Minimal Loss

Emily and Spencer are taken hostage and Luke Perry guest stars. Read the BeeSight BeeCap to find out what else happened on the third episode of the fourth season of Criminal Minds and join in the discussion.

BeeCap

Emily Prentiss and Spencer Reid accompany Nancy Lunde (played by Karina Logue), a child protection agent, to a church compound after receiving a 911 call that a young girl was sexually abused. Emily tells them that when they get to the church, not to tell them that they are with the FBI, but just use their real names and say they are child experts.

They arrive at the church and are greeted by the pastor, Benjamin Cyrus (played by Luke Perry). Reid sees the solar panels and commends Cyrus for being self-sufficient.

Emily and Nancy talk to Jessie Evanson (played by Jenna Boyd) and her mother Kathy (played by Kathleen Wilhoite). Jessie says she's married to Cyrus, but since she's only 15, she had to have her mother's consent. Suddenly a group of men enter the room with guns saying that they were just tipped off by the media that there was going to be a raid. They ask Emily, Spencer and Nancy if they knew about it and they all respond no.

Swarms of police arrive at the compound. Cyrus herds the members into the basement as several armed men stay behind and fight. A shootout ensues. Despite Emily's warning, Nancy goes to try to talk to the police but is killed in the crossfire. Cyrus gets up on the roof and orders everyone to hold their fire. The shooting stops and the police leave.

The rest of the team is at the office when they see the news of the raid. Since they have members inside the church, the FBI takes the lead. JJ says she wasn't told about the raid and that the Attorney General lied to her so that he could use it for his re-election campaign. Garcia calls in with information about the church. She found out that the former pastor was a libertarian who was sent to jail for tax evasion and Cyrus took over his position.

When the rest of the team arrive at the scene, they send the Attorney General home and threaten him with a lawsuit for reckless endangerment. Hotch convinces David to be the head negotiator. David has reservations about taking control because of he can't be objective, but eventually decides to do it.

The recovery is set up as a minimal loss scenario, meaning every person out is a life saved. The team profile cults and decide their best bet is to get the followers out first. They know that cult leaders are charismatic sociopaths who don't want to be challenged so they decide to go in plain clothes, not in fatigues.

The team sees the news which says one of the child workers sent to the compound was killed. David calls Cyrus and is told that Nancy was killed. The team sighs guilty relief. Cyrus asks for supplies, so the team assemble a box with several bugs hiding inside. David delivers the box and sees Emily and Spencer. He asks Cyrus to release the children to which Cyrus responds 'remember Waco'. He tells David to tell the media he's not crazy, then David leaves.

The bugs work and the gang is able to hear what's going on inside the church. Cyrus has everyone assembled and pours wine for the congregation. He says they will all be closer to God since they drank the poison together. Emily notices that Jessie worships Cyrus and her mother keeps coming between them.

Back at the office, the team interviews the former pastor and finds out Cyrus' real name is Charles McGrew. He and his mother were members of the church, but the pastor kicked them out after receiving complaints that the then 17 year old Cyrus was molesting young girls. The pastor said the mother took Cyrus to Kentucky, but after Cyrus' mother died, he came back to the church claiming that he was a changed man and then took over. The former pastor tells them he'll do anything to get his ranch back.

Garcia finds out that Cyrus spent some time in prison in Kentucky for statutory rape. The team knows what happens to child molesters in prison and figure that Cyrus will do anything to not go back to jail. As the team prepares a statement for the press, a news report says an undercover FBI agent is inside the compound.

Cyrus asks Spencer and Emily which one is FBI. Emily says she is and Cyrus drags her off to a room by her hair, then beats her. Knowing the team can hear her, she says 'I can take it', meaning not to come in yet. Although they want to go in, the team realize they can't yet because it would put everyone in danger.

Kathy takes Emily to a room and cleans her up. She tells Emily she shouldn't have lied to Cyrus. Downstairs, Spencer tells Cyrus he didn't know that Emily was FBI. Spencer, knowing the team knows about Emily, convinces Cyrus to find out if the police are lying to him by offering to release a kid in exchange for the name of the FBI agent. When Cyrus releases a girl, David tells him Emily Prentiss is the FBI agent, satisfying Cyrus.

One of the church members tells Cyrus that some people are talking about leaving. Cyrus then assembles everyone together, reads off several names, then releases those people. Cyrus tells David he'll be ready to surrender in the morning and to have the news crews ready. Spencer says he knows Cyrus released all the people because they failed his test and he's looking for signs of things to come. David understands Spencer's words as a code saying they're almost out of time and need to come now.

The team decide 3 a.m. would be the best time for the raid because everybody's biorhythms will be slow. Hotch says they need to figure out a way to let Emily and Spencer know what time they're coming so they can be ready.

Emily, alone and tied up in a room, starts talking to the team, asking what time they're coming. She puts her shoe on the window to try to be spotted. Morgan sees her shoe and uses the laser on his gun to communicate with her. He flashes 3 dots for the time and Emily understands. Kathy then walks in and Emily tells her she knows she's the one who called 911. Kathy explains that she was worried about her daughter. Emily tells her the FBI is coming at 3 a.m. and she needs to get all of the children in the basement before they get there.

Spencer talks to Cyrus, who is setting up explosives in the church. Cyrus tells him he can leave, but Spencer says he thinks he wants to stay so he can tell the story.

Kathy goes to Jessie and tricks her into getting all the children in the basement. She then tells Emily all the kids are safe, but Spencer is in the church with Cyrus and they're setting up explosives.

Cyrus looks out the door and sees several trucks arriving. He realizes he was lied to and starts firing his gun in the air. His fellow member asks if they should set the bombs off, but Cyrus says to wait for the police to get closer.

A cop uses a flash bomb to get into the basement. All the children run to safety, but Jessie realizes she was lied to and runs back in. Morgan on his way to get Spencer, tells Kathy he'll get Jessie out. Officers go in the church and shoot Cyrus and his crew before they can detonate the explosives. Jessie walks in, sees Cyrus, then grabs the detonation device. The church blows up, but Spencer and Morgan make it out just in time.

On the plane, Emily approaches Spencer and tells him it's not his fault she was beaten up. They hold hands and smile.

BeeThoughts

I thought Luke Perry did a fantastic job as a cult leader. I enjoyed watching Reid make friends with Cyrus, very smart. I think Emily and Spencer might have bonded over being in such a dangerous situation together. I'm always amazed how Morgan escapes so many explosions.

- Kristine R.