FBI’s Special Agent Maggie Bell’s reunion with former partner Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan during the season 9 premiere is going to be messy — and very dangerous.
In Us’ exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming episode, Maggie (Missy Peregrym) is holding a gun to the head of a masked assailant. Before she pulls the trigger, someone says, “Maggie?”
OA (Zeeko Zaki) then pulls off his mask to reveal his identity.
The former partners and best friends smile and let out a big sigh while seeing each for the first time in the field since OA was fired from the FBI and began working for Anna Vorpe’s (Claire Coffee) team. (During the season 8 finale in May, fans learned that OA purposely got hired by the group in hopes of exposing Anna’s dirty tactics.)
“Oh, my God. OA!” Maggie yells in the dark and gloomy hallway as her current partner, Isaiah Green (Roland Buck III), lies unconscious.
After her excitement starts to wear off, Maggie wonders if OA’s new crew is responsible for the dead guy found in the park and she pulls back.
“Hold on a second, hold on a sec, this [was] your team at the state park?” she asks point blank. “No, no, no, it wasn’t us,” OA responds.
OA swears he doesn’t know who is responsible but before they can talk further, his teammates radio him that they secured the man they are after and he needs to “get back to ORP.”
“I gotta go, Mags,” OA says as he turns away to leave.
Maggie stops him, and reluctantly says, “You gotta sell that you got away.”
“No,” OA replies, refusing to harm Maggie for his cover.
Maggie’s new partner appears to be waking up, so she yells, “You have to. Hurry up! Just do it.”
OA hesitates but then punches her in the head and she falls to the ground.
According to the official synopsis for the season 9 premiere, titled “Rendition,” the FBI discovers that a young traveler who was found shot dead in a state park was “witness to an execution of a person involved in a top-secret government-sponsored project,” which could be why fans will see OA and his new team in the mix.
The episode will also focus on Maggie as she “struggles to bond with her new partner” and OA as he “adjusts to a new role,” per the logline.
The events of the premiere take place after OA was shockingly fired from the FBI during the season 8 finale — and didn’t put up a fight. Instead, he accepted a job to work with Anna on her taskforce, which she revealed was an “off the books” team for the Department of Defense.
In the final moments of the episode, OA called his former FBI boss SAC Isobel Castille (Alana De La Garza), to tell her, “I’m in,” hinting it was a plan all along for him to infiltrate the group.
“Whether the wrongdoer is inside the FBI or outside, we will always find a way to do what is right. It’s kinda his whole thing,” Zaki, 36, exclusively told Us after the finale.
He noted that season 9 will be different for OA in a fun way. “I’m sure some lines will be crossed,” Zaki teased.
Season 9 of FBI premieres on CBS Monday, October 5, at 8 p.m. ET. Fans can also stream new episodes on Paramount+ next day.
