The series has gone on, but some still look back at actress Sela Ward leaving FBI in Season 1.
The hit CBS drama, which just entered its seventh season, has been on the air for more than eight years, following the life and times of New York's Federal Bureau of Investigation field office.
Ward was a big part of the series early on, playing Dana Mosier, the special agent in charge (aka the Big Boss) of the show's central office of FBI agents.
Where Did Sela Ward Go in FBI?
As FBI continues with its seventh season on CBS, longtime viewers may forget what caused Sela Ward's Dana Mosier to leave the series.
Ward's Special Agent in Charge of the New York FBI field office only lasted a single season in the hit CBS drama, departing the series in its Season 1 finale.
After appearing in all but one episode in Season 1, Ward's Dana Mosier character got her send-off as she put in her resignation from the bureau to pursue other things.
This came following Dana's authority being put into question as she let Missy Peregrym's Maggie Bell pursue a case despite her deep personal connection with it.
Realizing that this may not have been the best course of action, allowing her emotions to get the better of her, Ward's character reveals to the rest of the cast that she is resigning from her post citing that she can no longer work objectively as she should in such an elevated role.
That was the last the character was seen or heard from in the series, with not even a cameo from the character coming at any point (at least as of writing) in the series since then.
Of course, her presence looms large over the series, being one of the figureheads that put the show on the path it has traced since then, but it is more a metaphorical presence as opposed to a physical one.
The Real Reason Behind Sela Ward Leaving FBI
Of course, in-universe Sela Ward's departure from FBI was tied up in a nice bow, but there were some real-world reasons behind her leaving the series that fans can look into.
The biggest of these reasons seems to be that Ward's contract was always only for a single season.
While others had deals to potentially work on further seasons of the series, Ward's character always only planned to star in a single batch of episodes, with her arc being contained to Season 1.
She explained this in an Instagram post at the time, telling fans that "unfortunately, [her] contract was only for one season on FBI:"
"Thank you all so much for your very kind words. Unfortunately, my contract was only for one season on 'FBI.' I am going to be taking some time to explore a few exciting new projects. I am especially looking forward to spending time painting! I will keep you posted on what is next on my horizon. I truly have the best fans on the planet."
She would share in another post thanking the "amazing cast and crew" behind the series, and sending love to fans of the show:
"So grateful for my time on 'FBI'. Such a wonderful show with an amazing cast and crew. Much love to all of our fans of the show. Thank you for everything!"
Because of the way Ward seemed to leave the series and no love seemingly being lost between the two parties, there is always the chance that, if she were asked, her character could potentially come back to the show at some point down the line.
The show has been renewed through Season 9 at this point, so, the opportunity is ample for Ward to make her presence felt again if the creative team were to want to go in that direction.
FBI continues on CBS with new episodes every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET
