International Season 4, Episode 18 Makes Up For Ignoring 1 Underrated FlyTeam Member (But It's Too Late) -

Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for FBI: International season 4, episode 18.As FBI: International comes to a close, all eyes are on how various characters’ storylines will wrap up. One of the most overlooked characters of the whole series is Agent Andre Raines (Carter Redwood), but things look set to change with the most recent storyline. In FBI: International season 4, episode 18, Wes Mitchell (Jesse Lee Soffer) had some exciting news for both Raines and Agent Cameron Vo (Vinessa Vidotto), and now we want to know who will end the series with a promotion.

The problem is that this storyline has come too late, as Raines is one of the most overlooked characters in the whole Dick Wolf universe. There are just four episodes left in the series, and that doesn’t give a lot of time to fully flesh out why Raines is suitable for the promotion. With the way the series stands, only Vo should get the promotion.

Raines And Vo Need To Fight For The Promotion

Andre Raines looks on in FBI: International.

During FBI: International season 4, episode 18, Mitchell called both Raines and Vo into his office. There is a GS-14 promotion up for grabs, and HQ believes that both of the agents are perfect candidates for it, and even Mitchell agrees with this. Mitchell isn’t playing favorites, despite having a longer relationship with Vo, telling the two that they have until midnight to decide if they would like to go for the promotion or not.

The cast of FBI International standing in their Budapest headquarters

I Like Wes, But FBI: International Needs To Focus On A Different Character Instead

FBI: International seems to have forgotten about the other members of the Fly Team while focusing on Wes, especially members of the support team.

A major problem is that the only two original members of the Fly Team left are now in competition with each other. While it does make sense that the two would be up for a promotion around the same time as they have been with the Fly Team for around the same amount of time, it’s a bittersweet ending to see them compete against each other. The only way for Raines to get the promotion is to beat Vo out of the running, and while the two have promised to be friends afterward, that’s not an easy promise to keep given the circumstances.

Raines Has Been Overlooked Throughout FBI: International

There’s Very Little Known About Raines And His Skills

To make matters worse, it doesn’t make sense for Raines to be in the running for the promotion, and it feels like this is only on the table because CBS canceled FBI: International with time to wrap up a few storylines. This OG agent has been overlooked for all four seasons of the FBI spinoff series. In the first season, he was the computer wiz, always able to help when hacking was necessary or when something needed to be found quickly on a computer.

After that, he seemed to be just an agent to turn to when an extra body was needed in the field. Other characters started to get more development, even with Agent Damien Powell (Greg Hovanessian) getting more time to develop in a shorter period of time compared to Raines. There is still very little that we know about him and his ability to even make hard decisions in the middle of cases, leading to questions about his capabilities.

He never asked the same question about Raines, despite presumably them being with the FBI for the same amount of time, suggesting that he doesn’t view Raines as a capable leader just yet.

Because of this, it’s hard to understand why HQ and even Mitchell believes that Raines would make a great GS-14 agent. Even in the FBI: International season 4 premiere, Mitchell questioned why Vo hadn’t been put forward as the Fly Team leader, seeing her capabilities and the trust she had gained. He never asked the same question about Raines, despite presumably them being with the FBI for the same amount of time, suggesting that he doesn’t view Raines as a capable leader just yet.

Raines’ Career Has Stagnated With The Fly Team

There is no doubt that all characters’ storylines need to have closure before the FBI spinoff series comes to an end, but time is of the essence. For this type of storyline to feel believable, FBI: International season 5 is desperately needed. This would allow the series a chance to focus on Raines for a few episodes, giving us more details about his personal life and seeing him take the lead and initiative in situations.

When it’s come to someone taking over the running of the team when the boss has been away, it’s always fallen on Vo, despite her joining the Fly Team after Raines. Vo came across as a newer agent in the series premiere as well, and yet, she has proven herself to be an effective leader and gained the trust of individuals time after time. Raines still needs that sort of development to make it clear that he has leadership qualities. A way around this could be to put him in the FBI: CIA spinoff series, but there isn’t a guarantee yet, so the risk doesn’t seem worth the potential rewards.

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With more episodes to grow the character, the competition between Vo and Raines would be fairer, more believable, and even far more exciting. As of right now, it seems like the only way to end FBI: International is for Vo to get the promotion, with a push to see her take over the Fly Team at the tail end of the series.