Tiffany's FBI Replacement May Have Finally Been Cast, But I'm Waiting To See Her With Scola Before Getting Attached

FBImay have finally cast Tiffany's (Renee Katharine Kane) replacement, but I'm not getting attached to her before she and Scola share scenes. Tiffany Wallace's exit from FBI in season 7left a hole in the New York Field Office. Although she was cleared of any wrongdoing after she shot Hakim, the man who had killed Hobbs, she decided to leave the FBI and move to Georgia to run a café with her sister. This decision was supposed to allow her to heal from the trauma of the Hakim case and other upsetting aspects of working for the FBI.

After Tiffany left the FBI season 7 cast of characters, Scola (John Boyd) tried out several temporary partners, none of whom worked out. I was disappointed that Sofia Otero (Adriana Ducassi) only worked with Scola for one episode. She was the best of the temporary partners, though it was clear she was a placeholder until Syd (Lisette Oliveria) could arrive. However, before Syd's first episode aired, FBI announced she would be leaving after a few episodes, again leaving Scola partnerless. Thus, there is no guarantee that the next new partner he works with will remain permanently.

FBI Casts Emily Alabi As A Potential Replacement For Katherine Renee Kane's Tiffany

Alabi Is An Experienced Actress Who Has Worked On Several Procedurals

FBI's new cast member Emily Alabi standing in front of an.apartment building with her hair up and a pair of overalls that is half strapped

TVLinereports that Scola's newest partner is played by Emily Alabi, which offers some hope that she will be staying longer-term. Alabi is no stranger to procedurals, having worked on both S.W.A.T and Magnum P.I., and she also guest starred on one of my favorite episodes of Found, all of which bodes well for her ability to work well with the FBI franchise. Alabi is also familiar with Dick Wolf Entertainment's popular FBI franchise, having guest starred on FBI: International in season 3, which is another point in her favor.

However, the fact that she is only being hired on a recurring basis in season 7 gives me pause. This cautious approach suggests that the FBI production team isn't entirely sold on Alabi's character, who has not yet been named. Thus, they are giving her a trial run by allowing her to recur throughout the season. While there is potential for her to become a series regular in FBI season 8, it's equally possible that the producers will decide she is not working out, leaving Scola once again without a partner when the new season begins.

FBI Has Failed To Replace Tiffany Multiple Times

It's Hard To Believe This Time Will Work Out

Alabi's character will be the fourth attempt at replacing Scola's partner. To be fair, the first two were meant to be placeholders until Scola's permanent partner arrived, but it is still concerning that the procedural does not appear to be able to find a permanent partner for the veteran field agent.

All the Replacement Partners Scola Has Had
Character Name	Episodes (all in season 7)
Sofia Ortega	episode 2, "Trusted"
Urlich	episode 3, "Detente"
Sydney Ortiz	episode 4, "Doubted" - episode 10, "Redoubt" [not yet aired]

Sofia Ortega, the first new replacement, was the best fit. The only thing that worried me about her was that she confronted a suspect on her own instead of telling Scola to back her up, but that was a minor issue that could have been resolved with a stern conversation about expectations. Unfortunately, Ortega left at the end of her premiere episode with the explanation that she didn't think she could live up to Tiffany's reputation.

I think that was a silly excuse, though it seems to reflect the issue that the series has had — no one works as well with Scola as Tiffany did. That said, Scola's next partner, Urlich, was a complete mismatch who wanted to do everything his way and didn't respect Scola's experience or opinions. Fortunately, he only lasted one episode. However, after Urlich disappeared without replacement, Syd was introduced. She was intended to be permanent and might have made a good match for him if she had been given more of a chance.

Scola's attempts to teach Syd how to do her job and his need to be patient with her underdeveloped skills in the field could have been an interesting story.

Syd is a behavioral analyst who has had little field experience. I can understand why the FBI production team decided that she wasn't as good a fit as it seemed, as she might have been better off as a guest star who consulted with the Field Office's main team. However, Scola's attempts to teach Syd how to do her job and his need to be patient with her underdeveloped skills in the field could have been an interesting story.

Why Scola Will Ultimately Decide Who Tiffany's FBI Replacement Will Be

It's Hard To Tell How A Character Will Work Out Until They Work Together

FBI Sofia and Scola stand in an enclosure talking to a witness

I've covered shows like FBI for long enough to know that strong characters and actors aren't enough — the actors have to have good chemistry with the people they are working most closely with. Thus, it's impossible to determine whether Alabi's character will work out until she has interacted with Scola on a case. Whether she defers to Scola's experience, insists on doing things her own way, or is somewhere in between, if Alabi and Boyd don't gel properly on-screen, the FBI team will likely again rethink this casting choice.

it is difficult to have faith that the series will find a replacement for Tiffany that works out well, considering how impossible it has been to do so thus far.

I hope that Alabi's character remains long-term so that FBI can end this tedious storyline of Scola's inability to find a permanent partner. However, it is difficult to have faith that the series will find a replacement for Tiffany that works out well, considering how impossible it has been to do so thus far. For this reason, I'm deciding it's best not to get too attached to the newest potential partner until she has been on screen for long enough to confirm she can be a good fit for him long-term.

Source: TVLine

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