‘FBI’ Stars Zeeko Zaki and Missy Peregrym Tease Isobel’s Fate in Season 8 Premiere and ‘Life or Death’ Ending (Exclusive)

FBI Season 8 will be here on Monday, and stars Zeeko Zaki and Missy Peregrym spoke to PopCulture.com about the aftermath of that shocking Season 7 finale cliffhanger.

The final episode of Season 7 ended with Alana De La Garza’s Isobel collapsing as a result of an explosion, and no pulse was found.

In the Season 8 premiere, “Takeover,” as the team works a case involving a federal judge disappearing, Jubal takes on a new leadership role, meaning that the aftermath will be impacting the series, no matter what the outcome is. Zaki, who plays Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, said that the premiere will be picking up “right where we left off.”

“I think three days later, and we get into it, but there’s still some, you know, push it iffy,” Zaki shared. “We’re not exactly sure what’s happening, so we definitely kinda ride that out for a little long.”

“We don’t know if Isobel’s gonna make it,” Peregrym, who plays Maggie Bell, added. “We don’t know if we can trust the people who are in the office because of Forefront. And Jubal’s now having to step up and take Isobel’s position while we figure out what’s going on with her. So that’s a cool thing for him to have to navigate at the last second, as well as dealing with the emotions. We have a really great turn at the end of the first episode.”

As for their reactions when they read the Season 7 finale script and got to that scene, Pergrym added she “called the producers and said, ‘Is Alana leaving the show? Is there something you guys wanna tell us?’”

Zaki admitted he doesn’t think they even told De La Garza until she read the script, “but we try to use that fear to help it.” Peregrym echoed, “I thought it was great. It was fun.”

Elsewhere for Season 8, Law & Order: SVU star Juliana Aidén Martinez is joining the series on the heels of Emily Alabi’s exit. Peregrym expressed that it’s “been really wonderful working with her.” In terms of her character, Peregrym said she “has a background in prosecution, so she kinda brings that to the table. That’s her skill set in terms of being in the FBI with us and the differences. And it’s fun to kinda see her navigate that and the pros and cons of that. She’s lovely. I mean, we’ve been working with her for a few episodes now, and it’s been great.”

Even though it will be excruciating waiting to see what happens with Isobel, Zaki revealed that the beginning of the season will be “business as usual, which has been pretty great.” He continued, “I think the episodes have been so intense that there hasn’t been much room for personal stuff for us. There is some personal stuff for some other characters, which is great. But we’ll see. We’re kind of along for the ride. I’m excited to see where our characters do go this season personally.”

As for what’s in store for their characters, Peregrym shared that upcoming, she has a “bit of a storyline with someone who’s become a mentor, and I’ve really appreciated just seeing Maggie in a different light, trying to put things together, and it’s just a completely different relationship. So that was really fun, and I hope we can continue to explore that.”

For Zaki, he’s excited to see where OA and Gemma’s relationship goes. “I think this is the third season that she’s in, so it would probably be the longest relationship I’ve been in, far and far off,” he joked. “It’s exciting to play.”

There will be a lot to look forward to in Season 8 of FBI, and Peregrym says that fans will want to make sure they are tuned in for the end of the premiere episode. “It’s a crazy situation, and it’s awesome. I really love the premiere. I think it’s just such a great show back. It’s really intense.” Added Zaki, “It’s life or death.”

Season 8 of FBI premieres on Monday at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming the next day on Paramount+, where all seven seasons are available to watch.