S3E20 - “Lo-Fi”
Guys this episode is called lo-fi. And guess what, it opens with some…lo-fi beats. Its NYC baby!
We see NYCers hail cabs, move about in the crowed. It is a very WHITE NYC, but NYC nonetheless. We see a man enter the subway, and he stands in the car. He has a wide eyed spooked star as he observes the people on the train, and he makes uncomfortable eye contact with some. He stars calling after a woman as he gets off the train, but she walks quickly away, and then BANG - guy wearing a black hoodie and pants comes up behind him and just guns him down.
Cut and we see Hotch answer a phone call on his cellphone in the office at the BAU. Now JJ is on the phone, saying she is going to come pick someone up - presumably Will. Hotch tells her to gather the team as she hangs up. The team gathers and Hotch is telling them to get ready to leave - apparently there have been five shootings in two weeks, so its “about time we got the call” according to Rossi. They are about to get on the plane and debrief then. A plane. To New York. Okay!
Apparently all of these killings happen mid-day, and it is a single gunshot to the head with an A .22., which means nothing to me lol! And there are no witnesses. My boy Reid chimes in saying that a .22 caliber pistol is only 152 decibels, and NYC streets/subways are routinely over 100, so it is also possible people aren’t even registering the sound of the gunshot. Morgan chimes in saying that it sounds like mob hits, but none of these victims have any connection to organized crime, nor do they have any connection to each other. Additionally, the unsub has not attempted to make connections with the police, however, security footage has caught him on camera 3 times. Now we’re on the jet.
Garcia joins them and she complains that she never gets to be on the plane. Hotch and Rossi cover the information on the victims - apparently each one of them was killed in different neighbors, and there is no common victimology between any of them. Apparently, the FBI is going to be working with the NYPD on this case - Kate Joyner is the lead detective on the case - and she’s a dual citizen, American and British. I don’t know WHY this is something we are spending lots of dialogue on, but i’m sure its going to be important soon! Apparently Hotch has “liaised” with her in the past, and says they are lucky to be working with her, but Morgan has heard negative things about her. Hmmmmmmm.
Now we see Kate - she has a very posh RP accent. The BAU arrives, and as they walk in JJ leans to Garcia and says “is it just me or does she look exactly like Hayley?” They greet each other and he introduces the team to her. Garcia is able to get access to the surveillance, and the NYPD is...not as welcoming. Kate asks for a talk in private, and JJ & Prentis gossip - thinking that they probably slept together int he past.
Hotch asks if she’s getting resistance from the NYPD and she essentially says yes, but it is unsurprising. He asks, so what’s going on, and she says “What can you tell me about Derek Morgan?” Hotch looks both surprised and concerned, but if he says anything we don’t know yet because it cuts away. We now see Reid approaching one of the other members of the NYPD and is like “So, uh, what’s your partners problem?” basically, it sounds like the NYPD is not happy that Kate is taking meetings with the Mayor and calling in the FBI after the 4th murder. Prentis is like, “think of us as a resource,” and he’s like “okay, profile me”. She’s like hahaha NO.
The scene cuts and now we see the Unsub putting on his clothes - but it is blurry and dark so you know...edgy. We see him fondle a gun, and thats it. Garcia makes herself at home in the surveillance office, and this seems to be the first nice person they are working with. I like these scene a lot because we get to see Garcia in her element and being her best self. Now we get some slow-mo of random people on subway cars. The unsub has entered them, but the camera focuses on the people around him rather than he himself. He takes a seat on the subway and it cuts!
Hotch and Kate int he office, Garcia and the other lady, everyone is shown hyper focusing. Now Morgan and Rossi are in the subway, looking at the crime scene of the most recent murder. Apparently, the cop they are working with is very upset and sensitive about the fact that there are people dying in his town. He is saying he needs everyone to take it seriously. Garcia starts giving advice to the woman she is working with; telling her how to separate herself and make things lighter.
The camera turns back to the BAU in the subway. They talk about how the gun is easy to conceal and not tracked anywhere. Additionally, he is an organized killer for sure. Reid wants information on gun purchases, and they talk about how they are doing anti-geographical profiling. Basically, a need-motivated killer operates within their own comfort zone, whereas an organized killer with some other motivation will strike outside of his comfort zone/where he lives.
Cut and we see a woman with very 2008 blue eyeshadow walking throughout the street. Next a man get s pretzel, and is shot in the head. But as he collapses, a tarot card falls on him as well.
The BAU is at the crime scene figuring out what happened. Morgan says: “from the placement of that camera, odds are the only view they’re gonna get is the back of his head”. To which Kate responds “let’s not be too quick to decide what we do or don’t have” and things are AWKWARD. What a bitch. Awkward stares at one another. And honestly, I love Morgan for immediately turning to hotch and saying “you mind telling me why I’m catching attitude from her?” If Kate doesn’t bring this case home she’s going to be reassigned, and Morgan is at the top of the list to replace her. Morgan is in disbelief.
Rossi shows them the tarot card - death, thankfully one of NYPD guys says “isn’t that a little on the nose? Even for a psycho” yes. And omg i love Hotch is explains how the death card doesn’t actually mean death, it means transformation - change - how is this mans wife divorcing him HE KNOWS HIS CARDS. Rossi points out how the DC sniper left one of the exact same cards at one of his scenes. So he probably sees himself in that role, and more importantly - he studies other cases - he is creating panic and is telling them he knows they are there.
Back at the NYPD headquarters they review footage from the last two shootings. In one of them he walks away calmly, and in the other he sprints off - his demeanor is completely different. But this is odd, because 6 kills in, his behavior should be set. Garcia pages into them, and she tells them that with her technology, she is able to see that the calmly walking away unsub is around 6’1’’, but the running away one is like 5’10’’. We’ve got more than one unsub! The team begins discussing teams of killers - usually they kill together. Additionally, this couldn’t be a gang given how all over the city these killings have been. Kate asks if they have enough for a profile, and they say they have broad strokes. Then there is a bit of a tiff between Kate and Morgan as they debate what the next step is - she wants them to brief the force in the morning, and Morgan is like no, we should be out on the streets tonight. Its intense, and Hotch has to step in and say “Morgan, its not your call.” and its right, but I don’t like Morgan being dismissed just because she’s insecure.
The team goes outside and see the papers are already covering the shooting. In the lobby we see that Will, JJ’s boyfriend has shown up! Will is like, I’m so sorry for just showing up like this, i just couldn’t stand you being on this case without me near, to which Hotch is like “is there a problem?” and JJ is like “...I’m pregnant!” Prentis is the only one to not miss a beat and jump in to congratulate her.
Now JJ and Will have a sexist conversation. He begs her to come home, and she’s like, its 6 murders! And he’s like, yeah that why you should come home. Its because she’s vulnerable.
Profile
Its not personal;. Not about sex. Not about greed.
Its not random - there has to be a motive
First theory - its a team.
They believe this unsub has studied the DC sniper case - wanting to kill ex wife but killing others to hide behind that
Most teams have a dominant and a submissive
They believe one of them has a steady job - given that they need to stick to a specific time/pattern during the day
They are checking local stores to see what open/close around the time of the killings - t o see if there is a father son, or some coworkers that fit the dynamic
Other theory - gang initiation.
Garcia and the other woman see a suspect show up at one of the subway stations. 59th and Lex. he has a gun, and yep, he guns one of them down. Morgan is PISSED because this is one of the stations that Morgan suggested they station outside of. Kate defends this choice and Morgan is LOSING IT. hotch is trying to defend Kate, but Morgan doesn’t back down. Hotch is like “we need to focus!” and Morgan is like “from where i’m standing, all your focus is on her” “hotch is like “take a walk, now”. Rossi comes to comfort Morgan at the bar. They talk about the different roles, being the one calling the shots vs being out there. Rossi says he will pull Morgan out if he gets in too deep.
Back in the office, Morgan apologizes for speaking out of line, and Kate brushes it off like its nbd. Garcia has analyzed the footage, and it turns out this is yet another unsub -there are THREE now. They discuss Son of Sam and talk about how he returned to the place of the shooting, so they ask Garcia to review footage and see if anyone returns.
Rossi points out how it doesn’t make sense that there has only been one tarot card - his correspondence hasn’t escalated. They haven’t contacted the press - this was private (the tarot). Rossi points out how they want us to know that they are ramping up to something, and they want them to know that they are watching them. Garcia pulls up her surveillance because pretty much all of the BAU is out on the street. Prentis is being flirted with by the NYPD. they’re in the subway, and Prentis totally profiles him.
Back with Garcia she and Lisa are going through footage, and they realize that someone has hacked into the surveillance - UH OH. Prentis and the NYPD get out of the subway and we see them on the streets. Another shooting occurs - both Prentis and NYPD hear it and they see him - they run after him, but I feel like this is a trap!I’m right - he turns and shoots NYPD but Prentis gets him next. Prentis calls for Garcia because COOPER is down. The unsub is not gonna live to tell them anything.
Prentis doesn’t understand- she says she should not have had to shoot them. She thinks they deliberately wanted to planned it so that she would have to shoot him. No id, too calm, planned it. Rossi explains to hotch that this could be terrorism - counter surveillance, multiple. Etc. apparently it is called “bombing” they basically do a test run, so they can see what response time is like, get a practice run in. Reid thinks its all near points of entry - because they are all near a tunnel, it would be impossible to get off the island. Garcia calls and says that every camera - over 4k has been compromised and hacked into. We get footage of a large group of people gathered. This is a terrorism group.
Suddenly JJ gets a letter - Will is leaving, he is quitting his job. To be a stay at home daddy. Prentis arrives at the hospital - Cooper is not doing well. Everyone is getting into cars. And then one car explodes!
Rating Criteria
Criminal/Serial Killer: 20/20
Character development/ character arcs: 17/20
Forensics/Context: 13/20
Script writing: 18/20
Background characters: 20/20
Overall: 88/100