Priyanka Chopra stars as Alex Parrish, who joins the Federal Bureau of Investigation after graduating from the FBI Academy and becomes a prime suspect in a terrorist attack on Grand Central Terminal.

Quantico initially had two timelines: the present, when Parrish flees from captivity to prove her innocence, and the past, with her and her fellow recruits training at the academy, during which details of their individual lives are learned.

In addition to Chopra, the first South Asian to headline an American network drama series, the original cast—which changed significantly as the series progressed—included Jake McLaughlin, Yasmine Al Massri, Johanna Braddy, Tate Ellington, and Graham Rogers as her fellow recruits, with Josh Hopkins and Aunjanue Ellis as their trainers at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

FBI agent Alex Parrish becomes a prime suspect after a terrorist attack on Grand Central Terminal and is arrested for treason.

The present-day timeline focuses on Parrish's strained relationship with her friends while she is on the run and attempting to prove her innocence, even as additional violent attacks take place.

After living anonymously in Italy, Parrish is forced to return to the United States after Ryan Booth shares information to her about Shelby Wyatt's kidnapping by a notorious international arms dealer known as The Widow.

Hall invites Jocelyn Turner to the team as the former FBI agent has intelligence about the arms dealer, due in part to their past history.

Series creator Joshua Safran wanted a "straightforward action show" different from his past work, which included the soapy dramas Gossip Girl and Smash.

On September 17, 2014, the network announced that it had bought the concept for a drama series from ABC Studios and Safran and produced by Mark Gordon, describing it as "Grey's Anatomy meets Homeland.

The writing staff of Quantico consisted of Justin Brenneman, Cami Delavigne, Cameron Litvack, Logan Slakter, Gideon Yago, Beth Schacter, Jordon Nardino, and Cherien Dabis, all of whom wrote multiple episodes for the series.

[28] Various directors had worked on several episodes, notably Patrick Morris, Jennifer Lynch, David McWhirter, Stephen Kay and Steve Robin.

"[39] Chopra saw the deal as an opportunity to represent South Asia and challenge Indian stereotypes in Hollywood and the United States, saying, "When I was in school [in the U.S.], you never saw anyone who looked like us that was on TV.

[42] Jake McLaughlin was chosen to play Ryan Booth, Alex's love interest, and Johanna Braddy and Yasmine Al Massri were cast in the final co-starring roles of trainees Shelby Wyatt and Nimah and Raina Amin.

[5] ABC announced after it picked up the pilot that the Liam O'Connor character would be re-cast with Josh Hopkins replacing Dougray Scott in July 2015.

[4][43] That month, it was announced that Anabelle Acosta was cast in a recurring role for a multi-episode story arc as Quantico recruit and former police officer Natalie Vasquez.

[48] Safran discussed the return of Henry Czerny, who played CIA director Matthew Keyes in the season one finale, since the character was important to the storyline.

[49] The series added three regulars to the cast: Russell Tovey as Harry Doyle, Blair Underwood as CIA officer Owen Hall and Pearl Thusi as type-A attorney Dayana Mampasi.

[57] In late July 2017, Marlee Matlin joined the show as a series regular in the role of ex-FBI agent Jocelyn Turner in the third season.

[16][61] Although she was initially written as Caucasian, Safran completely rewrote her character with Chopra in mind, tweaking her background as she became half-Indian and spent 10 years in Mumbai.

[63] It was intended to have a flashback narrative, shifting between "the present day with Parrish navigating her way through a class of FBI New Agent Trainees to the near future as the truth and repercussions of the attack emerge."

[63] He said in a 2015 interview that although the series is "intricately plotted", it does not intend to overwhelm the viewer: "It is tightly structured and moves quickly between two, sometimes three, time periods, but we made sure that it's not so complicated that it just feels like too much.

According to a Variety article on Safran and Quantico, "The show delves below the surface into those disparate backgrounds to explore how each character's personal stories influence their motivations for joining the FBI and in their perspective on the search for truth in the terrorism investigation.

"[109] David Wiegand from San Francisco Chronicle also praised the series: "The plot is intricate and compelling, the characters magnetic and mysterious at the same time.

"[110] Robert Bianco of USA Today rated Quantico three out of four, calling its cast "an appropriately diverse group, brought to life by generally fine performances, led by Chopra's and Ellis.

"[113] Rob Lowman of the Los Angeles Daily News enjoyed the show and Chopra's performance, saying, "Although a bit over-frenetic at times, the series seems to take inspiration from a man-on-the-run Hitchcock thriller.

[117][118] Jasef Wisener of TVOvermind gave the premiere episode a rating of three and a half stars, writing that it set up its sophomore season "effectively".

[120] The episodes following the winter finale when the show's narrative switched to a single timeline garnered further praise by such critics as Madison Vain of Entertainment Weekly, especially for its focus on character development.

[117][121][122] Kelsey McKinney of New York magazine noted that the show had finally found its groove, writing, "For the first time since its first season, Quantico actually seems to know where it is headed.

"[122] In a five-star review of the sixteenth episode, Kelsey McKinney of New York wrote that "the show is grappling more and more with the emotions that make us all human, not just the ones that drive the story forward.

[143][144] According to a Business Insider report, Quantico was the 12th-most popular TV show of 2016 based on ratings, peer-to-peer sharing, social-media chatter and viewer demand.