- Prentiss learns from an old friend, John Cooley, that their mutual friend, Matthew Benton, just died from a heart attack. Prentiss had not seen either man in several years, both for different reasons. John also mentions that Matthew thought he was going to be killed just like "Tommy V." In searching, Garcia does find someone matching that name in the area who recently died from dehydration. There are similarities between the two deaths but no medical rationale for tying the two together as murders. A third person in the area then dies in a similar way but again no medical indication of an unnatural death or rationale tying the death to the first two. However, Prentiss and Rossi, in particular within the team, are certain the three deaths are related and that they are indeed murders. They have to tread lightly and carefully since the families of the deceased refuse to speak to the FBI - especially Matthew's family who know, and do not like, Prentiss - and since there is no official case as the police have not sanctioned one. The investigation gets more complicated for the team when they find who they believe is the murderer.—Huggo
- An obsessive Catholic priest blames a small group of religious skeptics for the supposed murder of an old friend. He convinces the men's fundamentalist families that the men are demonically possessed. He then captures each man, ties him down to a bed, and subjects him to torture in the guise of an "exorcism" until each man dies of exhaustion. For Emily Prentiss the case is personal, because the first victim was her best friend during their teen years, and the only one who helped her get an abortion during her teen pregnancy. The problem is that the serial-killer priest has diplomatic immunity, due to his services for the Italian government.—Dimos I
- Ominous music. A stately brownstone. Shades of "The Da Vinci Code" as a man of God roams the dark hallways. He enters a room where a screaming man is tied to the bed. An exorcism? A murder? Both? It's too early to tell, which is why Emily is on the case. She meets an old friend named Johnny at a local bar. "It's about Matthew," the man says. "He's dead." Emily is CRUSHED. Johnny goes on to say that Matthew was "talking crazy" before his death, saying that "they" had already murdered a man from Georgetown.
Emily does a bit of research with Garcia's help. The man from Georgetown, Tommy V., was found dead of dehydration. A distraught Emily goes to see Hotch. "I just found out that an old friend of mine died," she says. "There's a chance he could have been murdered and there might be a second case." Sounds like a job for the BAU team. Emily and Derek visit the morgue to examine Matthew's body. The morgue attendant says that the victim showed signs of a longtime cocaine habit. Also, the body -- and the body of Tommy V. -- have ligature marks. Hotch and J.J., meanwhile, visit Matthew's parent, Tom and Andrea. Mom explains that her son's soul was "possessed by evil." Hotch raises an eyebrow then mentions Emily's name. "We'd like you to leave NOW," Andrea barks.
Back at headquarters, Emily explains that she met Tommy while on a trip to Rome and that his parents thought she was a "bad influence." We and Hotch suspect more, but are willing to let it go for now. Rossi notes that both victims came from religious backgrounds and suffered from mental illness. "You think these were exorcisms?" Derek asks. Perhaps. "It's possible the stress induced could cause a heart attack," Spencer says. Or dehydration, Emily notes. It's a theory. And one apparently worth exploring. Rossi goes to see Father Jimmy Davidson, an old friend. The padre says 400 to 500 exorcisms are performed a year -- conservatively counting. Would the good Father know if an exorcism had taken place in town? "Only if it were sanctioned," Jimmy explains. Alas, none had been sanctioned as of late.
CUT TO a man in a taxi. He hears voices. He exits in the cab in a panic and returns home to find the mysterious priest from the opening sequence sitting in the den. "Get out!" screams the panicked man. No dice. Three men emerge from the shadows and drag the man upstairs. All the while, the mystery Father prays. Creepy.
The team arrive at the most recent crime scene. The latest vic had recently made a religious pilgrimage to a church in Spain -- just like Matthew and Tommy V. We smell a connection. Emily isn't buying the latest case of death (brain aneurysm) and begins badgering the victim's fiancé for information. Derek hustles his coworker out. "We have to approach this just like any other case," he says. Emily doesn't take kindly to the advice. This one is personal, after all. Garcia arrives with news: One of the victims had recently started a group for people who felt betrayed by their faith. Also: a priest at the church in Spain died of a heart attack around the same time the three dead men visited. The autopsy says "heart attack" -- but many suspect that the priest was killed via some sort of gas or chemical. "Without an invitation from the police, I cant authorize an investigation," Hotch says. "This has to be kept quiet."
Rossi, meanwhile, invites Emily out for coffee. A romance? Hardly. He presses Emily, asking if she is hiding information. Before too long, she cracks. Emily admits that she became pregnant at 15 while in Rome and devout Matthew (not the father, by the way) took her to a doctor for an abortion against the commands of the church elders. "Matthew saved my life," Emily says. Unfortunately, the elders' reactions to Emily's condition led to Matthew questioning his faith -- and the boy soon started using drugs. "It's my fault that Matthew's life unraveled," she cries.
Rossi calls in Father Jimmy as well as a host of local clergy to run down the profile. Basically, the team is operating under the theory that priest is out to avenge the death of the Spanish padre who the victims might have had a hand in killing. "He believes he's fighting evil and may very well have followed these men here," Emily says of the unsub. Father Jimmy suggests that any priest performing three exorcisms in a matter of days would almost certainly need medical care. Garcia runs a check of Catholic hospitals in the area. Bingo! A Father Paul Silvano. Rossi, Emily and Spencer visit Silvano at the hospital. "I've been expecting you," the man says. Emily wastes little time in placing the man under arrest. There's only one small problem: He has diplomatic immunity. Silvano, who went to seminary with the Spanish priest, practically smirks. "Physical death is always sad, but now their souls are in heaven," he says of the victims. "For that, their families have peace."
Back at headquarters, J.J. explains that Silvano had a clean record before requesting a sabbatical four months ago -- right after the death of the Spanish priest. Silvano, under angry questioning from Emily, explains that the victims' families called upon him to rid their sons of evil. "I have never laid a hand on anyone with malice in my life," he says. Hotch enters: "Father, you're free to go." The man not only has immunity, but the families of the dead don't believe Silvano did anything wrong. Emily is apoplectic. "Take some time off," Hotch says. "I don't want to see you in the office for a few days."
Emily charges out and is intercepted by Rossi, who believes that Silvano has one more name on his "hit" list. The pair head to Matthew's parents' home. "At least let us warn the last family so they know what kind of choice they're facing," Emily tells Andrea and Tom. Says Andrea: "Father Paul explained that Matthew was conduit ... If you opened yourself up to him, you were in danger of being taken over." Rossi presses for the names of those people who visited Spain with Matthew. Who were the other conduits? A name emerges: Johnny.
Speaking of, Johnny enters his home to find Silvano waiting. Seconds later, Emily and Derek arrive on the scene -- and hear screaming! They rush upstairs to find Silvano in mid exorcism. Derek pulls Silvano from the room while Emily comforts her raving friend, who has been tied to the bed. Even better: Hotch has convinced the Italian government to rescind Silvano's diplomatic pass. "You've all just made the world a much more dangerous place," he says. The man truly believed he was doing God's work. Even Emily seems to wonder if he might not be as crazy as the team first thought.
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