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In “Riptide,” Season 7, Episode 8 of FBI, OA’s old Army friend Clay returns to help the team with a case that may be an inside job. CBS lists the midseason finale for December 17, 2024. Clay, played by Guy Lockard, is a long-standing friend of OA with a questionable private-security career, so the team’s decision to bring him in puts their trust to the test.
What the episode is about
“Riptide” opens with a cargo heist in which three customs officers are shot dead. According to CBS’s Season 7 episode guide, the team then turns to Clay to help determine whether the crime was an inside job. CBS episode guide
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The episode is the midseason finale, not the season finale. CBS lists the next episode, “Descent,” for January 28, 2025, and TV Insider reports that the series returned on that date. TV Insider preview
Key dates
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| December 5, 2024 | TV Insider publishes its first-look report on the episode, written by Meredith Jacobs | TV Insider preview |
| December 17, 2024 | “Riptide” (Season 7, Episode 8) airs as the midseason finale | CBS episode guide |
| January 28, 2025 | Next episode, “Descent,” airs and the series returns from its midseason break | CBS episode guide; TV Insider preview |
Who Clay is
Clay is OA’s old Army buddy. TV Insider says the two served together as platoon leaders, which gives their friendship a shared military background that the show uses as a foundation for the relationship. TV Insider preview
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Why he is called “shady”
The word “shady” is an editorial description rather than a term used by the show. It rests on Clay’s earlier storyline in Season 7, which takes place before “Riptide.”
Private security work
Earlier in the season, Clay works in private security. OA characterizes that work as corporate espionage. TV Insider preview
Rank #2
The bug and the app
According to TV Insider’s recap of the earlier episodes, Clay draws OA into an operation to plant a bug. He later helps OA obtain information from his company’s app. OA then makes Clay a confidential informant for intelligence that endangered public safety. TV Insider preview
OA’s objection to Clay’s work
OA and Clay are friends, but OA has openly questioned Clay’s ethics. TV Insider reproduces OA’s line from an earlier conversation:
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“No, there is a big difference, Clay. I enforce the law, I help people. You enrich corporations. Why are we even having this conversation?”
That exchange comes from an earlier episode, not from “Riptide.” It is the clearest statement of the tension that the midseason finale puts back on screen, with the team needing Clay’s help on a case that may itself involve the kind of corporate or insider behavior OA distrusts.
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What the lead actor has said
A CinemaBlend retrospective by Laura Hurley, published August 31, 2025, includes interview material from December 2024. In it, Zeeko Zaki, who plays OA, describes wanting to explore OA’s military history and the emotional impact of losing Clay. The piece is useful background on the character arc, but it is not needed to understand the episode’s premise. CinemaBlend retrospective
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Spoiler: how the arc ends
Read this section only if you have finished the Clay storyline. The same CinemaBlend retrospective states that OA had to kill Clay at the conclusion of this arc. CinemaBlend retrospective
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- Factory sealed DVD
Where to watch
Streaming availability varies by region and changes over time, and it was not verified for this article. The CBS episode guide is the most reliable starting point for finding “Riptide” and its neighbouring episodes. CBS episode guide
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
