For our review of the last episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution, click here.
The JJ train isn’t stopping anytime soon. Recovering from trauma after trauma is no easy business and, in her case, it presents an interesting lens in which this episode explores yet the latest unsub of the week. A means to an end for the larger story as a whole, it marks a potential new direction for the season but whenever Voit is concerned, there will always be a kernel of distrust when it comes to his intentions. Using his alleged new personality to the BAU’s advantage, he could be a valuable tool. However, the more he remembers who he used to be, the riskier it would become. Leaning heavily on AJ Cook, she delivers once again as JJ guides the story of the apprehension of the unidentified masked killer (who is not Voit) that played a major part in last week’s episode, both figuratively and literally. Operating under the moniker of ‘The Brutal Man,’ he lived up to their name. That being said, it was not a challenge that the BAU couldn’t overcome, especially JJ. Believing she needed to work, it would not be enough to get away from her emotions.
As JJ recounted to Dr. Ochoa in a therapy session, she recounted her time from her outburst with Voit, to the capture of ‘The Brutal Man’ by the BAU. Someone disconnected from the BAU and the team dynamic, Ochoa was arguably the most suitable person for JJ to share her feelings with. Ultimately, the story went with her willingness to cooperate but as the episode goes on and she feels more comfortable with Ochoa, it all starts to come together as JJ decided to focus her issues outward instead of inward. However, as the case stroke closer to home with ‘The Brutal Man’ being a family annihilator that left female victims behind, her ability to keep herself together. Either way, the longer she and Ochoa talked, the more she understood JJ and the deeper she got into the heart of her trauma.
Forbidden to contact Voit, JJ found her way onto the ‘Brutal Man’ investigation. The key was to piece together what had happened to his last two sets of victims, as it related to victimology. Already setting his sights on his next family, finding an overlap was not to difficult as their connection was a locksmith who had worked on both their houses. From there, the ‘Brutal Man’s’ next victims would presumably be his next clients, which proved to be the case here. Meanwhile, the best way to trigger Voit’s memory was face-to-face contact with figures of his past. On suicide watch since his last incident, he struggled to cope with the memories of who he once was, as they threatened to push him even further over the edge. His journey paralleled that of JJ, who was in the middle of her own matters to cope with.
Unlike most of the unsubs the team faced this season, ‘The Brutal Man’ did not kill himself, seemingly to prove that they were wrong about him and his motivations. However, his reason to stay alive was to deliver a message to Sicarius. Like JJ, choosing the path of helping others in order to help himself, Voit agreed to cooperate. Unfamiliar with the ‘Brutal Man’ case, he helped the BAU by posing as his former self to receive his message. And whatever that message may be, a cliffhanger would cut off that conversation, leaving the details for the next episode.
In the end, putting Voit closer to the action, as he offers his insight and the BAU try to trigger more memories, the risk of upsetting the balance and pushing him over the edge remains, but it definitely makes for an interesting dynamic that gives writers a way to leave Zach Gilford involved. Perhaps paving the way for him to act as a guide for where the season will go moving forward, it looks to subvert the original revival season in a fun way.
Score: 81/100
*still courtesy of Paramount+*
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
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