Ep 9. Into the Woods

In season 6, episode 9 of Criminal Minds titled "Into the Woods," the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) team is called to investigate a series of murders in the backwoods of Virginia. The episode introduces a new member of the team, Ashley Seaver, a FBI cadet in the Behavioral Science field who is shadowing the BAU team as part of her training.

The team discovers that the killer is targeting families with young children and targeting them in their homes. He kidnaps the children, takes them into the woods and then releases them, giving them a huge advantage by knowing the terrain much better than the children, who quickly get lost. The killer then hunts them down and kills the children, while taunting their parents with pictures via text message.

The BAU team identifies the killer as Gordon Ramirez, a former Marine with PTSD who served in Afghanistan, and is now living and working as an exterminator in the area. They believe that his PTSD has led him to reenact his experiences in Afghanistan and that he considers the children to be his enemy. The team discovers that Ramirez has a cabin in the woods that he has turned into a hideout and they set up a base camp nearby.

The team splits up and sets up camp outside Ramirez's cabin without being seen, while Ashley goes undercover as a potential victim. Meanwhile, a local family who had been targeted previously by Ramirez contacts the police with information about Ramirez's cabin. The team manages to intercept the text message containing a picture from Ramirez and use it to locate the cabin. Ashley manages to get close enough to Ramirez to trigger his PTSD, which causes him to lose focus and allows the team to take him down.

Throughout the episode, Ashley struggles with being in the field and comes across as inexperienced and scared, but shows determination to succeed. As the episode progresses, the team comes to realize that she has a lot of potential and that she is a good fit for the BAU. By the end of the episode, the team accepts Ashley as a member of their team.

The episode deals with a number of complex issues, including PTSD, the concept of revenge and the effects of combat on soldiers returning home. The show also emphasizes the importance of working together as a team and the need for individuals to overcome their fears and limitations in order to achieve their goals.

Overall, Into the Woods is a suspenseful and engaging episode of Criminal Minds that explores complex themes and introduces a new member to the BAU team. Viewers are sure to be on the edge of their seats as they watch the team race to catch Ramirez and save the lives of innocent children.