I feel better about Luke Kleintank's exit from FBI: International now that I know who will be replacing him. For three years, Kleintank's Scott Forrester has been the head of the elite Fly Team, which investigates international crimes that affect Americans. However, Forrester's exit ahead of FBI: International season 4 was rushed, with the character disappearing and other agents concluding that he's helping his mother, who was hiding out in Russia. I found this exit story disappointing, as Forrester was there one moment and gone the next.
The lack of a final scene in which Forrester made the decision to meet up with his mother turned what could have been a powerful ending to Forrester's story into an after-the-fact explanation of why he was no longer part of FBI: International. Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time in the shared One Chicago universe that a beloved character's exit was handled inappropriately. Thus, I wasn't expecting much in the way of good news after Forrester left and am pleasantly surprised to learn that a One Chicago alum will be playing the new head of the Fly Team.
Jesse Lee Soffer Is Replacing Luke Kleintank's Scott In FBI: International
A Behind-The-Scenes Video Reveals His Character Is Named Wes Mitchell
CBS announced that Jesse Lee Soffer would be playing the new head of the Fly Team. Few details have been announced since, but I'm still excited for Soffer to take over this position. As a longtime Chicago PD fan, I know what Soffer can bring to a role, and he will give his new character a similar emotional depth to Forrester. Soffer's character will undoubtedly have his own complicated backstory, making this a meaty new role that will offer interesting subplot opportunities.
Soffer taking this role gives Dick Wolf the opportunity to make amends for the disappointing Halstead exit story in Chicago PD season 10. Halstead's exit was better than Forrester's because he was given a goodbye scene, but his decision to go to Bolivia was not completely in line with his character. Although Soffer's joining FBI: International makes it unlikely that Halstead will return to Chicago PD any time soon, that is offset by the opportunity Soffer has to play a different, complex character who may be equally compelling.
Why Jesse Lee Soffer Is An Exciting New Lead For FBI: International
He Could Take The Series In A New Direction
It's not clear yet what direction Soffer will take his new role in, as the only information that has been released so far is his character's name: Wes Mitchell. However, it's still exciting to contemplate the potential changes ahead for the Fly Team. The team will likely resist Mitchell's leadership at first out of loyalty to Forrester, especially if he has different ideas about how it should function. I expect he will win them over in the end, but Soffer is the perfect actor to take the audience on this rough emotional journey.
Soffer's character on FBI: International should be substantially different from Halstead to avoid boring both the actor and the audience. Soffer has demonstrated his abilities to play complicated characters, making it exciting to contemplate the ways in which Wes Mitchell may be different and what direction this new character will take the Fly Team. While I am still disappointed that Forrester was written out so abruptly, I'm looking forward to his replacement now that it's an actor who I admire.
