‘Criminal Minds’ season 12, episode 10 review: The story of Bethany and Zeke; Mr. Scratch is still out there…
Last time on “Criminal Minds” we saw a case that was very much rooted in the story of David Rossi as a teacher. It presented us with a more personal side of the character, and that is something that we both very much enjoyed and hope to see more of as we move forward.
Also, it served as a worthy introduction to Stephen Walker, our resident newcomer to the show who previously worked under him. We definitely do like what he brings to the show as a character, and it’s also nice that he has a history with Rossi as a student for one of his classes.
Moving on to tonight’s episode, let’s just say that it is probably a good thing that we got a lot of personal information on Rossi and Walker (at least to a certain extent) on this past episode. After all, there was not a whole lot of time for it through most of the hour tonight, as “Seek & Destroy” proved itself to be a case that was just as much about some of the UnSubs as it was the members of the BAU. We followed the story of a vicious ring of robbers, who are responsible for not only a series of home invasions, but also some deaths along the way.
In the early going, the BAU felt as though it was a guy in Zeke who was at the center of the invasions — or the “alpha,” if you will. After watching the group dynamic, though, it was pretty clear that there could also be a woman leading the charge, manipulating the others and acting as the muscle. There was almost a symbiotic relationship going on here between two people, controlling the group physically and psychologically.
Yet, it was pretty clear over time that there was some serious dissension in the ranks. Some of the people in the group didn’t exactly sign up for a murder tour; they just wanted to steal some stuff and get some more cash. This dissension was something Zeke and his right-hand woman Bethany were not willing to deal with.
Unfortunately, it turned out that Zeke’s days were also numbered. As soon as Bethany considered him to be a threat and controlling the game too much, she decided to execute what was apparently her plan all along — and while she brought her little team of ragtag robbers to the San Diego area: To get revenge on her family, who she feel abandoned her when she didn’t fit into their perfect picture. We had a shootout, but the BAU were able to get there in enough time in order to arrest her, and to keep her from causing any more carnage.
So what about the team? – Well, there’s really not that much to report. Garcia’s still giving Luke Alvez a hard time, and it feels like Walker’s fitting in without too much of a problem. The fact of the matter is, these people are professionals, and this show is not exactly one that is about watching someone go out in the field and fail.
There was a small update on the Mr. Scratch story at the end of the episode, at least in that Walker had a brief talk with Prentiss about finding the right way to find him and eventually take him out. It’s not always easy to remember that the guy is still out there, given the fact that he was so closely tied to Hotch, and Hotch is … well, we don’t wanna depress you.
Episode grade: B-. There just wasn’t a whole lot of the team in this episode, and when the chips are down, they are who we watch the show to see. At least the saga of Zeke and Bethany was compelling in its own way; having guest stars dominate the majority of the episode could have been done so much worse than it was here.
What did you think of this week’s episode of “Criminal Minds”? Leave us a comment in the box below with your thoughts. If you want to check out some of our other stories on “Criminal Minds” then head on over to the link here. (Photo: CBS)