Criminal Minds Review: When Flowers Just Aren't Enough
doug@mediavine.com
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Isn't it amazing, the lengths to which some people will go to get their marriage on track?
Criminal Minds Season 9 Episode 15 brought us back to the traditional Criminal Minds format, as it centered on a series of murders, along with a puzzle that had to be solved before the BAU can identify the Unsub (or in this case, a pair of them).
I don't think it's possible to ever get used to the portrayal of the banality of evil often depicted on this show.
This episode chose to make it clear it via a bizarre dance scene between the husband and wife with the strains of "Feel Like Makin' Love" playing in the background. Gentle and vicious at the same time, Criminal Minds seems to excel at moments such as this.
The thing that nailed the believability factor was Reid's comparison of the Unsubs to a real life case involving a couple who murdered a number of women in Toronto, in what is known as the infamous "Scarborough Rapist" killings.
Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka were, like the couple in this episode, entirely unthreatening and accommodating, which is how they were so easily able to lure so many girls into their trap.
You had to appreciate the forbidden and delicious irony the couple enjoyed as they discussed the revival of their marriage with their counselor. How hard it must have been for them not to wink at each other, especially with exchanges like this:
Therapist: Now we're finally getting somewhere. You got to trust the process. Let's build on this. Any plans of doing it again?
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson: Absolutely.
It's impossible not to be aware of tandems who have relationships that work despite their - in some case because of their dysfunctional behaviors. This one takes the scary cake, though. Murder as foreplay - as Rossi labeled it - strikes me as completely over the top. Yet, in real life, it has happened.
At least they saved the therapist. I'm never 100% sure whether the last victim will be rescued in time or not. Criminal Minds has surprised us a number of times, so the ending is never a foregone conclusion.
In lighter news, Garcia learned a very important truth, one which Morgan explained to her - and one I'm sure most guys watching the scene appreciated:
Let me let you in on a little secret. Guys, we don't do well with subtle clues. You gotta be direct. Straight up. Just tell him exactly what you want.
Morgan
I'm sure there are exceptions, but in a lot of instances, this is just so patently true it's ridiculous. Good on Morgan - it'll save Garcia a world of future headache.
What was your take on Mr. and Mrs. Anderson?
Douglas Wolfe was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He retired in 2016. Follow him on Twitter
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