‘She Doesn’t Seem To Be In Love With Him’: FBI: International Star Talks Opposites Attracting On The Fly Team, And I Need More In 2025

by

As a long-time follower of FBI: International, I am eagerly anticipating the dynamic between Tyler Booth (played by Jay Hayden) and Smitty (Eva-Jane Willis) in the upcoming episodes. Having watched many seasons of this gripping series, I have grown accustomed to the intricate relationships that develop among the agents, and the tension between Tyler and Smitty seems ripe for exploration.

In the 2024 TV schedule, FBI: International wraps up its fourth season on December 17, introducing Agent Tyler Booth, played by Jay Hayden from Station 19, to the Fly Team. With Hayden continuing his role into the 2025 TV schedule and his debut episode now streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, I’m reminiscing about what Hayden shared during our interview regarding the team member who initially disliked Tyler… and how their contrasting personalities could lead to an intriguing dynamic in the upcoming year. I can’t wait to see more of Tyler Booth and Smitty!

Completely transparent – Jay Hayden’s statement about joining FBI: International so swiftly after Station 19 doesn’t necessarily imply a budding romance, given that the spinoff has steered clear of romantic entanglements among team members since the days of Forrester and Kellett. However, his remarks have definitely sparked thoughts about shifting relationships in 2025. Following Hayden’s comment that Smitty (Eva-Jane Willis) is more like Wes’ guardian angel while Tyler was more of a devilish influence, I observed – to put it mildly – that Smitty doesn’t seem particularly fond of Tyler. The actor chuckled and countered my observation with a laugh.

She doesn’t! She doesn’t seem to be in love with him, that’s for sure.

If Smitty found Wes Mitchell a nuisance when he initially joined the Fly Team, she certainly didn’t expect Tyler Booth to quickly disregard the rules and even influence Wes to overstep boundaries. In Jay Hayden’s debut episode, the team successfully closed the case without causing an international crisis, but the situation could have easily escalated. The ending didn’t show how the rest of the team reacted to Wes inviting Tyler to stay on.

I subsequently inquired from Hayden about who Tyler seems to have the strongest bond within the team other than Wes, disregarding any past issues as Jesse Lee Soffer had put it, and found his answer rather fascinating.

It seems to me that there’s a bond between Vo and him, even if they don’t share many scenes. I believe he admires greatly what she contributes to the team. Moreover, it reminds me of the dynamic between him and Smitty, where opposites attract – it feels like an unavoidable collision is imminent, although I can’t say exactly when it will happen.

In the initial episode, Tyler had brief moments of connection with Vinessa Vidotto (Vo), discussing their ancestry, but he spent the majority of his screen time interacting with Jesse Lee Soffer as Wes. However, it was Tyler and Smitty who generated the most tension, and rightly so. Smitty’s brief appearance raised immediate concerns when he proposed an undercover operation without informing local authorities and effectively abducting a man. This was clearly contrary to the Fly Team’s mission as Europol liaisons.

I mentioned to Jay Hayden that, similar to how Wes appeared to have a headache following his initial case in Budapest, Smitty seemed to be experiencing a headache after working with Tyler. And in response, he said:

It looks like she’s like, ‘I’m not done with you.’ It’s going to be a lot of fun.

In summary, although I was hoping for more development of Wes and Tyler characters, as well as the bonding moment between Vo and Tyler, it appears that the show will primarily explore Wes’s relationship with Vo, given their past mentor-mentee dynamic. It would be engaging to delve deeper into Tyler and Smitty’s stories too. FBI: International has proven its willingness to experiment and evolve, as it has already replaced over half of the original cast by the midpoint of Season 4, yet continues to thrive.

I’m excited to watch more of the partnership between Tyler and Smitty on FBI: International when it continues in 2025. The season finale airs on Tuesday, December 17 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on CBS. It will be sandwiched between FBI at 8 p.m. ET, where OA faces a potential betrayal, and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. ET. The shows will all return to their regular time slots on Monday, January 27 in the new year.

Read More

2024-12-17 11:07