The third episode of Season 9 of Criminal Minds featured mass-hysteria and eagle-eyed Hotch displaying some first-rate sniper skills. If you have yet to watch the episode, you probably don't want to read this review...yet. Watch the episode, then come back and read! Ok, so things kicked off to a pretty dramatic start as two women walk out and discuss the fact that one of them won't go ask a guy out to lunch.
So she does, except no sooner has she started talking to the guy in the headphones, he drops dead. It's revealed he's been shot in the neck by a bullet, and then more bullet noises ring out throughout the plaza. We see a sniper is perched above the scene, so, cue team! The team assemble and head to Dallas to investigate the sniping and whether the scene was a form of domestic terrorism by white supremacy groups. Meanwhile, the unknown sniper has masqueraded as a builder/painter and got away. He then takes out a photograph of a woman - is he hunting her next? Meanwhile, the said woman gets escorted away by another man who says they are in danger, and off they run.
Reid and Alex go to the hospital to question the women (who were talking to the guy who got shot in the first scene in the plaza) about whether they saw anything - and one of the women says she saw a guy in the window above the plaza. The team think they might have a suspect in the form of an 'ex' leader of a white supremacist group, but that goes no-where (although he is still extremely racist). The team find the spot on the window and locate it as being the sniper's vantage point, and then realise that these aren't any random acts - they're calculated hits by professional/s.
There is then another shooting at a gas station, and this time another older woman is shot, along with others. The team locate the shooting point, whilst the woman who was in the earlier photography and her 'escorter' hide out in a room and discuss their situtation. The team manage to identify that the sniper was after the third victim in the plaza, and identify her as a first point of contact in a programme for beaten women. They conclude that the sniper must be after someone in the programme, as the third victim in the plaza sent the name of the gas station victim to an unknown cell number.
They indentify the gas station victim as a neighbourhood 'angel' who was the second point of contact for the women, and housed them in her home (and changed their appearance). It is then revealed that the 'photograph woman' has a husband who was very dangerous and that she escaped their house through the help of the third point of contact for the centre, a delivery driver who escorted her to a third location (safe house). JJ and Morgan go to the office of her husband, and he flees the scene.
Unfortunately, he gets hit by a vehicle and dies at the scene whilst fleeing. He gives a disgusting little smirk to Morgan who concludes that he definitely has something to do with the whole affair. The team eventually come to the conclusion that he hired one of his ex special ops pals to finish the job. Now we go back to the scene and it's revealed that the 'escort man' is infact and was all along, the sniper who the unsub husband hired to kill his wife.
Confused? Basically, the sniper has imagined his whole scenario with the target in order to stay focused. Unfortunately, she decides that the best thing to do in this case is to go and stand outside. The sniper prepares his rifle and is about to strike, when a bullet passes through his own head, and he falls on the ground - dead. JJ and Morgan come in behind the sniper and it's revealed that bad-ass Hotch has sniped the sniper from across the balcony. Jesus. You go, Hotch.
All in all, it was a pretty engaging, thought-provoking episode, and it's nice when they don't always reveal who the end killer is at the beginning. Great job, writers. Not to mention Garcia was looking as vibrant as ever in her awesome outfit. Someone give Hotch a pat on the back for the effort though. So, what did you think of 'Final Shot?' The next episode is called 'To Bear Witness' and revolves around the team meeting their new section chief who has some history with JJ, and an unsub who leaves his victims unable to 'communicate.' Hmmm, so what do we think that means? I'm expecting some sort of tongue-chopping, mouth-sewing event.
Reviewed by Mel.
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