The new CBS drama CIA finally arrived on Monday, February 23, 2026, bringing Tom Ellis back to network television in a role that feels familiar in some ways but is very different in others. The Lucifer star now plays Colin Glass, a CIA case officer who operates in ways that most TV crime fighters do not. Unlike the heroes viewers are used to seeing on police procedurals, Colin does not always play by the rules, and Ellis himself is making it clear that his character should not be seen as a simple hero.
The show, which is the latest spinoff from Dick Wolf’s successful FBI franchise, pairs Colin with FBI Special Agent Bill Goodman, played by Chicago Med alum Nick Gehlfuss. Right from the first episode, the two clash over methods, morals, and what justice actually means. But according to Ellis, that is exactly the point.
What Tom Ellis Says About Colin Not Being a Hero
In interviews leading up to the premiere, Tom Ellis explained that Colin Glass exists in a moral gray area. He is not the kind of character who wears a white hat and follows every rule. During an exclusive conversation with Us Weekly, Ellis broke down the core difference between the two agencies and how that shapes his character .
“The FBI deals in crimes that have already happened predominantly and the CIA try to stop the crime from happening in the first place,” Ellis told the magazine. He went on to explain that the FBI is the public face of law enforcement. They are the “poster boy” who wears the badge proudly. But the CIA? They are different. “The CIA is very much in the shadows—and doesn’t want to be on any poster. It doesn’t want people to see who they are and they operate in a very sort of voyeuristic manner,” Ellis said .
This means Colin has to make choices that might look bad on paper but could save lives. He works with assets who might have done terrible things. He lies as part of his job. He bends the law because stopping a threat often means operating in places where the law is blurry.
In the premiere episode, titled “Directed Energy,” Colin makes this very clear to Bill. When Bill accuses him of not following orders or respecting the Constitution, Colin fires back with a speech that sums up his entire worldview. He tells Bill that he has been living a “black and white life” that is “bollocks.” Colin insists that real problems get solved “in the gray” . That one line from the episode captures exactly what Ellis means when he says Colin is not a traditional hero.
The Famous Lie Detector Scene That Sets the Tone
Before the show even aired, fans got a hint of Colin’s personality in the very first trailer. CBS released footage showing Colin strapped to a lie detector . When the examiner asks if he has ever told a lie, Colin cannot help but laugh at the question. “Are you serious? Isn’t lying part of the job description of CIA?” he responds .
That moment went viral among fans waiting for the show. It showed that Colin is not ashamed of who he is or what he does. He understands that his job requires deception. In his world, telling the truth all the time would actually make him bad at his job. That is a very different mindset from someone like Bill Goodman, who proudly tells Colin in the premiere that he took an oath and follows the Constitution .
Why Colin Operates in the Gray Area
Nick Gehlfuss, who plays Bill, actually helped explain this aspect of Colin’s personality before the show premiered. In a January 2026 interview with TVInsider, Gehlfuss clarified a major misunderstanding about Ellis’ character . While marketing materials described Colin as roguish and reckless, Gehlfuss pointed out that Colin actually does follow rules. The difference is that the rules he follows are not the same as the ones Bill follows.
“He is used to working in such a gray space,” Gehlfuss explained. “Bill operates black and white. CIA, we don’t even know what they do. But it’s a beautiful mixture of these two characters and I’m really excited” .
This gray area is central to the show. Colin cannot operate on U.S. soil without an FBI partner. That is why Bill gets assigned to him in the first place. But just because Colin needs a badge nearby does not mean he will change how he works. He still protects his assets, even when those assets have done things that would land normal people in prison. He still lies to get what he needs. He still makes decisions based on gut instinct and incomplete information.
In the premiere, Bill is shocked to learn that Colin takes injured assets to a surgeon working out of a pawn shop . That is not how the FBI operates. But for Colin, it is just another Tuesday.
Fan Reactions to the New Character
Even before the show aired, fans of Tom Ellis were excited to see him back on screen. The official CIA Instagram account posted a promo showing the two leads, and the comments section filled up quickly. “Tom Ellis finally back on TV, I’m in!!!!” one person wrote . Another fan said, “I can’t tell you when I’ve been more excited for a show” .
But now that the episode has premiered, the conversation is shifting from simple excitement to actual analysis of the character. Viewers who loved Ellis as Lucifer Morningstar on Lucifer are seeing him play someone who shares some traits with that role—charm, wit, a bit of manipulation—but who is ultimately a very different kind of person. Lucifer was a fallen angel dealing with his own issues. Colin is a government agent trying to stop terrorists.
One thing that fans noticed right away is that Colin does not carry a gun. Ellis explained this detail in an interview with The New York Times. Because the CIA cannot operate openly on U.S. soil, Colin does not have a weapon . “He doesn’t have anything to protect himself apart from his guile,” Ellis said . That makes every dangerous situation more tense. Colin has to talk his way out of problems or think faster than the bad guys because he cannot simply shoot his way out.
The Bigger Mystery in Episode 1
The premiere episode did not just introduce Colin as a morally complicated agent. It also set up a major mystery that will run throughout the first season. In the final scene, Jeremy Sisto reprises his FBI role as Jubal Valentine to give Bill some bad news . Jubal tells Bill that he is now permanently assigned to the CIA-FBI fusion team. Then he drops the real bombshell: there is a mole inside the CIA’s New York operation, and it is Bill’s job to find out who it is .
This puts Bill in an impossible position. He has to work with Colin and the rest of the CIA team every day while secretly investigating them for possible treason. Showrunner Mike Weiss explained to TV Insider that this storyline will “thread throughout” the entire season . By the end, the show will “fully embrace that storyline” .
For Colin, this means he is being watched by his new partner without knowing it. Bill has to figure out if the mole is someone like Colin, or Nikki Reynard (Necar Zadegan), or Gina Gosian (Natalee Linez). Necar Zadegan told TV Insider that she got excited when she read about the mole storyline. “I was like, what if Nikki’s the mole? I don’t know who the mole is yet, but we’ll find out,” she said .
The Odd Couple Dynamic
At its heart, CIA is a classic odd couple story. Colin is British, charming, and willing to break any rule if it gets results. Bill is American, serious, and believes in the system. They should hate each other. And for much of the first episode, they do.
But Ellis told Parade that the relationship will grow over time. “I think the bromance grows out of the fact that Colin is convinced he’s not going to like [Bill] from the moment he starts working with him,” Ellis said . Bill asks too many questions. He is too focused on the “linear approach of law enforcement” . But as they go through dangerous situations together, they start to realize that they work well as a team when they drop their egos .
By the end of the premiere, Bill admits to Jubal that Colin is a liar and a liability, but he is also effective . That grudging respect is the first step toward real partnership.
A Fun Moment on Set
While the show deals with serious topics like terrorism and moles, the cast seems to be having a good time making it. Aimee Garcia, who worked with Ellis on Lucifer, visited the set and shared videos on her Instagram Story . In one clip, Ellis shows off Colin’s desk. When Garcia asks why there are no family photos, Ellis jokes, “Well, that’s the thing about CIA. We don’t have family. We can’t tell anyone about it,” adding, “We work in the shadows, but we do have lovely mugs” .
In another video, co-star Natalee Linez teases Ellis while he gets his hair and makeup touched up. “It takes a village,” she says, adding, “This is what age does. He’s been here for two hours” . Ellis plays along, joking that it might take him a while to stand up after squatting down .
These behind-the-scenes moments show that even though the show is intense, the cast gets along well. That chemistry often translates to better performances on screen.
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Where to Watch CIA
CIA airs on CBS every Monday night at 10 p.m. ET . For viewers who prefer streaming, the show is available on Paramount+. Premium subscribers can watch episodes live as they air, while Essential plan members can stream them the day after they premiere .
The show is part of the larger FBI universe, which means fans can expect crossover episodes in the future. Deadline and TV Insider have reported that characters like Missy Peregrym’s Maggie Bell and Alana De La Garza’s Isobel Castille will make appearances .
For now, the first episode has set the stage for a season full of tension, moral questions, and the slow build of trust between two very different men. Tom Ellis is making it clear that Colin Glass is not here to be a simple hero. He is here to get the job done, no matter how messy it gets.
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