Criminal Minds - Season 9, Episode 1 'The Inspiration' [Review + Recap]

Criminal Minds is back and we're in the Ninth Season, and we're kickstarting everyone with episode 1 'The Inspiration' which revolves around some crazy psychotic (MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT) twins! Oh the shock and horror. Yes, this episode concluded with it being announced than the cannibalistic, prey-mantis obsessed, woman-hating unsub is in fact two 'unsubs' - twins. And it appears the BAU have arrested the wrong one. It hasn't been revealed as to whether they committed their attacks in unison but there's still one walking around out there and if you have no idea what I'm talking about then it's probably best you stop reading now and go and watch the episode. No, really. 

The basic recap of the episode is as follows: good ol' Aaron Hotchner (following on from the death of Strauss) has been approached to be the new BAU section chief but Reid has his scepticism and fears Hotch will be unhappy with the desk job. JJ tries to re-assure Reid that the job would mean Hotch could spend more time with his son (after the death of Hotch's wife many seasons ago) and this would mean a lot to Hotch, even if he had to give up a job he loves. 

However, we all seem to know Hotch better than anyone else, and I very much doubt he'll be becoming the new section chief and leaving the team to fend for themselves. Also in the ep was the new 'unsub' who attacks, rapes and force feeds pieces of his dead ex-girlfriend's head to his victims and then shoots them through the heart. Christ, where do the writers come up with this stuff? After much pondering about the significance Reid successfully manages to deduce that the unsub has an unheatlhy attachment to the preying mantis and is mimicking it's behaviour by doing these things. The team also manage to DNA match the bits of old ex-girlfriend as a girl named Heather, who had harrassment issues from an ex-boyfriend in school named Wallace. 

They hunt Wallace down and break the news to his mother when she comes home to find them having broken down the door to her home. 'Wallace' then proceeds to go to work and force feed more bits of the old ex-girlfriend to unsuspecting patrons of the restaurant and hold them at gunpoint. Wallace has a psychotic trip when the 'ghost' of Heather keeps nagging at him in his head and shoots a security guard and flees (thankfully no one other than the security guard was injured). 

 
He is then later arrested by JJ and Morgan and Reid congratulates them on a job well done. However, on the flight back, Hotch gets a phonecall from the people fingerprinting Wallace and it is revealed that the fingerprints do not match those found in the restaurant, and we are transported to a convenience store where Wallace #2 is buying goods. Twin #2 then sees 'Wallace' has been arrested and flees the store with haste. (In the next episode it turns out that 'Wallace' isn't Wallace at all, but a guy called Jesse, and in fact Wallace is still at large - so Wallace = supposedly bad, Jesse = supposedly innocent.) So, with the 200th episode coming up, what surprises do you think are in store for viewers this season? Hopefully more on Garcia and JJ please! Do you think they will capture Twin #2 before he exacts his revenge on even more people? Will Reid ever stick with one hairstyle? Will Hotch become the new section chief (not likely if you ask us, but we can still discuss)? 

Reviewed by Mel.