Monday, October 23, 2017

Criminal Minds 13x04 "Killer App" Review

SPOILERS

“Killer App” was a slightly different episode than usual, but I loved it. It was very emotionally gripping all the way through and really made me think.

The episode begins with a fun look into the relaxing area of a video game company that quickly turns to a brutal and chilling office shooting where no one can see who the shooter is. The team works to try and connect the victims when there is another shooting and four coders are killed. They discover the connection between them: they all were coders on a team which did drone operations for the military. And the unsub is the person who piloted the drone. We learn there’s something a little sketchy going on as the unsub, named Jake, startles and kidnaps a woman named Tori. There is much red tape as they try to get to the unsub and once they do, it’s too late. Tori killed him in escaping, but Peakstone had finished the job by hacking into the drone. They almost kill Tori as well, though both she and the leader of Peakstone are arrested for withholding evidence about the team’s last mission.

It’s not often that Criminal Minds dives into problems with the government or military or related areas. They stick to the unsubs, and that usually involves everyday situations. But this story, of there being a massive cover-up, of a supposed bombing of an insurrection camp turning out to be an elementary school? It’s no wonder the unsub Jake is so triggered by the letter, or why Tori is so squirrelly. This made me so uncomfortable to watch play out and it felt so different from other episodes. But I liked it. I liked that they took a risk. It was a different episode with a different story. I’m glad they didn’t turn it into someone with a recreational drone doing this, or it might have devolved into something involving the greater Internet and starting an argument.

Really, the only gripe I had with this episode is in the provided description it mentions it was an office shooting done by drone. The surprise is taken away. It would have been interesting to figure it out at the same time as them.

There wasn’t much going on by way of the main characters, but that’s fine. We’ve had enough over the last few episodes that we can start sinking into the everyday formula. There were the scenes at the beginning and end with Emily and Luke, going over the last details of the Mr. Scratch situation. I did like the ending, a slice of life, endless paperwork and midnight takeout.


10/10

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