We open- with Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Pride and Joy”. We’re in Great Falls Montana, watching a Ron Swanson-esq man driving around in a stolen car, eating pumpkin seeds. You know- as one does. I mean- he has the mustache and everything! He looks like he goes hunting on weekends and owns an endless collection of red flannel shirts. He speeds past a cop, and the cop attempts to pull him over. He does pull over, but gets his gun out and cocks it. Then another cop car shows up, and he puts the gun down, and gets a grenade out. He waits until the arresting officer is close enough, and then he lets the grenade go off. Insert Boom clip here.

Cut to BAU Headquarters in Quantico, VA, ever heard of it? Reid is talking to Morgan about Star Wars? Morgan gets up to explore SSA David Rossi’s office. Prentis, who is down for anything, gets up and goes with him, and Reid, although reluctantly, goes with them as well.

Here are the observations they make about Rossi’s walls:

Taupe wallpaper- a negative color. Cold, distant. Prentis says: “You know emotionally, taupe is linked to loneliness and the desire to escape from the world.”
There are no plaques or commendations on the walls, which Morgan finds interesting. “Maybe he doesn’t want to be reminded of past victories.” Beause of this, Prentis suggests Rossi is looking for a new start.
Morgan also finds expensive renaissance art on Rossi’s desk. Reid believes it’s original and expensive. Because it’s of a religious nature Reid profiles: “Italian, strict Catholic upbringing. Probably believes in redemption.”

Rossi then shows up and tells them that the artwork is 15th century original and cost more than his house. Okay so then why you treating it with such disrespect leaving it lying around on your desk??? Rossi also says that the taupe wall color is just the basic all color, the painters are going to finish painting tomorrow. He then says that JJ is getting the team together and asks the others to leave. As they all walk out, Rossi puts the artwork that was more expensive then his house down haphazardly on the corner of his desk and I’m just… so uncomfortable by this. ROSSI!

JJ introduces the team to the new case- out of Great Falls, Montana. Three women have been reported missing: Michelle Lawford, Jennifer Hillbridge, and Darcy Cranwell. All three women share similar characteristics in that they’re all Caucasian brunettes who are around the same age. Their bodies have not been located. This morning, a third woman, Angela Miller, was reported missing after her car was hijacked in a supermarket parking lot. Her husband and son went inside, and she stayed in the car, and when her family returned outside, both her and the car were missing. Remember Ron Swanson LTE from earlier? 40 minutes after Angela’s disappearance, state troopers spotted Angela’s car on the highway being driven by Mustache McGrenade. When the troopers tried to apprehend him, he blew himself up, as we saw. However, Angela Miller’s body was not recovered in the wreckage, so she may still be alive. The unsub who killed himself has not been identified yet.

Cut to Angela Miller, presumably, tied up and screaming in a box? Cut to credits!

The BAU travel in the private jet (hey girl) to Montana. Reid is creating a topographical map trying to narrow down the unsub’s comfort zone. Hotch says it’s called a “Jeopardy Surface” although we’ve never heard it called this before? Always just the Unsub’s “comfort zone”. Also, Rossi has some feelings about Montana. He says: “There are some very committed people in those parts” and Hotch adds “Who love their fire power” and Rossi says: “Almost as much as they hate us.” The BAU thinks the unsub may have been part of a militia? Although this is a serious leap?

Prentis and Hotch meet with Sherriff Williams (played by Jim Beaver from Deadwood, Justified, Breaking Bad, and most unfortunately… Supernatural). Sherriff Williams is PISSED- we learn that Sunflower McPlaidington killed one of the officers when he fired his grenade. Also literally every time I see Jim Beaver on screen he’s wearing a cowboy hat an aviator sunglasses. What A King. Hotch and Prentis interview Angela’s husband who is a DILF.

Cut to the Montana Police Station. JJ, Rossi and Reid are getting set up. JJ keeps calling contacts for local militia members and they keep hanging up on her. I mean, girl, what did you expect?? Reid is still working on his Jeopardy Surface. Also Garcia has matched the dental records of Car Stealy McPride and Joy to military records for one Francis Goehring. He was discharged from the army for a bad conduct. And apparently he’s linked to “aggressive militia groups” in the federal database. So, groups bad enough that they’re on the FBI’s radar. Apparently Goehring is also married, but his wife does not live with him. And his wife, matches the descriptions of the women who are presumed kidnapped and killed by Goehring.

Reid and Rossi go to Goehring’s residence, in a militia compound. It’s in the middle of nowhere. There re horses. There’s a woman digging a ditch. There are no trespassing signs. You know, girl stuff. Reid and Rossi meet with Goehring’s landlord Kristopher Logan who calls Reid “a pipe cleaner with eyes”. He begrudgingly shows Reid and Rossi Goehring’s residence, which is essentially a dilapidated shack that Goehring uses for storage. However, Rossi finds Goehring’s little box of treasure. A box holding his old army fatigues and home movies.

Back at Montana headquarters, the BAU watches Goehring’s home movies. Basically they are Gohering spotting sexist white power bullshit essentially saying that women are lesser beings and are here to serve men. Reid says: “He uses the chair like it’s a throne and he’s framing himself intentionally with a low angle to give him power and dominance in the frame.” We hear Goehring on the tape: “In feudal times, the lord lived on high ground to spot the invader. He had serfs to serve his kingdom. The lord never had to leave his castle. The serfs would bring him everything. They were the appendages of his will. First I will build a compound- a kingdom. Second, I will arm, protect and fortify my kingdom. Third, I will keep women as serfs to serve my every need. This is my right. As a man with free will in America, I will make my kingdom reality.” Prentis says: “We have 11 more tapes of this??”

Prentis meets with Goehring’s wife, Diane Goehring. She is like, I don’t want to be here. Prentis shows Diane a picture of herself with Goerhing. Diane looks, so uncomfortable in the picture. Goehring is like, holding her in place in the picture and she looks miserable BUT SHE IS WEARING RED FLANNEL. Diane says that Goehring was abusive (of course he was) and that the militia they were a part of stepped in and saved her. So, I guess, yay Militia? Also apparently Goehring forced Diane to give him her parents 9 acres of land after they died.

The BAU hurry to the 9 acres of land, but unfortunately they find Angela Miller dead in a shallow grave. Angela is still warm, too warm to have been killed by Goehring before he died. Ru-roh. Looks like we have another serial killer duo! Cut to Goehring’s unknown partner, in a small cabin with a frame picture of Goehring in a place or prominence. Actually, it’s two separate pictures of Goehring in one frame, one up close picture and one of him standing with a desert backdrop. The partner is clearly having a mental health crisis and is very distressed by Goehring’s suicide.

The BAU decide to interview the Militia to see if any of them know who Goehring’s partner in crime is. Rossi suggests that Morgan go. And Hotch adds that JJ should go with him. Morgan is like- of all the members of this team, why us? And Rossi says that the Militia knows the BAU is in town, but they won’t expect the BAU to send a POC and a woman to interview them. It will surprise them and throw them off their game. But, honestly, fuck this, Rossi and Hotch should just go. The rest of the team try to narrow down who the partner might be, determining that he’s likely got a similar mindset to Goehring. He took the entire assault weapons arsenal and the team notices pickup tracks in the driveway. They decide that he also is likely listening in to police activity on a two-way radio. So Sherriff Williams suggest they should tune into the state Geographical Survey frequency because “Nobody ever listens to that.” Also Prentis notices three sets of roses that are all in different stages of maturity, meaning that the three other women who are missing are dead and buried under them.

Morgan and JJ show up at a bar to meet with Militia leader Harris Townsend. Harris is… not jazzed about the FBI showing up at his bar. Harris has seen the partner but doesn’t know the partner’s name.

Back at Goehring’s house, the cleanliness and organization of the house is in great contrasts with Goehring’s shed. The house is neat and clean. Prentis and Reid find Goehring’s manifesto on the wall.

RULES

All actions must serve to please The Master.
Insubordination will result in punishment
Any attempts to escape the kingdom will result in death.
The Master demands cleanliness. Messes will not be tolerated and will result in punishment.

Reid points out how “Master” is singular and capitalized, meaning that Goehring’s partner is a serf, not really a partner. The BAU also find a sexual sadism torture chamber including a Pear of Anguish. The machine consisted of a metal body (usually pear-shaped) divided into spoon-like segments that could be spread apart by turning a screw. The pear was variously applied to the mouth, rectum, or vagina, being inserted into the orifice and then slowly expanded to mutilate and destroy, typically causing fatal internal bleeding. Some scholars have disputed historical accounts of the pear as being suspiciously implausible. The women were likely kept in a chest and tortured for months.

The BAU gives the profile of Goehring’s partner…

PROFILE

Early to mid twenties
5’8, slight build. Medium short blonde hair.
Shy and retiring, but groomed by a separatist armed with assault weaponry.
- Like Gohering, he’s unlikely to surrender if he’s cornered.
His obsession with cleanliness and order is deeply ingrained. This will be reflected in his home and his vehicle.
He’s the submissive partner- having just lost Goehring he’s in crisis.

After we hear the profile, we see Goehring’s partner. He dyes his hair brown and cuts his face with a broken beer bottle, trying to recreate the scar that Goehring has on his face. I know I didn’t mention it before but Goehring has a scar on his face. Cut back to the BAU watching Goehring’s tapes. Goehring’s partner is never on film torturing the women, but the way he films Goehring is interesting. He’s more interested in Goehring then he is in the torture. Like, he zooms in on Goehring’s butt and everything!! Prentis says: “He’s lingering on Goehring’s biceps like he’s caressing Goehring’s body. He’s in love with Goehring!”

The BAU is like, wait Goehring wouldn’t be gardening. Goehring’s not a gardener. The partner must have purchased the roses and other tools! So they go to local garden centers and ask the employees if they recognize the profile of the partner. Reid says: “He would’ve sounded meek, almost feminine” to which I say FUCK OFF! Can we stop with the stereotypes?? Anyways, the partner is Henry Frost, he’s not a customer, he actually works at a gardening store.

The BAU go to Henry’s home, and he’s trashed the house and burned his face off his pictures. Reid says: “A submissive depends on a dominant partner not only for instruction, but for purpose and meaning.” The BAU knows that Henry is whipping the slate clean and restarting, but not sure as what.

Cut to Henry at a gas station creeping on a white brunette named Becky. He’s dressed in plaid and has his hair styled like Goehring. Becky gets the heebie jeebies when she sees Henry, and hurries to her car. But he corners her and gets her into the back of her car and drives off with her. Becky’s screams attract the attention of the gas station owner, who calls in the FBI. When they present her with a picture of Henry and ask her to identify him, she tells them that she can’t because he didn’t look like that. She shows the BAU the security tape, because before abducting Becky, Henry went into the store and bought pumpkin seeds, so he’s on camera. The BAU realize that Henry looks like Goehring. Henry is trying to BECOME Goehring. The BAU realize that Henry is likely taking Becky to Eagle Creek, the picture of Goehring that Henry had where Goehring was standing with the dessert background, was taken at Eagle Creek.

Cut to Henry driving with Becky in the car listening to- you guessed it, Pride and Joy!! He drives to the middle of the dessert and forces Becky out of the car. He ties Becky up and brings her up high because in feudal times that’s what you did. Becky tries to connect with Henry by telling him that she teaches school and has a fiancé. She then asks him what his name is and Henry says: “My name is Francis Goehring!!”

The BAU show up at Eagle Creek, but the concern is that shooting Henry while he’s at the top of Eagle Creek will not be easy, especially because the terrain is so deserty. They need a sharp shooter. Sherrif Williams tells the BAU that the best man for the job is local Miltiia leader, bar owner, and racist Harris Townsend. Apparently he’s ex-special forces and is the best sharp shooter in Montana. Harris says: “The wind in this valley can change the trajectory of a shot by inches. If you can’t read the wind, the wrong person might get shot. I guess I don’t need to remind you gentlemen of that.” The BAU is pissed, but they’re running out of time.

The team splits up. Hotch and Sherriff Williams go to the base of the mountain and try to talk Henry down to the base of the mountain. Hotch uses multiple methods of communication- a two way radio, a megaphone, and plain old screaming. They scream back and forth but Henry isn’t listening. He won’t let the BAU take him alive! Meanwhile Rossi and Harris set up. Harris talks to Rossi about Ruby Ridge, telling Rossi that the FBI was wrong to do what they did. And Prentis and Morgan try to sneak up behind Henry. I don’t know where Reid or JJ are?? But anyways Harris shoots Goehring. And Becky is saved!

After all the excitement, Rossi is frustrated that Harris brought up Ruby Ridge. He talks to Morgan and says: “All anybody remembers is that an FBI sniper killed a mother while she was holding her baby. 6 months later- Waco. 80 men, women and children died. Not a single shot did we fire that day. The legacy of those failures still haunt us. It’s why some people don’t trust us. Made me start thinking about leaving the agency.” Morgan asks: “So what started to make you think about coming back?” And Rossi says: “Unfinished business.”

Rating Criteria:

Criminal/Serial Killer: 10/20
Character development/ character arcs: 10/20
Forensics/Context: 10/20
Script writing: 10/20
Background characters: 10/20

Overall: 50/100

S3E7 - “Identity”

S3E8 - “Lucky”

S3E6 - “About Face”