‘FBI: International’: What Makes Jesse Lee Soffer’s Agent Different, Plus Scoop on His Past With Vo

The Budapest-based FBI Fly Team awaits incoming Supervisory Special Agent Wesley “Wes” Mitchell (Chicago P.D.’s Jesse Lee Soffer) a few months after the sudden departure of their former chief Scott Forrester (Luke Kleintank). Art followed reality when the actor said he was leaving FBI: International to spend more time with his family, and his character was written out after rescuing and reuniting with his mother Angela Cassidy (Elizabeth Mitchell), whom Forrester had been told was a spy for Russia but in reality was a deep undercover double agent. After a number of misdirects, complications, and help from the Fly Team, he eventually found his mom and they managed to flee together to Alaska without informing the higher ups. Only Forrester’s team knew where they were, and they destroyed everything—with the complicity of National Security Agency liaison Brian Lange (Colin Donnell)—that could track the mother and son to their hiding spot.

As for the incoming chief, “Mitchell is a former LAPD officer, so he has a little more edge and drive than your usual buttoned-up agent,” says showrunner Matt Olmstead. “He’s a no-holds-barred kind of guy and he brings an exciting new energy to the team.” Which includes some unconventional tactics. Soffer has called his character “a breath of fresh air and a lot of fun.”

Making things even more copasetic, Mitchell and second-in-command Vo (Vinessa Vidotto) have some positive history working together when she was trainee. “He put her through her paces, which gives them great grist for chemistry as partners,” Olmstead teases. “Mitchell is a born leader, so the rest of the team knows they’re in good hands.”

In their first case this season, Mitchell links up with the unit to continue his ongoing effort to hunt down the head of the operation, an American-Hungarian dual citizen who’s the head of an international heist crew that committed a series of strong-arm robberies in LA. They also shot Mitchell’s partner, which makes this very personal for the new boss! Mitchell and [the crime boss] immediately lock horns during the investigation,” previews Olmstead, “and that will play out over the season.”

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Meet the New Boss: See Jesse Lee Soffer in 'FBI: International' Season 4 Premiere Photos

Also playing out, a new look for Amanda Tate (Christina Wolfe). Olmstead shares that the intelligence analyst will leave her desk “and see some action as an agent in the field.” Let’s hope she won’t be in too much danger at the start of her new role on the team.

FBI: International, Season 4 Premiere, Tuesday, October 15, 9/8c, CBS