Criminal Minds Recap 3/25/09 'House on Fire'

The team travels to Royal, Tennesee to investigate a series of arsons which have escalalated into killing, the death toll being at thirty-one killed in a movie theatre hours before the BAU arrives. To keep the investigation from turning into a witch hunt, Garcia is responsible for finding the link between the victims and finding suspects without raising suspicions. Garcia, who likes to see only the good in people, is horrified to find the things people are hiding. The third fire destroys a bar and kills only five people, but is found to be the most important fire because the victims were chained inside. Eventually, the investigation leads to a Tommy Wheeler, who disappeared after the town turns its back on him because of the realtionship he had with his sister, Tina, who's fiancee was killed in the bar fire. Tina has gone missing and the team finds pictures of Tommy hidden among her things, as well as an invitation to a Spring Fling dance years ago that her and Tommy had attended together. This is where Tommy has taken his sister, trying to convince her that they are soul mates and belong together. Although he threatens to burn the whole town down, the team talks Tommy into letting his sister go and he is arrested. The episode ends with a touching scene between Hotch and Garcia, who was afraid the former would be angry with her for 'digging'. Hotch tells her she did a great job and even called her 'Penelope'.

This epsisode finally gave us a treat of Morgan/Garcia, which has been seriously lacking lately. He called her "Miss Smart and Sexy" and she replied with, "Cupcake, you know how much I love you and our witty banter, but..." He also listened to her rant and said "I'm sorry, Sweetheart," when he had to give her bad news. There was also one other scene in which he called her "baby". Hopefully this will bring us closer to what the old days were like, with constant pet names and fun flirting.

All in all, a great episode. Next week is a repeat, and the next new episode will air April 9th.

~Bryn Elizabeth