It's been a while since Criminal Minds fans have been treated to a gut-punching story with a pretty cool twist in the end. Criminal Minds Season 9 Episode 9, "Strange Fruit," must be one of those precious episodes.

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At the get-go, it seems like a pretty no-brainer case. The BAU team is called to deal with a case where skeletons have been unearthed in a Virginia home. When the owners, the Johnson family, arrive home, their son Lyle immediately makes a run for it with Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) giving chase.

It's easy to assume that Lyle killed the two women who have been buried in the backyard for 10 years. But apparently, Criminal Minds Season 9 Episode 9 is aiming to treat its viewers to a story of deception, rage, hate, revenge, lies and (also figuratively) skeletons in the closet.

After a few more digging and identifying the skeletons in the Johnsons' yard, there are two crucial pieces of evidence that cleared Lyle: that telling scene where he cradles the picture of his girlfriend, who was one of the victims found, and that two more skeletons found were killed when Lyle was still 5 years old.

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That Ultimate Twist

Since there was no other person whom the murders might be blamed, you already know that the father was the only one who could have done it. From this point onwards, it was a battle of words and wit, with scenes and conversations with David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) pretty much painting the father as a very bad, hateful man.

Hints of racial discrimination and rage emerge, played very well in Criminal Minds Season 9 Episode 9, and one that has not been seen in other episodes.

After showing the father to be a psychopath, Criminal Minds delivers a twist in the end that brings back the nostalgic tone of the show, one that questions just why criminals kill in the first place.

You have to give it to Criminal Mind Season 9 Episode 9, as it has all the elements of past episodes: lack of gore-porn, full of mind games, and a twist that suspends your disbelief without even you knowing it.

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Inner Demons Revealed

It's not just the inner demons of the Johnson family that were revealed, as Criminal Minds Season 9 Episode 9 masterfully weaves a bit of Rossi's past into the mix. Apparently, even the respected BAU man has also given into bullying and racial discrimination during his childhood.

At the start of Criminal Minds Season 9 Episode 9, Esai Morales also makes a comeback as Section Chief Mateo Cruz after a few episodes of absence. Here he shares some moments with JJ (AJ Cook), and the tension about their secret is very, very palpable, to the point that JJ even dropped the "A" word by saying that some people are beginning to suspect that the two of them had an affair.

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The buildup towards the 200th episode, which will come during Criminal Minds Season 9 Episode 14, is really taking shape. Fans of AJ Cook, as well as Paget Brewster, should probably get ready for a very explosive and telling Criminal Minds 200th episode.

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