Okay, here is a SPOILER. Read this ONLY if you want to find out what happens in tonight's episode. West Coasters might want to wait to watch it. Either way, have plenty of Kleenex ready.
I suppose I could have summed it up in two sentences. But, if you love the show like I do, it would be a great injustice as it would lose a lot. You'll know what I mean after you read below. . .
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You know then that Hotch's wife, Hayley & son are in hiding, in FBI protective custody, from the Reaper.
Meanwhile Hotch and the team found out where the Reapers hideout was. They were minutes away from catching him, when he found out and escaped.
At the Reapers home, the Hotch & the Team had learned that somehow, the Reaper had found out who the U.S. Marshall security guy was who was personally assigned to protect Hayley & their son, Jack.
Hotch rushed over to find the U.S. Marshall had been shot in several places and torture-stabbed, Reaper-style
, to keep him alive while he tried to get Hayley & Jack's hideout location.
Even though he was viciously tortured, the U.S. Marshall never gave up her whereabouts. That's when the Reaper figured the Marshall would have her phone number somewhere on his cell phone.
He was able to get through to Hayley. He told her that her U.S. Marshall guy was dead & that Hotch was dead too. (So she wouldn't call him.) He told her he had been assigned to her now and wanted her to wait for him somewhere, so he could then go get her & Jack. Then he took the U.S. Marshall's cellphone with him.
Hotch called that cell phone. He was talking to the Reaper on the phone when Hayley called the Reaper to tell him she was waiting at the location he told then to go to. He was able to figure out that the Reaper had her go back to their own home. He had set it up all along. To kill those Hotch loves, in his very own home.
The Reaper allowed Hayley to call Hotch on the speaker phone. She realized right away she & Jack were with the Reaper. Jack doesn't really react, but he knew something was wrong by her reaction.
Hotch said over the speakerphone, "Jack, work the case with me." The little kid stood up, went over to the phone and said, "Daddy is this guy a bad guy?"
Hotch said "Yes.
I need you to work the case with me. Give Mommy a big hug first."
Jack gave Hayley a big, huge hug.
Then said, "Okay, Daddy. I'm working the case now," and calmly walked out of the room.
The Reaper let him go, as he needed to kill Hayley first with Hotch listening. He shoots her several times. Hotch just drops the phone & is
Hotch finally makes it home. He sees a trail of blood and finally finds Hayley lying on the floor. He and the Reaper get into a HUGE, long struggle. The Reaper threatens to kill Hotch then find & kill his son, too, after he's dead. That's when Hotch totally loses it. He ends up viciously pummeling the Reaper to death for all he did to Hayley, himself, when he was tortured, the U.S. Marshall, and to make sure his son will remain safe.
Morgan & the team show up as the Reaper's head must be a bloody pulp. There's blood all over Hotch from him. Morgan didn't even have to do a pulse check when he was pulling Hotch off; he told Hotch the Reaper was dead.
Hotch immediately runs into another room. There is a flashback to a time when his son made a hiding place in the room. Hotch was working in the room at the time & happened to hear him hiding. He takes a peek. Little Jack says, "Daddy, I'm working the case with you!" Flashback fades.
Hotch goes to the hiding spot, finds little Jack is all right.
But, Hayley had died, almost instantly from one of the shots.
In an FBI hearing, Hotch's actions are exonerated. He was considered justified for his actions in killing the Reaper.