S2E15 - “Revelations”
Just a quick note- if you haven’t heard our coverage of episode 14, you’ll probably want to go back and listen to it. But in case you listened and don’t remember, or don’t want to listen, go off Queen- here’s a quick recap.
The BAU has been called to rural Georgia to track down a pair of unsub who have been killing people that they deem sinners. They call the police before killing and leave passages of revelations at the crime scenes. So far they’ve killed four people. They murdered a couple in their house because they had too much money. They also killed a handyman and then let a dog eat a woman who was cheating on her husband with said handyman. The unsubs then release viral videos of the killings on the internet. We learn that there’s actually only one unsub, Tobias Hankle, who is a computer repair technician who lives on an abandoned farm. We see flashbacks of Hankle’s father Thomas through episode 14 and this episode, and Thomas is played by Patrick Swayze’s brother. Also Hankle himself is played by James Van Der Beek, who some of you may remember as Robin’s boyfriend Simon from HIMYM. The one who left her because Louise Marsh’s parents were putting in a jacooz. ANYWAYS- We, the viewer, can see that Hankle is likely suffering from multiple personality disorder. He vacillates between thinking he is himself, Archangel Raphael, and his abusive father Charles. JJ and Reid went to the farm to question Hankle without knowing that he was the unsub. We see Hankle blitz attack Reid in a cornfield just as JJ is attacked by dogs.
We cut back to the Hankle house. The police and BAU show up and find a very shell shocked JJ. She’s okay, but she did kill the dogs, but I guess they were bad so it’s okay? The BAU storms Hankel’s house, but Hankle has kidnapped Reid and taken off in his truck. The BAU sets up in Hankle’s house and flies Garcia in (possibly on the private jet hey girl). Gideon says to Garcia: “The computer is an extension of his brain. I need you to dissect it.”
Garcia quickly realizes that Hankle is extremely tech savvy, but self-taught. He has a futuristic looking computer set up where he has fifteen different screens all showing different things. We know from last episode that when he was assisting unsuspecting clients with tech support, Hankle would hack into their computers using remote desktop software, and then leave a program installed on said computers that he could turn on and spy on his clients at their homes. Garcia determines that there isn’t much else on Hankle’s computer system, and that he likely just sits around, watching his clients, waiting for them to commit what he deems as sins. Garcia says: “But Reid is completely innocent.” And Morgan says: “But if you dig deep enough on any of us we all have our sins, including Reid.”
We cut to a remote cabin in the woods? Hankle has tied Reid up to a chair? We’re not sure if Reid is shot or what’s going on, but he’s definitely injured. Reid tries to get on Hankles good side. Unfortunately Hankle is his abusive father right now?? He takes off Reid’s shoes and socks and we’re excited because we see MGG’s feet but then Hankle breaks Reid’s ankles.
Cut back to the house, Gideon finds information about narcotics anonymous upstairs in Hankle’s house. JJ is seeing dogs everywhere. Poor JJ. JJ needs her boyfriend but she can’t have him for three more episodes! Hotch and Morgan then find Hankle’s deceased father in an underground storage bunker filled with glass jars? Y’all this episode is CRAZY.
Cut back to the cabin. Hankel is now himself. We realize that Hankle’s own personality seems to be the most empathetic and forgiving. He brings in a dead pig that he got from somewhere who even knows. And when he sees that Reid is all beaten up, he tries to help by shooting Reid up with drugs. Reid protests and says he doesn’t need the drugs, but Hankle shoots him up anyways. Then we see a flashback of Reid’s parents fighting. We see Reid’s father leaving his mother Diana because she refuses to take her medication. It is super sad.
JJ and Prentis question Mickey Bates, who was Hankle’s sponsor in NA. Bates tells the BAU that Hankle’s drug of choice was Dilaudid (or drugstore heroin) that Hankle would then cut with a psychedelic. Bates says: “Addicts don’t get excuses. But if someone ever needed to self medicate, it was that boy.” Bates tells the BAU that Hankle’s mother left his father when he was seven, and Hankles’ father lost it, began preaching about end of the world stuff. Bates also tells the BAU that Hankle’s father burned a cross into his forehead and was physically abusive to Hankle.
The BAU realizes that they have to start profile Hankle’s father because he was the one who was in control when Reid was kidnapped. Morgan has Garcia log into Hankle’s system as Charles Hankle and they find a lot of apocalypse porn?? Detective Farraday tells the BAU that a local computer store was robbed and several computers were taken. Just then, Hankle begins a live stream of Reid. I guess it’s a secret stream just for the BAU?
Hankle shows Reid four different potential victims, and tells Reid to choose which one will be saved. He tells Reid that Reid needs to choose, or Hankle will kill all of them. Reid chooses Marilyn David at 4913 Walnut Creek Road. The BAU calls Marilyn David immediately and is like TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER GIRL YOU’RE IN DANGER!! The BAU sends people to pick up Marilyn David and Hankle heads off into the night. Hankle then murders Mike and Pam Hayes as Reid watches on in horror.
Hankle comes back and drugs Reid again. We flashback to Reid’s depressing childhood. Baby Reid is trying to get his mother to get out of bed. She won’t get out of bed, but Baby Reid does get into bed with her and she read him Proust.
Morgan and Prentis realize that actually Hankle himself was in control when Reid was taken, so the place Reid is being held at is likely a place that has significance to Hankle, not his father. Meanwhile the latest murder has just been posted online, Gideon is very upset and doesn’t understand why Garcia can’t just remove the video. Garcia says: “It’s the internet sir, once something’s out there you can’t take it back.” Gideon begs hers: “Can you please do something, anything. I do not want him thinking that he has a pulpit.” Garcia is able to find a list of everyone who has found or shared the latest video, and she sends out a mass message that the video has a virus and asks people not to share it.
This sends Hankle into a tail spin. I guess he’s Hankle’s father now??? He notices the track marks on Reid’s arms. He turns on his special BAU livestream and starts hitting Reid and demanding that he confesses. Reid refuses. Hankle knocks Reid’s chair over. Reid has a convulsion?? It might be the drugs? It might be the stress? Both? However Hankle saves Reid’s life by resuscitating him!
Finally the BAU is like- well hold on. We can use the video and 911 call time stamps to locate the unsub. The last murder was posted at 9:23 and Hankle made his 911 call from the victim’s house at 9:04. Meaning the unsub had 19 minutes to post the video. The video would’ve taken 2 minutes to post, and a maximum driving speed of 60 miles per house means that Hankle must be within 17 miles of the last crime scene. I do not understand why they haven’t done this sooner??
Now that Hankle saved Reid I guess Hankle’s archangel personality thinks it was some sort of divine intervention. He asks how many people are on the BAU team and Reid says 6 other members. So now Hankle, I mean, Raphael think it’s the 7 angels of life verses the 7 angels of death, and he tells Reid to choose one of the BAU to die. The BAU, of course, is watching this livestream. Instead of looking within 17 miles of the last victim to locate Reid. Reid refuses to choose. Hankle plays Russian roulette with Reid. Reid then finally chooses Hotch. He tells Hankle that Hotch is a narcissist and quotes Genesis 23:4 : “Let him not deceive himself and trust in emptiness, vanity, falseness and futility, for these shall be his recompense.” Hankle’s like sure! This sounds like a great idea.
Meanwhile, back at Hankle’s house. Hotch is like- this is hysterical. I’m not a narcissist. Gideon is like, don’t worry bro, I’m sure he didn’t mean to say that. And Hotch is like, no really guys. Reid is trying to send us a message! Hotch is like, Genesis 23: 4 actually reads: “I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. Give me property, forbear a place among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” You guys! The BAU is so bad at finding Reid that Reid literally had to tell them where he is being kept!! The BAU realize that Reid is being kept at a cemetery at Marshall Perish.
Cut back to Reid and Hankel. I guess Hankel is Hankeling and he’s giving Reid water and being nice to him. Reid asks him if they’re in a cemetery and Hankel is like yeah bro we are! Hankel drugs reid AGAIN! We flashback again to see an older Reid and two hospital orderlies in Jane Lynch’s house. They are going to take her to a hospital. She does not want to go. We learn that Reid is 18 so he can legally have her committed. It is so upsetting. She says: “Please, these are my things. This is my life.” Jane Lynch is acting her heart out!
Hankel releases Reid and tells him to grab a shovel. Hankel tells Reid he is going to burry him alive. Reid is not digging fast enough so Hankel tells Reid to let him dig. Reid grabs Hankel’s gun and shoots Hankel himself! Does he have to do everything for himself! As Hankel is dying his personality takes over and he tells Reid that Reid has killed his father, and Hankel asks if he’ll be able to see his mother again? The BAU arrives on the scene.
Rating Criteria (out of 20)
Criminal/Serial Killer: 13/20
Character development/ character arcs: 18/20
Forensics/Context: 5/20
Script writing: 10/20
Background characters: 15/20
Overall: 61/100