S2E8 - “Empty Planet”
Instead of describing this scene, I’d like to come in hot with this episode and just re-enact the opening scene of this episode. Just picture, while this conversation is occurring, that you’re watching the unsub make a bomb. While he makes the bomb, he calls the National News Network.
Operator: National News Network. How may I direct your call?
Unsub: There’s going to be an explosion his morning.
Operator: (Annoyed) Excuse me?
Unsub: I said- there will be an explosion this morning. A bomb”
Operator: (long pause, laughing slightly) I’m sorry. Did you say a… bomb, sir? Sir?
Unsub: On a bus. In the city where it all began. Get my message out.
Operator: (sounding worried) Message? What message?
Unsub: That this is only the beginning. Until it is brought back under control, people… will… die…
(BEEP) It’s been 39 seconds. Yep. Yes. This is another bomber unsub episode. My fucking favorite. We cut to a bus. In the city where it all began! The unsub boards the bus.
Cut to JJ running around Quantico. She tells Hotch that the department of homeland security has just phoned in a bomb threat in an unspecified urban area. Homeland security wants a threat assessment from the BAU. The BAU listens to the recording of the unsubs phone call to the national news network. JJ tells the team that the unsub has called other news networks coast-to-coast to report the same threat. But obviously, he starts with the number one news network in America- The National News Network or NNN.
The unsub does not use a pre-recorded message when he calls the networks, he just improves it. Both this and his choice to call every network displays a measure of confidence as well as a need for attention. Gideon identifies the bomber as a “personal cause bomber”. Garcia has also got two news organizations to allow them to track and trace phone lines as needed. The BAU makes the call to not allow the news organizations to run the story, as JJ says: “Threats with an unspecified location will cause tremendous panic.”
Cut back to the bus. The bomber- looking sleek in a suit, leaves his suitcase (concealing the bomb) on the bus, exits the bus, and then blows up the bus.
The BAU travels to Seattle, where apparently is “where it all began”. Morgan says: “We just need to figure out what it is. And off the top of my head I can think of grunge music and overpriced coffee.” The team meets Special Agent Nick Casey who is the head of the Seattle task force. He tells the BAU that the bomb was a small pipe bomb attached to an umbrella. The unsub detonated the bomb using a small remote. Although there were 25 people on the bus, including the driver, only 2 were killed (the driver and a “young male” who picked up the bomb and brought it to the driver). Morgan of course reminds us that he has bomb squad experience. Also Hotch is pretty rude to Nick Casey and is like “Did you get their positions” (meaning the passengers). And Nick Casey is like “what?”
JJ does hold a press conference, hoping to get the unsub to contact them. She’s like “we don’t know if it was a bomb or mechanical failure” hoping to piss the unsub off. Morgan and Reid examine the bomb fragments. Everything is really rudimentarily. Also we get to see Morgan say “Boom” (remember- “boom, boom, boom”). We meet bomb tech Cassandra Atkins. She helps the BAU find the unsub’s signature- a robot with an arrow through it? This means the unsub is anti technology?
We learn about “FFT” Freedom From Technology, a group that is- you guessed it. Anti technology. There have been a few isolated attacks, one at Seattle University, but this robot arrow thing seems to be the groups’ calling card.
FLASHBACK: SEASON 1 EPISODE 3 BOMBER PROFILE
· Mostly male
· Loners
· History of criminal activity
· 50% of bombings are products of vandalism
· Bombers often end up blowing themselves up
PROFILE - “PERSONAL CAUSE BOMBERS”
· Different types of bombers: Criminal, group cause, psychologically disorganized, and personal cause bombers
· Personal cause bombers are motivated by an underlying emotional conflict
· Seattle resident
· Lives alone
· Possibly self-employed
· Highly organized and meticulous
· Although he escalated to a lethal bombing today, it may not necessarily be the bomber’s intention to cause injury or kill
· Possibly fear is the larger motive
· Seems odd to those who know him- angry, distant and prone to violent rage. Quote Hotch: “This is not the kind of guy whose neighbors will be surprised to find out what he was arrested for.”
The unsub calls the tip line to talk to Gideon. He’s upset that the news did not report the FFT as being responsible for the bombs. The unsub identifies himself as “Allegro”. Gideon attempts to get Allegro to meet him somewhere, but Allegro blows up a gas station instead. No casualties though. So currently I am team Allegro. The BAU finds the FFT’s manifesto inside the gas station. The manifesto is called “A Guide For Practical Living”. FFT’s demand is that all machines that have replaced workers be stopped within a week. Which isn’t going to happen!
When Gideon mentions Allegro’s name, Reid realizes that the unsub has named himself after a character in a book by “one-hit wonder author David Hansberry”. The book is called “Empty Planet” (girl that’s the name of this episode!). In the book, 12-year-old hero Allegro leads a human army against robots that have sex? Dr. Emory Cook is apparently some sort of tech guy who was on the bus, who the BAU believe may have been the target of the FFT. He declines a protective detail “do I seem like the sort who wants to be followed around by a government goon squad”. The BAU gives him a protective detail anyways. But before they can show up, Dr. Cook is blown up by the bomber using a car bomb.
We learn that Ursula Kent is actually one-hit wonder David Hansbury who works at Seattle University (Criminal Minds said feminism). The unsub calls Gideon and is like lol Dr. Cook had it coming. He tells Gideon he wants his manifesto printer in the Seattle Ledger TONIGHT. Gideon and Reid meet with Ursual Kent. She’s like WTF? Also Dr. Cook was her friend and a guest lecturer in her class. She also has a necklace that is the FFT’s insignia. Reid and Gideon realize that the unsub is likely one of her students who is obsessed with the book Empty Planet and is treating it like a prophecy.
Meanwhile, Cassandra McBombsquad, Morgan, Hotch and Special Agent Casey going on a scavenger hunt to disarm bombs. Bombs placed at a water treatment plant, post office, social security office, and the public library.
Back to Gideon and Reid and Ursula. Gideon makes Ursula read the manifesto to see if she recognizes the writing as one of her student’s, but instead of reading it, she watches Reid read, and he is just zooming down the pages because he is a fast reader. Gideon believes the next target is Doctor Betsy Braiser, because she’s the only other guest lecturer Professor Kent has. Cassandra McBombsquad, Morgan, Hotch and Special Agent Casey get to Dr. Braiser in time, and get her to stop her car while they attempt to disarm the bomb.
Morgan has decided to stay with Dr. Braiser while Cassandra disarms the bomb. He is risking his life because he does not want her to die alone. WHAT ABOUT CLOONEY. Cassandra disarms the bomb!! Girl power! But the BAU blow up Dr. Braiser’s car because they want the bomber to believe that he was successful.
Back with Gideon and Reid, Professor Kent is kinda being a butt about the whole thing, insisting that she does not recognize the writing, but she does say that passages of the FFT’s manifesto were plagiarized from her book. Reid asks her why she never wrote another book. And she says “I guess I only had one story to tell.” After Reid and Gideon leave, Professor Kent reveals that she knows who the unsub is. She asks her TA to pull the file and thesis paper of a student from last year named Kenneth Roberts.
Reid writes out the plot of Empty Planet. Apparently the end of it is Allegro killing his birth mother? Apparently he was adopted and the act of finding and killing his birth mother is seen as like an act of redemption. Empty Planet is told from the perspective of Allegro’s mother looking down from heaven? Anyways Kenneth Brown is Professor Kent’s son that she gave up for adoption. So he believes that he has to kill her. He shows up at her office to complete the prophecy. Apparently Kenneth found an article where Professor Kent said the baby she gave up for adoption was the inspiration for Empty Planet? Like… how did she not know this was going to happen? I’m team Kenneth right now!
But then Professor Kent tells Kenneth that she gave up a girl for adoption, not a boy. But apparently this is a lie because Professor Kent sees that a sniper is going to kill Kenneth, and she takes the bullet for him. The BAU arrests Kenneth, and Professor Kent is okay I guess. So?? Was she his mother? Or?????
Rating Criteria (out of 20)
Criminal/Serial Killer: 10/20
Character development/ character arcs: 15/20
Forensics/Context: 12/20
Script writing: 10/20
Background characters: 15/20
Overall: 62/100