Is OA coming back to ‘FBI’? Showrunner reveals fan favorite’s fate in 26 Fed after Season 8 ouster
Season 8 of 'FBI' ended with a shocker. Special Agent Omar Adom "OA" Zidan (Zeeko Zaki) refused to take part in a cover-up involving a shadowy government-connected operative named Anna Vorpe and, as a result, got fired by Assistant Director in Charge (ADIC) Lawrence Green (Curtiss Cook). Because the procedural follows the adventures of 26 Fed, OA's ouster sent fans spiraling about whether Zaki may be leaving the show. But fret not; the actor will not only continue, but he will have a major arc in the upcoming episodes. In the finale, titled 'Defector,' the show reveals that Maggie (Missy Peregrym) and Isobel (Alana De La Garza) planned this so that OA could go undercover in Anna's shady strike team. Fans are now waiting with bated breath to see how OA will handle his double-agent life in the upcoming season.
In an interview with TV Insider, showrunner Mike Weiss shared what fans can expect from Season 9. He said that this undercover assignment will overwhelm OA. "We will not be the first TV show or movie to tell this story," the showrunner stated, "but one of the most interesting things about being undercover is that a character that you usually love has to figure out how to not lose himself or herself in their undercover assignment: How do you maintain cover and go deep into a world where you're surrounded by bad people and not have it cost you your soul in the process?"
Though this double-agent life will be part of OA's arc in the upcoming season, it will probably not last the whole season. At some point, he will return to the bureau and rely on his teammates to get back to normal after a whirlwind experience. "But when he eventually does come back to the team, he's going to be changed by his experiences undercover, and it's going to be up to Maggie, Scola [John Boyd], Eva [Juliana Aiden Martinez], and everyone to help him get back to the person and the agent that he was before he went undercover," Weiss explained. "The question is, is that even fully, fully possible? Are you forever changed by your experience if it's that intense going on an assignment like this? And that's kind of the longer arc part of the story that we're going to be telling for OA. And Zeeko is all over it. He's so dialed into this question and this problem. And I think fans are going to love these episodes, especially at the top of the season, that focus on him and this struggle so much."
Zaki also teased that the new assignment may push OA into morally complicated territory. "Getting to see OA on a different team will be fun to watch and film. I'm excited to play something different, but I'm also eager to get back to the team," Zaki shared with TV Insider. "But it will be fun regardless." 'FBI' will return with Season 9 on Monday, October 5, 8/7c on CBS.
