Bill’s decision will impact CIA going forward.
Warning: This article contains spoilers from the CIA season 1 finale,"Broken Glass.
" The CIA season 1 finale featured some major revelations, including Bill Randall Goodman turning down a huge promotion in Cleveland, and now cast member Nick Gehlfuss is revealing what led to that shocking decision. Aside from the big twist involving Toni Napier, the finale also showed Bill rejecting a new position that would have meant moving to Cleveland. In an interview with ScreenRant's Grant Hermanns, Gehlfuss opens up about what actually led to this stunning decision.
The agent claimed that he turned down the job because it would mean he'd be missing out on all the fun in New York City with his work partner, Colin Glass , and the rest of the team, despite the new position being close to family. Gehlfuss, who plays Bill, explained that it all goes back to the very beginning of the series when FBI's Jubal Valentine proposed the idea that he go undercover as part of a mole investigation Bill was"totally on board," according to the actor, because it could be a"career maker" and have a major and positive impact on his life for the foreseeable future.
He could have used the position as a launching point for bigger and better things, which seemed to be the whole point of taking the job to begin with. And, in fact, the CIA season 1 finale presented that very opportunity when he was offered the promotion in Cleveland.
However, he turned it down because of the"journey he's gone on" and"this relationship he's formed" with Colin and"what they're able to do because of the relationship.
" "Let's go back to the very beginning when Jubal proposed that he would go under this mole investigation. I think Bill was totally on board, as it could change his career, and it could be a career maker. So here we are, him being given the exact thing he set out to do, and because of the journey he's gone on, he turns it down.
Because of this relationship he's formed, because of what they're able to do because of the relationship.
" Both Bill and Colin have the same goals, despite being opposites in the way they approach situations, with the former very much playing by the rules and the latter being more unpredictable and prone to recklessness. This dichotomy creates a"yin and yang" situation, Gehlfuss explained. When the two talented and skilled CIA and FBI officers are forced to work together and they end up making it work as a powerful unit,"it's hard to walk away from" that.
"It's that next level up," the actor added. Bill has spent all this time seeking the next leg up in his career, and when it happens, he realizes that his current position is what he was meant to do because of the relationships that have been formed. It ends up creating a circumstance in which he's questioning everything but ultimately determining that he made the right decision because"this is for the greater good.
" It's all about envisioning the"bigger picture," with Bill putting his"commitment" and his"devotion to the country" first"before anybody else. " "They both have always had the same goals. When you put them together in this yin and yang, and what they're capable of, and how much more powerful these two premier elite agencies of the country , it's hard to walk away from. It's that next level up.
So be careful what you go after because everything he had wanted, he's now questioning. I think he realizes that this is for the greater good. I think it's this idea of sometimes you do things for the greater picture, the bigger picture. I think Bill is seeing that, that his commitment, his devotion to the country is there first, before anybody else.
" Bill rejecting the promotion will clearly have a major impact during CIA season 2, which will premiere sometime in fall 2026. Bill and his fiancée are going to have some tough conversations about the future and answer questions like,"Can you have this job and your family? Can you have them both or do you need to decide between one?
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As it is, his current job has put a strain on their relationship, and Bill and Katie will be forced to figure out if they can still make it work without the position in Cleveland.
"I think that's we're asking ourselves, 'Can you have this job and a family? Can you have them both or do you need to decide between one?
' I think it's going to be a conversation that him and his fiancée are going to have to have, and whether they think they can make that work will be the thing. " Before joining the cast of CIA, Gehlfuss starred on shows like The Newsroom, Shameless, Longmire and Murder in the First. Over the past 11 years, he's played Dr. Will Halstead on Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D.
These three NBC shows were created by Dick Wolf, who also launched the FBI franchise, which has included FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, FBI: International and now CIA, which debuted back in February and was renewed for a second season a month later. 9.5/10 CIA 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed Crime Drama Release Date February 23, 2026 Network CBS Showrunner Mike Weiss, Warren Leight, David Hudgins Directors Eriq La Salle Writers David Hudgins, Dick Wolf Cast See All A nonconformist CIA agent a principled FBI agent manage a secret domestic terrorism taskforce in New York City.
Main Genre Crime Creator Dick Wolf Executive Producer David Chasteen, David Hudgins, Dick Wolf, Eriq La Salle, Nicole Perlman, Peter Jankowski, Warren Leight, Anastasia Puglisi, Paul Cabbad, Mike Weiss Producers Denis Hamill Seasons 1 Release Window 2025 Powered by Expand Collapse
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