Hello, everyone, and welcome back from the winter break! Hoping everyone’s holidays went well and that 2016 is off to a good start for you all.
Obviously, one good thing about the new year is that “Criminal Minds” is back in full swing again. And they waste absolutely no time in getting down to business. ‘Entropy’ starts 2016 off on one hell of an intense, nail-biting note, and Reid is smack dab in the center of it all.
Yes, after being away in Vegas for the previous three episodes, Reid has finally returned. He does not get a chance to quietly settle back into work, however. Instead, he goes right back into the fray, working with the team to help bring down Montolo’s hit man gang.
As viewers know, at the end of the fall finale, Hotch informed Garcia that there had been a “major break” in the case that’s been a serious thorn in their side for the first half of this season. That major break involves them learning about each and every member of Montolo’s group. As a result, the team works to take each and every last one of them down in what turns out to be a very elaborate setup.
Reid’s specific role in this episode involves him attempting to take down one of the most notable members of the group. If all goes well, not only will this gang finally be defeated, but this means Garcia will finally be out of protective custody, safe and sound and able to go back home. Of course, a certain date of Reid’s isn’t going to make the BAU’s plans that easy, however.
For those of you who’ve been looking forward to a Reid-centric episode, you’ll be very happy to know that this one absolutely delivers on that front. The entire hour is basically him and Cat Adams (played by Aubrey Plaza) facing off, and all they’re doing for the vast majority of the episode is sitting at a table in a fancy restaurant! Seriously, theirs is probably one of the most tension-filled table conversations on TV. The team does help, or attempt to help, in minor ways here and there throughout from the sidelines, and Morgan in particular plays a small role when interacting with Reid towards the end, in quite an intriguing little face-off that will leave you guessing for a time as to just what’s going on.
But otherwise, this episode is a complete and total showcase of Reid’s sharp wit, keen observation, and quick thinking skills. It’s incredibly fun to watch him outmaneuver and outsmart Cat whenever he can throughout, and I trust viewers will enjoy watching him at work.
When news of this episode and its storyline first broke, fans speculated about how and why Reid’s date goes as wrong as it does. Fortunately for those who are wondering, his reason for meeting with Cat is revealed very early on. It’s an incredibly odd, unusual reason, too, so uncharacteristic and unexpected for Reid, so I sense some viewers might be a little surprised as a result.
There’s also a literal race against the clock that plays out throughout a good portion of the episode, as Reid and Cat play their (no pun intended) cat and mouse game. And yes, as promos have indicated, there is a bomb in play for the team to worry about as well.
We also get to learn the names of the members of Montolo’s hit squad along with their specialties. Seems this is quite the complex little gang of people, and through Reid you will learn exactly how the team discovered them, and how they dealt with them as a result. I think many people will be very surprised by how the Dirty Dozen storyline plays out in this episode. Whether or not it’s handled in a satisfactory manner may be up for a slight bit of debate amongst some fans – I’m a bit torn on it myself, I’ll freely admit.
If the brief glimpses of interplay between Reid and Cat in the promos you’ve seen have you intrigued, you’ll be pleased to know that Gubler and Plaza absolutely crackle throughout in their interactions. Plaza’s normally known as a comedic sort, but in this episode she plays the conniving, cool, calculating unsub perfectly. And Gubler veers smoothly between being intimidating and controlled one minute, and deeply vulnerable and gentle the next. His and Cat’s dramatically different personalities balance each other out well, there’s some profiling being made in both directions, and strange as it is, there’s even a strangely adorable aspect to their interaction, too, when they very first meet. In fact, they’re so cute together at the very start that you might actually almost wish things with her wouldn’t veer in the direction they ultimately do.
As for other non-case related topics, viewers will get to learn the details of just what all Reid was up to during his time away in Vegas, and there is also an update on how his mom’s doing.
Whether it’s intentional or not (and it may well be intentional, given who wrote the episode), there are some very slight yet haunting echoes of the Maeve storyline woven in here at points. This adds quite a bit of poignancy to some of the things Reid says and does throughout.
That poignancy is especially heightened at the end. The episode ends on a rather bittersweet note…and that is all the more I will say about that.
All in all, though, the episode is a very satisfying, thrilling start to the second half of the season. I hope all of you enjoy it, and I cannot wait to hear your thoughts after it airs. Sound off with your thoughts, guesses, and assumptions in the comments!
Notable Teasers:
-Morgan’s girlfriend Savannah makes a brief appearance in this episode, and for a very surprising reason.
-For those wondering just what exactly the concept of entropy is, Reid explains it a couple times throughout the episode.
-Two team members very briefly pose as a couple at the restaurant. Feel free to guess who they are.
-The concept of “gender bias” comes up in a very interesting way, especially late in the episode, in relation to the case.
-There’s an incredibly sweet, utterly touching moment between Morgan and Reid towards the end that I’m pretty certain will make fans everywhere go, “Awww”.
Dialogue Teasers:
(Feel free to guess who says what!)
“Tell me about your wife.”
“I think through every potential outcome, then I plan accordingly.”
“You are going to have to shoot me in the face before you walk out of here.”
“I can tell you what I am interested in and that is you.”
“It’s Mom or Dad in the billiard room with the candlestick.”
“Welcome to the locker room.”
