Review Of Criminal Minds Episode 8.21 “Nanny Dearest”

Here is a review of Criminal Minds Episode 8.21 “Nanny Dearest” written by MatthewGrayGublerFans member Jasmine.

“Nanny Dearest” Episode 8×21
Written by Virgil Williams

“Children are educated by what the growing is, and not by his talk” Carl Young

 
“Nanny Dearest” is about a case that has followed the BAU for the past 6 years. The Unsub would kidnap a Nanny around the beginning of the month of May, leaving them to be found on May 13th somewhere in the area of Los Angeles. Being only a couple of weeks before May 13th, the BAU reopens the case, only in hopes to catch the unsub before a new Nanny is found dead.

The Unsub had a few signature M.O’s. One, taking the Nanny with the child at the same time, but leaving the child unharmed at a hospital or church 24 hrs. after the abduction. Secondly, burning the bodies with cigarettes, leaving holes all over the victims. Thirdly, drowning the Nannies finally in boiling water. And fourthly, leaving their bodies somewhere in Los Angeles (particularly Griffith Park) to be found on the exact date of May 13.

The information, though a lot, is not enough to catch the Unsub and JJ and Morgan must go to Seattle to convince the only surviving victim to try and recreate their memories of the incident and look for clues. She refuses to help them, the memories too hard to face, and with the confirmation of their doctor, they leave to join the rest of the team. Tara sees the parents of the missing child on the news (after JJ tells Hotch to make the press conference national) and decides to help the team.

Tara was put through a procedure that was new to the viewers called EMDR where the subject would look into a series of lights flashing back and forth in front of her connecting her brain’s memories and making her remember repressed memories. The treatment worked, making her remember another victim and the Unsub’s dog, giving them the clues to identify
him. We learned than the reason for his murders was that he was mistreated by his Nanny, and let his little sister drown in a
bathtub when he was a child. Once his childhood Nanny died, it triggered him to take it out on other Nannies since he didn’t
get his revenge on his own.

The episode remained entertaining throughout, especially when the Unsub decides to change things up when he does not return
Phoebe within his usual 24 hours. We have a scene before commercial where the Unsub fills the tub with water, and
carries the baby to the tub, leaving us traumatized by the thought that he may indeed drown the child in scalding water. Watching the Nanny being burned with cigarettes was also rather disturbing.

We were left with a sense of sadness for the Nanny and the child when we met the parents of Phoebe, knowing then that the little girl was asthmatic and the Nanny was a young woman without parents. Also when we saw the nanny begging the Unsub to help Phoebe with her asthma medication when he kept saying she doesn’t care also made me sad.

I have to make notice on one moment that I enjoyed. The Nanny finally had gotten to help Phoebe with her medication. It was heart warming and amazing to hear her sing this lullaby “a la nanita nana” while she gave her the medication. I heard this song once before and I found it to be just as beautiful. The moment to me was uplifting and sweet and it made me want to learn the song for my future children.

On another note, I was rather disappointed that Rossi’s one liners that we have been used to this season were absent in this episode, as well as Garcia and Morgan’s usual sexy banter. I was though, happy though that JJ had more facetime, this season seemingly have cut her onscreen time drastically. It was nice to see Will again as well as Henry, who was last seen dressed up as Reid for Halloween. Her scenes in the beginning and end were short and I’m hoping we do see more of a personal story from JJ in the future.

The episode was very well written and exciting, but I felt lacked the personal moments between the agents and even though was
a focus on JJ’s life, with the lack of storyline throughout the season, I felt it was missing a lot. Hopefully, the future will hold more story lines for JJ.

 

“Alone, all alone, nobody but nobody can make it out here alone” Maya Angelou
Jasmine (aka lintusflower)