FBI: International – Blood Feud – Review

In this episode, we are able to get a clear view of Scott Forrester’s knowledge and experience, and why he is an astute leader for the Fly Team, and also the familial bond of the Fly Team members. We are also able to see the love that Andre has for Maya, and also how someone’s greatest love can also become their greatest possible weakness.

To recap this episode, we begin at the supermax prison in Omsk Gulag, Russia, where Vladislav Pavlovic is being incarcerated. Vlad uses a sharpened cross to stab a prison guard and is able to escape where another guard is waiting for him in a car. The guard is played by a long lost friend from Chicago Fire, Yuri Sardarov, who played Otis for many years before his character was killed in a fire…so great to see you still working in Wolf world Yuri.

The team is out celebrating Cameron’s birthday when Scott gets a mystery text. He goes outside to find someone from the CIA there, who takes him to meet with Pavel Novakov. Novakov tells him that Vlad escaped from prison 5 days ago and he says this is a blood feud and this is the highest level of risk for Scott. Vlad and his partner high jacked a plane and they believe he is coming to Budapest.

His partner that broke him out was Sergei Diatchenko, who likely met him when he transferred to the prison as a guard, and has no criminal record. They have found the plane they stole ditched in a Turkish airfield. Scott says he wants to let every police force know so that everyone is on the lookout for Vlad. The team wants to evacuate Scott from the country as that is the protocol, but he says that just puts more bodies between him and Vlad and he is not leaving, so Jamie insists on some security measures. They put him up in a safe house. Jamie also tells Scott that she does not trust Novakov.

The team gets a lock on Sergei’s phone. His phone is only on for a few minutes at a time but they are tracking and realize he is on a train and the team goes to intercept and search the train. They find Sergei zip tied to a railing in a train car and he says Vlad left him there. In the next compartment they find a man murdered. Vlad has escaped out the back of the train and is heading to Budapest. Smitty warns Forrester that they have lost him and he is off the train.

They question Sergei, and he asks for his phone. He says that he was in Vlad’s pocket, and there is a man in Omsk who is a killer watching his sons and waiting for an order to kill them, so he has to help them. He says he was a hostage for 5 days. He says that Vlad is consumed and now that he is gone he needs to know his children are okay. He makes a call and his boys are okay. They also learn that Vlad did not divulge anything to him about his plans.

In order to seek out some information of who might be helping Vlad, Forrester reaches out to an old informant, Gregor Lebedev. While he is reaching out, Raines asks to talk to Smitty and Vo in private. Raines ran background on the man killed on the train and he was not a civilian, he was low to midlevel FSB, and Raines figures that the Russian authorities may have been tracking Vlad since he broke out, but Raines says there could also be someone on the inside feeding them information and they suspect Novakov. Raines says something about his arrival feels off. Vo says they cannot send Forrester into Russian hands if Novakov is compromised and they need to know for sure.

Forrester goes to meet with Gregor, who says he has been having to watch his back since he left the life because his wife is pregnant. He agrees to meet Scott in two hours at the park. Scott meets Gregor at Karolyi Garden. He is sitting on a bench and has had his throat slit. Kellett tells him to get out but Scott finds something in his mouth. It is a chain and tag, and says this was Vlad who killed him.

The CCTV caught someone leaving the park and they believe it is Vlad, but they lose him in the city. There were 3 photos stored on the tag, all of Scott and all taken about 3 weeks ago in Budapest. Kellett says Vlad wants them to know he has had Forrester in his crosshairs even from thousands of miles away. The 17-11 written on the tag Raines thinks related to Leviticus 17:11 which loosely translated means “Blood is the only ordained way to atone for what you have done”.

Jamie and Scott go in to confront Novakov. He says the more information he shares with the USA the less valuable he becomes and he thinks the FSB wants to get to Vlad first to use him as a bargaining chip to trade for him. He says the FSB do not forgive traitors. Scott tells him they cannot be his safety net this time.

Raines and Vo find an IP address that belongs to Aron Nemeth, who lives in Budapest, and Forrester takes Raines with him. Nemeth says he does not know who hired him, and discretion is key in his job, so he was given Scott’s name and he did the rest, and when he was done, he mailed the photos on a USB. Raines finds photos of the whole team. Aron says they paid for full surveillance including Forrester’s closest contacts. Scott finds a picture of Maya and shows Raines. He asks if all the photos were sent to his client and he says yes, Vlad has seen all of them. Raines tries to call Maya and she does not answer. They rush to her bar, but the place is a mess and they find blood.

Raines and Forrester review the footage from the bar security cameras and see Maya being attacked by Vlad. Raines realizes that one of the cameras is not one he set up as he set up the whole system, so they smash it. The phone immediately starts to ring. Forrester answers and it is Vlad and Scott asks if Maya is alive. He says he wants to meet with just Forrester and if anyone else comes he will kill Maya. Scott tricks Raines into thinking they are going to the meeting place with Vlad and Kellett and Vo meet up with him.

Forrester meets Vlad at the abandoned train yard. Vlad says the debt of blood can only be paid one way and Forrester puts down his gun. He tries to shoot Scott and Maya attacks him. Scott stabs him with a railway spike and then shoots him. Forrester runs to Maya’s aid.

An ambulance and the police arrive. Raines goes with Maya to the hospital, and Scott checks in with Raines. He asks if they are okay and Raines walks away without an answer.

Novakov says that with Vlad gone, any deal between the FSB and US government will be gone now. He thanks Scott and says he owes him his life, and Forrester says he is glad things worked out for him. Novakov is taken back into custody of the CIA.

Raines and Maya arrive back at the bar, and she tells him she does not want to go inside. Raines tells her she does not have to and he is sorry he was not there. Maya tells him that Vlad told her the minute he saw Raines, he was going to put a bullet in her and that she was so sure he was going to see it happen, but it was like he knew and that is why she is alive right now. She says it is only because Vlad did not see him there. Raines tells her he is so glad she is okay.

Forrester is walking on the bridge and he gets a text from Raines that says they are okay. Scott tosses Vlad’s cross off the bridge into the water.

One of the first themes that was evident in this episode was how protective the team is of one another. It is clear at the start of the episode when Kellett follows Forrester out of the celebration for Vo, and is reiterated a number of times, such as how they are all suspicious of Novakov’s motive to be there, the trust to share information about their concerns with one another, and how worried they all are about Forrester’s safety and then Maya’s. It is evident that they are more than co-workers, and truly have become family as they work and live in this foreign country together. While this makes them extremely collaborative and effect as a team, one does have to wonder though if this could potentially create issues over time, or make them more vulnerable in the case that one of them is in danger.

The second theme that resonated loud and clear was the incredible knowledge and skill of Scott Forrester. Whether it was identifying how to find Sergei and Vlad, utilizing contacts to help narrow down the search, knowing that Novakov had an ulterior motive to his presence or knowing that he had to trick Raines to save Maya’s life, it was clear that Scott was able to navigate the twists and turns of this complicated situation with expertise and calm strength that truly showed his amazing leadership skills and skills as an FBI agent. If there was ever any doubt as to why he is the team leader, surely those doubts have been put to rest.

This was overall a great episode where we not only got to see some familiar faces from Wolf world, but also were able see the love, friendships and family that exists in the FBI Fly Team.

Let us know what you thought about this episode in the comments below.