CRIMINAL MINDS trailer

Post #3 - "A Family Affair"

On tonight's episode, as you can see from the title, it dealt with one very disturbed family. The victims in this case were escorts or prostitutes. They were brutally stabbed but then buried with $250. One noticeable but mysterious injury on the bodies was parallel bruising on both legs. As the viewer, in this episode, you are able to see the killer before he is caught. Surprisingly, the killer is actually a paralyzed man living with his parents. He was bound to a wheelchair after a car accident. The parents knew he killed women and they were the ones that actually found the women for him. They felt like it was their job to do anything they could to make him happy because they felt that his condition was their fault. His father was an alcoholic and was the driver in the crash that paralyzed the killer who was only 15 years old at the time. After the parents covered up for multiple murders their son committed it became too much for both of them. One night, the killer's physical therapist was invited to supper with the family. That night, the father took his own life by crashing his vehicle the same way his son was paralyzed. When he was found, he had a note placed on the passenger seat that said he was confessing to all of the murders and he said he was sorry. Meanwhile, back at the house the physical therapist runs into trouble and is held at gunpoint by the mother. Just in the nick of time, the BAU breaks down the door. The mother is shot and then her son is handcuffed.

When the Behavioral Analysis Unit was profiling this killer, one question arose. Why did he become so violent after his accident? Their first thought was that a particular part of his brain was damaged in the accident. To provide some background research here is a link to an interview discussing this matter. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128339306

Also, my next post will be a video trailer of Criminal Minds so everyone that doesn't watch can get a little peek of what it's about!

Post #2 - "A Thin Line"

On tonight's episode, the main topics were home invasions as well as political campaigns. The show started off with a family waking up in the middle of the night to find out that there was an invader in the house. One of the children was told to hide under her bed and call 911. While on the phone, the 911 operator ends up hearing their gruesome deaths. No one in the family survived. The mother, father, daughter, and baby were all shot and perished. These murders continue to happen and a political campaign is going on at the same time. The man that is running for mayor comes off as racist with his snide remarks about how he won't let gangsters or Mexicans take over his beloved city. In the end, it is discovered why the killer focuses on white middle class families. The killer was a victim of a home invasion when he was a child. His father and sister where murdered and his mother was left with permanent brain damage. The politician hired two black men to go kill the family. That way he could easily sell the house with his real estate business and base his campaign on making the city a better place to live. The man that the BAU caught was not emotionally stable by any means. He was just an easy asset to control. He was brainwashed into killing families and staging them too look like men of other races did it. It's purpose was to make the politician overcome with positive votes and win the election. Instead, it backfired and he was caught red handed.

While this particular criminal didn't have a specific mental disorder or condition there isn't really a topic of that nature to discuss. This show was basically just a brainwashing misfortune. However I felt like it would be a good idea to post a glossary on here so if followers to choose to watch the show they aren't confused but their frequent terminology. So here's the link. http://www.criminalmindsfanwiki.com/page/Criminal+Minds+Glossary. I can't wait until next weeks show!

Post #1, "Snake Eyes"

This past Wednesday, the Criminal Minds show that aired was called "Snake Eyes". In this particular episode, it involves a man who gambles excessively and associates killing with his winning streak. It is clear that this man, Curtis, is addicted to gambling. He began going to the casino after he lost his job for punching his boss. Once he began to win big he was unable to stop and would continue to gamble until he lost everything. Curtis snaps after his wife tells him she wants a divorce and he begins his killing streak. He feels compelled to kill because he believes he will win big afterwords. Curtis also carries with him an eight-ball whenever he gambles. The profile that the Behavioral Analysis Unit gives police helps them to understand that gamblers are associated with being superstitious and this particular gambler is focused on the number eight. In the end, Curtis holds his wife and sister-in-law hostage but the police convince him to let them go. After releasing them, Curtis repeatedly looks at the clock. When the hand strikes eight o'clock he says, "The house always wins", and kills himself.

When researching gambling characteristics, I found that there is a common factor in those that are obsessed with it. There is an action called 'chasing', where if one gambles and loses they are unable to quit: thinking they can win their losses back but essentially end up in deeper debt than before. Serious gamblers, like Curtis in the show, have a variety of irrational beliefs. Most believe that persistence will lead to winning more. An additional mental factor that hindered Curtis was created because of his relationship with his father. In the show, his father was an excessive gambler and a drunk as well. His father ending up leaving and it was apparent that it had a profound effect on his life.

I really enjoyed this particular show. It was interesting to see how serious and tragic gambling can be if one has an unstable mind. I definitely encourage others to watch Criminal Minds.