FBI Braces for Fan Favorite's Brief Exit Just Ahead of the Season 8 Finale

FBI is about to sideline one of its MVPs right as Season 8 hits the home stretch — and yeah, it is OA.

What the next episode is actually about

CBS teases that Monday, May 11’s hour kicks off with a high-profile corporate assassination, which sends the team chasing the leadership of a long-quiet terror group that’s suddenly back in play. The twist: Zeeko Zaki’s OA gets pulled off the squad after pushing back on orders, and he’s reassigned with a partner he (and we) already know.

OA’s new partner: that familiar face

Based on the first-look photos, OA’s temporary teammate is Agent Zara Ushruf (Pardis Saremi). If that name rings a bell, it should — OA met Zara back in Episode 17 when they worked a case together and then grabbed dinner afterward. He was noticeably missing from the Monday, April 20 episode, and he’s expected to be MIA again in the penultimate hour before the finale. How long he’ll be away from the team (or the Bureau at all) isn’t clear yet.

• May 11 episode: corporate hit triggers a hunt for a resurfaced terror org; OA is reassigned after refusing orders
• OA’s partner: Agent Zara Ushruf (Pardis Saremi), first met in Episode 17 — they worked a case and later went to dinner
• OA absences: he skipped the Monday, April 20 episode and is likely out for the penultimate too
• Unresolved: no timeline yet for OA’s return to the main team
• Schedule check: FBI airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS

Meanwhile, Maggie just went through hell

As if OA’s detour weren’t enough, the show already threw down a brutal shakeup in March: Maggie’s first-ever collar, serial slasher Ray DiStefano (Matthew Rauch), abducted her sister Erin (Adrienne Rose Bengtsson). Maggie spent the episode fighting to get her back — only to find Erin dead in the back of DiStefano’s truck. That’s a big swing for a procedural that usually resets the board by the next case.

Is Missy Peregrym leaving? Short answer: no

Missy Peregrym, 43, did miss one episode, but she is not planning an exit. She’s been candid about the show tackling such an intense storyline, and why it matters to keep going even when it feels heavy.

"We’re not a drama where we sit around in our underwear and chat on the couch. We’ve got to get back to work."

"It just feels like we’re doing a new show again... maybe that’s a gift."

She also said the point is not just to dwell on the worst moments, but to show how people try to move forward after them — connection, recovery, and all the messy steps in between.

Bottom line

OA’s off the board for a minute, working alongside Zara while the team hunts a reawakened terror outfit. Maggie’s reeling, but still on the job. The finale is coming fast, and the show clearly isn’t playing it safe on the way there.