Introduction:
What’s good, everyone? I hope everyone who has taken the time to read this blog is doing well, and that reading any part of it makes your day a little better.
As a fan of TV shows and movies, I tend to look at the final product a little differently than a casual viewer. Don’t get me wrong—I enjoy what I’m seeing on screen or on stage when I attend a Broadway show. But while I’m watching, I also notice things that make me appreciate the effort of the men and women working behind the scenes.
As I watched the Season 9 premiere of FBI on Paramount Plus—I don’t watch TV shows live on linear television anymore—the sequence I’m about to discuss made me pause and appreciate the coordination involved. I said to myself, “Wow, this is really great.” I even started breaking this down myself with all of the elements that are involved in what we all eventually see in this final product.
The setup for this action sequence comes toward the end of FBI Season 9, Episode 1, on CBS/Paramount Plus.
Toward the end of the episode, the action moves between a car chase, a helicopter sequence featuring Special Agent Maggie Bell, portrayed by Missy Peregrym, and Special Agent Isaiah Green, portrayed by Roland Buck III (more on him later), and the JOC, or Joint Operations Center. There, FBI ASAC Jubal Valentine, portrayed by Jeremy Sisto, and the team within the JOC coordinating their response.
Okay, let’s get into my nerdy breakdown.
Production Challenges and Coordination:
On the ground with the Car Chase:
First, let’s talk about the car chase involving Special Agent Scola, portrayed by John Boyd, and Special Agent Ramos, portrayed by Juliana Aidén Martinez.
Watching this sequence, I thought about the planning that would have happened before filming: mapping out the action, coordinating camera positions, and arranging the stunt driving. Obviously, I don’t have the production schedule or storyboards for this episode, so I can’t say exactly when it was filmed or how each shot was planned. However, I do know that these elements are part of the pre-production and production process.
My best guess is that cameras were rolling in late spring or summer 2026 for this sequence and possibly some upcoming episodes. That’s purely my personal guess, with no inside information from anyone involved or reporting from any outlet to confirm it. Whatever the filming timeline, the finished sequence made me appreciate all the work that went into it.
For a chase filmed on actual New York City streets, securing the route would involve location planning, filming permissions, and coordination with the NYPD /NY Film Office for the necessary traffic control. Depending on the approved arrangements, that could mean closing a section of the street(s) or briefly holding traffic during individual takes. NYC requires police coverage for scenes involving weapons, prop police cars, and intermittent traffic control. www.nyc.gov
Then there’s the shootout and the coordination needed to carry that action through safely for the cast, crew, and surrounding public. As a viewer, I’m enjoying the chase, but I’m also thinking about everything that had to come together to make it possible.
In the Air with the helicopter part of the chase:
The helicopter portion of the sequence includes Pete, portrayed by Spencer Vaughn Kelly, along with Special Agent Maggie Bell and Special Agent Isaiah Green.
Seeing an actor appear to operate a helicopter doesn’t tell us who actually flew the aircraft or how those shots were created. I don’t know whether Roland Buck III has any helicopter pilot qualifications, so I wouldn’t assume that he was flying it. (However, if Roland happens to be a licensed helicopter pilot, perhaps he could have flown it himself—with the studio’s approval and all necessary qualifications, insurance, and safety protocols in place. That’s only a possibility I’m considering, not something I’ve confirmed.) Now, the coordination between the aviation team and the production team to create what we see on screen.
For any real helicopter flying used in the sequence, the operator would need to follow the applicable aviation rules and coordinate with air traffic control where required. Depending on the flight activity, special filming authorizations from the FAA—the Federal Aviation Administration—could also be necessary. Those aviation requirements are separate from the production’s ground filming permissions. www.faa.gov
I was also thinking about the props and weapons work involved in the action on the ground and in the air. I can’t tell from the finished episode whether particular gunfire effects were created with blanks, visual effects, practical effects, or a combination of methods. But those details are another part of the production that deserves appreciation. ( I'm thinking practical effects; that's my 2 cents)
The flight planning, location permissions, equipment, and safety arrangements all contribute to those few minutes of action. Many viewers understandably aren’t thinking about any of this. I do, because it makes me appreciate the finished scene even more.
Bringing this whole Sequence together:
As I watched, I also thought about the editing, the score, and the sound effects. The cuts between the car chase, the helicopter, and the JOC were so good. To me, it was beautiful art coming together.
And this was only Episode 1. What is the rest of season 9 and the season finale going to be like?
Once the action and dialogue have been filmed, there is still the work of shaping the sequence through editing, music, and sound. The director, editor, and sound team are just a few of the people/ roles whose decisions help determine how it plays for the audience.
The movement between locations and the way the score supported the action all came together in a way I really enjoyed. I’m sure plenty of viewers enjoyed the ending without thinking about these individual elements, and that’s okay. Not everyone has to. But it’s interesting to me, and maybe some of it is interesting to you.
This is only a small portion of the work involved in the episode. Many other departments and roles contributed to the rest of what we saw in this episode, both in front of and behind the camera.
Now, to the Dick Wolf connection: you may recognize Roland Buck III from Chicago Med, where he played Noah Sexton ( Season 1 -8 from 2016-2022 for 38 episodes), the brother of April Sexton, portrayed by Yaya DaCosta.
For me, this is another example of a familiar actor appearing across different Dick Wolf productions. That shared connection doesn’t tell us exactly why he was cast, but it is something I enjoy noticing as a fan, and I believe it does play a part in the casting of these actors who have been in previous Dick Wolf productions; it can only help them, at least in my opinion.
I have two more examples from FBI: Jeremy Sisto and Alana de la Garza.
If you’ve watched the show from the beginning, you know Jubal Valentine, the FBI ASAC who leads the team in the JOC and occasionally does get out in the field a few times during the season as the case calls for it. His character is always saying, “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Before the FBI show on CBS, Jeremy Sisto played Defense Attorney Clint Glover in Season 17, episode 22 on Law & Order, then Jeremy portrayed Detective Cyrus Lupo on Law & Order, beginning in Season 18 and continuing through Season 20 from 2007-2010 for 64 episodes on NBC.
Then there’s Jubal’s boss, SAC Isobel Castille, portrayed by Alana de la Garza. She also appeared on the original Law & Order, playing ADA Connie Rubirosa ( Season 17-20 | 2006-2010 for 85 episodes on NBC)—the character you would see in the courtroom portion of the show.
Their time on Law & Order overlapped, so they worked on the same NBC series before appearing together on FBI on CBS. That is the kind of connection I enjoy picking up on.
If you pay attention to the casts across Law & Order, the One Chicago shows, and the FBI franchise(current and canceled FBI shows), you’ll notice familiar faces moving between different productions. It gives me another detail to appreciate beyond the story happening in this particular episode. See one of my Nerdy notes about Alana De La Garza below.
Alana De La Garza’s 10+ Years with Dick Wolf | FBI & Law & Order 📺
https://youtu.be/7EQDdnyuOV4
