‘CIA’ Season 2 New Cast Brings an ‘FBI’ Regular and a ‘Breaking Bad’ Face (With Photos)
The new cast of ‘CIA’ for its second season is small in number but telling in what it suggests about the series. The CBS drama opened its latest run on Monday, October 5, at 9 PM ET/PT, following the ninth season of ‘FBI’, and the guest list reflects a show that wants to stay close to the franchise it came from. Fresh faces and familiar ones alike are stepping into the world of Colin Glass and Bill Goodman.
The core ensemble remains in place, with Tom Ellis, Nick Gehlfuss, Necar Zadegan and Natalee Linez all returning. Around them, the premiere brings in a crossover guest from ‘FBI’, a ‘Breaking Bad’ alum and a recurring character whose return has been described with some uncertainty. Here is a closer look at the names worth knowing as the story moves forward, along with the details that have been confirmed so far.
John Boyd
John Boyd is the most clearly confirmed addition to the lineup. He reprises his ‘FBI’ role as fast talking Special Agent Stuart Scola in the premiere, joining the team on a shocking op. That quick patter sets him apart from the buttoned up Bill, which should make for an interesting pairing in the field.
The premiere is titled ‘The Deep’. When a known cartel fixer arrives in New York, the team tracks him down and discovers the body of a DEA agent, and it soon becomes clear the case is not what it seems. Bill, meanwhile, makes a shocking discovery when he returns to work after the death of his father, and the team enlists Scola’s help.
Scola is not a new character to viewers of the wider franchise. Boyd made his debut as Scola during an earlier season of ‘FBI’, and his other credits include the ‘Most Wanted’ and ‘International’ spinoffs, ‘Bones’ and ’24’.
The crossover also fits a pattern that was set up earlier this year. Deadline reported that actors would move between the two shows, with Alana de la Garza and Missy Peregrym due to visit ‘CIA’ and Zadegan heading to ‘FBI’ in future episodes. Boyd’s appearance extends that exchange into the new run.
Angela Sarafyan
Angela Sarafyan plays Toni, and her situation is one of the more consequential threads carried over from the first season. Toni was revealed to be Colin’s former partner who had faked her own death and turned, and by the end of the finale she was in the CIA’s custody. That cliffhanger left plenty of room for the character to return.
Showrunner Mike Weiss told TV Insider that Sarafyan would be recurring in the second season, and that Toni must now prove herself to the CIA and then to Colin on a human level. It is a clear signal that the writers see her as more than a passing guest.
Weiss also gave a sense of where Colin stands with her. He suggested that Colin’s message might be as simple as saying he does not trust her and never will, no matter what she does, while the plan is still to weave her into the season’s story. That tension gives the actor plenty to work with.
Not every outlet has treated her return as settled. A Paramount+ cast guide noted there was no confirmation that Glass’s former partner would appear. By contrast, a fan run wiki for the season lists Sarafyan among its recurring guest stars. The showrunner’s comments appear to carry more weight than either.
Charles Baker
Charles Baker is the guest addition most likely to catch the eye of longtime television viewers. TV Insider highlighted the ‘Breaking Bad’ actor, who played Skinny Pete on the AMC series, as joining the guest list. He appears in the premiere photos as Keith Truman.
One first look image shows Baker as Truman alongside Ellis as Colin and Gehlfuss as Bill. Early coverage left the nature of the role open, with TV Insider openly asking who Baker is playing in that scene. Until the episode plays out, his place in the story remains a question mark.
He is not the only new guest to appear in the premiere images. Brian Letscher is also listed among the guest stars, playing Gary Martin. One photo places Letscher opposite Ellis in the season opener.
The expanded episode count gives these newcomers more room to matter. The new season is slated to run 22 episodes, up from twelve in the first season. CBS renewed the series in March after the premiere drew 8.4 million multiplatform viewers within seven days. With Baker’s Keith Truman now in the picture, are you hoping he becomes an ally to Colin and Bill, or do you suspect he is the kind of guest who complicates their next case?
