I understand now whyFBI: International’s series finale was terrible.FBI: Internationalseason 4wasn’t originally intended to be the end of the series, as it was one of CBS' more popular shows. It was widely expected to be renewed even though it had slipped somewhat in the ratings since the previous season.
The introduction of Wes Mitchell (Jesse Lee Soffer) moved the procedural in a new, more exciting direction, and the series invested a lot of time in developing his character. Unfortunately,FBI: Internationalwas one of theshows that CBS canceled in 2025. The cancelation decision was announced in March, two months before the series finale was to air.
There was widespread speculation about howFBI: Internationalwould end. I expected it to wrap up similarly to other finales I have covered in my career. However, it did not do so, and was widely considered a disappointment because it left several storylines unresolved.
FBI: International Series Ending Backlash Explained
The Finale Focused Exclusively On Wes
FBI: International’s series finale would have worked better as a season finale. One of the biggest problems is thatFBI: International’s series finale left many questions unanswered. Throughout the season, Vo (Vinessa Vidotto) and Raines (Carter Redwood) competed for a GS-14 position that would force one of them to leave the Fly Team.
However, theFBI: Internationalfinale ended with the news that a decision had been reached, but did not share the result with the audience. Thus, the episode ended with the resolution of the story being a mystery.
These non-endings were even more frustrating because of the way the final episode was handled.
Similarly, the final scene was of Wes coming to America to introduce himself to his half-sister, but it was unclear if he was in the States for a visit or if he had quit the Fly Team. These non-endings were even more frustrating because of the way the final episode was handled.
Instead of the entire Fly Team working on a case together, Wes headed to Tokyo on his own while his team members only had cameos.This decision robbed the audience of one last adventure with the entire team, sparking outrage about the series' ending.
Derek Haas' Comment Indicates Confidence About FBI: International’s Future
The Showrunner Expected The Series To Continue
FBI: Internationalco-creator Derek Haas recently addressed the cancelation, admitting (viaTVLine) that he has “no insight into why it [FBI: International] was canceled.“Haas believed thatFBI: Internationalseason 4 was particularly strong because of the inclusion of Soffer and ofStation 19’s Jay Hayden as Tyler Booth, stating that they were “gold together.”
WhileHaas has not commented specifically on the decision not to wrap up the series in the finale or the backlash against it, his comments provide insight into why he made those choices. Since Haas is confident that the cancelation has nothing to do with the show’s quality or ratings, it suggests that he was hoping another network would pick it up.
Thus, it appears he wrote a season-ender rather than a series finale so that the procedural could easily continue on a new platform. Conversely,theFBI: Most Wantedshowrunners accepted that the series was over and thus wrapped up all storylines in the final episode.
Why FBI: International Was Really Canceled
It Was Another Casualty of CBS' Reduced Budget
CBS Entertainment Chief Amy Reisenbach said in May (viaTVLine) that, “…we have to be fiscally responsible, and ultimately those deals and the shows [the FBI shows] just weren’t penciling out for us from an economic perspective.” This statement suggests the reasons for the cancellation were mostly financial.
Sadly, CBS has made several such decisions, choosing not to renew popular shows such as theFBIspinoffs,Blue Bloods, andS.W.A.T.despite high ratings. Network TV has generally struggled financially in recent years, often leading to perplexing decisions.
FBI: Internationalwas cheaper to produce than most shows because it was filmed on location in Hungary, but this appears not to have been enough of a savings to offset its other costs.
InFBI: International’s case, however, there might have been another reason. BothFBIspinoffs were canceled shortly after the announcement thatCIA, which will be an off-shoot of the franchise, had been greenlit for the fall. CBS may have decided to cancel the otherFBIspinoffs as part of an overhaul of the franchise.
