FBI Season 7, Episode 13, "Unearth" is another Stuart Scola-centric episode, which would be great news if not for how it torments Scola even further. It was only a few episodes ago that Scola had to revisit his brother's death in the September 11 terrorist attacks, and now he learns a sad fact about one of his childhood friends. John Boyd is once again wonderful in the role, but it feels like too soon to go back to the same well of trauma.
"Unearth" involves the murders of two federal jurors, which the authorities initially believe is the work of the Italian mafia. However, further investigation points to the jurors just being collateral damage, and the evidence leads back to Scola's former military school. The episode is steadily paced and certainly dramatic, even if it's thematically familiar.
FBI Season 7, Episode 13 Puts More Pressure on Stuart Scola
Audiences Learn Another Tragic Part of Scola's Past
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It was only four episodes earlier that FBI focused on the death of Scola's brother, and the subplot in "Descent" involves the death of his childhood friend David Murray. Scola explains near the top of the episode that David took his own life four years earlier, and that he and Nina still check in on David's widow. Audiences later learn that David was Scola's classmate and cross-country teammate at Cornwall Military Academy. When the plot pivots to investigating members of Cornwall's staff for alleged sexual abuse of students, the episode reveals that David was one of the abuse victims — and that was the reason why he took his life.
David's story is sad enough without tying it to the case of the week, but making that connection makes "Descent" truly gut-wrenching for Scola and for fans of the character. That means Scola has lost two people very dear to him, both in particularly tragic ways, and both of those deaths still have a pronounced effect on him. John Boyd is excellent at conveying the range of emotions that Scola goes through over the course of 42 minutes, particularly the anger that he develops when he realizes the dean of Cornwall was another of the people who victimized Danny and an unknown number of other students.
In fairness to the show, "Unearth" is a bit more than just additional angst for Scola. It's an actual identity crisis, because he says repeatedly how much his time at Cornwall meant to him. So to think that the best institution in his life also perpetrated the worst thing that happened to one of his best friends and countless others is incredibly jarring. Can he have respect for what Cornwall gave him without dismissing the crimes that were taking place under the academy's roof? It's a heady question with no easy answer. But between losing his partner Tiffany Wallace in the Season 7 premiere, finally getting closure about his brother's passing, and now learning the truth about David's suicide, it's also hard not to wish for Scola to get some good news instead of these painful reveals.
FBI Delivers an Action-Packed Plot With a Few Holes
Season 7, Episode 13 Moves at a Steady Pace
There is plenty of plot in "Unearth," because it essentially marries two stories together. It opens with a mistrial being declared in the case of mobster Sam Ardizzone, as the two murder victims were members of the jury at Ardizzone's trial. There's a fair amount of time spent on the mafia angle, such as Ardizzone's cousin being recruited to intimidate jurors at the hotel where they were being sequestered. But then new evidence points to U.S. Marshal Brad Kimble — played by Oz star Lee Tergesen — as the real target, and exposes Kimble's past as one of the abusers at Cornwall Military Academy. With two connecting stories, there's lots to be done, including foot chases, two murders (one with OA and Scola present), and a whole stretch of time in which Scola has to protect Kimble's accomplice Colonel Lewis from being shot by the same killer.
It's that last one that includes a relatively minor but still noticeable plot hole. Cornwall just happens to be having its biggest fundraiser, and the Bureau is certain that suspect Noah Thackery will head there to eliminate his last target. OA and Scola arrive on the scene and urge Lewis to shut the event down (not yet knowing his complicity). Lewis refuses, but tells them they can conduct a search for Thackery. Yet if he's trying not to ruin his event, having two FBI agents dressed in black tactical gear wandering around is counterintuitive, since they very obviously stand out in the crowd and everyone can read the name on their bulletproof vests. Yet nobody gets antsy or worried for their welfare until Thackery opens fire with a rifle in the middle of Lewis' speech. That certainly requires some dramatic license, but this episode has enough going on to keep viewers' attention consistently.
Nina Chase Is Underused in FBI Season 7, Episode 13
Maggie Bell's Absence Is Also Felt in the Hour
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Nina Chase's guest appearance is supposed to be a big part of "Unearth," but Shantel VanSanten's character ends up being underused. That's disappointing and a little bit frustrating, since Nina is brought into the story for two reasons. The first is her expertise as a member of the Fugitive Task Force from FBI: Most Wanted and the second is, of course, her relationship with Scola. At first, this is promising, because Nina offers her advice to the team and even conducts a suspect interview with Scola. But then she disappears in the middle of the episode — with Isobel Castille stating that she was called back for a Fugitive Task Force operation. Nina returns just in time to stand around in the bullpen and worry about Scola while he's pinned down by the murder suspect.
It would have been smarter and more rewarding for FBI to just commit to making NIna part of the entire episode. She's a fan-favorite, so why not completely use her? "Unearth" also takes a hit from the absence of Missy Peregrym, with OA explaining early on that Maggie Bell is "getting some R&R." That makes sense after the events of Season 4, Episode 12, "Manhunt," and it's fun to see OA and Scola working as a team since they usually don't, but Peregrym is such an integral part of the show that she's missed anyway. "Unearth" is a solid episode for Scola fans, but hopefully FBI will ease up on him sooner rather than later.
FBI airs Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. on CBS.
