The FBI season 8 ended with a big cliffhanger — and a big change for one special agent. So, what's next for OA and the team?
Warning: Spoilers below from season 8, episode 22, of The FBI.
“Whether the perpetrator is inside the FBI or outside, we'll always find a way to do the right thing. It's all about him,” Zeeko Zakiwho plays the role of Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, was told exclusively Us Weekly of the Monday, May 18, season 8 finale.
Zaki, 36, also teased that based on his character's dramatic ending, season 9 of The FBI it can be detrimental to OA's constant push to do good.
“I'm sure some lines will be crossed,” he teased Us of what is to come.
During Monday's episode, the FBI team was forced to work with the gang of old enemy Anna Vorpe (Claire Coffee), who follows his rules, while trying to recover a stolen bioweapon and prevent an outbreak in New York City.
After the team failed to prevent a deadly virus before a bus full of civilians became infected, they had to turn around and try to find the antigen that was also stolen. As soon as OA and her partner, Special Agent Maggie Bell (Missy Peregrym), held the case, Anna's team turned on them, beating both OA and Maggie. Anna's team said they had their “orders” and rushed to give the virus to their boss.
When they returned to headquarters, the entire FBI team was told that “today never happened” and that we could never talk about the incident again.
Missy Peregrym as Special Agent Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki as Special Agent OA Zidan, John Boyd as Special Agent Stuart Scola and Juliana Aidén Martinez as Eva Ramos.
Bennett Raglin/CBSOA and Maggie are outraged at the idea that the infected citizens are now collateral damage, especially after their new director secretly tells the team that the bus has been “transformed” into “taking care of them”.
The OA did not accept the director's explanation, calling him a “disgrace” to the office, which led to him being fired on the spot.
“We all have our limits, and so does OA,” Zaki said to himself Us of the important scene. “It's great to see him hit that wall. And I can't wait to see where I go from here.”
OA isn't retaliating, though – instead going into the fold to say goodbye to ASAC Jubal Valentine (Jeremy Sisto), who is completely surprised by the decision.
While the direct supervisor of the OA, SAC Isobel Castille (Alana De La Garza), silenced in a surprising moment, Special Agent Stuart Scola (John Boyd) began to cry at the thought of OA's departure.
Maggie stopped The OA before she left the building, saying, “I can't lose you either,” referring to her sister's death earlier this season.
OA replied, “You'll never abandon me, Mags,” before she found herself walking out.
To add insult to injury, OA was approached later that night at the bar by Anna. He told her a sad story about why his group needed a cure more than the citizens exposed in the city, saying that their deaths “will be of great help.”
Missy Peregrym as Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki as OA Zidan and Alana De La Garza as Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille.
Bennett Raglin/CBSIn a surprising twist, Anna then offers OA a place on her team, which she says works for the Ministry of Defense “on the books”.
At the end of the episode, the OA made a phone call while staring at Anna's business card, hinting that she might be considering the position – even though Anna the villain was responsible for her firing.
“I'm in,” OA says as Maggie and Isobel answer the phone on the other end, revealing that OA will join Anna's strike team and seemingly help the FBI take her down for good.
“I like to think that was always the plan,” said Zaki Us about the plot for OA to be axed but both Maggie and Isobel know it's going to happen. “The first step was to get fired, and the second step … let's say we're lucky it worked out.”
Zaki noted that while fans can breathe easy knowing that fellow OA Maggie and her boss, Isobel, know she'll be hiding with Anna's team, some of her friends don't know what's going on.
“We are trying to protect everyone as much as we can and their jobs. So what they know will not hurt them,” explained Zaki. But I can't wait to see how they react when they find out.”
When it comes to what OA will be like as a member of Anna's non-book team, Zaki said her moral compass will be tested. The actor, however, noted that he hopes for “bloody revenge” on strike team member Devon, who was responsible for beating OA last time.
“At the end of the day he's always going to choose his path of justice … fingers crossed,” Zaki said of The OA, who is open to running the FBI one day — assuming he makes it out of this twisted position alive next season.
John Boyd as Stuart Scola, Juliana Aidén Martinez as Eva Ramos, Missy Peregrym as Maggie Bell and Zeeko Zaki as OA Zidan.
Bennett Raglin/CBSZaki, who has been in the series since it first aired in 2018, said Us that season 9 will be a challenge for everyone, making sure they don't know who Maggie will work with in OA's absence.
His goal, however, “is always to deepen Maggie's relationship with OA.”
Zaki also revealed that fans could see a potential love interest in Special Agent Zara Ushruf (Pardis Saremi), who took some heat from OA earlier this season when he went wild.
“I'm excited to see where Zara goes. It's so much fun working with her,” he teased. “And I hope, in the first episode, at least we'll see OA on the other side for a while.”
The FBI returns for season 9 on CBS in fall 2026.
