I just want to preface this by saying that I don't care for Gideon as a character nor do I particularly like the first few seasons of Criminal Minds so proceed with caution. Plot Summary In the first episode, we are introduced to several--but not all--members of the BAU team, with the focus being on Gideon, the head of the team. We learn that Gideon has been on medical leave for some time, most likely due to the PTSD he suffers after a previous criminal investigation ended with several members of the BAU dead (though none of the main team characters). We also learn how to the team actually analyzes the criminals they are attempting to catch, with Gideon being shown as the best of his team, despite suffering from PTSD and being under evaluation and monitoring by another member of his team, Aaron Hotchner. Click "Read More" at the bottom of the post to read the full plot summary! Acting: 15/20 For the most part, the acting in this episode was on par and believable. I only disliked the acting of one of the two criminals and Gideon. The criminal I disliked I will discuss later. Gideon, I found, wasn't very believable as a PTSD sufferer. However, that may be shown better as the show continues on and we're able to see more symptoms. Criminal Character(s): 12/20 There were to unidentified subjects--or unsubs-- in this episode and I believe that the first one, Slessman, is the most developed and interesting of the two. He seems to have the most believable motivation, the most interesting backstory, and the most believability. It seems that his character was given thought while, Vogel, the second criminal, was not. His only motivation for killing was his incompetent penis. So, the score is due to the fact that I feel Slessman carried this duo and this episode. Dialogue: 10/20 Although I love the fact that Criminal Minds open and closes with a quote, this episode included four total quotes, which is a bit excessive to me. I think the creators realize this later on and that's when it's limited down to two. I believe that this episode could have been filled with more useful dialogue in place of the two extra quotes. I would have liked to see more interactions between the members of the BAU, or better dialogue to demonstrate who these characters are. I think the dialogue only barely showed their personalities. In fact, I think Reid's personality is shown the best in this episode with his dialogue. Main Character Development: 15/20 Although I don't care for Gideon, I rated this category so well because I believe the first episode demonstrates just enough that Gideon is damaged to have me questioning what has happened to him in the past. The episode also does a pretty good job demonstrating his personality and his skill set in the many scenes he's in. His skills and confidence are shown in both his scene teaching his class and in delivering the profile of the unsub later in the episode. There is also just enough dialogue between Gideon and other characters to leave little hints of what has happened to him and leave me wanting more of his story. Plot: 12/20 To me this episode is eh. I can live without it. I don't think the writers picked a very interesting first case, main character focus, believable or interesting criminal (Vogel), or a believable victim. I felt more towards the elderly grandmother in this episode than I did towards the victim. Also, not really plot related, but the sound quality of this episode is on the poorer side during some parts, especially when the victim is screaming on the dock in the shipyard, there's a very obvious and loud tinny ringback. The most interesting part of this episode to me was the cliffhanger ending. Conclusion and overall total: 64/100 If this were an exam, the first episode of Criminal Minds would have just made a D. She needs to go back and study her material, maybe email her teacher and ask for a retest or schedule an appointment during the professor's office hours. Remember to take my thoughts with a grain of salt though, as I warned at the beginning. - Maddie I agree with Maddie that this episode lacks the luster that many Criminal Minds episodes do have. That said, it is the first episode, and they're trying to cram a ridiculous amount of plot and character development into one forty-five minute segment. It's fast-paced and entertaining, and does provide some insight on the main characters. I personally LOVE Gideon, but agree that his having PTSD is weirdly acted throughout both this episode and the following one (not sure if this is acting, directing or writing). Finally, the criminals aren't incredibly interesting. You can argue that they're original, but only in the sense that they are literally the first criminals we see on this epic show. Over all, a fun watch, but nothing groundbreaking. - Mac FULL PLOT SUMMARY
A woman named Heather Woodland in her office at work, messaging someone whose screen name is Z4SALE about a car he’s selling. Heather asks why the price is so low, and Z4SALE says he’s moving and needs to sell the care fast. They agree to meet for a test drive. The drive goes well, later Heather and Z4SALE get out to inspect the hood of the car. Heather gets in the passenger side of the car, and when she’s not looking, Z4SALE maneuvers the car door locks so that they can’t be adjusted. The music shifts abruptly as Z4SALE speeds off with Heather in the car. Heather hasn’t yet noticed that anything is wrong, she asks Z4SALE to drop her off, and tries again when he passes a turn she indicated. When he still ignores her, she tries the locks and can’t reach them. Z4SALE then punches her and the scene fades out. What follows are a series of introductory scene, introducing the main characters of Criminal Minds. The next scene opens on the home bedroom of Supervisory Special Agent at the FBI's Behavioral Anaylsis Unit, Aaron Hotchner ("Hotch"). Hotch isis speaking to his pregnant wife Hayley about baby names. Hotch is poo-pooing every name she suggests, until she finally suggests the name Gideon, stating that it means "Mighty Warrior" in Hebrew. The conversation stops abruptly when Hotch receives a fax from headquarters. We see a brief glimpse of the fax, see that is has Heather’s face on it. Next we meet Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan (HOT) who is flirting with three female FBI recruits and doing shots in a bar. Morgan gets a call from BAU, and one of the unnamed recruits says: “Wow, BAU. You work with Gideon? Were you in Boston?” Morgan says: “I was supposed to be”. This is the second time we’re hearing about Gideon! The scene changes, we’re now looking at slide show of disturbing pictures. Pictures of faces, which are implied to be dead. We hear a male voice ask: “Does anyone recognize these faces?”. A female voice responds: “Victims of the Footpath killer”. We meet the actual Gideon, who is shown to be teaching a class on profiling. He mentions that he told the police that he believes the Footpath killer has a stutter based on the characteristics of the killer's crimes. His class is interrupted by Special Agent Spencer Reid (HOT). Reid informs Gideon about the Seattle Strangler, who we learn is the man who abducted Heather at the beginning of the show. Reid tells Gideon that the Seattle Strangler has killed four women in four months, and that he keeps them alive and tortures them for seven days. Seattle PD is unable to solve the crime because there is no physical evidence. Gideon tells Reid that he will look the case over and get back to Reid with some thoughts, at this point they've reached what looks to be Gideon's office on campus. Hotch and Morgan enter the office, and Hotch tells Gideon that he wants Gideon in the field with the rest of the team working the Seattle Strangler case. Morgan hands Gideon a picture of Heather, informing him that the Strangler has struck again. Morgan states that if the strangler keeps to his pattern, they have 36 hours left to find Heather alive. Hotch then tells Gideon that before she left for lunch (to meet the killer), Heather downloaded an email with an attachment. The attachment had a virus that wiped her computer, but left an eerie message on the screen: “For heavens sake catch me before I kill more I cannot control myself” repeated over and over again. We learn that this is the same message that was found at a previous unrelated crime scene that the BAU was involved in, specifically Agent Gideon. Gideon even has a picture hanging on the wall where these same words are pictured, written in blood above a bed. This implies that the killer must have some knowledge of Gideon.* Gideon confirms that “they” (FBI management) want him back, and Hotch says that the request came down from headquarters. The scene changes, the team arrives at an airport to catch what we will learn in their private jet to Seattle. Hotch is taking to a woman (must be a supervisor, but she's unnamed and we don't ever see her again) who states that she wants to be sure that Hotch can step in if Gideon can’t handle the pressure. Aboard the plane, Reid, Morgan, Hotch and Gideon discuss the strangler’s past victims. The killer’s first victim Melissa Kirsch was strangled and then stabbed, which the team decides was overkill and unnecessary. Gideon asks Reid why he believes the killer started using the belt with his second murder, Reid posits that it’s because manual strangulation must’ve taken the killer too long. Manual strangulation taking too long is likely why the killer stabbed Melissa after attempting to strangle her. Learning that the blood was too hard to clean up, he switched to a method of using a belt to strangle his victims instead. Gideon states that the killer “is learning and perfecting his scenario- becoming a better killer.” We flash to an eerie scene- Heather locked in a cage with tape covering her eyes and a gag covering her mouth. We learn that this is where she’s being held captive. She touches the tape on her face as if to remove it, and the killer punishes her saying “what did I tell you about the tape”, and cuts her fingernails off of her hands. The BAU arrive at the Seattle police station**. Morgan and Reid discuss Gideon’s mental health, Morgan finds it odd that Gideon never stands with his back to a window. Reid says that it’s hyper-vigilance, common symptom of PTSD. Morgan shows concern for the amount of duress Gideon is under. Hotch overhears this conversation and essentially tells Morgan to fuck off. Hotch introduces the team to the Seattle detectives. We learn that Morgan is an expert on obsessional crimes, and that Reid is an expert on pretty much everything (we learn later that he has three PHDs and a high IQ). Hotch initially introduces Reid as “special agent Reid” but Gideon corrects him and says “Dr. Reid”. Hotch also makes the comment “And after two years busting my butt in this office I hope you remember me” insinuating that he used to work in Seattle (see footnote**). Hotch, Gideon, Morgan and Reid discuss how the killer transports his victims in a car, Reid noting that “1 in 7.4 drivers in Seattle drives an SUV”. We learn the name of the second victim is Anne Cushing, the third Amy Haberland, and the fourth Sondra Watts. They discuss the make and model of the car that the killer could be driving. We learn that the FBI got involved in the Seattle Strangler case after the fourth body (Sondra Watts) was dumped out of state, insinuating that the killer:
Hotch and Reid meet with Heather’s brother and dog Sandy in Heather’s home. After learning the Reid is a doctor, Heather's brother remarks that Reid looks too young to have gone to medical school. Reid checks him, tells him that he has three PHDs. He also has an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, and can read 20,000 words per minute. Heather’s brother remarks that Sandy hasn’t been eating lately, almost as if she knows that Heather is missing. Reid says some science shit that explains that the dog can sense his stress and that’s why she’s not eating. Reid notices pamphlets advertising cars, asks her brother if she drives a Dodge Datsun Z (which is, to my shock, a real car). Her brother says she doesn’t drive one, but she’s looking to purchase one. Reid concludes that Heather was likely abducted by someone pretending to sell a Doge Datsun Z. Back at the station. The boys are there discussing the killer’s mental state. The killer seems both overly paranoid (layer after layer of duct tape covering victims eyes) and then careless (dumping body out in the open). Gideon tells Hotch that they are ready to deliver the profile. Morgan is aghast. Gideon presents his profile. The key points of the profile: 1. White 2. Late 20’s 3. Someone who blends in to any crowd. 4. A previous criminal record, petty crimes. 5. He’s an organized killer. 6. Follows the news, has good hygiene, is smart. 7. The murders have all involved rape, but rape without penetration- piquerism. 8. History of paranoia stemming from a childhood trauma. 9. Now the subject feels persecuted and watched. 10. Organized killers have a fascination with law enforcement. They will inject themselves into the investigation, will even come forward to see what the police really know. Gideon states that the Seattle PD have already interviewed the killer. Cut to a woman walking alone in a suburban neighborhood. She approaches a house and knocks on the door, greeted by an old woman. She states that she is house sitting down the street, and when she got back the lights were not on and the door was wide open, she asks if there’s anybody able to take a look inside with her. A man named Richard Slessman (grandson to the woman who opened the door) accompanies her back to the house. This turns out to be a sting operation to catch Slessman, who the BAU believe to be the Seattle Strangler. The woman is actually Elle Greenaway, an FBI agent. The boys look around Slessman residence and can’t find any sign of Heather. Elle confirms Gideon’s hunch about childhood trauma, Slessman’s mother died in a fire when he was thirteen. he’s from the sex crimes unit, states that she believes that Slessman is an anger-excitation rapist. Elle agrees to let Hotch lead the investigation. She asks Morgan for advice landing the opening at BAU. Gideon and Hotch find Slessman’s Jeep, but are confused because Slessman doesn’t have any defensive marks (from Heather) on him. Upstairs, Morgan inspects Slessman’s room, which he says is markedly a boy’s room, not a man’s. Seattle PD tries to unlock Slessman’s computer, but a false password locks the computer. There are six password attempts left before the hard drive is wiped. Reid finds a complex Chinese Board game called Go, Reid believes that Slessman has been playing himself, proving that Slessman is a very smart individual. Reid also believes that Go provides insight into Slessman’s personality, because Go has specific player types. Slessman is an extreme aggressor. Morgan is assigned the task of trying to crack the laptop password. Gideon discovers a newspaper clipping about the explosion in Boston inside one of Slessman’s books: “Journal of Applied Criminal Psychology”. Gideon realizes that Slessman is obsessed with him (implying that this obsession was the reason the virus on Heather's computer spelled out the phrase from a previous crime scene). Gideon sits down to talk to Slessman, the killer tells Gideon that he has multiple personality disorder, but Gideon does not buy it. Slessman asks why Gideon kept attempting to restate his friend [in Boston] even though CPR outside of hospitals have a 93% certainty of dying***. Slessman denies knowledge of Heather Woodlan’s whereabouts. Hotch checks in with Gideon in regards to his mental state. Gideon is bothered by the conflicts in the profile of the Seattle Strangler as they relate to Slessman. Slessman’s behavior interacting with Gideon during this conversation leads Gideon to believe that he must have a partner because he is too submissive. He also determines that Heather is still alive based off of the tenses Slessman used when discussing Heather ("isn't she" as opposed to "she was"). Elle, Hotch and Gideon discuss their experiences investigation criminal partnerships.. Slessman is smart, but a submissive personality. They believe that the dominant personality is the one in charge. Working off this notion, Hotchner meets with Slessman’s grandmother and ask her if Slessman has any friends. Grandma at first says that Slessman has no friends, but then mentions that there might have been a friend named Charles or Charlie. Gideon and Elle find out that Slessman’s cell mate in Casscadia Prison was named Charles. Morgan calls Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia at Quantico for assistance. She answers the phone: “Office of Supreme Genius". Morgan asks her for help cracking the password program on Slessman’s computer, Garcia tells him it’s impossible to crack by brute force, he’ll have to figure out the password himself. Using, ya know, profiling. Morgan finds pills in Slessman’s bathroom cabinent, noting that they’re for insomnia. Morgan determines that Slessman has an obsession with music, asks FBI agents to help him sort through the CDs to find which ones are most commonly played, believing that it may offer insight into the password on his computer. Reid speaks to Hotch about Gideon’s evaluation, he’s also located an address for Slessman's ex-cellmate Charles, who is now deceased from a car accident. Reid asks Hotch if he knows why Gideon always insists on introducing him as “Dr. Reid”. Hotch responds: “Because he knows that people see you as a kid, and he wants to make sure that they respect you”. Reid then goes to help Morgan sort through the CDs at Slessman’s house. Gideon and Elle visit the prison and speak to Tim Vogel, the security guard of Slessman’s cell block. Vogel speaks to Gideon and Elle about being a security guard and protecting prisoners. His aggressive demeanor and attitude leads both Elle and Gideon to believe that he is the dominant half of the partnership that they’ve been looking for. They also notice that he has a Dodge Datsun Z key on his key ring. Elle and Gideon follow Vogel’s car after he completes his shift at the prison. Hotch has Slessman in interrogation, lowers the room temp to put him on edge. He also asks Seattle PD officers to fill empty file containers with paper to make them look like they’re full of information on Vogel. Hotch then confronts Slessman, makes him think that the FBI has been following Vogel for four months. Back at Slessman’s home, Reid and Morgan find a Metallica CD out of Slessman’s computer. Morgan is able to figure out that the computer password is “Enter Sandman”. Back at Seattle PD, Hotch interrogates Slessman about Vogel. He does not get anywhere. Gideon and Elle follow Vogel, but Elle has misgivings, Vogel is being too careful of a driver. Gideon and Elle stop Vogel’s car, only to find that Vogel has switched cars with a coworker. Morgan calls Gideon, having been able to crack the code on Slessman’s computer. The computer hosts a live video feed of Heather, confirming the team’s suspicion that she is alive. Reid and Morgan determine that Heather is likely on a boat based off of the footage. Hotch confronts Slessman with this information, telling him that Vogel has turned on Slessman. Slessmen then tells Hotch the name of the shipyard where Heather is- Allied Shipyard. Vogel arrives on his boat and attempts to kill Heather, but she escapes and starts screaming. At the same time, Gideon and Elle arrive at Allied Shipyard and converge on the scene. Vogel pulls a gun on Heather as Gideon pulls a gun on him. Unbeknownst to Vogel, Elle is hidden, her gun trained on Vogel. Gideon distracts Vogel and frustrates him, until he shoots Gideon. Elle shoots Vogel, and it’s revealed that Gideon was wearing a bullet proof vest. Hotch discusses the fact that Hayley wants to name their child Gideon with Morgan. Morgan approves of the name, implying that he has come to terms with Gideon coming back on their team (which he hasn't really, as shown in the next episode). On the BAU's jet, Gideon asks Hotch if he and Hayley have chosen a baby name yet. Hotch tells Gideon that every name Hayley suggests reminds him of a serial killer’s name. Gideon asks Hotch how his report is going, insinuating that he knows that Hotch has been watching him all along. The scene changes, Gideon pulls into a gas station, we’re not sure where exactly he is, except that it seems to be a more rural area. He fills up his car and goes inside the gas station to buy snacks. When he goes to the cashier to be rung up, he notices polaroids plastered on the wall behind the cashier booth (like the polaroids found at the Footpath Killer's crime scenes). When the cashier speaks to him, the cashier stutters. Gideon realizes that this man is likely the Footpath Killer. He tries to exit the store, but the killer pulls a gun on him. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ *This is connection between Gideon and the killer is explored slightly throughout the rest of the episode, but it's a bit muddled and confusing. We never learn what the crime scene where the original writing was found was, and Gideon never mentions it to the killer. But the message MUST be from a prior crime scene, because Gideon has a picture of the words hanging on his wall. Gideon doesn't know about the Seattle Strangler until Reid tells him about it. All together, confusing and unexplored. **I am not sure what the details are here. Seattle PD are the ones who called the BAU in, but Hotch later makes a confusing comment about working at this particular office, which makes me think that it is an FBI branch in Seattle. Either way, the BAU team use this place as headquarters multiple times throughout the episode. I think it's implied that it is a police station, so I'm going to continue referring to it as a police station. ***This is wildly incorrect. The percentage is actually 43%.
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