FBI: International is getting a yet another new face this season! We opened the procedural's fourth outing being introduced to Jesse Lee Soffer's Wesley "Wes" Mitchell, a supervisory special agent who can be a bit of a loose cannon though he has a good heart. His connection with Cameron Vo has been a highlight of the season with the two working well together in the field. Now, Station 19 vet Jay Hayden will be joining the fray in a recurring role that's sure to get fans excited.
Hayden will make his first appearance as Special Agent Tyler Booth in season 4, episode 7, "Keen as a Bean," which premieres Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. His character is a former colleague of Wes' who needs the Fly Team's help to take down Ed Haskins, an American citizen who's on the FBI's Most Wanted list. Tyler's plan is to lure Ed out of Russia through the assistance of the man's ex-wife.
Be prepared for tension in the episode as Tyler has been working the case against Ed for a long time. It's a frustrating reality for the special agent especially as Ed's skillset is in disinformation. His release of damaging material has led to multiple deaths. Tyler is trying to stop him before more people are killed.
Due to the gravity of the situation, don't expect Hayden to display his usual charm in the role. In an interview with Deadline, he shared that he was given direction not to lean into his ability to make viewers laugh in the early days of filming:
"I’m not going to lie to you, there were a couple of times on the first few days of filming I would do a bit in the scene, and they would be like, “Cut! Jay, that’s too funny. We can’t be laughing out loud. Also, your character’s supposed to be kind of a jerk. You’re not charming.” And I was like, “Right, yes, okay.” I had to remind myself this is a different genre. Like, in this scene, we’re trying to talk about the case and really get the audience invested in the criminal and the case. So if I’m being funny, it’s distracting and not part of this show. It was a change but a fun one. [Laughs]"
How will Wes handle the arrival of his former colleague? Hayden described the agent as Tyler's "old friend" but said that the trap he's setting for Ed also "sets up Tyler vs Wes, or Tyler and Wes." It'll be an interesting dynamic as Hayden felt like every scene was different between the two. With Tyler and Wes going way back, we may get insight into who Wes was when Tyler knew him well.
What's certain though is that it's going to have to be Wes who keeps Tyler in check during the case. When asked about playing a worried father in the episode with his character's daughter being thrown into the mix, Hayden shared the following:
"This was easy for me because I have a teenage daughter. You’re trying to do the right thing, by the book. Keep it cool, keep it professional. But then as soon as Ed brings Tyler’s daughter into it, and he feels like she’s unsafe, the gloves come completely off. Now, it’s up to Wes to hold him back."
With what's been teased of "Keen as a Bean" and Jay Hayden's new role in Tyler Booth, we can't wait to see how the episode unfolds. Mark your calendars for Dec. 10 and stay tuned to Americans Undercover for FBI franchise coverage. Follow us on X for livetweet threads and more content!