'FBI: International' Episode 1 Review: New spin-off gets off to a strong start

'FBI: International' sticks to the same elements as it gets off to a strong and solid start
'FBI: International' pilot is part of a three-hour crossover along with fellow shows 'FBI' and 'FBI: Most Wanted' (CBS)
'FBI: International' pilot is part of a three-hour crossover along with fellow shows 'FBI' and 'FBI: Most Wanted' (CBS)

Spoilers for 'FBI: International' Episode 1

Known for their hard-hitting storyline, impressive cast members, and action that's absolutely believable, the 'FBI' franchise has seen considerable success, and 'FBI: International' sticks to the same elements as it gets off to a strong and solid start. The pilot is part of a three-hour crossover along with fellow shows 'FBI' and 'FBI: Most Wanted'. It will be on its own the following week but manages to create an impression that it can hold its own.

The mission for Special Agent Scott Forrester (Luke Kleintank) and his team, Jamie Kellett (Heida Reed), Cameron Vo (Vinessa Vidotto), and Andre Raines (Carter Redwood) is to find a notorious sex trafficker, Colin Kent, who has been giving the authorities the slip and all the while stacking up a body count. They're joined by 'FBI' Special Agent OA  (Zeeko Zaki) to assist on the mission and has a beef with Kent.  It's not all smooth sailing between OA and Scott, but they manage to find common ground.

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A still from 'FBI: International' (CBS)

The pilot puts the viewers through its paces and has enough twists and turns before they finally nail Kent, but what the show attempts to do is convey the nitty-gritty of how these agents do their job and unravel leads to accomplish their task. 'FBI: International's cast is good and although the lines appear clunky a few times, they have the potential to hit their straps over the course of the season. German actress Christiane Paul plays Katrin Jaeger, a multilingual Europol agent, and acts as a liaison for the team on international missions, and is the one to watch out for after her steely performance in the pilot.

'FBI: International' made news when it said the series would look at their main character who wouldn't get trigger-happy and would apprehend criminals without using guns, and they manage to do that in the first episode. While the nail-biting action sequences tease that they may break that rule, but the heroes stick to their motto and the episode ends with a W for the team.

The show will be hoping to receive a similar kind of success as its previous versions. Meanwhile, it will compete with the likes of ‘Chicago PD’, ‘Bosch’ and ‘True Detective’ to garner praise globally, and with the kind of start, it sure will give the competition a run for its money.

'FBI: International' airs Tuesdays 10 pm ET/PT on CBS. 

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