S4E3 - “Minimal Loss”
We open with a special report from La Plata County, Colorado. We learn about a stand off between police and the Separatarian Sect, who are holed up at their ranch compound in the middle of the dessert. We learn that there are women, children, and FBI agents in the building. Just as the reporter finishes, the ranch behind them explodes. The reporter is like “Jim are you getting this?”
We flashback in time to three days ago. We hear a whispered recording saying: “He comes into my bedroom at night and lays with me. He says it’s god’s will. I’m only 15. And I’m not the only one. Please help me!” We see Reid and Prentis driving through the desert in a car with a CPS agent Nancy Lunde. Nancy tells them that she believes the “he” the girl in the recording is talking about is Benjamin Cyrus, she tells the BAU that its rumored that Cyrus is practicing polygamy and forced marriages, but they’ve never had any proof. They believe the caller, based on the age identified in the voice message, is Jessica Evanson. The worker has negotiated interviews with all of the children. Prentis asks the CPS worker to not identify her or Reid as FBI, to use their real names, but to identify them as “child interview experts”.
They approach the Separatarian compound. It’s a typical polygamist cult compound. Chickens, dessert, and all. Nancy, Reid and Prentis introduce themselves to Cyrus. He’s a ma of the people, plaid shirt over white undershirt and all. Nancy introduces Reid and Prentis as child victim interview experts and Cyrus says: “How far from God’s word must we have strayed for there to be the need to invent a job called child victim interview expert?”
Cut to Reid and Prentis interviewing the children. By children I mean we meet one child. We meet Jessica Evanson and her mother Kathy Evanson. Jessica tells the BAU: “We go to school, we do our chores, and we treat ourselves and each other with the respect God demands.” Prentis tells Jessica that they received a phone call alleging that Cyrus was abusing young girls. Jessica says: “Is it inappropriate for a husband to share a bed with his wife?” So Jessica, who is 15, is married to Cyrus, a grown as man. She says: “Cyrus is my husband and a prophet. It’s an honor to bare his children.” Just Jessica tells them this Cyrus bursts in with other separatists and big guns, telling them that the ranch is being raided. He thinks the child victim interview experts set them up, but we learn that the BAU did not know about this raid at all. Apparently Cyrus got a call telling him about the raid from a unknown source.
Meanwhile a SWAT team storms the compound. However, the separatists, and Nancy, Reid and Prentis, have fled under the ground to a underground bunker. Just as the SWAT team realize this and hurry outside the building, separatists who have stayed behind to defend the compound begin firing on them. There’s a shoot out, and both SWAT and separatists are hit, but no one is shot. We learn the SWAT are from the state police.
Underneath the compound, Cyrus is trying to calm everybody. But there are guns EVERYWHERE. Meanwhile the gunfire above is still continuing. The SWAT Team has evacuated, but now they have decided to enter again? They’re trying to breach the front door although they were just in there. Cyrus keeps yelling to cease fire, but neither sides are listening. Possibly they don’t hear him. Nancy from CPS for whatever reason thinks she can reason with the SWAT team. She rushes upstairs and is shot by a stray bullet that the state police shot. Three other members of the separatists are shot- a mother and father of a small child, and a man who was guarding the door.
There’s more shooting. Cyrus finally is able to yell ceasefire and tells the SWAT to pull back, and they agree.
Cut to BAU Headquarters in Quantico VA. The BAU is called in on the case. Again, isn’t this a conflict of interest? Whatever ever. Vroom vroom they get on the jet.
The BAU learns about the raid- we learn that the separatists raid was the result of a six month long weapons investigation. JJ says that she asked ATF to call Wells, the Attorney General in charge of the raid, and asked him if there were any pending investigations, prior to arranging for Reid and Prentis to go inside. He lied and said there weren’t. He didn’t know there were FBI going into the compound, but did know that CPS was completing an interview, and thought having the children all in one place would be the safest time to have the SWAT team go in.
We learn that the ranch was initially founded by a libertarian man named Leo Kane in 1980. He created it as a self-sustaining commune. Cyrus took over after Kane was sent to prison for a 17-year stretch for tax fraud (4 years) and going after IRS agents with guns (13 years). Cyrus is also a libertarian, but he introduces the religious cult aspect to the sect. Morgan says: “Libertarians believe that everyone has the right to do what they want as long as they aren’t infringing on the rights of others.”
On the scene- Hotch places Rossi in charge of the hostage negotiation. Apparently Rossi taught hostage negotiation in Quantico. He declines because he says he’s emotionally invested, but Hotch insists. He tells Rossi that Rossi is the perfect person for the job because he has the experience but also knows Prentis and Reid. Hotch believes Reid and Prentis will be making moves inside the compound. We meet Dan, the local sheriff, who was there I guess for both Ruby Ridge and Waco. I guess Rossi was there too? Dan apparently set the state police (SWAT Team) packing.
Rossi tells us that the team is looking for a “Minimal Loss” situation- “Every person we get out is a life saved. We won’t save them all.” Then we get a lil geometry lesson from Morgan. “Cults are structured like pyramids. The leader at the top, the die hard believes in the middle, the biggest group the base- women and children. This is the group we can save.” Hotch says: “trickle flow base strategy is designed to get followers out. First one or two. Then 3 or 4. Then as many as we can as fast as we can. And if at any point it starts to go bad, we go in.”
Profile- Cult
Leaders are charismatic sociopaths who target those who are most susceptible to their seduction
They have the ability to see what each person needs
Then they become that thing.
We have to undermine their perception that we’re an invading an army laying siege to their home.
They want to demilitarize the situation- but putting the officers of local police in civilian clothes
Rossi speaks to Cyrus. But first the young child whose parents were killed who tells Rossi that he killed her parents. Cyrus asks the BAU to just leave. Rossi tells Cyrus that one of the police bled out on the way to the hospital, so now Cyrus is going to be charged for murder whether he likes it or not. Rossi asks Cyrus about the three CPS workers- Cyrus says that Nancy Lunde has died. Rossi then asks Cyrus to send out wounded and Cyrus says no, send supplies. So Rossi is like okay, we’ll send supplies. So the BAU tries to bug the supplies, I guess something call the CIRG Handbook, which means that the FBI’s first priority is getting “ears” in the hostage situation.
Rossi delivers the supplies to Cyrus. Cyrus is like “Dave? I’m Ben.” Cyrus then takes Rossi on a little tour. All the separatists plus Reid and Prentis are now in the church sitting at pews. Rossi is like “I had hoped you’d let me take the children” and Cyrus is like: “We remember Waco. The children are our protection. Tell them I’m not crazy. Tell them I’m just a man living by God’s law.” Rossi leaves. Then Cyrus is like “It’s Wine Time”. Everyone gets a glass of wine. Prentis and Reid watch Jessica, and they realize that she literally worships Cyrus, so they realize that she didn’t make the call, her mother Kathy did.
Cyrus is then like “We have drank the poison together!” So the BAU hears this. Rossi is like this is wrong- Cyrus was calm. He’s bluffing. Reid and Prentis realize the same thing, Cyrus is having one of his trusted followers write down names of people who looked nervous.
The BAU meet with Kane, former sect leader. They learn his real name is Charles McGrue. He tells the BAU that he originally kicked Cyrus out of the sect when he was 17, because Cyrus was molesting young girls. Then Cyrus came back and forced Kane out at gunpoint. He agrees to help the BAU because he is SALTY about being forced out of the cult. He’s gonna draw them a map. Meanwhile the reporter from earlier tells the world that a “source” told them that there is an FBI agent undercover at the compound. Cyrus of course sees this and demands to know who the agent is, Prentis confesses to being with the FBI. Cyrus takes Prentis off and beats her. She says “I can take it” trying to tell the BAU who she knows is listening that they shouldn’t come in yet. And they listen.
Meanwhile Cyrus and Reid have some bonding time. Reid is like “I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve investigated these kind of claims against religious groups. Almost all of them turn out to be false.” Cyrus likes Reid. Reid is like- release one kid. Show the BAU that you can be trusted so they don’t come storming in here. And Cyrus is like – “I will release a child if you tell me the identity of the FBI agent.” And of course the BAU has heard the Prentis confessed so they identify her. So now Cyrus fully trusts Reid.
Cyrus assembles everyone in the chapel. He calls out members of the congregation who were upset when he fake poisoned them. Cyrus then tells them that they can leave if they want. And they do leave. He then calls Rossi and is like “We will surrender tomorrow – at noon.” And he asks for fried chicken. Reid talks to Cyrus, knowing the BAU is listening, and starts dropping hints that the BAU should come in now.
The BAU decide they’re going to storm the compound at 3am. But they need to now communicate this timeframe with Reid and Prentis so that they can move the women and children out of harm’s way. So with the fried chicken they write a note saying “Open until 3am” on the food like an advertisement. They also use a sniper riffle red light to tell Prentis that they’re coming at 3am. Kathy Evanson is assigned to care for Prentis. Prentis confronts her about making the 911 call. Kathy tells Prentis that there were other girls before Jessica. She wants to save Jessica from Cyrus. Prentis makes the huge leap that she should confide to Kathy that the BAU is storming the church at 3am. She asks Jessica to gather the women and children and bring them to the tunnel. Jessica runs off and we’re like – will she rat Prentis out?
Cyrus tells Reid he can leave if he wants. Reid tells Cyrus that he wants to stay. Cyrus is planning a mass suicide- as one does. He’s got dynamite and is gonna boom boom boom. Cyrus takes an assault riffle out and goes outside to let off rounds to make sure the press is watching He sees that the BAU is about to storm the scene.
Jessica shows back up to help Prentis and is like- I told Jessica that Cyrus wants her to gather the women and children in the chapel. Jessica frees Prentis and they hurry off. The BAU shows up and moves the women and children out of the tunnel. Jessica realizes what’s happening and runs off to be with her husband. Cyrus rigs the dynamite to explode. Cyrus stabs Reid when Reid starts quoting scripture and Morgan shoots Cyrus just as Jessica shows up. Jessica refuses to leave. Morgan and Reid mcfreakin run out of there just before the compound explodes.
Rating Criteria:
Criminal/Serial Killer: 21/20
Character development/ character arcs: 13/20
Forensics/Context: 15/20
Script writing: 12/20
Background characters: 17/20
Overall: 78/100