Criminal Minds Review of Episode 9×07, “Gatekeeper”

Criminal Minds Review of Episode 9×07, “Gatekeeper”

 

“I need you to breathe…”

From the opening scene with Rossi and Reid out at an old haunt of Rossi’s, to the team Karaoke in the same bar, this episode was about love.

For once, we get an UnSub that is operating from a place of love, instead of rage or revenge. This guy just wanted to take out all the lowlife scumbags he was surrounded by and make the world a better place. He was loony as the proverbial fruitcake… (if nutty wasn’t the word you were after), but he just wanted to protect people, you know, a nice guy. Too bad he spent all his free time offing people, taking their locks of hair and pictures of them post mortem to create scrapbooks FROM HELL.

We also are treated to a lot of pretty amazing character growth for Reid in this one. The man spouts exhaustive population data and impressive statistics, works an extensive profile, teams with both JJ and Morgan at different times, delivers a baby, and when Blake asks him how he knew what to do, he says he memorized the delivery manuals way back when JJ was pregnant in case she went into labor in the field. Aww. JJ herself is proud of what he’s done, and we get some major touchy-feels between the two of them. Love.

Who it really sucks for is the pregnant woman that Reid helps. The UnSub is her insane-o ex, who she’s actually pregnant by, and he comes after her (love, again) and immediately kills her brother. Then she’s shoved into a hard chair while in the throes of even harder labor with a knife to her neck, but then our heroes arrive and everyone starts pointing their guns at her (well, not really her, the UnSub, but he’s right behind her with the knife still to her throat. Bad day, you could say, and it bothered me that she was just all smiles when Reid handed her her newborn. Dang woman, aren’t you traumatized at all?

This episode was written by Rick Dunkle, a solid scribe who’s been there from the beginning and knows these people well, and directed by Matthew Gray Gubler, series star who plays Reid – his sixth time in the director’s chair. He’s up for a seventh later this season, where we’ll see more of his trademark creepiness (less evident here), but this was a solid episode, creatively shot, artfully lit, with wonderful team moments (back off Garcia-haters, she’s awesome!). We even get to see Hotch smile. Love.

Trivia bit: The black shirt that the first teen victim is wearing is a Gubler Original, one of the limited edition shirts he creates and sells to fans, with proceeds going to different charities of his choice.

Nitpicks: (1) It wasn’t clear to me if Rossi was going to buy the bar, or if their packed-house BAU shindig saved it from going under, and (2) The background music can get way too loud sometimes, nearly drowning out dialogue.