S1E3 - “Won’t Get Fooled Again”
We open in Palm Beach Florida where an angry Joe Reese confronts Gil Clurman, who is walking to his car, holding a cardboard box. Mr. Clurman has been ignoring Mr. Reese’s calls, and Reese threatens Clurman. The box Clurman is holding explodes, blowing off his legs, and Clurman screams his heart out.
Cut to BAU headquarters in Quantico Virginia. We learn that Clurman’s attack was the second bombing this morning, both in Palm Beach. The bombs are determined to be pipe bombs packed in cardboard boxes and delivered by hand, they are detonated when the unsuspecting victim tilts the package. DHS (dept homeland security) is concerned about the public finding out, because they think these bombings may be a terror attack. BAU determines that the bombings are too isolated to be a terrorist threat, but they do want to keep them quiet to avoid public panic. Unfortunately, news crews have already picked up the story. As the BAU watches a broadcast where a female reporter is really giving it her all, a bomb detonates in the background.
PROFILE PART 1 “BOMBERS”
Mostly male
Loners
History of criminal activity
50% of bombings are products of vandalism
Bombers often end up blowing themselves up
Derek Morgan has ATF (al, tobacco, firearms) experience so he stays behind to analyze bomb fragments while the rest of the team heads to Florida. So far the victims are: Barbara Keller (a 74 tear old widow who is shown to be in a wheelchair), Clurman, and Jill Swenson (34 year old housewife who lived across the street from Clurman). So far, Clurman is the only survivor. Clurman is discovered to be a partner in a $10M condo development deal which went bust, and Barbara Keller was an investor. This is cited as a possible motive and link between the victims.
In Florida, the BAU questions why the package didn’t go off when Clurman initially picked it up, why was he able to get all the way to his car? The BAU and FL ATF search Clurman’s house. ATF finds “The Anarchist’s Companion” and what appears to be pipe bomb material in Clurman’s garage. This is a red herring, the book and materials belong to Clurman’s nephew. Meanwhile Spencer Reid and Jason Gideon question Clurman in the hospital. Clurman tells Reid and Gideon that he feels bad about the $10M deal, which is enough to make Gideon/Reid think that he’s innocent.
Back at BAU headquarters in Virginia, Morgan teaches Penelope Garcia about why reconstructing each bomb is important, because bombers leave signatures. Morgan asks Garcia why she’s in the BAU and she lies and says she flunked out of medical school. Also why did Morgan go Boom x3? Garcia uses Tetris to put the rest of the bomb together, leading Morgan to realize that the bomb is a copycat of a bomb constructed by Adrian Bale. Bale caused the Boston bombing eluded about in episode 1 that killed six FBI agents and put Gideon in medical leave.
At the Palm Beach headquarters Greenaway, Hotch and JJ scrutinize the details of the victim’s lives to try to find a connection. Hotch declares himself a “nerd” because he had a coin collection when he was younger. Morgan advises Hotch that if the copycat bomber is copying Adrian Bale’s bombs, he’s likely also copying the delivery method- cardboard boxes, with address labels in blue ink, all caps lettering. JJ sets up a press conference to advise the public to be on the look out.
Meanwhile Gideon and Reid visit Adrian Bale in prison. Gideon questions Bale who leaves his mouth open a lot. Bale asks Gideon why Gideon trusted him. Homicidal Triad. Bale mocks him.
Cut to a mother and her daughter watching the press conference. I am confused about this situation. The little girl asks: “When is Daddy coming back?” and the mother says “Tomorrow. He has to get the beach house ready for the next guests”. But then she asks her daughter if she’s unpacked her suitcase yet, and the girl says no and hurries off. Discuss. Anyways… the little girl finds the next bomb. Dramatic egg drop. The little girl has to stand still and hold the box. Also the box is crooked as she’s holding it and baldy mcbomb squad (ATF Dan Tracy) is SWEATING. Tracy gets the bomb and the little girl is saved.
Elle goes to interview David Walker, an antiquities dealer, who victim Barbara Keller had an appointment with.
Reid discovers that Bale has been getting around the prison’s security system by breaking into an internet firewall. Bale is able to log onto on of the library computers and access message boards without leaving a paper trail. Reid asks Garcia to hack into Bale’s internet account. Garcia sends Bale an email that says “sexy willing teen hot for inmate XXX” that downloads a virus to the computer which tracks his every move. Other emails…“Hair Loss? Take charge with this laser brush” and also “Spice up your cellphone with a wallpaper from D….” Reid and Garcia watch Bale post to a message board called “Naughtyhobbies.net” A message board for bomb enthusiasts. He writes: “To all my friends out there, beware they are onto you.” Garcia makes a list of all the users who accessed Naughtyhobbies.net and Gideon notices that one of the users is David Walker, the antiquities dealer who Elle is about to meet with.
Cut to Mrs. Walker bringing Elle to the garage in her backyard where David Walker is. Mrs. Walker seems to really hate her husband, even tells Elle “not to marry the first man who proposes” and also “I hope he’s not committing suicide. I won’t be able to collect life insurance”. Mr. Walker then runs his wife over with a car.
The BAU investigates Walker’s shed/workshop. They discover that Walker was faking dates on coins to make $$. Barbara Keller found out, and was going to report him. She was the real target. They also find a newspaper clipping of Bale stuck to a cork board where Walker has written “the best” on the clipping. And Hotch goes: “The best. So this is why he chose to use Bale’s design.” ?????????????
Back at FL Headquarters, Walker has kidnapped a man, strapped a bomb device to his neck, and sent him in to headquarters. ATF Tracy is back on the case. There’s a three hour timer and the bomb is too sophisticated, they need Bale’s help. So they put the guy in a cage?
Walker blows himself up and before he does, we see the flashback of him running over his wife. Gideon uses reverse psychology on Bale to determine how to diffuse Walker’s bomb.
Rating Criteria
Criminal/Serial Killer: 10/20
Character development/ character arcs: 10/20
Forensics/Context: 5/20
Script writing: 7/20
Background characters: 15/20
Overall: 47/100