Criminal Minds Episode Recap - Middle Man

The CBS hit drama, Criminal Minds focuses on an elite group of FBI profilers who travel the United States to catch notorious serial killers and kidnappers. Even with some slight cast changes before the show entered a sixth season, the growing viewership remained an unshaken and dedicated fan base. The core group of award winning performers remain at the helm, guiding the viewer on a one hour journey into the minds of extremely intelligent and equally ruthless criminals.

Get to know the characters of the "Criminal Minds"Behavioral Analysis Unit

David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) was a founding member of the FBI's behavioral analysis unit who recently joined this team of profilers and agents. Rossi offers the advice of a seasoned agent and serves as the team's pseudo patriarch.

Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) is the team leader. He is the strong, silent type and also a single father of a young boy. "Hotch" lost his estranged wife after a serial killer targeted him and his family for retribution.

Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gubler) is a loveable genius who is more comfortable with statistics and computers than he is other human beings. His social awkwardness was exacerbated after his father abandoned the family and he had to care for his mentally ill mother alone as a child.

Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) is a beautiful and talented team member who considers Rossi a mentor. As the newest member of the team, she continues to work on finder her place among the more seasoned profilers. She comes from an affluent background with powerful diplomats for parents.

Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) is the team's expert on crimes of obsession and delicious eye candy for female viewers. While agent Morgan appears both physically and mentally tough, he is tender hearted with victims and the children they often leave behind.

Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) is the team's computer expert and comic relief. She is prone to overt flirting with agent Morgan and easily recognized with her colorful and extreme fashion forward outfits and hair pieces.

Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (A.J. Cook) is the face of the team when they travel around America to thwart criminal activity. Serving as the team's liaison she networks with local law enforcement officials and the media during crime scenes.

Season 6: Episode Recap - Middle Man

The Behavioral Analysis Unit travels to rural Indian to investigate a the dead bodies of multiple women found among area cornfields. The Unsubs (unknown subjects) remains at large while JJ fills the team in what local law enforcement officers know about the crimes. Three young girls disappear from the strip club where they work and found dead amongst cornstalks in a local farmer's field. Team members scour the area for clues to the killings while also searching for a fourth missing girl.

Both Hotch and the local police Captain Salters become upset when information about the killings is leaked to news media. The increased media attention alerts the Unsubs who were tossing back beers at a local tavern. The trio of male college students who committed the crimes have their own set of secrets. Chris and Scott were unaware that the girls they had kidnapped and raped were killed. Michael, the trio's ring leader had lied to his partners about doping the girls with drugs and releasing them unharmed. Chris and Scott panic and want nothing more to do with the remaining kidnap victim, Stephanie. Michael convinces them to stick together awhile longer and "lay low" for awhile.

Spencer and Emily spend some time at the strip club learning how the victims were selected and abducted. Morgan and Rossi surmise that once the girls have been raped they are transported to the cornfield assuming they will be set free. Once the girls flee for their lives, Chris and Scott and leave, but Michael hunt them down and kills them.

The team's profiling skills reveal they are looking for three young males, one omnipotent leader and two easily to manipulate followers. Fearful that the alpha male will kill his accomplices and disappear, they beef up the search for the Unsubs. Hotch and his team are too late to save Scott. Michael is able to convince Chris to lure him out into the cornfield and kill him.

Rossi and Hotch retrace the leaked news media story to someone within the police department. They feel that Michael's knowledge of police procedures and awareness of the roadblocks is not coincidental. In a heated confrontation between Hotch and Captain Salters, the law enforcement officers finally breaks down and admits that one of the Unsubs, Chris, is his son.

Captain Salters leads the team to a house where Chris and Michael are hiding with final kidnap victim. A tense and bloody standoff ensues with Captain Salters and Michael shooting each other. Michael is killed but the police captain is only wounded in his arm. During a gun battle to save Stephanie, Chris is wounded. After recovering Chris faces a death sentence for his role in the murders.

After packing up their mobile headquarters at the police station, the team is once again back on their plane and headed home.