FBI Season 5 Episode 10 Review: Second Life
On FBI, Season 5 Episode 10, “Second Life,” the show explores a 20-year-old case, and with it, Isobel’s emotions a little deeper.
“Second Life” gives us a look into who Isobel is as a person, and as a leader, as she must learn to accept mistakes she cannot take back or fix.
In my own reviews, I like to be biased, and say things that don’t entirely matter to the episode as a whole; if you’ve read my reviews before, you know this.
On “Second Life,” the case of the week is one of the most interesting they’ve ever done and the fact that Isobel centers it makes it that much more engrossing.
We don’t see much of Isobel’s personal life — we get a lot of Maggie and OA, lots and lots of Jubal, and some Scola. Rarely ever do we get more info on Tiffany and Isobel.
The case, at first, seems like a run-of-the-mill kidnapping, but is revealed to be a web within a web as the person missing was reported missing at age 4, and now again, at 22.
The fact of the matter is that FBI has a tough time locking in interesting stories, most of them are terrorist attacks or sided politics where everyone but our main characters has an opinion.
What “Second Life” — pardon my pun — it breathes life into FBI in a way we haven’t had all of season 5, much less season 4.
Alana De La Garza gets to show off her skills as she is tested again and again, by a suspect, her former partner, or a child’s mother.
Isobel, the entire time, stands as a leader and makes everyone know who she is and what kind of authority she has, whether good or bad.
As there’s an indication that Isobel and her old partner were sleeping together, Isobel knows enough about herself to know that she deserves better than him, hence rejecting his drinks offer.
The framing of the narrative, with no reliable narrator, until we have dug deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole, makes the episode seem like it’s a full-length movie.
Isobel is a great boss because she’s smart, yes, but she’s also compassionate and caring. You can’t be in a position of power with greed and bad taste.
(Unfortunately, you can, but I do wish you couldn’t.)
Isobel makes sure that her team knows that making mistakes is unavoidable, but you can make it right as long as you are open to the unique and the possibility.
Isobel shows us throughout the entirety of “Second Life” that the way to win is to not play the sick game everyone wants to play.
As a whole, objectively and also in my very humble opinion, “Second Life” is the best episode of FBI we’ve had in months — maybe seasons.
Stray Thoughts
- Isobel walking into that burning building is so badass. She is so cool.
- When I was younger, my cousins took me to an ice cream place called “Putnam’s Pantry” and of course, I had to share it with y’all.
- Not one guest star in today’s episode of FBI deserves to be in the FBI unless infiltrating it.
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What did you think of this episode of FBI? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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FBI airs Tuesday at 8/9c on CBS.
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Laura Wanberg
Laura is a homebody who loves everything about TV. Some of her favorite shows include Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Parks and Recreation, and The Morning Show. With her ever-growing list of new shows to watch and books to read, her favorite thing to do is to cuddle up with her cat and get lost in someone else's world.