Protégé

Episode 13 of FBI season 5 starts with a man being chased by a car. He is later shot dead outside an abandoned factory.  OA and Maggie arrive on scene but the man is yet to be identified and the only thing on his body is a stamp with the initials I.R.

Back at the FBI office, Jubal is at the mantle and ready to uncover the mystery with the team. They link the initials to a bar so Scola and Tiffany pay it a visit. They check the surveillance and see the man met with someone and he paid for his drinks with a credit card. This helps them finally identify the victim, whose name is Dixon with no prior record.

Their attention falls to the man who left the bar with Dixon but the image is grainy. OA and Maggie visit Dixon’s widow and she is shocked to learn about the lies her husband has been feeding her. She confesses that she has been worried that Dixon has been keeping secrets—specifically, money in their safe in the garage.  OA and Maggie ask to see the safe and find a large sum of cash and a ledger. They begin to wonder what exactly Dixon was into.

As they check the safe, Dixon’s phone gets a message asking him why he is ghosting. Maggie sends a text back asking the other party to meet. They set something up to bring in the person texting Dixon. They notice a blonde middle-aged woman arriving for the meet but as they get close, Maggie identifies the lady as Gwen. Gwen is an FBI agent that Maggie has worked with in the past, so they bring her in to help with the case.

As it turns out Dixon was a professional informant and Gwen was his handler. Before his death, Dixon had told Gwen that something big was coming but didn’t divulge information. They assume he probably got into trouble with one of the drug dealers he was spying on.  They go back to tracing Dixon’s last hours and Gwen identifies the man who had an altercation with Dixon at the bar.  The man is Daryl, a common criminal.

Gwen, Maggie and OA head out to bring Daryl in. Maggie notices that Gwen seems physically off but she and OA take point and interrogate Daryl. Daryl is unaware that Dixon is dead and reveals that he and Dixon fought over money. He also reveals that Dixon wanted to be introduced to a scientist named Taylor who is cooking up some fentanyl.

After getting back to the office, Maggie checks in on Gwen but she simply dismisses her concerns and says she is fine.

The team quickly heads to Taylor’s place and finds him dead. It looks like someone has got to him first and put a bullet in his head. However, the most concerning thing is that it seems he was working on a bomb.  They not only need to figure out what kind of bomb it was but also figure out who has it. One of the neighbours gives them a lead about two men leaving Taylor’s house with a duffel bag.

Ballistics confirm that the same gun was used to shoot Taylor and Dixon. A look into Taylor’s financial records leads them to a DEA case. They call in the DEA agent on the case and she is not eager to reveal much about the case. She changes her mind after hearing about a bomb and tells the FBI about a Chinese gangster group led by a man named Rex. They dig up more information on the gang and decide to bring in Rex. They move in and arrest the second in command, Ethan.

During the arrest, Gwen is unable to keep up with the chase leading to OA getting shot. Luckily, his bulletproof vest saves him but they miss their chance to arrest Rex. Tiffany and Schola interrogate Ethan but he refuses to snitch on Rex. They are left to hope that OA and Maggie find something in Rex’s auto shop.

In the meantime, OA and Maggie search the auto shop and OA questions why Gwen failed to make it on time.  As they search they find a possible target that Rex wants to take down and return to the office. Unfortunately, they need to narrow down exactly which building Rex wants to take down. Luckily, a BOLO for Rex’s car bears fruit and they quickly leave to check the car. On the way out, Maggie finds a physi-pen in Gwen’s jacket.

Sadly, Rex already dumped the car but they check his GPS for the past few days and identify the target.  Rex was hired to kill Victor Ho, a Chinese businessman who took advantage of the Chinese community and then defected to America.  With the target identified, it is all hands on deck to prevent the attack.

Maggie pulls Gwen aside and asks her to watch the perimeter and confesses that she knows Gwen is sick. She insists that Gwen stays down for the safety of the team. The team starts evacuating the building so they can try and locate the bomb. OA and Maggie try to get Victor Ho to evacuate the building but his bodyguards refuse. The team is also yet to find the bomb so Maggie takes another look at the killer’s intent.

This leads them to realize Rex has plans to plant the bomb in the next building. They chase down Rex and find the bomb.  OA chooses to stay behind with the bomb while the team chase after Rex. With time running out, OA radios the bomb squad to get directions on detonating the bomb. Of course, he is uncertain but time is not a luxury he can afford so he takes his chance. Thankfully, he manages to stop the bomb.

Meanwhile, the team realizes that Rex is heading to the consulate for diplomatic cover. They need to get to him before he sets foot inside the consulate and possibly gets immunity. After an intense fight that nearly sees Maggie being shot, Gwen comes in and kills Rex.

After the case, Maggie thanks Gwen for saving her life. Gwen asks her not to report her sickness but Maggie refuses. She asks Gwen to think about it and report herself. Gwen confesses that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and is struggling to say goodbye to the job after 28 years. The job was her whole life and she wonders what she will do without it. Maggie reminds her that by staying, she will be endangering other agents and Gwen sees her point.

Episode Review

Our favourite protagonists, OA and Maggie had really close calls in this episode.  I am glad they made it.

I understand Gwen and her fear but I am glad Maggie helped her see why she should leave the job. After 28 years it can be scary to lose the very thing that kept you going especially because of a disease. Gwen must be feeling scared and uncertain of the future. What is important is that she realizes that the best way to end such an illustrious career is honourably.  I hope she makes it.