Warning: spoilers ahead for the April 25 episode of FBI Season 5, called "Sisterhood."
The newest episode of FBI was guaranteed to be a dramatic one for Maggie as soon as it was confirmed that her sister Erin would be in the mix. She has always had a bit of a blind spot when it comes to her sister, and while those tend to be standout episodes for Maggie, they don't always paint her in the best light. Erin going undercover for a case involving drugs gave Maggie some big reasons to worry, and the tension between the sisters boiled over when Maggie made a harsh declaration at the end of the hour that I never would have predicted.
Now, Maggie's concerns for her sister and desire to keep her out of a case that might tempt her into using drugs again were understandable, but Erin's frustration with her sister not trusting her wasn't hard to understand either. Maggie pushed the issues with her sister hard enough that her colleagues were visibly uncomfortable, and a hostage might have died when she tried to keep Erin out of the action even when she was the safest option.
An argument may have been inevitable once Maggie flat-out refused to believe Erin when she insisted that she didn't do a line of cocaine, even when OA and other agents were willing to give the benefit of the doubt. By the end, when Erin came through and the hostage was saved, I thought the sisters had at least reached an uneasy understanding with each other, but that... wasn't the case.
In their final scene of "Sisterhood," when Maggie still wouldn't believe that Erin was clean, she told Erin that she needed to go back to Indianapolis because there are too many "temptations" in New York City, but Erin pointed out that there are temptations in Indianapolis as well. That led to this pretty harsh exchange:
- Maggie: "Yes, that's true. But when you're here, it affects me, okay? I'm always waiting for that bad call. I feel like I'm responsible for you, for your safety. Your overall well-being is always on me."
- Erin: "That's what this is about? About you?"
- Maggie: "Every time you come into my world, you embarrass me."
Now, I'm all for siblings being honest with each other whenever possible, and Maggie had the right to point out that Erin's problems created problems for her as well. I was on board with Erin pointing out that Erin's actions have consequences for both of them. She lost me with the last line, however, when she told Erin that she embarrasses her every time she shows up! As a younger sister myself, that would definitely hurt to hear.
I already thought Maggie was a little too harsh with Erin back when it wasn't clear whether or not she had done cocaine during the undercover operation, and the results of the drug test put me firmly on Team Erin in the conflict between sisters in this episode. Maggie clearly still had zero doubts about Erin using again... up until the moment that she saw the results and learned that her sister was still clean.
Plan for the months ahead with our 2023 TV premiere schedule!
Maggie was on the verge of tears afterward, so it seems that she also realized that she was too harsh on her sister. As usual with episodes involving Erin, Missy Peregrym nailed her performance, and it was a reminder of how great it is to have Maggie fully recovered from her sarin gas exposure and the secret she'd been hiding.
It's also great to know that FBI is already guaranteed to return for Season 6 and isn't on the list of 2023 TV shows that could get cancelled. In fact, the show will hit its milestone 100th episode with the Season 5 finale on May 23. I previously wondered if the show was setting Scola up for a finale farewell in light of Nina's pregnancy, but after John Boyd's comments on what kind of father Scola would be, he doesn't seem quite as likely to leave.
For now, you can look forward to the next new episode of FBI on Tuesday, May 9 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, ahead of FBI: International at 9 p.m. and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. before the finales at May 23.
