5 Ways That Clay's Death Can Define The Rest Of FBI Season 7

Warning! SPOILERS ahead for FBI season 7, episode 8, "Riptide."

Clay's (Guy Lockard) death in FBIseason 7, episode 8 will impact the rest of the season in several ways. Clay was introduced at the beginning of the season as OA's old friend and fellow Army Ranger who had served with him in Afghanistan. The proceduralsecured its status as the best FBI show when it introduced Clay and quickly revealed that he was not entirely on the up-and-up. Clay asked OA and Gemma to have dinner with him and immediately enlisted OA to help him place a listening device under the table, which OA did against his better judgment.

OA's willingness to do whatever Clay wanted suggested he was going to allow his old friend to get him into trouble, and that seemed to be borne out when OA told Isobel after the fact about getting info relevant to a case from Clay. Isobel (Alanza De la Garza) made Clay an official CI and warned OA not to go behind her back again. Ultimately, this turned into a tragedy for OA in FBI, as he had to fatally shoot Clayafter learning that Clay was part of a gold heist that had resulted in several people's deaths.

1 Clay's Death Could Lead To OA & Maggie Getting Closer

OA Would Have To Break Up With Gemma

Maggie (Missy Peregrym) is OA's closest friend, and he often turns to her at times of need despite having a girlfriend. Thus, this traumatic situation will likely lead to OA leaning even more heavily on Maggie than he has in the past. He's already confided in her that Clay broke protocol to save his life when he was held in a Taliban prisoner-of-war camp, so it's likely that he will continue to talk to her about what he's going through.

Considering how traumatic the experience of shooting Clay was, OA might shut everyone else out, especially if Maggie is the only one willing to push him to talk. If this happens, it'll create a problem in OA's relationship with Gemma (Comfort Clinton). Although OA confided in Gemma about his wartime experiences when Maggie was out of town, he doesn't have nearly as close a relationship with her, and the two already broke up once. Thus, it's likely that OA's issues will create an insurmountable rift between him and Gemma, permanently ending the relationship.

2 Clay's Friends Can Come Out For Revenge

Clay Was Connected To Other Criminals

FBI OA And Gemma at dinner with Clay with a waiter behind them

OA was probably not the only person who owed their life to Clay, and some of the other people whose lives he saved might not have had the same morals that OA does. Thus, it's possible that there is a network of criminals who will want to avenge Clay's death.

Clay's friends could target Maggie or Gemma, or they might lash out at innocent people who they perceive as equally responsible for Clay's death.

These people would likely not hesitate to try to kill OA or people who are important to him to get revenge, and their lack of respect for the FBI will make them formidable and scary enemies. Clay's friends could target Maggie or Gemma, or they might lash out at innocent people who they perceive as equally responsible for Clay's death.

3 OA Gets In Legal Trouble For The Shooting

It Was A Clean Shoot, But He Could Still Have Problems

FBI OA And Clay sitting together in an office

OA did everything possible to avoid killing Clay. His FBI training, combined with his loyalty to his old friend, led to him attempting to talk Clay down and tackling him to try to disarm him, but in the end, OA was forced to shoot Clay to save his own life and stop Clay from absconding with the gold. Thus, there is no real reason for OA to get in trouble for the shooting, but the FBI may still require an internal investigation.

Jubal recently went through an investigation after pressuring the NYPD to let his son go without charges after a protest, leading to speculation that Jeremy Sisto was leaving FBI. Fortunately, that turned out not to be the case; since he's back, he might have some advice for OA about how to survive a grueling investigation into whether he did anything wrong. However, it may be tougher for OA, as he probably believes there was something else he could have done to save his old friend's life even if that's not realistic.

4 The Truth About Clay's Shady Dealings Results In More Complicated Cases

Clay Compromised OA And Possibly Other Agents

FBI OA standing with Maggie and thinking while he talks to Jubal

OA could have gotten himself into serious trouble when he listened to Clay and helped distract a waiter so Clay could plant a listening device, and he might not be out of danger yet. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Clay's death could lead to more information coming out about this and other shady activities that Clay was into.

These cases could be complicated to investigate or prosecute if OA or other FBI agents are implicated.

If the truth about Clay's activities comes to the surface, it could get OA into trouble. It also could implicate others who are currently in the FBI or who served with Clay in Afghanistan. These cases could be complicated to investigate or prosecute if OA or other FBI agents are implicated, as they will not be allowed to influence the case and might be charged with serious crimes.

5 OA Struggles To Operate After Clay's Death

The Incident Could Re-Traumatize Him

Omar, Scola, Tiffany, Jess, and Remy walk together in FBI — Omar, Scola, Tiffany, and Jess walk together in FBI

OA has had PTSD since the beginning of the FBI, but in most cases, he prides himself on his ability to put everything else aside to focus on the case at hand. However, he may find it substantially more difficult to do so after having shot Clay.

It remains to be seen whether OA will be his usual self in FBI season 7. episode 9. He may have difficulty trusting his instincts after convincing himself that Clay was one of the good guys, even though there were several red flags that he ignored.

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