Warning! SPOILERS ahead for FBI season 7, episode 11, "Shelter."

Isobel (Alana de la Garza) reveals a lie of omission in FBI season 7 while ing each other through traumatic events.

"Shelter" has OA and Maggie searching for answers after a gunman opens fire in a shelter for immigrants. OA has a difficult time with this case because it initially appears Muslim immigrants were targeted. However, it is possible that his short temper and impulsivity are due to his trauma after FBI's Clay (Guy Lockard) died at his hands. OA's breaking of FBI protocols attracts Isobel's attention, and she warns him that his behavior could get him into serious trouble. Her lecture includes revealing a lie of omission that may be relevant to OA in several respects.

Isobel's Revelation Establishes That FBI Characters Can Secretly Be In Relationships

She Tells OA That Keeping Relationships Private Is Part Of Being An Effective FBI Agent

Isobel tells OA that she got married two months ago and now has three stepdaughters. This revelation shocks the FBI agent, who was unaware his boss was even in a relationship. Isobel explains that this lack of knowledge is deliberate. She wants to keep her personal and professional lives completely separate so that she can remain objective on the job. Thus, she has never mentioned anything about her relationship at work and presumably does not discuss FBI cases at home.

Isobel encourages OA to compartmentalize in a similar manner. She dislikes the way he allows his emotions to dictate his behavior in this case and expects him to put personal feelings aside to work the case in accordance with FBI protocols. Although Isobel isn't talking solely about romantic relationships in her lecture, her example effectively gives OA permission to keep any future relationships to himself. Presumably, this would include a future change in his relationship status with Maggie in FBI.

OA's Precarious Position Makes A Relationship Risky

His Erratic Behavior Is Already Putting Him In Hot Water With The NY Field Office

OA's troubles begin in "Shelter" when he loses his temper with a suspect in the early part of the investigation into the shooting. This case is personal for him, as he knows a deceased security guard personally and his sister used to volunteer at this shelter. Thus, he gets in the suspect's face and Maggie has to stop him from going further. This moment is particularly jarring because OA's unchecked rage comes on the heels of a scene where he is soft-spoken and gentle with a young victim to get her to open up about what happened.

Maggie won't allow OA to assist with the suspect interview, instead choosing to team up with Scola for this task because of her partner's behavior, which arguably hits him harder than any other consequence.

This loss of temper has several consequences for OA, suggesting that maintaining his position with the FBI depends on him managing his emotions better. Maggie won't allow OA to assist with the suspect interview, instead choosing to team up with Scola for this task because of her partner's behavior, which arguably hits him harder than any other consequence. Additionally, when Isobel takes him, she warns that he "almost crossed a line that you can't uncross." Later in the conversation, she also tells him that he can't let his personal life jeopardize the important work he is doing.

OA was already in a precarious position even before this incident because of the way he dealt with Clay earlier in FBI season 7. he secretly used Clay as an informant without telling Isobel, ultimately coming clean to her. His boss agreed to use Clay as an official confidential informant as long as he filled out the paperwork, which was a fair deal. However, considering that the Clay situation began with OA's poor judgment due to their relationship, OA's behavior in "Shelter" is a second black mark against him.

OA's romantic involvement with another agent in FBI could compromise his objectivity and signal to leadership that he is prioritizing personal relationships over the expectations of his job for a third time.

If OA continues to turn to Maggie for during this difficult time for him, it increases the chances that a romance will develop between them. As exciting as that it, such a relationship might make his already precarious position with the FBI even worse. OA's romantic involvement with another agent in FBI could compromise his objectivity and signal to leadership that he is prioritizing personal relationships over the expectations of his job for a third time.

FBI's Other Couple Is Split Between Two Shows (So They Don't Need To Hide It)

Nina Works For The Fugitive Task Force While Scola Has Remained With The New York Field Office

FBI has already set the precedent for couples working together, with Scola and Nina (Shantel VanSanten) having dated for the past few seasons and are even living together with their infant son. However, they don't have to hide their relationship because they don't work for the same unit. Nina transferred to the Fugitive Task Force and only visits the New York Field Office occasionally.

Jubal and Isobel have never explicitly said that Scola and Nina had to choose between working together and dating each other. The pair has also emphasized that working in separate offices is more practical because one agent can always be home with the baby while the other is in the field. However, it's likely that if FBI's Scola and Nina hadn't voluntarily chosen to work in separate units, Jubal or Isobel would have forced the issue.

If OA and Maggie were to date, the FBI could point to Nina and Scola as an example of how the NY Field Office should handle the situation and force one of them to transfer to a different unit.

Nina and Scola's arrangement sets a precedent for how the FBI handles relationships between agents. If OA and Maggie were to date, the FBI could point to Nina and Scola as an example of how the NY Field Office should handle the situation and force one of them to transfer to a different unit. Thus, it's likely that any future relationship between OA and Maggie will occur in secret, at least at the beginning.

Why It's Better For OA & Maggie's Potential Relationship To Be A Secret (At Least For Now)

It Would Make Things Less Complicated For Them

Secret relationships are common in police procedurals, so it can be difficult to pull this story off in a fresh, original manner. However, it may be the best idea for FBI. If Maggie and OA disclose their relationship too quickly, it could lead to a FBI story in which they aren't able to be work partners anymore. That would not be an interesting story for them and would distract from the important cases the two ed the FBI to work on.

OA and Maggie should keep their relationship private in FBI until they are on more solid footing.

It's possible that OA and Maggie would be able to remain partnered. However, this idea would make it difficult for them to be objective, as they might be more worried about each other's well-being than suspect movements in a given case. OA and Maggie might also feel pressure to make the relationship work because everyone knows about it. This type of pressure could cause their romance to implode before it begins. Thus, OA and Maggie should keep their relationship private in FBI until they are on more solid footing.

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