Season One left us hanging with Elle Greenaway (Lola Glaudini) having been shot in her own home by the mysterious Fisher King. In "The Fisher King: Part 2," Elle survives, but becomes damaged goods after the incident, no longer trusting the team, especially Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) who she holds responsible for sending her home unaccompanied, essentially into the reticule of the Fisher King. Meanwhile, we get a glimpse into the life of Dr. Spencer Reed (Matthew Gray Gubler) when we meet his schizophrenic and institutionalized mother, who holds valuable information in finding the true identity of the Fisher King and rescuing the young girl he holds captive. Reed has clearly kept his mother and her condition a secret from the others, but its touching to see him open up to Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), the resident computer genius.
In "The Aftermath," Elle is later used as bait to catch a serial rapist, yet she snaps, murdering the rapist, then fleeing the team, never to be seen or heard from again. In "Lessons Learned," enter Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), Elle's replacement. She seems more "political appointee" than "earned position" as her mother is a foreign ambassador (and Kate Jackson, for crying out loud!) and she is just sort of inserted into the team. She tries hard to fit in, but struggles to find her place, eventually proving her worth as a competent member of the team.
The delectable Morgan (Shemar Moore) flies home to Chicago in "Profiler, Profiled" and it is here that we get a glimpse of his beloved mother and sisters and their home life. We also become privy to the startling information that Morgan was molested by a family friend and community leader, all of this coming to a head as he is arrested by a local cop using one of Gideon's profiles.
In "The Big Game" and "Revelations," a team of serial killers is tracked by the BAU, and as J.J. (A.J. Cook) and Spencer pair off to search a barn, they separate, Reed is kidnapped by one of the deranged killers and is subjected to torture and drugging. He then becomes a drug addict and fights to hide this addiction over several episodes. I actually found this plot point kind of annoying since Reed is a brain and should be smarter than to not seek help, but whatever.
Finally, in "No Way Out: The Evilution of Frank," the team encounters the most "prolific serial killer" ever in Frank (David Carradine), who picks his victims up, drugs them with Ketamine, carves them up like Christmas turkeys as they feel every slice, and then leaves their body parts in the desert. His very first victim, however, turns out to be Jane (Amy Madigan), the local crazy woman (no wonder she's crazy!), and the only person ever to survive a private meeting with Frank. Through Frank's twisted genius, he and Jane escape into the desert, only to return in the gripping season finale where Frank sets out to murder every victim that Gideon has ever saved. I thought this twist was brilliant because we see familiar faces taking us all the way back to the beginning of the season. This season finale is a roller-coaster ride as Gideon is accused of murdering an old friend, Hotchner is fighting to keep his job as the team crumbles, and Emily is enlisted by Hotchner's superior to get him out of the BAU.
The season perfectly sets you up for Season Three and comes packed with delightful special features such as "Profilers, Profiled" which runs down key info on each team member. My favorites included the Gag Reel and "Meet Kirsten Vangsness" who plays the hilarious fan favorite Garcia and she is just as terrific in real life as she is on the show. On a sad note, Season Two is essentially Mandy Patinkin's last season as he only shows up in the first two episodes of Season 3. Why does he keep doing this!
If you've seen Criminal Minds even once, you're probably hooked already, but if you've never given this stellar show a try, go out and buy Seasons One and Two and treat yourself to some of the best crime drama TV has to offer. You can put it on your shelf right next to CSI.
