I Am Scorpion!
Episode Title: "The Hypnotic Test" (Extended with SVU, Criminal Minds, and Chicago PD Crossovers)
TEASER
INT. SCORPION HQ – NIGHT
Walter O'Brien stands at the center of a dimly lit war room, surrounded by Paige, Sylvester, Happy, Toby, and Ralph. On the main screen, a headline from the Minneapolis Tribune reads:
"CIA PAID 'U' FOR HYPNOTIC TESTIC"
PAIGE (reading):
The University of Minnesota conducted CIA-funded hypnosis experiments in the 1950s. The documents mention research into anxiety, stress, memory, and the ability to recall complex arrangements of objects—all under the MK-ULTRA program.
WALTER:
The CIA used universities as cover for mind-control research. They deleted names, erased records, and paid off institutions to keep it quiet.
TOBY:
And now, after decades, the truth is leaking out. But who was really behind the experiments? And what did they discover?
SYLVESTER:
The university's files are gone. No digital trail, no paper trail. But someone wants us to find out what happened.
HAPPY:
Then let's do what we do best—dig up the truth, even if it's buried under fifty years of secrets.
ACT 1: THE MISSING FILES
INT. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA – ARCHIVES – DAY
Walter and Paige meet with Dr. Glen Brudvig, head of the medical archives. He's nervous, clutching a stack of redacted documents.
DR. BRUDVIG:
These are all we have. The CIA sent us about sixty pages—mostly correspondence, some experiment summaries. Names are blacked out. Most of our old files were destroyed or lost.
PAIGE:
But you received CIA funds for hypnosis research?
DR. BRUDVIG:
Yes, around $2,000 for biomedical research. We didn't know the full extent. The faculty involved are either gone or silent.
WALTER:
We need to know what happened to the test subjects. Did anyone report long-term effects?
DR. BRUDVIG:
There are rumors—students who dropped out, faculty who left suddenly. But nothing official.
ACT 2: THE HYPNOTIC TRAIL
INT. SCORPION HQ – TECH BAY – NIGHT
Sylvester and Penelope Garcia work side by side, the soft glow of monitors illuminating their faces. Penelope's colorful scarf drapes over the back of her chair, and a small framed photo of her and Sylvester from a recent outing sits on Sylvester's desk, a subtle reminder of their growing relationship.
GARCIA:
Here's something—one experiment tested how anxiety and stress affected susceptibility to hypnosis. Another looked at memory recall after hypnotic suggestion.
SYLVESTER (smiling):
And look—one subject, "J.R.," matches a student who disappeared in 1958. No graduation, no forwarding address.
GARCIA (playfully nudging him):
You're getting better at this. Just like when you helped me crack that encryption last week.
SYLVESTER (blushing slightly):
Well, I've got the best partner.
They share a warm glance before returning to their work.
HAPPY (calling from across the room):
If we find J.R., we find the missing link.
ACT 3: THE SURVIVOR (SVU CROSSOVER)
INT. NYPD – SVU SQUAD ROOM – DAY
Detective Olivia Benson (SVU) and Detective Amanda Rollins are reviewing cold cases involving memory loss and trauma in young women from the 1950s and 60s. Benson receives a call from Paige.
BENSON:
Scorpion? I've heard of you. You think your hypnosis case might connect to some of our victims?
PAIGE:
We have a survivor in Minnesota who describes symptoms similar to your Jane Does. We're sending you the files.
ROLLINS:
We'll cross-check with our old records. If there's a pattern, we'll find it.
ACT 4: THE INVESTIGATION DEEPENS (CRIMINAL MINDS & CHICAGO PD CROSSOVER)
INT. FBI – BAU CONFERENCE ROOM – DAY
Penelope Garcia video-conferences with Dr. Tara Lewis and Emily Prentiss from Criminal Minds. They analyze the psychological profiles of the original researchers and possible modern copycats.
PRENTISS:
If these experiments were replicated, the subjects could still be at risk. We'll run behavioral analysis on the faculty names you've recovered.
LEWIS:
And we'll alert local authorities in case any of the missing students resurface.
INT. CHICAGO PD – INTELLIGENCE UNIT – DAY
Detective Hailey Upton and Sergeant Hank Voight receive a BOLO from Scorpion and SVU about a potential living victim who may have relocated to Chicago.
UPTON:
If this woman's in our city, we'll find her.
VOIGHT:
Keep it quiet. If the CIA's involved, we don't want to spook anyone.
ACT 5: THE SURVIVOR FOUND
INT. SMALL MIDWESTERN TOWN – DAY
Paige, with support from SVU's Amanda Rollins and Chicago PD's Hailey Upton, tracks down Janet Richards, now in her eighties, living under a new name. She's cautious but agrees to talk.
JANET:
I was a freshman. They said it was a psychology study. I remember being hypnotized, told to forget certain things. Afterward, I lost time. I'd wake up in strange places, forget entire days.
ROLLINS:
Did you ever try to report it?
JANET:
I did, but no one believed me. They said I was imagining things.
UPTON:
You're not alone anymore. We're going to make sure your story is heard.
ACT 6: THE COVER-UP
INT. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA – ADMINISTRATION OFFICE – NIGHT
Walter and Happy confront Anthony Potami, director of research administration.
WALTER:
You signed off on the CIA's contract. Why delete the records?
POTAMI:
It was standard procedure. We didn't want classified research on campus. But some files vanished before we could even review them.
HAPPY:
Who took them?
POTAMI:
A man from Washington. No name, no badge. He said it was a matter of national security.
ACT 7: THE REVELATION
INT. SCORPION HQ – NIGHT
The team assembles the evidence: redacted files, Janet's testimony, and Potami's statement. SVU's Olivia Benson, Criminal Minds' Emily Prentiss, and Chicago PD's Hailey Upton join via video call as Walter presents their findings to a panel of journalists and university officials.
WALTER:
The CIA used the University of Minnesota as a front for mind-control experiments. They erased records, paid off the administration, and left the victims to pick up the pieces.
BENSON:
This isn't just history. It's a warning for every institution that thinks secrecy is protection.
PRENTISS:
We'll make sure the Bureau keeps this case open.
UPTON:
And we'll keep looking for more survivors.
PAIGE:
This is only the beginning.
ACT 8: THE AFTERMATH
INT. TV STUDIO – NIGHT
A news anchor reports on Scorpion's findings, with footage of SVU, BAU, and Chicago PD teams working together.
ANCHOR (TV):
Tonight, the Scorpion team, with help from NYPD Special Victims Unit, the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, and the Chicago PD Intelligence Unit, has uncovered new evidence of CIA-funded hypnosis experiments at the University of Minnesota. Survivors are coming forward, demanding accountability and transparency. The university has pledged a full investigation.
ACT 9: SYLVESTER & PENELOPE – A QUIET MOMENT
INT. SCORPION HQ – TECH BAY – LATE NIGHT
Sylvester is still at his desk, eyes tired but focused. Penelope approaches quietly, holding two cups of coffee. She sets one down beside him.
GARCIA:
Thought you might need a refill.
SYLVESTER (smiling):
Thanks, Penelope. I don't know what I'd do without you.
She sits on the edge of his desk, their closeness comfortable and familiar, the photo of them together in the background.
GARCIA:
We've been through a lot lately. But I'm glad we're in this together.
SYLVESTER:
Me too. It's… nice, having someone who understands.
They share a soft smile, the bond between them clear.
PAIGE (V.O., from earlier):
Sometimes, the truth is buried for a reason. But it's our job to dig it up—no matter how deep it goes.
END OF EPISODE