CIA Promises A Major Story Improvement When It Returns For Season 2 Next Month

Published Sep 5, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT Misty Layne started as an actor and sketch comedy writer before deciding to concentrate mainly on writing. Utilizing both her love of television and film and her behind-the-scenes knowledge, she began a website reviewing films in 2013, with a focus on horror and indie media. Eventually, she began writing about all things television and film for other sites as well. Misty shares a home with five cats, a ton of books, and a fairly impressive vinyl collection. CIA, the FBI spin-off starring Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss, returns for its second season on Monday, October 5, 2026, and it should be even better than the first. CIA season 1 ended with the reveal that Colin's former partner and ex-flame Toni was not only very much alive but had switched sides. Meanwhile, Bill received the promotion offer he'd been waiting for, only to turn it down to remain on the dual task force. Though season 2 is full steam ahead, initially, it didn't seem like CIA was long for this world. The original showrunner, David Hudgins, left, as did Eriq La Salle, who served as executive producer. At least one member of the cast departed, as well. Between the comings and goings and some production delays, things weren't looking good. However, after only five episodes, CIA was renewed for season 2. CIA's first season had its high notes, but it also had a few issues that brought it down. Now that the series has a season 2 release date, though, it's time to look forward to what looks to be some promising improvements to the show's story and changes to its formula, which should hopefully make season 2 a hit. Mark Schafer/CBS One of the first season's biggest drawbacks was incredibly low stakes. The mole plotline that ran through the season ended with a culprit who didn't even have that much screen time. Plus, there was the return of the "dead" ex-partner, which any casual police procedural viewer knew would happen the moment they learned about her. The impact and emotional fallout would have hit so much harder if the mole had actually turned out to be someone the audience knew or liked, such as Nikki or Jubal. Even Gina would have been a better option. However, season 2 seems prepared to raise the stakes almost immediately with its confirmed FBI crossover in the first episode, for which CBS released an official description: “When a known cartel fixer arrives in NYC, the team tracks him down and discovers the body of a DEA agent. After it becomes clear the case is not what it seems, the team must work quickly to prevent additional murders. Meanwhile, Bill makes a shocking discovery when he returns to work after the death of his father and the team enlists the help of FBI Special Agent Stuart Scola (John Boyd).” The network also released several promotional photos, some of which show characters at a funeral. But whose funeral is it? Additionally, Gehlfuss teased how the show might be raising the stakes with his character, telling TVLine, "We see Bill in a totally different and new light. By the end of the episode, there's a bombshell that's dropped that shakes Bill up quite a bit as far as, 'Who the hell is he?'" CIA Season 2 Would Also Benefit From Embracing Its Ensemble Cast Mark Schafer / ©CBS / Courtesy Everett Collection CIA may be an ensemble TV cast, but season 1 was all about Colin, leaving Bill sidelined. Compared to the former, it felt like the audience ended up knowing very little about Bill, his life, and his background. Additionally, several other characters in the show, such as Nikki and Gina, felt barely introduced. CIA would benefit from embracing the cast as a whole, and it seems that's just what they're going to do. According to teasers, Toni will be a recurring character in season 2 as she learns to work with the CIA, so that audiences will learn more about her. They'll also learn more about Colin through her. Plus, showrunner Mike Weiss shared that Nikki will be called upon a few times to share her expertise with the FBI, which should help make her role meatier. Bill also seems to be a bigger focus this season, as his life will apparently be turned upside down. Weiss shared in an interview with Yahoo: "Our goal for Season 2 is to shake up Bill. In Season 1, we shook Colin to the core, and in Season 2, we're going to take Bill's perfectly ordered, buttoned up life where he wears a little American flag lapel pin every day and shake it up and see what he's made of when that happens." Rounding out the ensemble's characters will make the show more cohesive and consistent. It will be exciting to see what else CIA season 2 has in store for the characters. Thankfully, there's only a month or so left to go before it returns to our screens. Release Date February 23, 2026 Network CBS Showrunner Mike Weiss, Warren Leight, David Hudgins Cast Nick Gehlfuss Bill Goodman Directors Eriq La Salle Writers David Hudgins, Dick Wolf Creator(s) Dick Wolf