Criminal Minds Review: Keeper (Season 12 Episode 4)
Not much of a “Halloween mystery,” eh?
Criminal Minds Season 12 Episode 4, “Keeper,” highlights what the series does best: develop their unsubs. While it may have been team-light, aside from a new development in Reid’s life, it showcases an interesting story of a serial killer and his “keeper.”
The return of Prentiss continues to shine for the series, and her interrogation techniques and ability to create faux-empathy in the presence of their unsubs are ultimately the reason they caught the real killer.
Personally, Prentiss coming back is the best thing that could happen to this series to revamp the stories before it would’ve died a long, drawn-out death. With Derek and Hotch having left the series along with many other female cast members, the series needed a profiler that we’re familiar with, but yet, at the same time, we’re missing parts of them.
Introducing another newbie alongside Luke and Tara would’ve been too much too soon, and not having another profiler to even out the team would’ve created a strain for where the story could go. They all have different capabilities.
With the serial killer chasing the team and obsessed with them, it’s possibly very likely that one of the team members may be kidnapped, tortured, or even die to let another cast member go in an interesting way. After all, some of them have been with the series since the premiere. We can understand that they may need a break.
Before that, the writers have to dive deeper into Tara Lewis and Luke Alvez. If there’s another new cast member, or if they’re bound to become a truly integral part of the team, we need to learn more about them and their personalities and lives. Having that connection is one of the only things that makes this show work and makes the team interesting to watch.
As for Spencer’s development, his mother’s recent turn has me wondering whether he’ll be the one to leave the team, if only to spend time with his dying mother.
Jane Marie Lynch will hopefully appear sporadically throughout the season as her story progresses with Reid’s. Also, she’s just a damn good actress.
How will this impact the Behavioral Analysis Unit? As he’s looking for a cure for his mother, Reid is likely to be distracted, and may slip up at some point, even with his big brain. Perhaps even slip up when the team needs him most.
Case thoughts:
- Anyone watching could’ve seen the twist coming: the “dog” the homeless man is looking for is actually his brother; they share the same name, after all.
- Luckily, the episode skipped on crazy clowns chasing people through the woods to kill them, which is what the trailer for the episode suggested (not necessarily clowns, but something of the sort). Also, thank goodness they passed on the cannibalism thread that could’ve been tied into this “dog” story and the victims being muzzled and food set out for them. The cannibalism in American Horror Story Season 6 Episode 7 was enough for my weak stomach this Wednesday.
- Abuse is hard to watch, but Criminal Minds thankfully doesn’t mute or overdo the effects that abuse can have on a child, especially if perpetrated by a parent. These brothers are a sign of that; even in the interrogation room with his father dead of a heart attack, the man still shook and cried from the memories. Also, whoever this actor is gave an outstanding performance.
What did you think of this episode of Criminal Minds? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Criminal Minds airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
Jay Ruymann
Jay is a freelance writer and a Slytherin, who uses Leslie Knope as a role model, suffering from an addiction to coffee and television that is only encouraged by his professional life. While busy slaving away at the day-to-day, he also enjoys a good binge-watch of Parks and Recreation and Pretty Little Liars.