Ep 9. Gingerbread Man

In the ninth episode of season one of Battle Creek titled "Gingerbread Man," the residents of Battle Creek are slowly getting into the holiday spirit as Christmas approaches. As the festivities begin, the detectives at the Battle Creek Police Department are brought in to investigate a case of arson.

The episode commences with a mystery arsonist setting fire to multiple buildings in Battle Creek. All the buildings have been decorated for the holidays, and the arsonist has been leaving gingerbread men cookies at the crime scenes. The team quickly realizes this is not a coincidence and that the arsonist is purposely targeting the Christmas decorations and symbolism. With Christmas only a few days away, they must find the arsonist quickly as they fear he may attempt to escalate.

Milt (played by Josh Duhamel) and Russ (played by Dean Winters) begin to investigate the case, and their first lead stems from a local fireman who states that the pattern of the fires and gingerbread men is similar to an arson case ten years ago. They immediately track down the arsonist responsible for the crime, who admits he committed the act because he hated Christmas.

However, when new fires continue to start, the team realizes that the person they captured might not be the real arsonist, and there might be someone out there who is better at hiding their true identity and motives. Milt and Russ dig further and eventually find evidence to suggest that the crimes were committed by a group of copycats.

In the meantime, Holly (played by Aubrey Dollar) is trying to get into the Christmas spirit. Holly's young son Evan is visiting, and she's trying to make the most out of their time together. She decides to bring him in to work with her as she helps the team solve the case. Evan is ecstatic to be helping his mom, but Holly quickly discovers that he's not as happy as he lets on. Evan admits that he's struggling with his parents' recent divorce, and Holly tries to help him through this difficult time by including him in her life.

As the case comes to a close, the detective team, with the help of Holly and her son, are finally able to capture the real arsonist, and the people of Battle Creek are relieved to know that they can celebrate the holidays safely. The episode ends on a heartwarming note, with the detectives returning Holly's son to her after a memorable day of crime-solving.

Overall, "Gingerbread Man" is an exciting and suspenseful episode that showcases the holiday spirit while still maintaining the thrilling essence of the show. The episode provides a perfect contrast between the darkness of the arsonist's actions and the light of the Christmas holiday, making for a captivating viewing experience.