It's no secret that FBI's latest spin-off, CIA, will more closely tie into the main series. Both are based out of New York, and the premiere episode saw none other than Jubal Valentine (Jeremy Sisto) introduce Nick Gehlfuss's by-the-books agent Bill Goodman into the joint operation between the two titular agencies. CBS has also worked to promote the two series as two sides of the same coin, united in their purpose to save people and stop threats before they get out of hand, but differing in their methods. For weeks now, they've been gearing up for their first big two-way crossover and, this coming Monday, April 13, it's finally about to happen.
Collider is excited to share an exclusive sneak peek from CIA's upcoming seventh episode, "Elimination Game," which will feature Bill and his loose-cannon CIA partner, Colin (Tom Ellis), on security duty at a high-profile international soccer game. However, everything quickly goes off the rails after a bomb threat, sending the pair on the trail of two missing players who are being hunted down. While they try to find the stars before it's too late, the case continues to evolve and grow more complicated, necessitating some reinforcements from two agents with many years of experience under their belts — Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille (Alana De La Garza) and Special Agent Maggie Bell (Missy Peregrym). From the promos, it appears Isobel will provide her expertise in the office, gathering all the intel needed, while Maggie joins the mismatched duo on the ground.
Our footage picks up in the immediate aftermath of Colin's latest risky stunt, or, as he calls it, a "hunch," the exact kind of reckless behavior that has made him so effective, yet so confounding to work with for Bill. This time, though, he's not the only one there to push back on him. Maggie chews him out, knowing that his actions could've backfired and gotten Bill killed, but before he can get any more lecturing, an old friend pays a visit. An officer from South Korea's National Intelligence Service recognizes that "where there's chaos, there's Colin," and swings by to greet his old buddy and meet his new, much less fun partner. The two have a history dating back to their mutual friendship with Colin's old partner, which makes things a bit awkward for Bill, who's still learning the ropes and not quite gelling with the CIA case officer.
'CIA' and 'FBI' Are in It Together for the Long Haul
"Elimination Game" is just one part of the CIA and FBI crossover. Back in March, Necar Zadegan, who plays the Deputy Chief of New York's CIA office, Nikki Reynard, made her debut on the mothership series, helping Isobel when a case of smuggled goods turns out to be an international threat that requires her insight. With the spin-off series already confirmed for Season 2, it's likely just the beginning for a long and fruitful partnership for the two shows that will give new life to the franchise on CBS. Their efforts together are designed to make the FBI world feel even bigger and thrust agents from both sides into new situations and offer new perspectives.
In an interview with TV Insider previewing the CIA side of this first link-up, Peregrym teased what Maggie's mindset is seeing Bill and Colin's partnership for the first time. She definitely sees where Bill's struggles are coming from, not just from the difficulties of operating in a completely different world, but also from the trust issues he's saddled with while on his real mission to root out the mole within the agency.
“I just see the dynamic between them and I’m like, ‘Ooh, this is a tough place to be when you can’t really trust your partner. Bill’s on our side. He’s FBI. We understand the rules, we get it. I can see what’s happening with Colin. And I’m like, ‘Oh, this guy’s off the rails a bit.’ And so I feel sorry for Bill, but I’m also like, ‘You just need to find a way to figure this out. You’ve got to find a way to work together, and it’s not going to be forever that you’re in this situation.’ But I feel bad for him. I’m just trying to support him in his situation, essentially.”
CIA Episode 7 premieres on CBS next week on April 13. Check out our exclusive sneak peek in the player above.
CIA Season 2's Fate Officially Decided By CBS After Rocky Season 1 Production
The fate of CBS' new FBI spinoff series, CIA, has now been decided.
CBS confirmed that CIA has officially been renewed for season 2, following impressive viewership numbers from its series premiere. According to Paramount, the premiere episode saw 8.4 million multiplatform viewers via broadcast and streaming within the first seven days of its release.
Ratings for the first three episodes of the series showed a 39% improvement on Monday at 10 p.m. compared to the same timeslot in fall 2025.
Behind the scenes, though, CIA has had a rocky production. FBI: Most Wanted showrunner David Hudgins was initially in charge of the series, but Warren Leight later replaced him. That wasn't the end of the turnover, though, as he eventually departed, along with executive producer Eriq La Salle. Mike Weiss, who was the showrunner on the original FBI series, was hired as the CIA showrunner.
All of this turmoil, plus Michael Michele's departure from the cast, caused production delays, and CBS decided to give CIA a mid-season 2026 premiere after previously announcing it would debut in fall 2025.
CIA stars Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss as CIA Agent Colin Glass and FBI Agent Bill Goodman, respectively, who are tasked with working together on a secretive joint CIA/FBI task force. The two agents couldn't be more different, with the latter a rule-follower and the former more mischievous in nature.
While on the job together, Glass and Goodman stay in the shadows as they solve domestic and international crimes away from the eyes of the public.
Before CIA, Ellis was best known for his role as Lucifer Morningstar on the Fox/Netflix drama Lucifer, while Gehlfuss has starred in The Newsroom, Shameless, and Chicago Med (another Dick Wolf-created series).
Their CIA co-stars include Necar Zadegan and Natalee Linez. Zadegan, who plays Nikki Reynard, will guest star in the March 30 episode of FBI season 8, in which the Deputy Chief of Station is called in to help following a double homicide. The episode will mark Maggie Bell's return to the team after suffering a major loss.
Wolf created the hugely popular Law & Order and One Chicago franchises on NBC, and then went on to create the FBI crime procedural franchise for CBS. The first FBI series debuted in 2018 with star Missy Peregrym and is currently airing its eighth season.
Two years later, the first spinoff, FBI: Most Wanted, launched and aired for six seasons. FBI: International followed in its footsteps and aired for four seasons.
CIA, which currently has a 63% critic score and 51% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, marks the third FBI spinoff, with Wolf, Weiss, Ken Girotti, Paul Cabbad, Nicole Perlman, David Chasteen, Anastasia Puglisi, and Peter Jankowski serving as executive producers.
CIA airs Mondays at 10 p.m. EDT on CBS.
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