We open on a DEA SWAT team storming into what they believe to be a meth lab. DEA agent Lauren Stamile finds no meth, an escape tunnel, and something that rocks her to her core.

Cut to Aaron and Hayley Hotchner in bed. Hotch gets a phone call regarding the DEA situation. Hotch is up and out of bed talking about a terror alert and Hayley is like “What’s going on? It’s 6:15 and you’re talking about a terror alert?” Hotch tells Hayley that he’s going to miss Jack’s portrait appointment. Hayley’s like “I’ll reschedule” and Hotch is like “No just take him.” BRO SHE WANTED YOU TO BE THERE.

Cut to BAU headquarters in Quantico VA. Prentis is here! We love her. JJ tells the team that the DEA raided what they thought was a meth lab in Harden VA, but instead they found what looks like a dispersal device for a chemical weapon. The unsubs bailed out before they could be arrested, but they left behind a message in Arabic. Thankfully Prentis speaks Arabi and she explains: “Our friends surprised us and eloped. We can no longer wait for the wedding as planned. We can deliver our gift at the next crescent.” Also Prentis has a middle part y’all. We learn that the “next crescent” is two days.

So the BAU is doing sort of an Osama Bin Laden / Al Qaeda-type bomb plot. We learn that the US government has captured Jind Allah who is a terrorist. He was detained at VA Airport and is being held as a ghost detainee at Guantanamo Bay. So basically the BAU has to go interrogate Jind to find out if he knows what’s going on with the dispersal device.

This is so fucking timely because I just watched “Manhunt” about this whole thing on Hulu. And my big takeaway was 1: It was CIA agents, not FBI agents that did the take down. 2: One specific counterterrorism unit predicted 9/11 months before it happened and kept sending notices to the White House advising that they take action. 3: That team was like… 85% women? And then members from that team went on to find Bin Laden and it legitimately was women who found him and his cohorts? Like one woman’s job was just to track different Al Qaeda operatives and learn all their hobbies and predict their movements. BUT the movie was pretty ra-ra America and 100% condoned the torture methods used at Guantanamo Bay in a really one-sided way. And I don’t know how I feel about the whole thing, but it’s definitely worth saying that there is still racism and ill-treatment towards Muslims (and all POC for that matter) in this country. And this episode of CM really walks a fine line in terms of racism IMO.

But ANYWAYS. Gideon and Reid are going, but Hotch wants Prentis to go as well, and Gideon is not pleased. Gideon says to Hotch: “She even have a ready bag yet?” And we see prentis pull what must be a “Ready Bag” out of her desk. Hotch goes: “My guess is there isn’t much this woman is unprepared for.”

On the BAU private jet (hey girl) Gideon explains that interrogating prisoners of war is just like playing chess! Meanwhile Morgan and Hotch meet with the DEA at the former Meth Lab because Morgan has… bomb squad experience! Morgan believes four people were living in the house, middle eastern males in their early 20s who fit in with the community. Cut back to Morgan, Hotch and the DEA agents. Morgan finds a list of chemical supplies, and Garcia determines based on the list, that the unsubs are going to weaponize anthrax.

Cut to Guantanamo Bay. We meet FBI agent Andy Bingman. The BAU sees a live stream of Jind and Prentis is instantly able to recognize that Jind is reciting the Qran from memory???? Bingman advises the BAU that after two months of interrogation that Jind has refused to crack or give up any information. Gideon notices cuts and bruises on Jind’s face and asks about the methods the FBI has been using to interrogate its detainees. Gideon asks Bingman to have two FBI members interrogate Jind in the usual fashion, and then Gideon is going to sop the interrogation to try to score some points with Jind. So Gideon does the little show, and Jind seems to not even care. Gideon gives Jind some clothes and requests to speak with him. Jind stops reciting the Qran and starts sussing out Gideon.

Reid and Prentis analyze Gideon and Jind’s conversation. Prentis deduces that Jind is Egyptian. Gideon tells Jind that they’ve figure out that he’s Egyptian and Jind is impressed. Jind asks Gideon what his biggest fear is and Gideon says “Ignorance.” Gideon gets up and Jind is like “You pussing out already?” and Gideon is like naw, the sun is setting, you’ll want to pray I’ll send in a prayer rug for you. Back at BAU headquarters JJ and Garcia find the terrorist’s cell back up location.

Back to Guantanamo Bay. Gideon and Jind drink water together. Gideon asks Jind why he can’t just practice his faith in peace. Jind tells Gideon that when he was 8 a bomb killed half of his family. He states that it was on that day that he swore his life to vengeance. Reid calls this in to Garcia to verify whether it’s true or not, to “establish a baseline of truth”. We find out later that Jind Allah is lying about the bombing.

Meanwhile, the BAU and DEA storm that terrorist cells’ backup location. It’s empty and cleared out. Gideon relays this to Jind Allah begging him to share his information with the FBI. Jind refuses. Reid reads Jind’s body language and tells Giden that Jind seems relieved by the news Gideon told him. Gideon determines that the second terrorist cell is boobie trapped and gets everyone out just in time. Garcia and JJ are watching the TV and see the explosion, and Garcia gets really emotional and calls Morgan to make sure he’s alright (aw). Apparently we lost Kenny the SWAT agent.

Jind tells Gideon that his son was killed. Reid realizes that the explosion Jind was telling Giden about before didn’t happen to him, it happened to Jind’s son. Apparently the Egyptian government blamed Hezbollah (which is a political party) but apparently conspiracy theorists thought it was a US missile strike. Garcia finds out that Jind Allah’s real name is Jamal Abaza (and his son’s name was Amir).

We learn that Jamal has been in the US for a few years and that at one time he was a prison imam (where the BAU theorize that he likely was able to convince people to follow his cause) His cause (as per Reid later in the show is) “recruiting MIS members in prison by convincing them that US economic policies are exploiting third world nations. Turning them into extreme fundamentalists by promising better existence with Allah”. So… the unsubs are American! The CIA grants Garcia access to their counterterrorism database and Garcia finds another unsub hideout where the BAU finds five deceased civilians?? Not sure?

Gideon introduces Reid to Jamal. And Reid tells Jamal everything the FBI knows (which is everything but the location of the anthrax attack). Everyone pretends that Jamal’s group was successful, and Jamal gets preachy and reveals the anthrax attack will be the opening of the US Mall.

We learn that Jack Hotchner’s photo shoot is at the US Mall! The one Hotch told Hayley to just take Jack too! So the stakes are extra high. The FBI finds the terrorists on the roof and Morgan tackles one through the skylight. We lean that Hayley actually canceled the photo shoot!! So she was never at the mall.

We learn that Gideon knew he would have to trick Jamal. He moved up the time of Jamal’s prayers to throw him off of what the actual time was. Also Gideon asks Prentis if she wants to play chess with him on the flight home.

Rating Criteria

Criminal/Serial Killer: 15/20
Character development/ character arcs: 20/20
Forensics/Context: 10/20
Script writing: 15/20
Background characters: 20/20

Overall: 80/100

S2E10 - “Lessons Learned”

S2E11 - “Sex, Birth, Death”

S2E9 - “The Last Word”