Criminal Minds Season 17 Episode 3 featured a new case that was subsequently solved, reintroduced Voit’s family, and revealed a secret that threatens JJ’s life.
There was also a conspiracy-theory-loving former neighbor of Emily’s who was getting information on the Dark Star story — not enough to expose the truth, but enough to cause a ruckus.
Let’s break it down!
What Did Voit Whisper to Alvez?
Uh, guys, the words below do not match the length of time Elias spoke in Luke’s ear!
“Voit said it’s a site on the dark net. Something called BAU Gate. It involves pictures and memes of this team in deep fake pornography. He also said you knew about it,” Alvez told Prentiss.
Why did Voit tell Alvez his tantalizing secret and not JJ? JJ surmised it was to drive them apart or to prove that Alvez couldn’t keep a secret. She claimed to know about BAU Gate, but her vision of it was skewed.
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She thought the whole team was involved, and she didn’t seem to be taking it seriously, but BAU Gate is nothing but JJ featured in some pretty rough porn, rough enough that Luke couldn’t easily shake it.
As she was in the dark about the truth, JJ stood up for Emily, claiming it’s good leadership to keep from them what they don’t need to know, but Alvez vehemently disagreed.
What’s out there on the web poses a serious threat to JJ and, subsequently, everyone close to her.
What Consequences Could Result from BAU Gate?
Luke’s reaction to Prentiss keeping a secret like that was not extreme. They’re agents who put their lives on the line every day. If she couldn’t trust JJ with a secret that affects her personally, then what can she trust her with?
Luke decided to do what Prentiss forbade. He told JJ the truth and allowed her to decide whether she wanted to see it for herself.
JJ has a husband and a child who are both in a position to be shown BAU Gate by anyone. Voit or any unsub could use it against her, her family, or the entire BAU.
If they’re not prepared with the truth, their own reactions could be much more extreme than Luke’s.
I’ll be surprised if this error on Prentiss’s part doesn’t begin chipping away at her leadership. It was a bad decision. She made another in the Criminal Minds Evolution premiere when she exclaimed they had the profile when a consensus wasn’t reached.
Add to that the fact that she just got pulled into a crazy orbit as the episode ended, and it seems Emily’s journey this season will be unexpected.
Sydney Voit Is Not Homesick, but She’s Suffering Nonetheless
If anybody thought the episode title might be referring to Sydney Voit, they were incorrect. Keeping Elias away from her kids is her top priority.
Not only was Sydney not homesick, but she had very little desire to help the BAU, even if it meant stopping another killer. Who could blame her?
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When Sydney lashed out at Alvez about her daughter being rude and giving her rope due to severe trauma, she seemed determined to steer clear of Voit, no matter what.
But her kids were spiraling out of control; her eldest was cutting. Lashing out at others isn’t going to help them. But getting to talk to their father might.
Why Was Tyler MIA?
He was doing a stupid off-the-books thing, just like Penelope imagined he would be.
I missed his name (no CC on screeners), but a guy Tyler served with in Darfur is the money man for Gold Star. What did he know? That the blood is not on the government’s hands — this time.
Tyler went off-book last season and saved Rossi’s life as a result. He can’t get that lucky repeatedly.
This time, he was only messing with someone he knew and with a fake threat. If he pulls that trick again, he could discover himself in big trouble, with only Garcia to save him.
Because yes, Garcia would be able to track his phone and save him. He likely knows and counts on that, which is why he took the phone he snatched from his victim directly to her.
He got it illegally, but he knows that with her smarts, she can figure out a way for Emily to look at it anyway.
Who is Brian Garrity? Not Just Any Crackpot
“Homesick” introduced Brian Garrity, Emily’s former neighbor and a conspiracy theorist who vlogs about the Deep State.
In case you missed it, politically speaking, both the right and the left use the term “deep state” these days, and it usually suggests a a darker side to the government where the truth is kept from citizens and each other.
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If citizens or fellow government officials don’t know what you’re up to, then you’re not being transparent. And as we discussed above with Emily’s choice to keep JJ in the dark, these things don’t always (usually) end well.
Secrets breed contempt, and contempt breeds conspiracy theories. The thing is, a conspiracy theory today may be proven fact tomorrow. Or it may not. You never know, and that’s part of the problem.
Emily aimed to shut down Garrity’s vlogging because he was revealing truth and lies about Dark Star. Perhaps someone knew he had a connection to Prentiss and gave him info. We don’t know how it came about or why.
Emily Makes Another Bad Call
But after a visit with Prentiss in which she acted like Garrity was only a crackpot, a jump-scare-level camera click proved that he was not all wrong or he was in over his head.
Emily thought she was placating a nut, but there’s more to that story. Meeting him alone in an abandoned garage was another in what’s becoming a long line of poor decisions on her part.
Either he’s an incredible actor, or he had no idea someone was in the garage with them the first time they met. My gut says he’s that good.
That was borne out when Emily met with him a second time.
If The Moving Day Murders occurred because new renters were too busy to pay attention to who was coming and going, Emily tuned out the obvious because she was buying Garrity’s story and/or because she dismissed him as a kook.
Either way, it’s not a good look.
Were the Cops Real, or Did Garrity Pull Prentiss Further Into the Dark Star Mystery?
When three erstwhile thugs accosted Garrity, he went down like a sack of potatoes. How quickly they darted off got my spidy senses tingling, but Emily just ignored their behavior.
She also ignored the fact that an emergency vehicle couldn’t have made it to her location in the garage while she was still on the phone. Subsequently, she failed to ask for identification before placing her weapon on the ground and moving closer to them, hands raised.
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Were they the real deal? Unlikely. It’s impossible. If they are, it’s poor storytelling. They didn’t even sound like cops, nor did the person on the other side of the radio sound like a dispatcher.
Are they in cahoots with Garrity? Was Garrity tagged and told to finger Prentiss as he did? Something about this whole story is rotten to the core, but it’s unclear where it’s going.
But it does seem it will somehow collide with everything else. I just don’t know how.
What Were The Moving Day Murders?
Moving day brings to mind a fresh start, a new life. It’s exciting and hopeful. But you’re also in an unknown environment, so if someone wanted to hurt you, they could do it under your nose because you’re so busy you don’t take the time to verify people coming in and out.
Honestly, even if I knew where the fusebox was on the first night at a new place, it would be unlikely I’d get there in time to save myself from the likes of the Moving Day Killer.
The last victims, the ones who survived, had a generator, which gave them a heads up to danger, and they were also blessed to have the BAU on the way.
A generator won’t be enough to stop the most determined killer.
Over the Top Storytelling
While we’re discussing the Moving Day Murders, we need to discuss the ludicrousness of the BAU profiles. They guessed things exactly, down to a dual-mask killer. Really? Are we supposed to believe they get all of that from HVAC and cling wrap?
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I guess these profiles have always been a bit extreme in their accuracy, but with the new, longer timelines, they feel more out of place. There is more true drama at hand, so the silly stuff stands out as even sillier.
Humanizing the unsub with a sob story about being turned down for housing at all of the victim’s new residences was also a bit much.
He may be crazy, but the guy knows HVAC. Even if he couldn’t get accredited, he would be able to find a good job under the table. HVAC jobs pay very well.
Sometimes, a psychopath is just a psychopath; there isn’t always a need for a societal motive driving them to do bad things.
What are your thoughts on everything that went down in “Homesick”? Are you enjoying Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2?
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Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.