'Criminal Minds' - Episode 21, Season 6 - 'The Stranger' Recap

"Criminal Minds" Episode 21, Season 6 - "The Stranger" takes viewers even deeper into the mind of the killer. As with all of the series shows of "Criminal Minds" fans will enjoy this episode and the path it travels over. Opening signature quote gives us words to keep in mind while watching, Aaron 'Hotch' Hotchner, "Sometimes human places create inhuman monsters." Written by Stephen King.

After the death of fellow team member, Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), we find the team taking on a case in San Diego. New member, Ashley Seavers (Rachel Nichols) accompanies the group on the upcoming Case. There are three murders in five days, and local authorities have called in the FBI's Profiling team.

All three of these young women are similar in that they all are brunettes, female, in college majoring in educations or an aspect of childcare. Each murder has taken place off campus, and each body has multiple stab wounds.

The team members agree that the killer is escalating in his killing methods. Time is of the essence when it comes to catching this unsub. On location in San Diego viewers enjoy the working partnership of Detective Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Derek (Shemar Moore), Dr. Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), and Aaron 'Hotch' Hotchner (Thomas Gibson). Of course, this episode includes magic worker, Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) since the crimes certainly could not be solved without a bit of magic.

Tracking these killers is not easy and being close to the violence and craziness of these people takes a toll on each member of Hotch's team. Knowing their job inside and out the team reports to local authorities that the unsub. Who is likely a young man with mental problems that relate to something painful in his childhood.

Putting those little telltale signs together will lead authorities to the killer, such as, he is text messaging his victims prior to his contact with them, he appears to be computer savvy, and has a soft spot in his heart. The third victim is killed in a nursery while babysitting a young child. Evidence shows that the Unsub actually fed the baby a bottle while the babysitter died in the nursery on the floor.

Fans get a chance to see Ashley make her stripes in this episode. She actually the team member who gives Garcia the theory that leads our lovely magician to the Unsub and his location. Garcia discovers, a teenage Greg Phinney (Chad Todhunter) was placed in a mental institution by his father Carl Phinney, shortly after a few animal deaths in the household. Now that the Unsub's identity is known his past follows quickly for the team, they discover that young Phinney's mother died, and his father married Kate Phinney (Heather Mazur) shortly after that marriage young Phinney was placed in the institution.

Fans understand that Phinney blames the stepmother and in the end takes her hostage. Hotch takes Seaver into the house, so she can distract the young Phinney. By playing up to his delusions and acting as if she understands the young mans plight. Once inside Seaver does her job well while Rossi sneaks in behind the killer. Unfortunately for Phinney he is killed at the scene of his final murder, and the victim remains alive.

Viewers understand the acceptance of Seaver by the "Criminal Mind" team when she is actually the voice over for the show's signature closing quote, "Every journey into the past is complicated by delusions, false memories, false namings of real events." Adrienne Rich.

In the end, fans have a sneak peek into the future of "Criminal Minds" when Chief Strauss (Jayne Atkinson) speaks with Hotch regarding his psych evaluation? She shares with Hotch that an unspoken event may take her away for a short time, and she will look to him when it comes to leading more than just his immediate team. She tells Hotch that he will take on her duties as Section Chief for a few months. The future is still unknown but it will be exciting to see upcoming episodes.

Resources:

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/every_journey_into_the_past_is_complicated_by/256691.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1856893/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1856893/quotes
http://tvdonewright.com/2011/04/criminal-minds-recap-the-stranger/
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