Dick Wolf’s New FBI Spinoff Starring Tom Ellis Debuts To Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Score After CBS Premiere

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CIA, the new FBI spinoff led by Tom Ellis, is off to a strong start.

The new CBS action drama premiered on February 23rd and is the third series in the FBI universe created by Dick Wolf. Following the end of FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted, the show focuses on an unlikely duo: the impulsive Colin Glass (played by Ellis) and the by-the-book Bill Goodman (played by Nick Gehlfuss, known from Chicago Med).

Okay, so I’ve been checking out the scores for the new series, and right now it’s sitting pretty at 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 15 reviews. Now, keep in mind it just premiered, so that score is definitely subject to change as more critics weigh in. But the really good news? Out of those 15, only one review wasn’t exactly glowing. Things are looking promising so far!

Many of Dick Wolf’s long-running crime dramas, like FBI, don’t have individual season ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. The only exception is the first season of FBI, which received a 65% rating based on 24 reviews.

One reason there haven’t been many in-depth reviews is that Dick Wolf’s Law & Order franchise is so well-known and reliable. Viewers generally know what to expect from his shows, and that’s a common point in the positive reviews for CIA. While the new spinoff doesn’t necessarily offer anything groundbreaking or thought-provoking, it’s competently made by people who know the genre well, and it’s reasonably entertaining as a result.

The new series features Natalee Linez and Necar Zadegan, and much of the appeal lies in watching the dynamic between their very different characters. The show centers on Colin Glass, a CIA officer who often bends the rules, and Bill Goodman, an FBI agent who always plays by the book. When these two are forced to team up, they’ll have to overcome their conflicting styles to achieve a common goal.

Originally planned to premiere in 2025, the show CIA was pushed back to 2026 after changes were made to the writing team. Now that it’s here, it’s clearly aimed at fans of creator Josh Ellis’s previous work on Once Upon a Time, and benefits from the experience of actor Jesse Gehlfuss in procedural dramas. This combination could prove successful for CBS over time.

CIA airs Mondays at 10 PM ET on CBS

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2026-02-24 22:08