Hey, crime drama fans! It’s Pari Singh from DramaWire.Studio, diving into the TV Shows category to unpack FBI Season 7, Episode 20, titled “Startup.” As a Noida grad who loves the high-stakes world of Dick Wolf’s FBI, I’m thrilled to share the cast, preview, and release date for this episode, which tackles a rogue AI threat. With sources from Showbiz Junkies, Collider, and Rotten Tomatoes, plus X buzz, here’s everything you need to know about this penultimate Season 7 case. Let’s jump in!
Release Date
FBI Season 7, Episode 20, “Startup,” airs on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, with next-day streaming on Paramount+ for Premium/Showtime subscribers, per Showbiz Junkies (April 2025). It’s the second-to-last episode before the Season 7 finale on May 20, 2025, following a brief hiatus, per Collider (April 2025).
Cast of “Startup”
Directed by Peter Stebbings and written by Aaron Ginsburg, Episode 20 features the core FBI cast and a key guest star, per Showbiz Junkies and Rotten Tomatoes:
- Missy Peregrym as Special Agent Maggie Bell: Leads the team after a CEO’s death, balancing her role as guardian to Ella, per Showbiz Junkies.
- Zeeko Zaki as Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan: Maggie’s partner, diving into the AI-driven case, per Collider.
- Jeremy Sisto as Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine: The team’s motivator, overseeing the investigation, per Showbiz Junkies.
- Alana De La Garza as Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille: Commands the operation under pressure, per Rotten Tomatoes.
- John Boyd as Special Agent Stuart Scola: Works alongside new partner Syd, fresh from a kidnapping case in Episode 19, per Collider.
- Lisette Olivera as Syd Ortiz: The Behavioral Analysis Unit profiler, replacing Tiffany Wallace, tackling her first major case, per TheWrap.
- Emily Alabi as Special Agent Dani Rhodes (Guest Star): Assists the team, continuing her arc from Episode 19’s conspiracy case, per Showbiz Junkies.
- Jamie Guyer as Detective Teresa Bonner (Guest Star): Appears in key scenes, supporting the investigation, per Showbiz Junkies photos.
Recurring players like James Chen (Ian Lim), Taylor Anthony Miller (Kelly Moran), or Vedette Lim (Elise Taylor) may appear, based on past episodes, but aren’t confirmed for Episode 20, per IMDb.
“Maggie and OA chasing rogue AI? This cast is locked in!” – Pari Singh
Preview of “Startup”
Showbiz Junkies (April 2025) provides the official synopsis: “When a CEO is killed by a targeted explosion inside his penthouse, the team must work to figure out how someone accessed the highly secure building. Their task is further complicated when they discover the crime may be the work of an artificial intelligence program. Meanwhile, Maggie pumps the brakes on her personal life.” The promo, shared by
@SpoilerTV on X, teases an “explosive” case with AI as the unseen enemy, per Collider (April 2025).
Rotten Tomatoes (May 2025) hints at Maggie’s struggle to balance her guardian duties with this high-tech case, while Scola and Syd’s new partnership faces a test. Dani Rhodes’s return, per Showbiz Junkies, ties to her blown cover from Episode 16, adding tension. Fans on X, like
@FBIFanatic, are hyped: “AI crime in FBI? This is gonna be wild!” []. The episode’s cultural relevance, tackling AI dangers, aligns with Season 7’s bold cases, per ScreenRant (July 2024).
Why This Episode Matters?
As the penultimate episode, “Startup” ramps up for the Season 7 finale, per Collider. Its AI-driven plot taps into 2025’s tech anxieties, making it a standout, with Rotten Tomatoes noting an 82% audience score for Season 7’s fresh arcs. Lisette Olivera’s Syd Ortiz, replacing Katherine Renee Kane’s Tiffany Wallace, brings new energy, though some X fans (
@TVTalker) miss Tiffany, saying, “Syd’s cool, but Tiff was family” []. With Season 8 and 9 confirmed (ScreenRant, April 2024), Episode 20 could plant seeds for crossovers with FBI: International or Most Wanted, per TheWrap.
Is It on Netflix?
FBI Season 7 is not currently on Netflix. Episodes air on CBS and stream next-day on Paramount+ (Premium/Showtime plan) or on-demand via the CBS app, per WhatToWatch (April 2025). Seasons 1-6 are on Paramount+, with no Netflix release confirmed for Season 7 as of May 2025.
Final Thoughts
FBI Season 7, Episode 20, “Startup,” airs May 6, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming on Paramount+. Starring Missy Peregrym, Zeeko Zaki, Lisette Olivera, and guest star Emily Alabi, it tackles a rogue AI threat with high stakes. Catch it on CBS or Paramount+, and follow DramaWire.Studio on Instagram or YouTube for more TV scoops. What do you think of this AI case? Drop it below!
