[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for FBI Season 7 Episode 8 “Riptide.”]
FBI heads into the break for the vacations on a really bleak word: OA’s (Zeeko Zaki) previous military buddy (and now CI) Clay (Man Lockard) working with the group goes fallacious within the worst means.
Clay works with the group to trace down these answerable for a cargo heist and the murders of three customs officers, however after they get to the products, Clay activates OA and tries to make off with the gold himself. OA can’t let him go and finally ends up with no selection however to shoot (to kill) his buddy.
Under, Zaki opens up about that second, how OA shall be coping with it, OA telling Maggie (Missy Peregrym) about being a prisoner of warfare (and Clay’s connection), what’s to come back in his relationship with Gemma (Consolation Clinton), and extra.
I had a sense that Clay as OA’s CI wasn’t going to finish nicely, however I didn’t suppose it was going to go this far. Was this one thing you had identified was coming, or did you discover out with the script?
Zeeko Zaki: I came upon that it was coming after Episode 3, so we acquired to do our first two episodes, me considering, “Oh nice, I acquired my buddy again.” After which I acquired the information dropped on me that I used to be going to be ending our relationship and his life on the similar time. And that was thrilling to play with.
How does OA address what he needed to do? As a result of he had no selection, however that and Maggie’s phrases on the finish can solely achieve this a lot, particularly within the quick aftermath.
Yeah, I feel that goes again to the militant mindset, the job that now we have to do no matter now we have to do to outlive and with the ability to course of that within the quick, I feel we’re superb at. We’ll see the way it performs out long run.
Bennett Raglin / CBS
How are we going to see that enjoying out long run?
I’m unsure but. I don’t suppose now we have touched on it but within the episodes, however these guys expertise and undergo and take care of demise quite a bit within the line of labor. I hope that we do get to sort of see how OA has handled it post- every little thing.
Discuss filming that struggle scene and Clay’s demise, then additionally that final scene on the finish as a result of it’s the bodily stuff, however then there’s the emotional element as nicely.
Yeah, the bodily stuff was nice, tremendous enjoyable filming the scene. Man’s a fantastic actor. They actually acquired to honor it, particularly with the dialogue, and gave us the liberty to type of make it our personal. After which the scene with Maggie, that’s my candy spot, when me and Maggie get to be emotional collectively, it all the time brings out some stuff. We all the time discover some actually good motivations and inspiration and stuff for these scenes. So it was nice to get to play it with each of them.
How are you going to see Maggie being there for OA? Is he going to let her?
Yeah, I feel Maggie has been and all the time shall be a rock for OA, and he will certainly let her be there for him. That’s one factor that I’ve discovered because the character and the actor, that Maggie and Missy know greatest.
OA opens as much as Maggie about his time as a prisoner of warfare, one thing I’ve been ready for.
Sure, sure, sure.
Discuss filming that with Missy.
Yeah, that was nice. Once more, it’s the mix of each of us and our chemistry in these moments and the way she’s so current with me after we get to enter these tales and discuss to one another concerning the private stuff. So attending to movie that, truthfully, we did one tackle either side and it was simply so natural and so actual, and particularly as a result of I acquired to inform that story to Gemma and attending to now deliver it to Maggie and attending to play off her for it felt actually good.
Bennett Raglin / CBS
Why do you suppose it had taken till now for OA to inform Maggie? And if this wasn’t happening with Clay, what wouldn’t it have taken for him to take action?
I feel there’s some insecurities and a few vulnerability with regards to being a prisoner of warfare that OA experiences and doesn’t need to present that weak point or present that he ever did get caught or ever did type of fail a mission like that, particularly when our relationship is predicated on doing these missions each week. So I feel there’s one thing like that and I feel it could’ve positively taken a remaining straw or an actual intense, an actual down second for OA to type of share that. And I’m completely satisfied we acquired to get it out of the best way.
OA and Gemma are nonetheless going robust. Why do you suppose that relationship is working?
I feel our relationship works as a result of opposites entice and I feel between my relationship with Maggie attending to have any individual on the opposite finish of the spectrum that will get to drag me and distract me from the chaotic FBI world, there’s one thing to be mentioned about that, and attending to sort of be together with her and once I’m together with her in my thoughts isn’t on circumstances and isn’t on the worry and the depth of my job is de facto nice for OA.
Do you suppose it’s additionally as a result of they’d the hurdles early on and so they acquired previous these?
Yeah, yeah, for certain. I feel it was nice to play out these hurdles and now how we present our private stuff within the present leaves quite a bit for the viewers to fill within the blanks and up to now so good.
What’s arising for them? Are we going to see her once more this season?
Sure. Sure we’re. And we’re about to movie. You will notice her in Episode 13 and it’s going to be very thrilling. She’s going to get actually some good things to sink her tooth into.
What are you able to tease about what that episode means for his or her relationship?
It means quite a bit for the connection. She will get caught within the hearth with OA in a means that I don’t suppose anybody’s going to see coming and it’s going to be actually enjoyable to play.
So does that imply possibly some Gemma-Maggie interactions?
No, however positively some Gemma bad-guy interactions.
How does OA deal with that?
We’ll see. We’ll see. We’re getting the ultimate variations of the script now and we’re going to see the way it goes.
So the group goes to be saying goodbye to Syd (Lisette Olivera) in some unspecified time in the future, and I’m assuming then it is going to be again to the drafting board for Scola’s (John Boyd) associate. So what’s subsequent there?
Proper now we’re a three-headed monster, which is tremendous enjoyable to play as a result of all of our chemistries type of all match collectively, the three of us rather well. So we’re excited. Lisette was wonderful and it was tremendous enjoyable to get to behave together with her and play together with her, and we’ll see who they bring about in subsequent to be a part of the household.
Yeah, I like mixing up the pairings, too, as a result of it really works so nicely on this present.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I imply, that’s the sweetest factor concerning the present is how good all of us work collectively.
What’s your favourite factor concerning the OA and Scola scenes?
It simply seems like these traditional type of buddy cop sort of reveals and flicks, so it’s all the time sort of good to get to play that. And it’s the opposite finish of the spectrum for me and Maggie, so it’s actually nice.
What else is arising for OA?
What’s arising for OA is that this subsequent episode with Gemma, that’s going to be actually thrilling. After which I feel we’re going to fall into a number of traditional type of circumstances. After which in fact, as a result of all characters get two episodes off this season, we’ll get to see two, I suppose, with out Maggie arising within the again finish of the season.
How do you suppose OA has modified probably the most from Season 1?
Nicely, I feel he’s much more comfy. He’s positively stronger all the best way round and it’s been simply tremendous enjoyable to develop as an actor and as a personality in these methods.
The CIA officer within the premiere sort of felt like that would come again up. Are we going to see that plot once more?
It did really feel like that, and that I imagine is the concept. Displaying how massive the world is, displaying that we’re coping with totally different departments and issues like that continually in organizations is one thing that we love doing. And that character, he was wonderful. So I hope we get to work collectively quickly.
Something about Vargas (David Zayas) arising?
[Laughs] I do know, that’s so humorous you say that. That’s like our inside joke on the present, is it Vargas? Nothing but. Nothing but I can say, however it could be nice to see him once more, too.
Is something in your want listing for the approaching seasons?
For me, I simply love trusting the method. It’s gotten us this far, so I’m simply excited to see the place they go. However my primary want all the time is to get to return to Europe and act with these guys over there and get to get out of the town for a bit of bit. So hopefully we do get to see some crossovers quickly.
Behind a oner with #FBI S7 E7 Director, Eriq La Salle pic.twitter.com/XnJSD6ySel
— Wolf Leisure (@WolfEnt) December 12, 2024
What have been your favourite scenes to movie from this season?
My favourite scene was in final week’s episode, we acquired to do an unimaginable one within the interrogation room the place we did three interrogations directly and it was like going again to theater and dance and it was this choreographed piece that while you acquired it, you bought it. And it took us a pleasant chunk of time, but it surely was tremendous enjoyable. That room, it’s simply unimaginable how we preserve discovering new methods to shoot it and new moments to search out in there.
Is something new arising for OA?
As of proper now, I feel we’re coping with the connection and we’ll see what occurs after they usher in a brand new character and issues like that. However we’re sort of within the candy spot proper now. We’ll see what’s going to occur with Gemma and we’ll see what’s going to occur with the remainder of us. However nothing new. We’ve acquired three extra seasons to do that, so hopefully no loopy twists and turns.
Any important OA and Jubal (Jeremy Sisto) or OA and Isobel (Alana De La Garza) scenes?
There’s one, and it’s on this episode we’re filming proper now, in 12. There’s a enjoyable baby with me and Isobel the place we be taught one thing very cool and really out of left subject about her that I can’t share, however I’m excited for that second for everyone.
FBI, Returns, Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 8/7c, CBS