Criminal Minds
A Solitary Man
Original Air Date: Mar 10, 2010
JD – Associate Staff Writer
jd@thetwocentscorp.com
Before I start my recap and review of this week’s episode, I was gone from reviewing last week and didn’t get a chance to say what I thought about last week’s episode. I won’t say much, but I have a burning need to say one thing: Matthew Gray Gubler did a fantastic job directing Mosley Lane!
Okay, I’m done with that. Now let’s get to business on the new episode. This week we follow around a lonely trucker who wants nothing more than to get his daughter back and have a real family again. Sounds sweet, doesn’t it? But to say I just glossed over some very important details would be an understatement.
Now normally on this show, when a man climbs through a window to stand over a sleeping child, it only means one thing: a little girl is going to be abducted, or worse. But that doesn’t go as expected when the little girl at the beginning of this episode rolls over and is excited to see her daddy! Daddy sits down and starts to tell his daughter the tale of a king looking for his queen. It’s evident he’s told similar stories before, but the little girl still listens avidly.
As dad tells his story about how the king met the latest queen wanna-be, we flashback to a scene where dad is at a bar. He sets his sights on a waitress, then heads outside and waits for her to come out. Okay, so we’re starting to get the impression that dad is actually Psycho Dad. Lucky for him, the queen-to-be’s “carriage” (as he tells his daughter) breaks down, and he offers to take a look under the hood. He gets the car started, but Little Miss Barmaid has met her end. As it turns out, Psycho Dad’s queen-to-be wasn’t queen material after all.
The BAU team gets on the case. They weren’t actually invited on this one, but they have been watching the Highway Serial Killer Database and picked up on it. There are already five girls dead, and Reid has an idea of where Psycho Dad might be headed. The team picks up and leaves, all while the unsub picks up a hitchhiker. AKA the next nominee to the throne.
On the plane we get filled in on some of the details. The women were all found 12-24 hours after they were taken. This guy sure makes a snap judgment on these womens’ queenly virtues! There is also traces of metal under all of the victims’ fingernails. Or in one case, fingernail. Singular. One victim tried to claw her way out of wherever she was being kept and only had one fingernail left. I think after I lost the first three, I would have saved my remaining seven fingernails to try to claw the guy’s face off. But that’s just me.
On the ground, Reid and Rossi go check out the dump site. Reid notices that all the bodies have been posed to look like they were sleeping. I thought it was strange that this thread never went anywhere. Rossi asks if Reid knows why they’re posed, Reid says no, and that’s it until we see the little girl’s drawings at the end. Maybe it was just a plot device to get JJ and Prentiss to recognize what the drawings were at the end. Thoughts?
Back at the police station, JJ points out that all the victims had table sugar on their bodies. The Cop Of The Week points out that’s a trucker trick. It dissolves diesel fuel. Aha. So now they know they’re after a trucker, just as said trucker, Psycho Dad, decides to check on his latest potential queen. It’s pop quiz time, apparently, and the stakes are her life. And guess what? She gets a question wrong, and the BAU have another body coming their way.
I only have one gripe about this episode. It was the bit where Rossi makes Reid go down in the ditch because of his new shoes. Yes, Rossi is rich, and he likes the finer things. And yes he is, as Prentiss once called him, a neat freak. I realize this bit was in there for comic relief, but it went a little too far. Making Reid go down into the ditch is one thing, but then walking away as Reid called for help was another. I just can’t believe he would leave a team mate struggling. It was just fuel for the Rossi haters (and there are still a few, the vile things) to call him a jerk. But then again, I am a card carrying Rossi apologist, so take my words as you will… Oh! Maybe Rossi walked away because he thought it was important for Reid to rebuild strength in that leg. Yes, that must be it… I’m sorry, am I blinding anyone with the gleam off my ‘Rossi is Awesome’ badge?
The episode as a whole was good enough that that one scene didn’t keep me from enjoying it, though. And I loved the way the father in the story wove his murders into a fairytale for his daughter. And the cherry on top is that she drew them all out. That kid is going to need some serious therapy.
This was a strong story with great pacing. A Solitary Man felt like a classic episode of Criminal Minds to me. It was everything an episode should be, and it gave me the feel of the first season of the show. I’m not really sure why, but it felt nostalgic for me. Did anyone else feel that way? It’s not going to go down as outstanding in my book (like Riding the Lightning, The Big Game/Revelations, Lucky, Bloodline, or 100–and trust me, that was my narrowed down list; what are outstanding episodes for you?), but I would definitely watch it again. Maybe even a third time. Oh, who am I kidding? I could watch all the good episodes of Criminal Minds at least a dozen times before I got bored or sick of them. Of course, that would be 12 hours that I don’t have time to devote to TV, but I can dream, can’t I?
So what did you guys think? Give me your two cents!
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TheTwoCents 
as a rossi-hater and reid-lover. that scene at the ditch just proved beyond a doubt that ROSSI NEEDS TO GO!!!
and i understand that there are those rossi lovers out there, but personally i have never had a reason to like rossi (he replaced gideon, i know it’s not his fault, but he never lived up to gideon). and now it’s sealed for me that rossi is the bad guy on the team. so in term of that-one-annoying-guy-who-pops-up, rossi now ranks higher than strauss (cuz she had that one touching moment for hotch)
i thoroughly enjoyed the episode, no random plots that seems like imitations of other shows (csi, i’m looking at you). and after last week’s poorly explained episode, i loved the psychological breakdown this time around, i mean, it’s the whole point of Criminal Minds.
and i enjoy some jj actions now, she didn’t get to do much, but at least she’s not just the one doing intro.
was hotch even in this episode? i don’t remember seeing him at all…
I just can’t believe anyone still thinks Rossi is a “bad guy”. Okay, I believe it, but I just don’t get it. He had a rocky start, and I admit that it took me a while to warm up to him, but he has had many more “touching” moments than Strauss for sure. He’s had more than Gideon too, in my opinion.
What about how he bought the house of those kids in Damaged and kept it in good condition all those years so he could give it back to them to sell and get them out of the life they were living? What about how he tried to pay for Zoe’s funeral in Zoe’s Reprise? What about how he was so understanding and gentle with Prentiss when she told him about her abortion? Or the way he had her back that whole episode? What about the way he was one of the people that stayed behind to make sure Reid was okay in Memorium? Or how, in that same episode, he was the one there to comfort Reid when Reid woke up from a frightening session of hypnosis? I could go on and on. He’s brash and cocky, but he usually means well.
Okay, I’ll get off my soap box now.
JJ never gets to do much, sadly. Unless there is media to deal with. I always love to see those episodes, though. We always get reminded of just how damn GOOD JJ is at her job.
And now that you mention it, I can’t remember what Hotch did in this episode either. What a shame.
I also liked the episode although there was a feeling of something missing through out for me. It may have just been that I was looking forward to some scenes displayed in promo pics that never made the ep. I’m not really sure.
Must say, it killed me to read that you had the same sentiments as I did over the fingernails. I kept thinking, ‘Instead of scratching at a metal wall, why the hell isn’t anyone trying to scratch his face off?!’ While I thought the case was very well orchestrated, the victims were WAY too docile for me.
As for the Rossi and Reid moment… Personally, I love Rossi (-despised him in the beginning but he quickly grew on me which is something Gideon never managed to do) and found the scene entertaining.
If Reid was cleared for the field then he was perfectly able to go down the ditch. I simply took the scene as a scenario where nobody wanted the dirty work and for all intents and purposes, Rossi outranks Reid. And let’s not bring up what Morgan has said/done to the genius. =P
Oh, see, I usually avoid spoilers for just that reason. I hate being disappointed by something I see and expect to be cool.
YES. Docile. I had been thinking to myself, “of course, she wouldn’t scratch his face off because she clearly only fought the metal walls”. All the women just let him get away with what he was doing. I would have been happier if Psycho Dad had at least wound up with a bruise. And a good kick to his… delicate parts might have done the trick to get out. He just left that door open behind him and he had no weapons!
Well, I can see no one wanting to get dirty, but why would Reid then be calling after Rossi when he left. I think that was the point that the comic relief went too far.
LOL! Yes, let’s leave Morgan out of this.
I loved the episode… the scene with Rossi did annoy me. I like the character, but I think the writers do sometimes portray him as a jerk.
Though they didn’t explicitly say so, I connected the victims being placed in a sleeping position with the dad’s psychosis. If he’s constructing a fairy tale for his daughter, then that could be part of the fairy tale. Think of Sleeping Beauty, or Snow White… “mystical sleep” could have been part of the psychosis, perhaps? Not sure, just an idea.
Well, and to be honest, most of the time he’s a jerk, I think it’s funny. He’s just brash, and that’s the way he is. I just think this joke went a little too far on the Rossi-can-be-a-jerk scale.
That might be it. I don’t know. I just kept trying to figure out how he would work that into his stories. “She wasn’t the queen, so she went to sleep” just sounds odd.
my problem with rossi is that he seems to piss off people on PURPOSE! i mean, he couldn’t be nice to zoe when she was alive, but he makes up for it (to us, at least) after she dies.
in this case, i would’ve liked it if rossi just made reid go into the ditch because he outranks reid, not because he’s got new shoes, be a diva, why don’t you?
i get people like rossi, but i’m still for gideon, and i hope gideon makes an appearance soon, i’ve been hoping for one since reid made the gideon reference during that chess game eric was playing against himself.
and speaking of that chess game, have we seen that kid some where before?
See, I guess that is a matter of perspective. I don’t see him as intentionally trying to piss people off. I see it as more that he’s not bothered if he does. There’s a difference, as your version is him just being a hateful person, and mine is him just knowing who he is and not pulling any punches.
And he totally is a diva! Remember in Omnivore when Hotch walks down the alley in tears? Rossi gives him this big “take my gun” thing (which was not mean so much as he knew that was what Hotch needed just then), and when they walk away Hotch says that was dramatic. Rossi said all three wives said that about him. He can be a bit of a drama llama, but most of the time it’s for a reason, and most of the time I find it funny. Not so much this week.
I guess what gets me going over the people hating Rossi is that they say things like you did, that he’s a “bad guy”. Now if you tell me you find him annoying, or too brash, or a diva, I could accept that. But he’s anything but a bad guy. He truly cares about the team, even if he shows it in unusual ways sometimes.
Gideon, though? I never got that from him. He was too distant, and as Hotch himself said, he never shared much of himself. I would rather have someone who tries, even if he sometimes gets it wrong, than someone who kept his distance.
I am sincerely not trying to pick a fight with you, by the way. This is an interesting difference of opinions to discuss.
And yes! I totally recognized that kid playing Chess,but I can’t place where from!
Okay, I love Rossi (much more than Gideon) and I actually didn’t mind the Reid and Rossi scene. I think Reid’s gotten a little bit used to not having to do things in the field, and Rossi likes to push the team members from time to time so that they have to do things that make them uncomfortable. I think if Reid REALLY couldn’t get out of the ditch, then Rossi would have helped him. I’ll just take the view that Rossi was “encouraging” Reid. (Yep, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).
I liked the episode, but didn’t love it. I thought it was a bit predictable in places (c’mon, I just KNEW that the newly found body was the social worker/foster care lady).
I think my problem with the recent episodes is that they’re all playing on a very similar theme regarding family (and parents dying in front of children). Between Jack, the con man’s son, the church goer’s daughter, and this recent kid, not to mention the kidnapped kids, the women kidnapped to have kids, and the man whose wife and kids were kidnapped, I’m getting a little tired of this theme. Once it’s extremely effective, twice it’s powerful, a half a dozen (or more) times, it’s getting redundant. I’d just like a straight-forward serial killing, please. Um… (well, hopefully you know what I mean).
Encouraging. I LIKE that. The more and more people give me their opinions on the scene, the less I dislike it. I guess that’s why I love writing these reviews. The feedback isn’t always what I expect, but it can sometimes change my perspective. Thanks. 🙂
Like I said, I didn’t find the episode outstanding, but I found it to be strong. I wasn’t expecting the last body to be the foster care woman. Maybe I should have, because it makes sense, but I just didn’t.
I guess I hadn’t really noticed how often the cases have revolved around families this season. Most serial killers affect families in some way, but you’re right about the children being present for the deaths in a lot of cases this year. That’s actually a little disturbing, when I think about it. I wonder if it is an intentional choice on the show’s behalf. I know some people seem to think that the show has an overall theme each season. I’m not sure I buy that. But we did lose some good writers last season, so maybe these are just the best scripts they have come across. The family is an easy plot device to write in.
And I DO know what you mean! We need a good old serial killer killing the homeless or prostitutes or something. People who may not necessarily have family looking out for them.
A good old serial killer going after prostitutes would be good (er… you know what I mean). Especially since Reid and prostitutes are always a great combination!
And the family theme can be powerful, but it’s been REALLY overdone now. I personally think they’re (the writers) trying to give Hotch a nervous breakdown by the end of the season, as he clutches his head crying, “The children, the children”.
Or, you know, maybe not. 😉
Um… I meant to leave this as a “reply” to your previous comment but, obviously, failed at clicking things (like the word “Reply”). *sigh*
LOL It’s actually better this way. WordPress does this weird thing where it only allows three comments in a thread. So the comment I’m leving right now won’t even have a reply button. I don’t really get it. Maybe WordPress is just sooper speshul that way. (And that was an intentional misspelling, just to be clear. lol)
Yes! I LOVE that episode (I actually used that episode to write and “audition” recap and review for this gig), and the bit about Reid getting hit on by every prostitute was one of the best lines ever in all of Criminal Minds!
Maybe not, but it might be kind of funny. In a really demented sort of way. 😉
That was the other ‘reid effect’ wasn’t it? in the pilot the first reid effect was on children and dogs (that was awesome, thats when i fell in love with reid, i’m terrifed of dogs, i just am, sorry dog fans)
i find that one of the best part of CM is writers put in little things like this for fangirls like me to squeal over. like the morgan and garcia phone calls, priceless.
does anyone know who that eric kid from the chess game is? the one at the part way back in the beginning of the season? I swear i seen that kid before!
~JD~ it’s interesting that you didn’t get upset over my diva comment, i thought for sure that’ll set you off. glad to know i at least did piss you off there. i get what you’re saying, i’m actually a lot like rossi (explains why i don’t like him, we’re either bff or worst enemy) i piss people off sometimes and don’t even think twice about it. i’m happy to know there are people who doesn’t mind this attitude.
Wait, what was the other Reid effect? The prostitute thing? Of course! 🙂
Now in real life, I might find Rossi a little hard to get along with. I’d like to think I would warm up to him in the long run, though, like I did on the show. I can see how two Rossi-ish personalities might have trouble getting along, though. 😛 See. it’s not a reflection on him, just that you clash. 😉