Plot

The team travels to upstate New York to investigate a series of mysterious disappearances.

In Syracuse, New York, twenty-five year old Molly Grandin has been missing for 24 hours. The BAU believe her disappearance mirrors that of Gail Langston, a woman found dead four months earlier. Besides the similarities in their lives - both older Syracuse University undergrads, both petite females, both from blue collar backgrounds - the actual disappearance is the same: their abandoned car found with an overnight bag packed for a several day excursion. If Gail's death holds true to Molly's situation, the BAU have thirty-six hours to find Molly before the unsub kills her. The team initially believe both Molly and Gail had a intimate relationship with the male unsub, until evidence points to the unsub being a woman, changing the unsub profile to a trusted female friend. The biggest obstacle in finding Molly may be both the Langston and Grandin families believing that guarding secrets may be more beneficial than telling the truth. Meanwhile, Prentiss gets in touch with another of her Interpol colleagues, Tsia Mosely, who eventually passes along some disturbing news.—Huggo

The BAU goes to Syracuse, New York, to save Molly Grandin who has been kidnapped and a female unsub has recently killed Gail Langston, her body was found in the river by police divers. The BAU soon learns that the female unsub is supposedly helping the women with their issues, but when she isn't satisfied with their progress, she injures and kills them. Meanwhile, Emily warns Tsia about Ian Doyle's escape from prison but she dismisses Emily's warning at first. Tsia calls Emily about her fiancé's death and she believes that Ian had something to do with Jermey's murder. Emily tells her former colleague Tsia to dispose of her phone, get a flight to the United States, and only use cash transactions.—dawsonpersi

Emily calls her old Interpol colleague Tsia, who hasn't answered calls from her old boss, Sean. "I don't work for him anymore," she says. "I'm out." Says Emily: "So is Doyle." Tsia is concerned, but assures Emily that "Lauren Reynolds is dead." Emily takes some comfort in the assertion. Clearly, Lauren was Emily's old cover when she was shacking up with Doyle. But BAU business soon intrudes: a missing person case. A woman in her 20s disappeared from a mall parking lot where a similarly aged woman went missing months prior. That first woman turned up dead 36 hours later -- so the BAU has to hustle.

On the plane ride to upstate New York, Ashley points out that both women are from blue-collar backgrounds. Both were shy. Both were students. Derek theorizes that the women might have been dating the unsub. The team gets a call from the ground: the local cops have brought in the missing girl's former boyfriend, Lyle. Turns out Lyle had been arrested TWICE for beating his ex lady friend, Molly. "She was seeing someone else," Lyle tells Rossi. "She changed -- the way that she dressed. She was going out to clubs." Later, Rossi interviews Molly's father, Jerry, who swears that he never hit his daughter --after the BAU agent implies that the woman's penchant for abusive men might have familial roots. Reid and Derek, in the meantime, visit the spot where the first victim's body was found: a lake. It all points to water burial, which is typical of female killers.

And wouldn't you know it? It appears as if there was another woman living in Molly's apartment -- even though the missing woman never mentioned a roommate to her father. "Whoever she was, she left recently and in a hurry," Emily notes. CUT to Molly who is tied to a chair. She appears to know her captor, Jane, who quickly grows angry when Molly balks at having a "girl's night" complete with popcorn and a Julia Roberts rom-com. "I want to help you fix yourself," says Jane, producing a giant hammer. She takes a mighty swing at Molly's right leg. Ouch.Back at Molly's apartment, Emily finds a diet journal. All of the writings point toward anorexia-bulimia. Oddly, the entries stop 10 weeks ago -- as does her spending habits on food. Had she found help? Rossi interviews the family of the murdered woman, who had long suffered from depression. Apparently, the woman acted strangely toward the end of her life, often repeating the mantra: "Today I do, tomorrow I will." The phrase was found written in Molly's apartment. Clearly, both women were undergoing the same strange "therapy" -- but administered by whom? Probably the unsub, Emily notes -- a "motivational speaker from hell."

Speaking of, Jane returns home to find that Molly has been out of bed despite her hobbled condition. Jane declares that it's time to "visualize." "Say it with me: today I do, tomorrow I will," Jane says. A frightened Molly repeats the phrase. The two then practice walking. "Where are you on your positivity spectrum?" Jane asks. "You're thinking about Lyle again, aren't you?!" Uh oh. Later, Rossi confronts Jerry, who had kept mum about his daughter's eating disorder. Demands Rossi: "I'm going to ask you again: what are the other secrets you're not sharing with me?!" Jerry breaks down, admitting that his daughter had been admitted in the past year to a clinic -- the same clinic that once housed the previous victim, as it turns out. An important connection has been made.

Back at police HQ, Emily gets a call from Tsia. Turns out that Tsia's fiancé has been murdered. "Get out there!" Emily urges. "Cash transactions only from here on out!" Tsia hangs up and gets going. Later, Garcia examines security camera footage from the clinic -- and discovers a large, younger woman trailing both the previous victim and Molly. It's the unsub, thought the BAU team does not yet know her name. CUT to Lyle, who reclines on a couch, drinks a beer and listens to Rush. The dude is in heaven. We then see Jane wander into the frame -- and give Lyle a big kiss. "We have a lot in common," she coos. Later, Lyle awakens with his arm handcuffed to the bed. He has apparently had sex with Jane. "I told Molly the truth about you a million times but she couldn't get it through her thick skull," says Jane, producing a video camera. "She's a visible learner, I guess."

Jane then heads upstairs where Molly is being kept and shows the young woman the footage of Lyle and Jane having sex. Molly is HORRIFIED (and so are we). "How low do you have to be to let a loser like that touch you?" Jane asks. A defiant Molly agrees -- and says that she is better than Lyle AND Jane. "You're a perfect match," says Molly, producing a sharpened stick she managed to hide under the mattress. Suddenly, an escaped Lyle BURSTS through the door. Alas, Jane gets the best of the disheveled man, repeatedly SLAMMING his head against the ground. Molly, meanwhile, races outside.

Back at police HQ, the BAU team has discovered that Lyle is missing. Garcia searches for property owners near the lake where the first body was found and comes up with a name: Jane Gould, who had been in and out of homes throughout her youth. The team matches a photo with the security-cam footage. Molly, in the meantime, limps out into the road -- and is RUN DOWN by a car. Jane emerges from the vehicle, smiling. CUT to Derek, Emily and Reid, who arrive at Jane's house to find a dead Lyle -- and nobody else. They head to the lake to find Jane holding Molly in the water. "Let her go!" Emily screams. "Move away from the girl!" Suddenly, Molly makes a break for it -- and two officers are able to drag a flailing Jane from the water. The young woman is saved.

Sometime later, Emily returns to the BAU office ... receives a text from an unidentified source. It reads: "See you soon."