The door isn't shut behind Tiffany Wallace! The FBI showrunner doesn't rule out a return

FBI just wrote out Tiffany Wallace, but is there a chance the intrepid agent could return? The cast and producers weigh in!

Caution: This article contains SPOILER for the FBI season 7 premiere

The opening of season 7, "Abandoned," revealed that Tiffany Wallace had already put in her notice to quit the FBI. She'd been reeling throughout season 6 over the death of agent Hobbs at the hands of the terrorist Hakim. Tiffany blamed herself for taking Hobbs into the field for a meeting, leading to his murder. 

Tiffay was obsessed with taking Hakim down, even going on her own private investigations for him. It culminated in the season 6 finale as she gunned down Hakim, claiming it was self-defense but the rest of the team wondered if she'd crossed the line until they saw he had a gun like she said.

In the premiere, she had one last job as the team investigated the murder of a plumber that ended up involving the CIA, a family in hiding, and some assassins. Scola spent the episode trying to persuade her to stay, but she pointed out, "When have you ever been able to talk me out of anything?" Scola was stabbed in the leg during the hunt for the assassins but Tiffany was there to help him.

"Abandoned" ended with Tiffany talking to Maggie about how she was moving to Georgia to be closer to her sister. When Maggie asked what was making her quit, she admitted it was just a combination of events, the pressures of the job, and more, and that she needed a clean break. She thought taking out Hakim would bring closure but it didn't. The team was sad but understood why she had to go.

Speaking to TV Insider, showrunner Mike Weiss talked of how they needed to craft a proper goodbye for Katherine Renee Kane to honor the character.

"The obvious thing to do and what we chose to do is to have her still grappling with the fallout from the really intense experience that she had at the end of season 6. … Different cases affect people differently. The idea was that we saw in season 6 just how rage-filled and kind of intensely she had been affected by Hakim entering her life, and she was hoping that when she caught him, if she killed him, if she had her revenge, that all of that kind of baggage would just fall to the wayside and it kind of didn't. It's not always the easy answer that you're hoping for."

John Boyd added he wanted the send-off to be emotional but not too much as "they weren't a touchy-feely partner. They weren't give me a pound, they weren't huggers." He thus improvised the moment of Scola touching Tiffany's hands as a warm farewell. That seemed to end Wallace's run on the show but could she return?

Can Tiffany Wallace return to FBI? 

Episode 2 will introduce Wallace's replacement,  Syd Ortiz (Lisette Olivera), a BAU agent promoted to the lead team. She's partnered with Scola, which, of course, leads to a new dynamic on the cases. 

Weiss teased other plot elements coming this year, like Maggie continuing to raise Ella, who misses her mom, and Isobel facing a health issue. As for the question of whether Wallace could return, he simply said the door was open.

"Never say never. She definitely needed some time off, but obviously she's a trusted and beloved member of the show and we didn't seal that door shut behind her."

It does seem there was more to Tiffany's exit, as Katherine Renee Kane has been a bit tight-lipped on the reasons for her departure from the show. It does fit the storyline of her character being overwhelmed after taking out Hakim and needing a break. She seems to be leaving the FBI itself yet it's hard to see her getting out of law enforcement. Maybe she joins a police force in Georgia, and the team needs her help on a case, or she drops by for some big event. At least it sounds like the door is open for a return and FBI fans can hold out hope Tiffany Wallace might pop back in soon.

FBI season 7 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS. Stay tuned to Americans Undercover for coverage. Follow us on X and Facebook for more content!