SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for FBI Season 8, Episode 17.

OA Zidan is one of TV’s most underrated crimefighters, and FBI Season 8, Episode 17 is a strong example as to why. “Shahadah” takes something that makes OA unique—his Muslim faith—and actually finds a meaningful way to integrate that into the CBS show’s plot. It’s not a subplot, it’s not stuffed in, it’s front and center in a story that matters. And the result is an episode that is almost perfect.

“Shahadah” starts with the murder of a VA psychologist, and after the first obvious suspect gets out of the way, FBI shifts its focus to the new imam at a local mosque. Now the show could’ve stopped there. It could have done a cliche and potentially even offensive story about a religious leader using his power to abduct women, causing OA to have a crisis of faith before saving the day. But writer Sabir Prizada thankfully avoids that stereotypical idea and presents something much more layered. Add that to Zeeko Zaki giving another ever-reliable performance, and this one is much better than some of the character-exploration episodes earlier in Season 8.

Read the rest of this review at Fangirlish.

FBI airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Photo Credit: Courtesy of CBS.

Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.