Despite the odd title, “Pig Butchering” defies initial impressions. On the surface the episode is about long-term investment fraud, but underneath, it is about Special Agent Sheryll Barnes’s struggles with grief management. The term “pig butchering” comes from the analogy of fattening a pig before slaughtering it, symbolizing how scammers “fatten up” their victims with small gains before ultimately taking everything.
The episode underscores the exploitation of trust and vulnerabilities by crypto scams, paralleling the emotional tolls of divorce and foster care experienced by Special Agent Sheryll Barnes and the missing children, Jessie and Shandie. The show doesn’t shy away from the complexities of these experiences, offering a raw and honest look at their challenges of moving on. For example, Barnes ends up clashing with her supervisor, Remy, which adds a layer of tension and drama, keeping viewers thinking about the future of their relationship. Meanwhile, the wild antics of a criminal duo, Carson and Denny Cobb (C and D), inject a sense of unpredictability and frenzy into the storyline. So, let’s get into it.
“Pig Butchering” – FBI: MOST WANTED, Pictured (L-R): Dylan McDermott as Supervisory Special Agent Remy Scott and Roxy Sternberg as Special Agent Sheryll Barnes. Photo: Mark Schafer/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
The episode opens with Sheryll and Hana moving furniture around Sheryll’s home. Astutely, Hana picks up that Sheryll may be a bit unmoored. Sheryll’s obsessive rearranging of her furniture and unwillingness to unpack her suitcase suggest she’s feeling unstable, detached, and disconnected. These unresolved feelings affect her performance when she returns to work the next day. Incidentally, Hana also shared feelings of insecurity and uncertainty regarding her often-absent love interest, the air marshal.
On her way to work, Sheryll receives a spam call. She immediately shuts the caller down by identifying herself as an FBI agent. Jessie, the caller, reveals that she and others are under duress and compelled to make these calls. Other than C and D, Jessie is unable to identify her captors or where she’s being held. However, the fear in the 17-year-old’s voice draws Sheryll in. She tells Remy about the caller, but he tells her to pass the case to another FBI team. Because she’s unmoored, she defies Remy’s order and recruits Hana to assist her in trying to find Jessie.
Sheryll and Hana trace the VPN account to Howard Merger, while C and D summon Jessie and the others to their office. Scolded for not making enough money, they slit the throat of a child to make an example of him. When the special agents arrive at Howard Merger’s house, he is washing something, possibly blood, from his shirt. They discover a similar substance in his car, which turns out to be soy sauce. C and D hired Merger to dispose of the boy’s body they killed. He accomplished this by placing the body in a suitcase in the dumpster behind a Chinese restaurant.
“Pig Butchering” – FBI: MOST WANTED, Pictured (L-R): Shantel VanSanten as Special Agent Nina Chase, Roxy Sternberg as Special Agent Sheryll Barnes, Dylan McDermott as Supervisory Special Agent Remy Scott, Keisha Castle-Hughes as Special Agent Hana Gibson, and Edwin Hodge as Special Agent Ray Cannon. Photo: Mark Schafer/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Sheryll and Hana agree that it’s time to call Remy. Remy and the team are now on the case, but lordy, he is unhappy about Sheryll and Hana going rogue. Sheryll tries to talk to him, but he shuts her down. He tells her, “”You got what YOU wanted. Remember that!”
Jessie makes several more calls to the FBI, her urgency growing with each call. For instance, she discloses that she interviewed at night because her best friend Shandie received $50 and a tote bag for recruiting others.
Jessica also discloses that someone shoved her into a van and blindfolded her. The team tracks down the van rental company. In a comic exchange, the rental company employee asks Ray how many convictions you can have and still be eligible for the FBI. He said none, and the guy was genuinely surprised by Ray’s response. Ray and Nina also managed to locate the tote bag’s printer. Miraculously, Carson shows up in the store at the same time. They pursue Carson into a diner, where he fatally shoots a server before fleeing. I find it particularly entertaining when the suspects, in each episode of FBI: Most Wanted, begin to kill indiscriminately. It’s bananas, and I’m here for it weekly.
“Pig Butchering” – FBI: MOST WANTED, Pictured (L-R): Shantel VanSanten as Special Agent Nina Chase and Edwin Hodge as Special Agent Ray Cannon. Photo: Mark Schafer/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Having committed two murders, Carson’s sense of disorientation is growing. He is determined to discover the mole who alerted the FBI. Shandie knows it’s Jessica, and Jessica begs her not to tell. Carson calls Shandie into the office and begins the beatdown. Jessica can’t bear the screams of her friend. Shots ring out as the Fugitive Task Force locates the building. Jessica confesses that she was the one who connected with an FBI agent on a pre-programmed call, and Carson shoots Shandie. The Task Force almost always prevails, leading to the quick dispatching of Carson and Denny.
Sheryll again asks Remy to stop and talk because how he’s acting around her “feels personal.” Sheryll appears to be seeking praise and affirmation from Remy to validate that they made the right decision because following her gut saved the lives of a bunch of kids. She was denied. Sheryll reminded Remy that the team helped him find his brother’s murderer. This just pissed Remy off more. Remy emphasized that he sought the team’s consent and assistance and that he has the authority to determine which assignments the team takes on. He concluded, “If you pull a stunt like this again, you’ll be dismissed from the team. ” Boom!
Remy’s reprimand helped Sheryll reckon with her situation. The show ended as it began with Sheryll and Hana. Sheryll confesses that her wife Charlotte broke her heart and that she misses her kids. She explains how she can’t unpack the suitcase because the loss would feel too final, too real. Sheryll even confessed to lying about meeting her parents for dinner. Her instincts were to be alone. Hana admitted to missing the smell of Ray’s oatmeal. The beautiful thing in a show replete with violence is the two friends reaching out for support as they pour the wine. Just like that, it’s girl’s night.
“Pig Butchering” – FBI: MOST WANTED, Pictured: Keisha Castle-Hughes as Special Agent Hana Gibson. Photo: Mark Schafer/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Overall, “Pig Butchering” is a compelling blend of emotional depth, strong character development, and exciting story turns. For me, however, the portrayal of strong, supportive women was both empowering and heartwarming. It’s a must-watch for anyone looking for TV that not only entertains but also resonates on a deeper emotional level.
Do you think Hana and Sheryll will become closer friends? Are Sheryll and Remy okay? What will their work relationship be like going forward?
Overall Rating:
8/10
Lynette Jones