WARNING! SPOILERS ahead for FBI season 7, episode 15, "Acolyte."

There is a reason that Maggie (Missy Peregrym) is often partnered with Scola (John Boyd) instead of OA (Zeeko Zaki) in FBI season 7 changes things up a bit by having Maggie work with Scola as often as she does with OA.

Maggie has worked with Scola in at least two episodes of FBI. She is paired up with him again in FBI season 7, episode 15, titled "Acolyte,"which OA doesn't appear in. Maggie doesn't always work closely with Scola even when they are partnered up — in "Acolyte" she has the bulk of her scenes alone because she's trying to get info out of an imprisoned suspect who is obsessed with her. That said, Maggie's partnership with Scola is likely due to several FBI season 7 cast changes.

Maggie Has Been Partnered With Scola More Frequently In FBI Season 7 Trend Explained

She Is Often Paired With Scola When OA Isn't Available

Maggie and Scola's new partnership is due in part to the cast rotation policy for FBI season 7. In order to save money, FBI rotates the characters that are featured in each episode rather than using all characters in every story. As a result, there are some stories in which OA is not present. When this happens, Maggie is usually paired with Scola, often without any on-screen explanation. This was the case in FBI season 7, episode 15 — although OA likely needed time off after his train hijacking ordeal in FBI season 7, episode 14, this was never explicitly mentioned.

On one occasion, however, Maggie chose to work with Scola instead of OA. In FBI season. 7, episode 11, Maggie didn't like OA's rough treatment of a suspect and thus decided to work with Scola for the remainder of the case. Although OA and Maggie continue to have a solid friendship after this incident, it caused a temporary rift. Additionally, Maggie again worked with Scola in the next episode, as OA was not featured.

Maggie & Scola's Partnership Is Likely Because Of FBI's Failure To Find Tiffany Wallace's Replacement

Scola Needs A Partner And Maggie Helps Fill In The Gaps

While the cast rotation policy is a partial explanation for Maggie and Scola's new partnership, there is also another factor to be considered. Scola is currently partnerless. FBI's Tiffany Wallace (Katherine Renee Kane) exited the procedural after the premiere episode of season 7, and Scola has had no luck finding a new partner. He has had several temporary partners, the most recent of whom, Syd, was supposed to become permanent. Unfortunately, FBI decided to go in a different creative direction, so Syd was written out and Scola is again left without a partner.

Having Maggie partner with Scola every few episodes makes up for his lack of a full-time partner and allows him to participate fully in the case of the week.

Scola's lack of a teammate is a difficult problem. It is not realistic for him to continually have partners that leave after one or two episodes, so FBI needs to find another way of pairing Scola up until his real partner is found and written into the show. Thus, having Maggie partner with Scola every few episodes makes up for his lack of a full-time partner and allows him to participate fully in the case of the week. These stories often coincide with stories that OA is not involved in, making it appear more natural for Maggie to switch partners.

FBI Season 7 Also Needs To Feature OA Working With Scola

It Would Make It Seem Less As If Maggie Is Moving Away From OA If He Also Worked With Scola More

OA worked with Scola in FBI season 7, episode 12 while Maggie was off-screen. The two worked well together, and this is a strong beginning for a pattern in which sometimes OA also works with Scola. However, Maggie has been featured with Scola far more often than OA has been, and OA's case with Scola came immediately after his rift with Maggie, followed by Maggie working with Scola in OA's absence in episode 13. This sequence made it appear as if Maggie and OA were using Scola because they were trying to avoid each other.

In addition to having OA work with Scola when Maggie is not available, the team could mix things up by having OA or Maggie occasionally work with Scola while the other works on another part of the case.

FBI could make Scola's work with both Maggie and OA seem more natural by having OA work with Scola more often as well. In addition to having OA work with Scola when Maggie is not available, the team could mix things up by having OA or Maggie occasionally work with Scola while the other works on another part of the case. This pattern would make it seem more as if the team frequently shifts partners rather than Maggie and Scola's partnership seeming like something unusual.

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