In an interview with ScreenRant, Sisto explained how, had Maggie and OA not arrived in time, it’s possible Sisto would have gone even further, making it one of his darker moments in FBI. The actor said that, while he’s not sure if the team’s ASAC would have gone further, he also didn’t know anyone else would be showing up:

ScreenRant: In the dare-I-call-it “torture” scene, the Third Testament terrorist tells Jubal justice doesn’t work. Jubal doesn’t really have time to react before Maggie and OA come in, but what do you think would have happened if he hadn’t been interrupted?

Jeremy Sisto: I don’t think he would’ve gone further than he’s already gone, but I don’t know. It was definitely our goal to make it feel like that’s a possibility. That guy was not backing down, and neither was Jubal; they were at a really scary point in the game of chicken.

Already, Jubal had gone farther than an agent should go, and farther than he’s ever gone before. I like to think that it would’ve stopped there, but we’ll never know. He didn’t think they were coming in, and when you do a thing like that, it’s pretty hard to back down when the guy’s like, “Fine, cut me.” It’s possible he would have done worse, so I’ll just say I’m glad they came in the door when they did.

ScreenRant: Do you think that this incident will affect him professionally moving forward, or even personally? There’s the moment where Isobel says, “We have to have a conversation,” but we don’t see that conversation in this episode.

Jeremy Sisto: I know he’s waiting for the phone to ring! But I think it was such a big threat, and a lot of people were already affected by it. If this threat had come to fruition, it would’ve been really catastrophic. When the stakes are that high, they’re going to be more likely to celebrate what the bureau has provided in terms of safety, so I think he’s going to get off the hook professionally.

But he’s going to deal with it personally in his own way. When you betray your own sense of ethics – and he’s strict about his own sense of ethical right and wrong, especially as an addict – you’re going to have to really do the work. He has to find his way back to who he is, who he wants to be, and focus on living up to his own expectations of himself.

His dedication to the legal process and using the proper channels for justice comes out when he saves McCaffery from dying. Sisto explained how his wife, Sam, was an important factor in his decision to save him, despite the amount of pain he caused. He says it allows Jubal to “redefine” who he is by choosing mercy over wrath:

Jubal’s character arc across the two-parter is one that pushes him to the edge, almost making him into someone he’s not. While he goes too far in his approach to gathering intel, he’s doing so because of what happened to Tyler, not knowing in the moment if his son will survive. Luckily, he pulls through by the end of the episodes.

Having made the bigger decision by the end of the finale, FBI confirms that Jubal is still the same as always, even though he can be pushed to a scary breaking point when his family gets hurt. Tyler’s recovery will keep him from going off the deep end, while his potential reconnection with Sam will factor into what comes next.