'You Question Your Own Identity': Vinessa Vidotto Breaks Down Vo And Forrester's New Dynamic Following FBI: International's Risky Undercover Op
Spoilers ahead for Episode 6 of FBI: International Season 3, called "Fire Starter."
Season 3 has been a time of almost nonstop change for FBI: Most Wanted, ranging from the departure of Heida Reed's Kellett in the premiere to Raines recovering from his near-death experience to Powell being reassigned away from the Fly Team. In "Fire Starter," Vo stepped into the spotlight for a case that required her experience in sexual assault advocacy and some risky undercover work. She also had to test her mettle as Forrester's new second in command, and actress Vinessa Vidotto opened up to CinemaBlend about Vo's new dynamic with her boss.
In "Fire Starter," the Fly Team traveled to Prague to assist an American college student, who had been raped while staying in a hostel but was then arrested when she smashed a bottle in frustration at local cops not taking her seriously. Vo had years of sexual assault advocacy experience from her time in the army, so Forrester gave his new #2 the lead role in the case. She went all-out for the victim, to the point of alienating local authorities and getting a talk from Forrester about it. She didn't let her anger cloud her judgment about getting justice for the victim, however.
When the Fly Team confirmed that the rapist was drugging women's drinks in a bar to assault them, Vo went undercover to make herself a target to him. It was a situation that easily could have gone wrong for her, but the team fortunately closed the case and caught a rapist who had committed assaults across Europe. There was some tension between Vo and Forrester at times in the episode, but he made it clear at the end that he had absolute faith in her. After explaining what she hadn't expected for Vo in Season 3, Vinessa Vidotto weighed in on what it means to her character to have Forrester's trust and support:
I think it means a lot. When somebody tells you not to change, it gives you the freedom to keep exploring and finding yourself. But when somebody tries to rein you in, or tell you to be this or that, it can be constricting, and you kind of question your own identity. So I think when you have somebody that you look up to tell you to just keep doing what you're doing, it's really encouraging. And I think that goes for anything in life. I mean, even on set, if you're encouraging to actors, if you're encouraging to anybody, people are bound to have more confidence within and keep trying and exploring. Even if it's not totally right, people are more courageous and creative. That means a lot coming from Forrester.
Forrester did have to point her in the right direction a few times in "Fire Starter," but their final exchange in the episode made it clear that he doesn't hold anything against her. She has really stepped up after Kellett's departure and is learning on the fly how to function as his second-in-command. If this case in Prague is any indication, they could be just as solid of a team as he and Kellett were... just without the romantic history.
But would Vo have handled the case differently if she hadn't been made the lead agent? I asked Vinessa Vidotto that very question, and she responded:
Well, part of me thinks she would just wait for maybe Forrester to call the shots, but a part of me thinks no, Vo would just play it the same way. [laughs] I think she's a bit feisty, and when she cares, she cares a lot. Even if she has somebody above her to call the shots, I think she still knows that she brings value to the team and she has instincts. So I'm trying to think back on those moments, and I don't think she would have done anything different, to be honest.
Vo hasn't been shy about her ambitions to rise to the top of the FBI in her career, and she earned her spot as Forrester's primary relief supervisor by following her instincts and caring deeply about cases. She's in a different position in Season 3 than the first two seasons, but according to Vidotto, Vo wouldn't have handled the case back then any differently than she did in "Fire Starter." When I noted to the actress how that speaks highly of Vo's principles, she said:
Absolutely! I'm thinking back now to Season 1 and 2, and a couple of the undercover cases that she went on, when her friends were in trouble but then they turned out to be bad, she took risks. And she got scolded, but she's still willing to take risks and go on, based on her gut instinct.
Her gut instincts served her well in "Fire Starter," and based on what Vidotto said about how Vo "really came through" with Episode 8 of Season 3, we're going to keep seeing great things from the character as the 2024 TV schedule continues.
Keep tuning in to CBS on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET for new episodes of FBI: International Season 3, between FBI at 8 p.m. and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. You can also find earlier episodes of Season 3 streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, and go on a blast to the past of the first two seasons streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription now.
