Criminal Minds: Machismo

(S01E19) This wasn't the most engaging episode, but I really liked what it set up for the remainder of the season. I may be reading into it too much but I think we have a lot in store for Hotch before the season finale.

Before I get to that, may as well talk about the case a little. The team had to go to Mexico to help hunt down a rapist/murderer that the local authorities were convinced didn't even exist. But it worked out just fine because everyone they ran into from the lowliest village peasant to the District Attorney General was bi-lingual. That always makes it easy when you're trying to find a man dressed like a woman in a foreign country.

Yes, that's right. This spring's fashions for your average Mexican psychopath include bright floral prints and eye-captivating shades of hot pink lipstick. The team has a profile but getting the victims to come forward is tough because no one has any faith at all in the local police. So crimes go unreported and even if they are, the filing system isn't exactly top-notch either.

One thing really bugged me about this though. After they got a bunch of woman to tell their story, it took Gideon and the rest of the team until the end of the episode to make the connection with the murders. The elderly woman who were being killed were the mothers of the woman who had been raped. Obviously, the women knew this, but isn't this a simple connection to make? I understand that saving that for the end makes for a big dramatic ending but it didn't feel that way.

Enough with that, the case was mediocre. Let's talk about Hotch. Throughout this entire season, he's the only character that's been explored beyond just the job. We've met his brother, his wife, his sister-in-law, and his child. If I recall, I think the very first episode started with Hotch putting his baby to bed. This episode started with the celebration with Hotch's birthday. He had to leave for a meeting and ended up going all the way to Mexico, on his day off. His wife is not pleased.

Now the case in Mexico brought up some interesting points. Often times, people go over the edge because of a stressor like losing a job or a loved one. On top of that, as the show always does, the parting quote was a Mexican proverb: "The house does not rest upon the ground, but a woman." I'm calling it now, and who knows because I could be way off, but I think we're going to see Hotch visit some dark places before the season closes. It looks like his wife is going to leave him, that seems like a fair assumption.

This could lead to Hotch acting out of line. I'm not saying he goes on a killing spree, but I could definitely see him drinking himself stupid and getting into a serious bar fight. Maybe seriously injuring someone or himself. Just a general downward "my wife just left me" spiral. Something like that could really knock him out of the game, mess with his profiling skills. It would be a nice set-up for season two though: The return of Hotch. Am I talkin' crazy or does this have some merit? Let me know what you think.