‘Criminal Minds’ season 12, episode 9 review: The ins and outs of David Rossi’s mind
“Profiling 202” is the sort of episode of “Criminal Minds” that we wish we would see a little more often. We know rather well at this point some of the things that the CBS show likes to use as its primary touchstones. Most notably, we’re talking about shocking procedural cases that are meant to freak you out, and test the members of the BAU before they get around to a conclusion. It’s a form that works well, but so often we come out of these cases not feeling as though we know the members of the team any better than we did going in.
What made “Profiling 202” different was that almost the entire story was told through the lens of one David Rossi, a man battered and haunted in many ways by the job he’s sworn to do. He’s someone who has accomplished so much good over the course of his career, but you are reminded further just how much it’s come at a cost. The escape of serial killer Tommy Yates from prison had much of his family in hiding, and had him fearful for the fate of many future victims after the phone calls started coming in. However, what Rossi did not realize at first was that one of the people in the most danger of dying was Yates himself. He was dying, and was looking to cause as much chaos as possible on his way out the door.
In the end, you can argue that Yates sadly won in his mission. He wanted to find a way to end his life over going back to jail, and he did just that. In order to save a victim Rossi was forced to gun him down, and you do get the sense that this will weigh on him in the sense that any death would. He does have the knowledge of knowing that in taking this life, he was able to effectively save another, and that is something that he can look upon with some semblance of relief.
Beyond the story of Rossi the agent, what made this story so effective was the tale of Rossi the teacher, a man who used this case to further involve some trainees in trying to figure out some of the right moves to make and strategies to employ. The classroom setting offered us up opportunities to learn how he cooks in order to unwind and think about his cases, and how sometimes the slightest realization can come about while doing something otherwise mundane. What makes Joe Mantegna such an effective performer in this role is his subtlety. He doesn’t feel the need to try to overdo anything he does; much like the carbonara that he makes, it’s all about careful timing and preparation. This is someone who stays calm under pressure, but someone with a lot of heart and a lot of fight.
The Stephen Walker story – Another reason why this episode proved so effective was tying the newcomer (played by Damon Gupton) into Rossi’s backstory by him being a former student. We learned that Walker was one of the best trainees to ever come through the program, and there is a fondness and a mutual respect between the two. Stephen was able to be an asset throughout the case thanks to his effectiveness when it came to profiling Yates; we still have to wait and see what his skill is like in the field, but what we saw during this episode was certainly a worthy introduction.
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Overall, “Profiling 202” was a tremendous start to the new year for “Criminal Minds,” and we wish that the show took this approach more often in highlighting individual characters. This was a well-written, well-acted hour of the show, and one that hopefully sets a great precedent for other stories to come. Grade: A-.
Next time – Head over here in the event you are interested in some other news on the next “Criminal Minds.” You can also share what you thought about “Profiling 202” in the comments. (Photo: CBS.)