Episode 5 of Season 7 of "FBI" kicks off with a dramatic scene as both the FBI and NYPD rush to respond to a tumultuous campus protest. Amidst the chaos, they manage to secure the perimeter but are soon confronted with a grim discovery: the lifeless body of a student lying in plain sight. Outside the cordoned-off area, Jubal's heart skips a beat as he spots his son, Tyler, among the protesters who have been apprehended by the authorities. Without hesitation, he approaches the commanding officer and humbly requests a favor to have Tyler released from custody.
Meanwhile, the seasoned agents on the scene swiftly identify the deceased as Jacob Aquino, a student deeply entrenched in the protest against the school's controversial decision to deny housing to immigrant students. Lieutenant Marcus of the NYPD, realizing the sensitivity of the situation due to the presence of a high-profile UN member who was targeted in the protest, hands over the investigation to the FBI.
The FBI agents dive into the campus surveillance footage, their eyes peeled for any clues. Their meticulous scrutiny leads them to Frank Dorman, a figure who had a heated confrontation with Jacob prior to his untimely demise. Frank, still loitering around the campus, is promptly apprehended and grilled about his altercation with Jacob. Though Frank expresses support for the school's new policy and harbors an unwavering prejudice against immigrants, the agents soon discern that he isn't their culprit.
Elsewhere, Maggie and OA engage in a heartfelt conversation with Jacob's distraught mother, who reveals that her only son was relentlessly focused on graduating. She also mentions Jacob's abrupt resignation from his fraternity, prompting the agents to gain access to his phone. A thorough examination of his digital footprint uncovers disturbing threats sent by Freddy, Jacob's former lab partner who had been expelled for cocaine possession just a week prior to the protest.
Armed with this new information, Maggie and OA return to the school, seeking answers from Jacob's peers. They strike gold when they converse with Alistair, who reveals that Freddy left campus shortly after Jacob's death, ostensibly grief-stricken. However, the agents remain skeptical, especially after uncovering a video footage showing Freddy and Jacob in a heated argument mere hours before Jacob's tragic end.
Suspecting Freddy's involvement further, Maggie and OA visit his residence, where they discover a clandestine stash of cocaine hidden in his laundry. Confronted with the incriminating evidence, Freddy is taken into custody for questioning. Under pressure, he spills the beans, claiming that Jacob was once his partner in crime but had abandoned the ship after Freddy's lab partner was expelled. Freddy admits to threatening Jacob, fearing that his suppliers wouldn't take kindly to his departure. He speculates that perhaps his suppliers, believing Jacob might talk, could have been the ones to silence him. In a moment of desperation, Freddy offers to assist the FBI in bringing his suppliers to justice.
A dilemma emerges as the suppliers find themselves entangled in an ongoing NYPD drug operation led by Marcus, who steadfastly refuses to halt his investigation or collaborate with the FBI, fearing that such actions could compromise his multi-faceted homicide cases. Jubal attempts to persuade him, but Marcus retaliates by threatening to press charges against Tyler. Jubal, thrown into disarray, implores Isobel not to intervene when she offers to call the police commissioner for assistance. Unbeknownst to Isobel, Jubal has crossed the legal threshold.
The FBI's meticulous planning bears fruit as they orchestrate a meeting between Freddy and one of his suppliers, Mario. Mario displays a remarkable lack of concern for Jacob's fate or wellbeing, solely focused on reclaiming his stash and terminating his professional ties with Freddy. To guarantee Freddy's cooperation in bringing the remaining stash, Mario goes to drastic lengths by abducting Alistair, a fellow member of Freddy's gang.
Desperate, Jubal reaches out to Marcus once more and manages to convince him to forge an alliance. They agree that the NYPD will claim the glory upon the arrest. Armed with intel suggesting Mario and his brother's potential hideout, a body shop, Marcus remains cautiously optimistic about the information's validity. Freddy, convinced of Czar's guilt in Jacob's murder, divulges that the body shop serves as the brother's operational hub.
Meanwhile, the police commissioner contacts Isobel to report Jubal's transgressions, demanding disciplinary action. Isobel concedes and vows to handle the situation.
The NYPD and FBI join forces to validate the tip about the body shop. Deploying a miniature camera, they observe Mario conversing with his bodyguards, also noticing a fortified door within the premises. Before they can make their move, Mario's men discover the camera and respond with a hail of gunfire. The task force swiftly secures the perimeter and apprehends Mario. In the basement, they uncover Alistair, held captive by Czar with a gun pointed at him. Maggie urges Czar to surrender, but he defiantly refuses, leading to his demise and Alistair's rescue. Jubal interventions save Marcus from a sneak attack, and Marcus breathes a sigh of relief as they uncover caches of cocaine in the body shop.
Maggie and OA stumble upon a bloody tool, initially believing it to be the murder weapon, but the medical examiner later corrects their assumption, pinpointing a bike lock as the likely culprit. OA recalls Freddy's mention of Jacob's skull being carved, a detail overlooked by the agents. Further investigation uncovers the murder weapon hidden in Freddy's possessions, revealing that Jacob was an outsider to Freddy's circle, having threatened to expose Freddy's true nature after discovering his lab partner's secrets.
The episode concludes with Jubal facing suspension without pay. Returning home, he endeavors to steer Tyler towards a more conscientious future path.
