‘CIA’ Season 2 Episode 4 Release Date, Time, Where to Watch and Preview
The fourth episode of the second season of ‘CIA’ arrives on CBS on Monday, October 26, under the title “Black Tie Optional.” The installment sends the team undercover at a high end gala to stop an espionage threat. It is the first time this season that the procedural leans so heavily on formal disguises and social infiltration.
This guide covers when and where to watch the latest ‘CIA’ episode and what has been revealed about the story so far. The series was created by Dick Wolf and David Hudgins and follows a loose cannon CIA case officer, Colin Glass, played by Tom Ellis, who is paired with an uptight FBI agent, Bill Goodman, played by Nick Gehlfuss. Together they investigate domestic terrorist threats.
Release Date for the Latest ‘CIA’ Episode
Listings for the second season place “Black Tie Optional” on October 26, 2026, on CBS. TV Guide lists the same Monday date. The episode follows a weekly schedule, so there is no wait beyond the standard seven days.
Before then, the team will tackle “Radio Active,” in which they join forces with an old school code breaker suffering from agoraphobia to stop a terrorist cell planning a chemical bombing. That episode airs this week and sets up the run into the gala story.
“Black Tie Optional” was directed by Cory Bowles and written by Brendan Feeney. The fifth episode, “Real Intelligence,” follows on November 2. CBS has ordered 22 episodes for the season, so the story has plenty of room to develop.
Release Time and Where It Sits on the CBS Schedule
‘CIA’ airs Mondays at 9/8c on CBS. That places it directly after ‘FBI,’ which airs at 8 PM ET/PT. The pairing keeps the two franchise entries together on one night.
The show debuted in midseason but has since moved to the fall, continuing to air after ‘FBI.’ That shift gives the series a full fall to spring run for the first time. The first two episodes of the second season were listed at 3.84 million and 3.69 million viewers.
Where to Watch ‘CIA’ Online and on Television
The series streams on Paramount+, with Premium subscribers able to watch live and on demand, while Essential subscribers can stream the day after the episode airs. Viewers who prefer broadcast can simply tune in to CBS at the usual time.
Outside the United States, options vary. The series airs on Global in Canada. Australian viewers can stream it on Paramount+, and the show is also available through the Paramount+ Prime Video Channel or Apple TV Channel. In the UK, the second season will stream on Sky and NOW after it concludes on CBS.
Paramount+ Premium also allows episodes to be downloaded on supported mobile devices for offline viewing. That can be useful for anyone catching up midweek.
Episode Preview and What to Expect From the Gala Mission
The official synopsis says a prominent investor begins selling highly sensitive information to Korean agents, and the team must go deep undercover at the gala to prevent a deadly invasion. The stakes are framed as international from the outset, which fits the show’s focus on geopolitical threats.
In an exclusive first look, Collider shared images of the agents in their disguises for the evening and the crowded setting they must navigate. The report notes that Bill and Colin sit at the center of the plan, and that they must dress up to blend in despite the event’s relaxed dress code.
The story also arrives with unfinished business behind it. The first season ended with Colin discovering that his former partner Toni, whom he believed dead, was alive. She ended that season in CIA custody and is expected to play a continuing part in the second season, which is not easy for Colin.
That tension may color how Bill and Colin handle a mission built on trust and performance. Will the gala disguises bring the two agents closer together, or will the emotional weight of Toni’s return complicate a night where one slip could cost them the entire operation?
