CBS’ CIA finally arrived in the 2026 TV schedule after a series of delays and cast changes, but the finished product turned out to be a quick hit for the network. The new series was renewed before the first season was halfway through, and the good news reminded me of what series regular Necar Zadegan told CinemaBlend about female characters and what’s been working so far in CIA.
I spoke with the former NCIS: New Orleans cast member about the third episode of the freshman series, which put the focus on Nikki as she risked everything to go on a mission in China without any backup on hand. While Nick Gehlfuss’ Bill and Tom Ellis’ Colin are usually the ones with boots on the ground for the gunfights and car chases, Nikki and Natalee Linez’s Gina are often holding down the fort back at the unit’s headquarters.
When I asked Necar Zadegan for her thoughts on how Nikki and Gina are responsible for keeping the team running, she shared:
There is a sense of stability in the administrative quality that they bring to it, that there is somebody there holding it down while there's unpredictability happening. Somebody that can watch from a bird's eye view, and Nikki and Gina get to have that role, which is a very powerful position. I love that it's two women in that powerful position, as the hands of the puppeteer, sort of, and directing these guys while they're out there.
In the face of the “unpredictability” that tends to come from whatever Bill and Colin get up to over the course of their investigations, Nikki and Gina are a lot steadier. These two women in positions of authority mirror the status quo over on FBI, where Alana De La Garza’s Isobel is the SAC at 26 Fed and Missy Peregrym’s Maggie is one of the top agents.
Necar Zadegan went on to share her personal perspective on the importance of female characters when it comes to making her want to watch something. She said:
I personally, myself as a person in the world, I love the company of women. I prefer the company of women myself, and I enjoy working with actresses, and I enjoy female stories. In fact, if I'm watching a movie and there's no female actresses in it, I get bored. I don't even want to watch anymore. I need female characters to pull me through.
Many crime procedurals have historically had more male characters than female, although that’s less common nowadays in the wider Dick Wolf TV universe that CIA is part of. Law & Order: SVU finally had an equal number of male and female cops in Olivia Benson's Season 27 unit, longtime Chicago P.D. costars Marina Squerciati and Tracy Spiridakos frequently spoke about wanting to share storylines, and both FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International had a good balance prior to their cancellations .
Elsewhere on CBS' current lineup, Missy Peregrym shared what’s been “really fun” about working with Juliana Aidén Martinez on FBI. Peregrym also explained that she likes that Maggie isn’t in a romantic relationship and “is very full with what she has in her life.” Now, we have Nikki and Gina in powerful positions on CIA. Necar Zadegan continued:
Historically, women have always been the source of inspiration. Even in ancient art, it's always the female. I really enjoy when stories allow a female character to be in a position of great importance. So that relationship [with Nikki and Gina], I'm happy to see that it's nurtured and comes through the story in ways that are strong.
Interestingly, Nikki actually shared the screen with Isobel for the first time in the latest episode of FBI, with the long-running drama bringing Zadegan over to interact with Alana De La Garza when the federal agents were facing a terrorist threat. De La Garza will next join Zadegan on CIA, along with Missy Peregrym as they cross over from FBI.
Keep tuning in to CBS on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET for new episodes of CIA, or stream next day with a Paramount+ subscription. The season finale is scheduled for Monday, May 18 in the usual time slot after FBI.
It remains to be seen if the network will keep CIA as a midseason show that releases early in the year or join FBI in primetime as early as the fall. Watson, which aired directly after FBI in the fall, has been cancelled, so perhaps the slot will be vacant for the full 2026-2027 TV season.
