Criminal Minds – What kind of serial killer uses a gun?

I mean, come on! Talk about taking the easy road. What ever happened to getting your hands dirty? Or at least some creative thinking? In that respect, this serial killer was a definite disappointment.

And yet last night’s episode of Criminal Minds was an interesting development in the story of Hotch and The Reaper. It was a bit subtle, and I wouldn’t be surprised if people missed it, but I thought it was a strong move by the show to have The Reaper insinuate himself into an investigation into the current serial killer, at least enough to lead Hotch and Prentiss to spend all of their time tracking down a potential lead that never was.

This episode reached back in time to three cases that live in the annals of Criminal Minds history. The first is clearly that of The Reaper, an ongoing investigation that for now has forced Hotch out of the drivers seat at the BAU. The second was a throwback to season one of the show, and the case of “The Fox,” also known as Karl Arnold, the killer that Hotch and Prentiss went to visit in prison. Arnold was pertinent to the investigation both as a result of his own crimes, as well as because it seemed that the current killer was sending him communications through the mail.

The third is one that occurred to me, but that wasn’t referenced at all last night. That was the season three episode “Damaged,” the one where Rossi is chasing his demons, trying to put an old case of his, and its ghosts, to rest. The episode also found Hotch and Reid interviewing a serial killer who’d long been a case study for the BAU. If I remember correctly, the unique machinations of his mind were useful in the investigation that Rossi was heading up elsewhere.

I was brought back to that episode for a number of reasons. First, because I find it extremely interesting whenever we see our BAU team actually studying the mind of a killer. As opposed to trying to get inside their head from afar, as they generally must, these interviews allow our team of profilers to actively troll the twisted world-view that these killers use as a prism for filtering their interactions with the rest of us. It’s how profilers build their vast stores of knowledge, but it also makes for some thought-provoking, instead of the traditionally gruesome, viewing.

Second, because I wonder why Reid didn’t go with Hotch in this case. Yes, I know that Hotch had a reason for bringing Prentiss, and this isn’t to take away from her abilities as a profiler. But Reid is Reid, unmatched in this field as far as we can tell, and his unique perspective on the workings of the mind, culled both from his own hyper-genius as well as his mother’s mental illness, make him the most intuitive interviewer that the BAU has to offer. The fact that he’s afraid to go certain places, as evidenced by that interview back in season three, makes him all the more interesting. But alas, it was not to be.

But back to The Reaper. While it was a bit of a stretch, I enjoyed how, after weeks of his being out-of-sight, out-of-mind, The Reaper got some face-time with Hotch again, albeit through a third-party. He knew that Hotch would come running if he created the illusion that the current killer was communicating with one that the BAU had stopped. And he knew exactly who to match the killer with, to make it plausible that they’d have adoration for the old-timer. I’m not sure exactly what the message was, beyond “Remember me?” but it was a nice twist in the fabric of that plot, one that will continue to see activity in the weeks ahead.

I just hope Hotch makes sure to bring Reid with him next time in order to help read the signs.

FYI: The writer’s of Criminal Minds have nominated their top 16 unsubs of all time. See Wil Wheaton’s Floyd Hansen among the best, and vote for your favorite now!

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Nov 19, 2009 @ 10:00 EST5EDT