“Collision Course”, the 14th episode in Criminal Minds’ season 12, balances two major story lines. Spencer Reid is back in the United States and is getting ready for his trial. Meanwhile, the team has flown to Florida to take on a hacker with a fetish for car crashes. The episode was intriguing, terrifying and incredibly depressing.
Spencer Reid has always been my favorite character. The ultra-intelligent, awkward scholar is completely lovable. The idea of him being on trial for murder is beyond shocking. I love that they chose this character to be engrossed in a murder trial because he seems to be the least likely to become a murderer. The previous episode, “Spencer,” focused on him being in Mexico and his arrest. This week’s episode was the fallout. He met with a lawyer, and as the episode progressed, he found himself in more and more trouble.
Criminal Minds Recap: Does Reid Take a Plead Deal?>>>
Mr. Scratch really did pull out all of the stops to frame Spencer. The police even found the murder weapon at the absolute worst time. While Spencer was meeting his attorney and waiting for his arraignment, the team was called away to Florida. They took on a case involving an UnSub who hacked cars and caused deadly accidents. I am glad the entire episode was not focused on Spencer. It would be a little unrealistic for the team to drop everything and wait by his side. The idea of someone being able to hack into other people’s cars is pretty terrifying, and the culprit ended up being a lonely man who was targeting women from a dating site. Even though the BAU worked the case and found the culprit, you could tell that their minds were still with Spencer.
Criminal Minds Showrunner Says the BAU Will Go to Any Lengths to Save Reid>>>
I hope that as the trial progresses, the team works hard to catch Mr. Scratch and to exonerate Spencer. We all know that there is no way the team would let him take the fall for a crime that he did not commit, so I am looking forward to seeing how this all plays out. As a side note, I am personally hoping for some romance between Luke and Penelope. She revealed that she was single when she and Luke were talking about a dating site. Penelope seriously deserves a great guy, and her hooking up with Luke would create some interesting story development. Besides, there has been a little tension between the two since he joined the team.
What did you think of this week’s episode? Are you worried about Spencer? How do you think he will do in jail? Will the team finally find Mr. Scratch? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Criminal Minds airs Wednesdays nights at 9/8c on CBS. Follow our Criminal Minds Facebook page to keep up with the latest news.
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
