How FBI Proved All Over Again That Isobel Deserves To Be In Charge Of CBS’ FBIs

Spoilers ahead for the winter premiere of FBI Season 5, called “Second Life.”

FBI has officially returned to CBS in the 2023 TV premiere schedule, and the first case of the new year was a blast to the past for Isobel. A recent abduction led back to the very first case that she ever worked… which she thought that she and her former partner Jake Reed had closed long ago. She had to face the reality early on that she and Jake had put the wrong man behind bars, but by the end, she reminded me all over again that she’s the right series regular to hold the highest rank across the three FBI shows. 

Isobel’s first case with the Bureau made enough of an impact on her that she kept in touch with the mother of the little girl who they believed was murdered, but she was unaware of one big thing: the man who was blamed for young Annabelle’s kidnapping and murder had a lot of holes in his confession, and DNA proved that Annabelle wasn’t dead after all. Over the course of the hour of “Second Life,” Isobel went all-in on closing the case definitively this time, and three specific elements established that she more than deserves her place as Special Agent in Charge. 

Isobel Has Always Been A Standup Agent

After watching the interrogation video from years ago between Jake and the man who would go on to be wrongfully blamed, Isobel made some painful realizations. She had been at an FBI inservice when the arrest and interrogation had happened back in the day, and Jake pushed the man – who was visibly unstable – way too hard into making a shaky confession. The implication was that the false confession never would have happened if Isobel had been present to conduct the interrogation. 

Sure, she was in a romantic relationship with Jake back then, but there’s no reason to believe that she would have let that compromise how she conducted herself in pursuing a case for the Bureau. In fact, she even declined going out for a drink with Jake at the end of the episode. FBI revealed her origin as an agent last season; now, fans know the kind of agent she has always been and earned her the role of SAC.

Isobel Keeps Her Head In The Game

This case was personal for Isobel, as it reached back to the very beginning of her career at the Bureau and clearly shook her when she discovered that they’d put the wrong man away. That said, she kept her head in the game in a way that other characters on FBI haven’t been able to. Earlier this season, OA was understandably traumatized by an attack to the point that he was missing things on the job. In Season 4, Maggie getting distracted by her situation with her sister nearly had disastrous results.

For his part, Jubal has struggled to keep his focus when the personal stakes are high, such as when Rina was shot last season and when his son became mixed up with the wrong crowd in what was intended as the Season 4 finale. Isobel wasn’t at her most objective and detached in “Second Life,” but she sure didn’t let her personal feelings get in the way of anything!

Isobel Saved The Day In The Field

Isobel doesn’t chase down the bad guys in the field nearly as much as the other characters, but she joined them in trying to track down Annabelle, and the young woman may well have been doomed if not for the SAC taking bold action. After an explosion (caused by the kidnapper) at the cabin where Annabelle was being kept, the rest of the search team all but gave up the cause as lost, but Isobel ran inside anyway to make the rescue. She’s been at the center of intense episodes before, but it was nice to see her in action in the field again.

See more of what FBI (opens in new tab) has in store for Isobel with new episodes on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, ahead of FBI: International at 9 p.m. and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. You can also revisit past episodes streaming with a Paramount+ subscription!