On this week’s episode of Criminal Minds, the BAU investigates several murders, only to realize that things are not what they seem.
Top 5 Moments
Parental issues: The UnSub (Unknown Subject) in this episode goes to see his parents, believing they are in danger, but when he gets to their home he is unable to recognize his own father. The father pleads with him to see the truth, but the UnSub is too far gone and murders his parents for being “impostors.”
Cute moments: There are several character moments scattered throughout this episode, presumably due to the decision to dedicate this season to the fans. In one scene, Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) quotes an old movie while flirting with Morgan, thus reminding viewers that these two often get together in their off-hours to watch movies, and in another, Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) expresses excitement over the news that a missing employee used his vacation to attend a Doctor Who convention. (As a fellow Doctor Who fan, I was amused by the reference.)
A damaged mind: Initially the team assumes that the UnSub is suffering from some form of PTSD, but they later discover that he was in a car accident and is suffering from head trauma that caused him to develop a delusional disorder. This disorder affects only one of the senses and for this man, that sense is sight. The disorder makes it so the UnSub is unable to trust his own eyes.
Danger comes a-calling: During a phone call with the UnSub, Rossi (Joe Mantegna) accidentally reveals that he is with the FBI and the UnSub figures out where the rest of his family is being held. The UnSub comes to Quantico, willing to take any risk to save his wife and child. At one point, the UnSub corners several members of the team but Rossi is able to get through to the man by allowing him to speak with his wife, whom he finally identifies through her touch and the sound of her voice.
A little training between friends: In an early scene, Emily (Paget Brewster) is told that she has to recertify and Morgan (Shemar Moore) is the agent assigned as her trainer. Later in the episode, Emily learns that Hotch did not order her recertification and she confronts Morgan about it. Morgan confesses that he lost her once when he thought she died in his arms, and he is worried that the thought of losing her again will distract him in the field. Emily wants to ease his concern any way she can so she agrees to let him train her, despite the fact that the training is unnecessary.
In most of the cases the BAU handles, the UnSubs are the worst of humanity, but this is one of those rare cases where the UnSub is just a man who is incapable of controlling his actions due to an illness. Do you prefer episodes where the killer is clearly a bad guy or where the situation is more complicated than that? Did you like the small character moments in this episode, including the B-storyline with Emily and Morgan, or were you more interested in the case of the week?
On the next episode of Criminal Minds, a killer targets the survivors of a massacre and Hotch (Thomas Gibson) deals with an issue concerning his son.
Megan Cole
Contributing Writer
(Photo courtesy of CBS)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
