All I could think of was “What the heck?” during the first three minutes. Then I thought this episode is going to be different … we have never seen any members of the team enter the FBI building. The episodes have always started after they are inside. I guess the entrance was the segue into Prentiss learning she had to be rectified. There was a lot going on before the first commercial break.
As Reid speaks the opening quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt, “Men are not prisoners of fate but prisoners of their own mind,” we learn that this unsub has another motive other than killing. But, but … he just killed an entire office of people! Taking it out on the “boss” who took four “body shots” and one to the head execution style.
Now we see the unsub in what we think is his parents’ home but he’s not recognizing his own father.
In a comic moment, we hear Morgan interact with Garcia as she teaches him to whistle a la Lauren Bacall. He and Prentiss smile.
Oh my LORD! Now the unsub kills his parents.
Garcia magically finds out that “the boss” and the unsub were in the same Naval unit and he has a wife and child. Off we go to find them. He’s unstable and on a rampage – it could be PTSD. How bad would his disorder be to make him kill his own parents? The team discovers he has been Stateside for six years. If it’s PTSD, it might be an escalation, not a first episode. But wait! He didn’t come to kill his parents. He’s on a mission.
Local PD has gone to the wife’s house to pick her and their daughter up. Luke (as we now know the unsub) pulls up and watches. The police stop him and make him turn around as the BoLo flashes on the cruiser computer.
Next Rossi tells Hotch that the first victim was given the Navy Cross in 2000. Hotch answers, “We weren’t at war!” Rossi exclaims, “Exactly, you have to show extreme sacrifice, risk life and limb to win the second highest medal of valor! What did he do in peace time to deserve it?” JJ brings the news that Luke was the second in command of a Navy Seal unit that was involved in over 20 highly classified missions. ”Operation Dorado Falls” was the only mission in 2000. Hmmmm!
It is revealed that apparently Navy Seals are resistant to PTSD. This begs the question why would Luke kill his commanding officer and his parents? Ohhh, the profile has now changed!
Oh no! Luke evades a road block. He’s off the grid!
Prentiss talks to the ex-wife who seems to feel that Luke was always married to the Navy more than to her. “Is that why you separated?” asks Prentiss. “No,” says the ex-wife, “the fact of the matter is he was ready to leave in an instant. An exit strategy that didn’t include us.”
Garcia tells Prentiss, Morgan and Reid that the unsub had an accident on the Friday before but he passed a field sobriety test. Morgan pipes up, “That wouldn’t rule out drugs!” Reid offers Schizophrenia as a possibility, but the unsub’s age rules out a first episode of this disease. They continue to bounce ideas off each other as Luke shaves!
(The rest of the episode called for a lot of rewinding and re-watching on my part. It was very involved and very fast. Thank God for my PVR.)
The action shifts to Luke, standing in front of a popcorn eating, Robert Mitchum watching man. Luke is holding a gun to this man’s wife’s head, and states, “If you want her to live, you tell me where my family is.”
The BAU arrives on the scene, and the hysterical wife shouts, “He took my husband.” Morgan walks her through the event, and she recalls that Luke told her husband he wants his real parents and he knows that he replaced them. Reid asks if he mentioned “Dorado Falls”. “Yes,” she replies.
Reid suggests that Luke may have Capgras syndrome; it involves one sense, and victims believe all of their family and friends have been replaced. (Even with schooling in Psychology, I had never heard of Capgras syndrome, so this had me hitting the pause button and scrambling to my iPhone to search this subject.) Spence explains: “The link between the sight and emotion parts of the brain is severed. You don’t recognize loved ones to see them but if hear them without seeing them you think they are real. It’s caused by tumors or trauma.” Prentiss reminds all of us that Luke was just in a car accident. Luke is not killing for the fun if it. He does it because he believes he has no other choice. If he were to see his wife and daughter, the results would be deadly.
“No one remembers Dorado Falls,” the kidnapped popcorn eating General tells Luke. “I remember,” Luke says.
JJ pays a visit to the Pentagon, and is told that the info she’s looking for is highly classified. After telling the Pentagon guy that if he doesn’t help and it goes south, he hands her a file. “Why is Luke so worried about this mission?” she asks. “I don’t know and I can assure you there’s no blowback,” Pentagon guy answers.
The action returns to Luke and the kidnapped General. Music is playing, Luke cocks his gun, and then a phone rings. Luke answers and it’s Rossi, who introduces himself as “Sgt. Major Rossi” and explains that he was in boot camp with Luke’s dad! ”Who told you to call me?” Luke asks. “I volunteered,” Rossi answers.
As Rossi continues to question Luke, Garcia is triangulating the area of the cell phone.
“Why did you kidnap the General?” asks Rossi. “For leverage to get my family back,” Luke replies. “Do you think we’re holding them?” Rossi counters. “I saw you take my wife and child,” responds Luke.
Hotch grows concerned, and asks Garcia if she’s pinpointed a location. She’s got it, and they head out.
Meanwhile, Rossi asks Luke to release the General so they can talk about Luke’s family. After all, the General is innocent in all of this. Luke tells Rossi he didn’t start “Dorado Falls”, and Rossi asks Luke to share his side of the story. Luke tells Rossi to go first, and Rossi reads from the Pentagon file that “Dorado Falls” was a boat off the coast of Cape Town. It was owned by a South African diplomat who was selling nuclear secrets to Iran. Reid deduces that Luke’s mind chose “Dorado Falls” to build a conspiracy around!
The BAU’s SUVs speed to a halt outside what they think is the kidnap site, but it’s not. Garcia goes on a rant about things that interfere with signals, and Hotch tells her to hurry. She discovers another building nearby, and off go Hotch and Morgan.
In recounting the “Dorado Falls” mission to Rossi, Luke shares that intel failed to ID two children aboard the boat. Luke tells him there was a chance to abort, but he was told to go ahead. Rossi tells Luke, “Sometimes collateral damage can’t be avoided.” Luke returns with, “People who sit in offices always say that.” In a flashback, we see Luke entering the boat and pointing a gun at the two children. “You had to shoot those kids didn’t you?” asks Rossi. “They were witnesses. They saw us … they would have blown the mission.” Just like everyone at the internet security company.
Hotch, Morgan and the ETF enter the building.
Luke tells Rossi that the government tried to buy Adam (the commanding officer of “Dorado Falls”) with a Navy Cross, but it didn’t work so they replaced him with an impostor. Rossi tells Luke that his family is safe and asks Luke to let the General go and take him instead. “Why?” Luke asks. “Cause I was a marine with boots on the ground. I know what you’ve been through,” Rossi sympathizes.
Hotch and Morgan find the General still alive, but no Luke. He’s heading to Quantico. An FBI officer is found shot in the academy parking lot, which means Luke has arrived. He knows the building, he took training there, and there’s nothing he won’t do now.
Tension builds as Hotch secures all floors and moves the wife and child. Garcia locates Luke on 7th floor, which is then sealed off.
OH GREAT! It’s revealed that Luke’s an expert in explosives! What next?
Luke calls Rossi to tell him he’s right behind him. They all turn around and VOILA, there he is. “Gimme my wife and daughter and I’ll let everyone go!” demands Luke.
Hotch starts the evacuation process, and Spencer asks if Luke wants to know what’s really going on. Reid explains to Luke what happened as a result of the car accident.
At that point, a voice comes over the PA system. If Luke doesn’t see his family, but only hears them, he believes they are real.
“Luke. Can you hear me? I need you to stop what you’re doing! We’re fine,” his wife says. “Luke you have to let them go!” His daughter adds, “Daddy, mommy says you don’t feel good. Maybe you need to lie down.” Luke’s face changes as he hears his daughter’s voice. “I’m scared Daddy and I just want to go home!” (That little girls a damned good actress!) Hotch asks the wife to speak to Luke about something personal. She asks him about watching the sun rise on their honeymoon. She reminds him that he told her that as much as he loved that place he loved her even more!
Reid explains what Capgras syndrome entails. Luke’s wife agrees, and his daughter tells him she loves him. Morgan tells Luke he’s a hero and they don’t want to hurt him. Rossi asks Luke to put his weapon down and close his eyes, and Luke complies. His wife comes out and hugs him, and his daughter comes rushing out. Luke opens his eyes, and Rossi yells for him to be taken out of there.
The closing quote is voiced by Rossi: “We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for a moment that we’re not alone.” – Orson Wells
The situation with the unsub has been resolved, but the issues within the BAU remain. Hotch asks Prentiss, “Is everything ok?” She responds, “I’m good. It’s all in a days work right? I’ll see you in the morning!” Prentiss learns that Morgan hasn’t been completely honest with her. “Hotch didn’t order my takedown recertification,” she asks Morgan. ”Wanna tell me what’s going on?” Morgan replies, “I just thought we could use a refresher!” She says, “You thought I could use it ’cause you’re nervous about me being back. You think I’m gonna mess up the team’s rhythm. I get it, Morgan.”
And then this little exchange takes place:
Morgan: OK Emily, I am nervous, not about you, about me. Emily – I thought I lost you and I blamed myself. Now you’re back and I don’t want to be worried about losing you again and get distracted.
Prentiss: So you want some reassurance. I cannot imagine what you went through!
Morgan: It was seven months of hell!
Prentiss: How can I make it up to you? I’ll do whatever it takes.
Morgan: Just give me 10 hours of training.
Prentiss: OK.
Morgan: And shooting range on Sundays …
Prentiss: I’mmmmmm there!
Morgan: And my morning coffee and a neck rub every day!
Prentiss: Ahhhh buddy, you are really pushing it!
They smile as the elevator closes and we fade to credits!
Wow! This one took it out of me. I actually had to watch the hour in two separate spurts. There was a lot of going back to see what had actually been said and a lot of looking things up. It made me think about how we have come to watch TV these days. Long gone are the Leave it to Beaver days where we just sat and took in what was in front of us. TV has become interactive. Man, did I ever move onto something light and fluffy after this one!
Canadian readers – have a great Thanksgiving weekend! And see ya back here next week for “Painless”, which appears to be centred on Hotch … you know I will be watching this one closely!
Image Courtesy of CBS
