‘FBI’ Boss on Saying Goodbye to Nina — and What’s Next for Scola

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for FBI Season 5 Episode 6, “Double Bind.”]

It’s a bittersweet farewell for Special Agent Nina Chase (Shantel VanSanten) in the latest FBI episode (a special Sunday airing, with midterm elections coverage on Tuesday, November 8).

We learn early on in the episode that she went to the doctor — Special Agent Stuart Scola (John Boyd) hears about it from teammate Omar Adom “OA” Zidan (Zeeko Zaki) — and it’s not until later on that Nina reveals she’s pregnant. Yes, Scola is the father. But no, she doesn’t know what she’s going to do, then or at the end of the episode, when she announces she’s leaving the team and going to clear her head while working out of the white-collar division. Once alone, Nina tells Scola she needs some time, but before leaving, she kisses him in an emotional goodbye.

“We didn’t want to kill Nina off. She’s been an incredible addition to the show, and intertwining her story with Scola’s allows us to keep her character alive,” executive producer Rick Eid tells TV Insider. “It also gives Scola’s character another dimension; he’s now facing fatherhood on top of being an FBI Agent.”

And don’t worry: She’s not gone for good. “Though Nina is leaving the team, she’s still an FBI agent, and her relationship with Scola will continue in some capacity. We’ll see her again soon,” Eid promises.

For what ended up being her last case with the team, Nina clashed with Scola over the handling of a mother who hid the truth about her CIA past — and was considering handing over an asset to be killed — when her son was kidnapped. She also went undercover as said asset to help find the kid, and Scola came to her aid when the kidnapper came up behind her.

Nina’s exit (for now) comes as FBI prepares to welcome Maggie Bell (Missy Peregrym) back in the November 15 episode after she took time off to recover due to exposure to sarin gas near the end of Season 4 (to account for the actress’ maternity leave).

FBI, Tuesdays, 8/7c, CBS