With FBI Moving On From Tiff's Departure, How Prepared Is Scola For A New Partner? Here's What John Boyd Told Us

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FBI delivered the usual dose of action with the Season 7 premiere in the fall 2024 TV schedule that fans have come to count on, but the episode (available streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription) was also more emotional than most as Tiff’s swan song. The agent decided to leave the Bureau behind after some “unhinged” moments in the Season 6 finale, marking Katherine Renee Kane’s exit and the beginning of a new era for John Boyd’s Scola. He’ll need a new partner, and according to the actor, he’s definitely not prepared.

Katherine Renee Kane’s exit was announced over the summer, but it wasn’t until the Season 7 premiere that fans got to see how FBI would split Tiff and Scola. It turned out to involve Scola getting stabbed, in a bloody scene that was also Kane’s final scene with John Boyd. It was understated but emotional between the partners, and Scola did not seem ready to say goodbye to her as his partner.

The second episode of Season 7 will be Scola’s first without a regular partner, so when I spoke with Boyd, I asked how prepared Scola is to start over after Tiff’s departure. The actor shared:

I just don't think he's prepared at all. I don't think he's able to as an agent. I don't think he's able to reset. He's looking for someone to just fill that slot and be the exact same thing and fill that place and have the exact same rhythm. I don't think he knows how to reset or rebuild, and he pays a price for that. He misses an opportunity.

While Tiff and Scola hadn’t been paired for as long as Maggie and OA as partners, they were consistently teamed up once Katherine Renee Kane joined FBI in Season 3. Is it any surprise that Scola won’t be bouncing back immediately after losing her on the job? Of course, not being prepared can be deadly in the FBI line of work, and apparently there will be a “price” for Scola to pay. John Boyd touched back on the Season 7 premiere as he continued:

It's an interesting one to play. Just about the last moment that [showrunner] Mike [Weiss] is talking about is them saying goodbye, but there's this unspoken moment. Obviously Scola gets stabbed and the last time we see them together, Tiff is looking at him in a hospital bed. I think it's a really tough goodbye. It's really sad, but I think it's a really great episode.

While it might have been odd if these two characters parted with impassioned declarations or even a hug, it’s bittersweet that their goodbye was when he was bleeding profusely from a stab wound and she was instead looking at him in the hospital. That’s not to say that there weren’t some tears concerning Tiff leaving in the first episode of Season 7, but those came courtesy of Missy Peregrym as Maggie.

So, when will Scola start facing problems with adjusting to his new normal without Tiff? Well, CBS’ description for Episode 2 revealed that he’ll be trying to “welcome a new partner,” and it’s a safe bet that the storyline won’t be wrapped up by the time that the final credits roll on that episode.

See what’s next for Scola – on top of his crossover to FBI: Most Wanted to help Nina, that is – with new episodes of FBI on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, followed by FBI: International with Chicago P.D. alum Jesse Lee Soffer now on board at 9 p.m. ET and Most Wanted at 10 p.m. ET with its recent relationship updates, all on CBS. If you missed any of the season premieres, you can stream them now via Paramount+.