“No Way Out, Part II: The Evilution of Frank”

Keith Carradine’s return as Frank, the most prolific serial killer the FBI has ever encountered, should have been a cause for celebration. Frank’s first appearance was the series' peak, concentrating on performances above all else, with Carradine proving the perfect foil for Mandy Patinkin’s Gideon.

This time however, flashy direction gets in the way. Whereas the first episode benefited from keeping it simple, this one is full of rapid cuts, freeze frames, and skewed angles. Frank also loses his mystery, but then that’s an important element of the story and can’t be helped. Solving the mystery of Frank is how they catch him, yet at the same time it weakens him. His focus is on Gideon, not only killing a female friend but also tracking down the people he’s saved. Considering how many episodes start with the team flying somewhere it’s amazing how many Frank tracks down, well amazing or contrived depending on your outlook. Even though Gideon is Frank's nemesis, this time the two only encounter each other at the end of the story and it's a shame as they played off each other brilliantly the first time around.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad episode, it just falls short compared to Frank’s first appearance. Even Carradine, so menacing in that episode, is a little lacking, his performance too theatrical this time. He’s less real and more of a boogieman and it weakens both the character and the story.

Of course Frank’s story was only part of the episode, the rest concerned Section Chief Erin Strauss and her plan to remove Agent Hotchner as the BAU’s leader. Jayne Atkinson, late of 24, plays Strauss so she’s no doubt quite happy to have lined up some work for next season even if the plot thread does seem to come out of nowhere. Her spy within the team also feels a little forced, like the series creators felt the need for a cliffhanger just because everyone else does it. Hopefully the resolution won’t spoil this excellent series next season.