Criminal Minds Episode 14 Recap: When You Stare Into The Abyss

I usually dont recap the show but it's the 200th episode so that's a special occasion. I've watched lots of episodes of "Criminal Minds" since, like "Law and Order", it's always in reruns somewhere.

Episode 14 of season 9 is aptly named "200". It's second part of a two parter which left off last week with JJ being kidnapped. The team learns that JJ along with Section Chief Mateo Cruz (and Strauss) had secretly worked with the State Department in Afghanistan to find Bin Lauden back in 2010. Now someone has taken both of them to in the hopes of accessing a database codenamed "Integrity". They believe a double agent is behind this but they dont know who he/she is. The BAU enlists Emily Prentiss to help find JJ. She immediately returns from the UK to assist.

It is revealed through flashbacks that JJ was pregnant while in Afghanistan but lost her baby when their convo was attacked. One of the interrogators from their team (Tivon Askari) is part of the group that later abducts JJ and Cruz.

The team keeps trying to find clues to help them locate JJ but they're shut down by the State Department at every turn. Nothing like risking your life fir a government that just thinks you're collateral damage.

Much of the episode was spent hinting that Cruz was the mole when he was not (it was actually Michael Hastings who was working with Askari). I also had an issue with JJ giving up her code. I know that set off a secret alarm that helped the BAU find her but the first rule is NEVER give up your info or you are DEAD. That made her seem weak to me. I wish the writers had instead set it up so she acted like she gave the code but it never really gave the baddies access.

Other thoughts:

The "blackbird" code was a nice touch. That's something only Emily and JJ knew about.
I still laugh when Garcia has access to any INFORMATION IN THE WORLD thanks her trusty laptop. You just have to suspend belief on that one if you're going to enjoy the show. Otherwise it will drive you crazy. No, not everything in the world is on the internet or accessible through the internet.
I'm sure the Jemily shippers will be happy about the return of Prentiss as well.

"When you stare into the abyss the abyss stares back at you"-Friedrich Nietzsche

Grade: 4 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). An excellent episode which looked and felt like a movie. Season 9 of "Criminal Minds" ends on March 19th.