What could happen to CBS' FBI in the trump era

Cafe Society
1

FBI is a Dick Wolf franchise, so it, like it’s L&O brothers and sisters, has episodes “ripped from the headlines”. The show even was one of the few to show masking during Covid.

In real life, Dear Leader has begun to purge the real FBI of “DEI” and those deemed disloyal. In FBI the series, the Senior Special Agent in Charge is a hispanic woman, Isobel Castille. As far as trump is concerned, she’s a double DEI. (in this viewer’s opinion, she’s also an example of the Peter Principle, in that she has been promoted above her competency level. She’s a bad SAC, and she’s a terrible people manager. Trouble is, I’m not sure the show runners see her that way.)

Anyway, if the show were real life, she’s likely already been fired. Maybe along with the “DEI” female and minority show leads, especially the Muslim guy. The only one left is white dude and ex-stockbroker Scola.

So my theory is the show should embrace this. Fire all the cast, and turn the show into a comedy. In the style of The Office, or even Space Force, make it a show about a wacky group of incompetent agents hired only for their loyalty to the regime. Heck, maybe get Steve Carell as the SAC. Keep the same crimes, but hilariously have none of them be solved. A running joke through the series is the staff spends most of their time trying to root out DEI and traitors. Scola can be the voice of reason for the audience to relate to. He only kept his job because he’s a white male.

In the reverse of Lou Grant, the serious spin off show from MTM, have FBI 2025 be a comedy spin off.

2

So sorta like a Hogan’s Heros version of WW-II but set in the current / very near future FBI. Or maybe it’s Get Smart meets Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

I can see the humor. I wonder if the showrunners, the network suits, or the sponsors have the 'nads for that. My bet is “no”.

3

Yes, the same feel as Hogan!

They can make it a must-see TV block if they put it with Zelenskyy’s Zeroes.

4

For any serialised TV cop show, especially Dick Wolf ones, the structure remains pretty much the same and they only change the method of murder / crime details and the setting every week.

I think they could cobble together a plot structure consisting of a random object and the Biden Crime Family, and each episode basically consists of finding a chain of connection between the two. Example - random laptop left by passenger on bus, containing pro-Inuit Greenlandic propaganda. Bus driver says he was born in America, but his name clearly indicates not. … [investigative detail] … Biden Crime Family. Second half of show has the suspect in court. Can the prosecutor (a real-life former attorney) bring the case home.

This stuff writes itself.

5

The show took a weird turn into “La Femme Nikita” series territory Tuesday.

Some super sekrit terrorist organization is doing…something, that involves large amounts of money, inserting spyware into the FBI’s computers, extortion, and assassination. (they’re just one “revenge” away from being SPECTRE). The group of “terrorists” have matching tattoos and have infiltrated the government.

And at the end, after much shooting, every terrorist is dead. No one knows how many there were, or are, or even what they were trying to do.

But the loyal CBS audience will be happy that our heroes have done their job. If only we knew what it was.

6

They seem to go after terrorists every other episode, so I don’t expect a big change.

7

I made a more generalized spin-off of this thread here:The Trump Administration and the future of television drama

8

I don’t mind the use of “terrorists” as antagonists. It just wasn’t clear that this week’s villains were doing any actual terrorizing. Like the baddies in LFN, this group seemed to be all about battling the FBI than having any actual goal. More like Spy Vs Spy than bin Laden.

9

The season ender broiught back the super sekrit conspiracy group that has now infiltrated their highest levels of the FBI. But they all have easily-spotted tattoos.

Anyway the crisis is resolved, the baddies are exposed. The conspiracy involved the Chinese undermining law enforcement. But now what? Does isobel go to Director Patel? HA! It’s probably his plan.