Most Wanted. Scola initially would only admit to Tiff that he was exploring his options, but opened up more a bit later.
He told his partner that exploring his options was his own idea, but Nina is stepping back as well for a more stable schedule. The episode also emphasized the danger of the job, with Scola literally ending up with blood on his hands at one point, and somebody being shot who was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. Plus, it was arguably affecting his judgment, as he instructed a pregnant woman to be overly cautious when wearing a wire… which turned out to be a good call, but he didn’t know that at the time!
All in all, it seemed like he was leaning toward taking a safer job, but after a conversation with a man facing prison time because he stepped back when he shouldn’t have, he decided to turn down the SSA job with White Collar. He told Tiff that she actually inspired his decision, even though working as a field agent isn’t the safest job in the world.
He told her that he loves his job and who he works with, and “you don’t just get to wave a magic wand and hope that nothing bad ever happens.” He’s going to do his thing and “hope for the best.” So, Scola ultimately isn’t stepping back from the action or playing it safe, and fans got to see a touching moment between the partners. That’s a good sign that FBI isn’t necessarily setting up his departure, as seemed possible back in the fall, and he’s looking ahead to becoming a father without giving up his work as a field agent.
John Boyd Shares Thoughts On Scola As A Father
Scola is still set to be a father now that Nina is on the mend and looking for a more stable schedule. That doesn’t mean that the future is free of complications just because he found some clarity about his future as an agent, and FBI isn’t full of characters who have been able to find a healthy balance between work and parenthood (See: Jubal Valentine, although he was able to avoid any of his old demons in the crossover.) So, what kind of father would Scola be? Speaking with CinemaBlend, John Boyd shared his thoughts:
That's a great question. I think Scola would be surprised at what it's like to have a close relationship with his son. I don't think Scola was incredibly close with his own father. I think his father surrounded himself with money and success and riches and exterior looking good, and I don't think he ever had that closeness. But I think what would surprise him about himself as a dad is the closeness and the intimate connection with your own son, and the softness and tenderness of being a parent. [That] is my hope for how he would respond to that.
Scola is still a ways off from building a close relationship with his son, as Nina hasn’t yet given birth, but it sounds like fatherhood could showcase a different side of Scola than fans have seen so far. That’s assuming that the character sticks around into Season 6, of course! FBI as well as the other eight shows in the Wolf Entertainment TV universe are set to return for the 2023-2024 TV season, raising some big questions with comments from stars that present possible answers.
For now, look forward to the next new episode of FBI on Tuesday, April 18 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, ahead of FBI: International at 9 p.m. and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. The season finales for all three are coming up in May, but there are plenty of options in the 2023 TV premiere schedule for what you can watch when summer rolls around.
