ABC Had To Apologize For This Quantico Episode That Has Definitely Aged Poorly

In the wake of the George Floyd protests in 2020, the media came under new scrutiny for how it depicted law enforcement, as well as for perpetuating racial and ethnic stereotypes. Television episodes that were deemed offensive were scrubbed from streaming networks (via Fox 6 Milwaukee). A debate also began over how many shows promoted "copaganda," i.e. depicting law enforcement as inherently good, with no criticism or nuance whatsoever (per Vulture).

"Quantico" ended in 2018, but the ABC drama — centered on newly-graduated FBI agents — might have received a similar backlash if it had remained on the air through 2020. The series starred Priyanka Chopra, an Indian actress who expressed pride in being the best actress for the character of Alex Parrish: "It needs to be about the best person for the job rather than what you look like or where you come from" (per Complex). But even during its run, the series still drew criticism for relying on racist tropes about Muslims and South Asians, like this Season 3 episode.

"Quantico" episode "The Blood of Romeo" featured Alex Parrish discovering a terrorist plot involving stolen uranium. The uranium turns out to have been taken by Indian nationalists, who intend to frame Pakistan for the bombing of New York City. The team foils the terrorists, however, before they can carry out the attack.

The episode could have just been one more installment in the series' final season, but social media users heavily criticized it for the depiction of Hindu nationalists as fanatics who would use a nuclear device against a major city (via Indian Express). Priyanka Chopra became the subject of online attacks as well, despite having nothing to do with writing the story (via The Hollywood Reporter).

Ultimately the network made a statement apologizing for "The Blood of Romeo," writing, "we inadvertently and regrettably stepped into a complex political issue. It was certainly not our intention to offend anyone" (via THR).

The show creators probably had good intentions, but as The Quint points out, adapting real-life politics for "Quantico" only makes the "ludicrous" plot stand out more. Fictionalized terrorists carrying a nuclear bomb around a park might be an acceptable scene in a network series, but attributing such plot points to real-life groups just seems ridiculous.