Ever since Special Agent Tiffany Wallace departed for Georgia, her former partner Stuart Scola has been cycling through replacements. He's yet to find a rhythm with anyone.
In FBI season 7 episode 3, "Detente," he'd been paired with a man who'd come to the Bureau by way of S.W.A.T. They certainly weren't a match. SWAT, as Scola referred to him, couldn't stop referencing what he'd done in his previous job while out in the field. He also liked to take the "bad cop" approach which meant banging loudly on doors and being overly gruff with who they interviewed.
SWAT also didn't seem up to the task. He'd nearly lost their suspect when he, Scola, OA, and Maggie were surveilling a drop. It happened because he got ahead of himself which was a trait that cropped up more than once in the episode. As such, it wasn't surprising when he decided that he was better off going back to the job he obviously loved and preferred.
Of course, this left Scola partner-less again, not that he was complaining. The audience, however, has been clamoring for the appearance of the partner we know is going to stick: Syd Ortiz. Her character was announced ahead of the season 7 premiere, and we've all been impatiently waiting to meet her. She was name dropped in "Detente," so fans knew it was only a matter of time before she finally arrives on-screen. And, thanks to a new promo, we know when that will be!
When will Syd Ortiz appear on FBI season 7?
Lisette Olivera will make her debut as the agent from the Behavioral Analyst Unit in season 7 episode 4 which airs on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. At the time of this article's publication, an episode title has not been released, however, the promo does give us a look at the case she'll be involved in.
The team are on the hunt for a stalker who invaded his victim's home and kidnapped her. As we saw in "Detente," Syd functions as a profiler for the FBI. It looks like we'll be meeting her in episode 4 when she's briefing the team on the suspect. She's provided information to them before but it's been relayed through the analysts in the JOC. Now she'll be doing it herself in-person. It'll be interesting to see what brings her into the field and how Scola realizes she's the right partner for him.
As Americans Undercover previously reported, he and Syd will have a different dynamic compared to his relationship with Tiffany Wallace. The latter was a former cop who could hold her own in the field. Syd's a rookie so her partnership with Scola will bear the markings of a mentor-mentee bond. FBI showrunner Mike Weiss teased their dynamic in an interview with TV Insider:
"For Scola, because he is such an intense seen it all, New York City special agent, I think he’s the perfect person to pair with someone who can ask tough questions because you kind of know that Scola, he’s right there anyway thinking about things I think in the same really detail-oriented way and he’s got a partner who is going to be voicing some of those psychological aspects of the cases. I think it’s going to be really fun. And then also he’s just more experienced in the field…He’s got someone who was working indoors and has all of a sudden become an outdoor cat, and so Scola is going to have to be there to help her get her head around field work a little bit."
Based on what Weiss has shared, we should be in for an interesting ride with Scola and Syd. It'll be fun seeing John Boyd and Lisette Olivera play off one another with the latter's character being so green but bringing a valuable skillset into the field with her.
FBI airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Next day streaming is available on Paramount+. The procedural won't air a new episode on Nov. 5 due to Election Night coverage. Stay tuned to Americans Undercover. Follow us on X for livetweet threads and more content!