Who’s Brian Lange on FBI: International? Why Fans Call Forrester’s Replacement a ‘Middle Finger’ to Viewers

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There’s a new agent in town. Special Agent Brian Lange made his official FBI: International debut in Season 3, Episode 12, as the Fly Team’s newest member after the exit of the squad’s leader, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Scott Forrester, in the episode prior. But while some fans may recognize the actor behind Lange from another beloved Dick Wolf series, others aren’t ready to let go of Forrester just yet, especially after the character’s lackluster exit. But first who is Brian Lange? Get to know Forrester’s rumored replacement on FBI: International ahead, and why fans aren’t happy with the way the Fly Team’s leader was written out.

Who’s Brian Lange in FBI: International?

Brian Lange, played by Chicago Med alum Colin Donnell, is believed to be FBI: International‘s replacement for Luke Kleintank’s Forrester, who left the series after three seasons in Season 3, Episode 11. Lange is a National Security Agency liaison who is introduced in Season 3, Episode 12, “Gift,” “as an FBI agent whose role in the FBI coincides with the Fly Team’s case” involving a cyber security executive’s murder in Coppenhagen, Donnell told TV Insider in May 2024. Along with Episode 12, Lange will also appear in the Season 3 finale. “And that’s about all I can say,” Donnell said.

Donnell also confirmed that he doesn’t know whether Lange will be Forrester’s actual replacement as the leader of the Fly Team, but he appreciates the role regardless. “It’s sort of a dream come true though in a way because I don’t think that I ever could have imagined that my career would take me around the world like this,” he said. “So to find myself in a city like Budapest and shooting…there were so many times that we were in Oslo that I would just be pinching myself that this is what I get to do for a living. It’s spectacular. It’s so cool.”

After Forrester’s exit in Episode 11, fans slammed FBI: International for not giving Forrester a formal sendoff before Kleintank’s last episode. “I’m speechless tbh … if I was Luke I’d be insulted with how my character was written out,” a Reddit user wrote. Another commented, “Agreed. I would have thought he gave them a heads up about his departure so the writers could write something suitable for his character exit. Idk if Luke plans to speak out again after the episode airs about how they handle his exit since he already released a statement about why he’s leaving the show but for the fans, it’s disappointing that this is how they decided to bow out the male lead of the show.”

While FBI: International didn’t write off Forrester in Episode 11 — which revolved mainly around Special Agent Megan “Smitty” Garretson and her family — fans speculate that the series could kill Forrester off camera in the final two episodes of Season 3, which Kleintank didn’t film for. “I was waiting all episode for Scott to be killed lol. But still, a Smitty episode is always nice, annoying that she seems to only get 1 a season though,” a Reddit user wrote.

Another compared the speculation around Forrester’s exit to how FBI: Most Wanted wrote off Jess LaCroix in Season 3. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets the same anti-climatic sendoff Jesse LaCroix got on FBI’s Most Wanted, where he gets killed off in a weak and spiteful fashion. You could tell that when they wrote Jesse off that there was animousity for the actor in how he was sent off. Chances are they will have it where Forrester gets killed off screen before he is replaced as a middle finger to the actor and the fans,” a user wrote.

News broke that Donnell was joining FBI: International in April 2024, the same day Kleintank announced his exit from the series. “Excited for you all to meet [REDACTED] and it’s a pleasure to be working with this fantastic cast & crew here in Budapest In the meantime, here are some amazing things I’ve eaten in my short time in this gorgeous city,” Donnell captioned an Instagram post at the time of a People news story announcing his casting.

FBI: International is Donnell’s second Dick Wolf-created series after starring as Connor Rhodes from Season 1 to 5 of Chicago Med. FBI: International is CBS’ drama series following the FBI’s international “Fly Team,” a team of elite Special Agents headquartered in Budapest whose job is to neutralize threats against American interests around the world. The team was previously led by FBI Supervisory Special Agent Scott forrester, who left the series toward the end of Season 3.

FBI: International is available to stream on Paramount Plus.

For more on FBI, meet the cast’s children and families in real life in the gallery below.