The Popular Kids (30 Nov. 2005)

The apparent death by Satanic ritual brings the BAU to a small town, and the profiling morphs into a search when it's learned that a teenage girl is missing.

Director:

Andy Wolk

Writers:

Jeff Davis (creator), Edward Allen Bernero

Stars:

Mandy Patinkin, Thomas Gibson, Lola Glaudini

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Mandy Patinkin	...	Jason Gideon
Thomas Gibson	...	Aaron Hotchner
Lola Glaudini	...	Elle Greenaway
Shemar Moore	...	Derek Morgan
Matthew Gray Gubler	...	Dr. Spencer Reid
A.J. Cook	...	Jennifer Jareau
Kirsten Vangsness	...	Penelope Garcia
Will Rothhaar	...	Cory Bridges
Michael McGrady	...	Sheriff Bridges
Aaron Paul	...	Michael Zizzo
Shanna Collins	...	Brandi Dreifort
Chris Butler	...	Deputy Harris
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Matthew Bennett	...	Adam Lloyd
Julie Davenport	...	Ashlee Johnson
Dale Duko	...	Reverend Paul

Storyline

The police are investigating the murder of popular high school student Adam Lloyd, his body found in the woods on Massanutten Mountain in McAllister County, Virginia. The BAU are called in when the police discover a skeleton nearby, seemingly killed the same way as Adam, with the person's skull cut open and a message scrawled on an adjacent tree saying "Satan Lives LOD". No one knows what LOD means. Upon arriving at the scene, the BAU learn that a young woman named Cherish Hanson was running with Adam that morning, she is missing. The team are aware that someone local is the unsub and they use the tactic of recruiting locals as the search parties to lure the unsub into what is going on. The discovery of what LOD stands for leads the authorities in a certain direction, but Gideon's chat with a local girl uncovers the truth. Meanwhile, Reid admits to Morgan that he has been plagued with nightmares about work of late.

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Plot Keywords:

search | eugène ionesco quotation | human skeleton | reference to friedrich wilhelm nietzsche | recurring nightmare | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 November 2005 (Canada)

Filming Locations:

Quixote Studios Griffith Park - 4585 Electronics Place, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

CBS Paramount Network Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 42 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character Mike Zissou is a reference to the movie The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, in which Matthew Gray Gubler played a part.

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Goofs

In one of the close shots Reid's scarf is wrapped around his neck, in the next shot, when Morgan and Elle approach him, it is hanging loosely. There was no time for Reid to change the position of the scarf.

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Quotes

Deputy Harris: You guys need anything?
Dr. Spencer Reid: Coffee would be nice.
Derek Morgan: He takes about a quarter of sugar in it.

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Connections

References Star Trek (1966)

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Soundtracks

"Make Tomorrow Today"
Written by Peter Gabriel
Performed by Paul Buchanan

User Reviews

Gosh, These Devil Worshipers Wouldn't Hurt A Fly!

Two young joggers are out in some remote hills in Virginia, about a half hour away from the BAU. The male, a local football hero, is in better shape than his cheerleader-girlfriend, and he goes on. Resting for about a minute, she hears noises, starts to get nervous and runs on and then discovers her boyfriend dead in the woods. Someone comes up near her, but all we see are boots.

After that beginning, we see the local cops examining the area. One comes upon skeleton and a Satanic message craved in a tree. The BAU is called in. They discuss the history of satanic rituals, etc., Dr. Reid being the usual know-it-all. Soon, they hear about a missing girl as the mother hysterically comes looking for her daughter, whom she knew was with the slain kid.

The team has to find whose behind this, of course, and if they can save this young girl who also was taken.

A so-so episode except for the obvious left wing preaching (Lord knows they would never make a Satan cult leader a truly bad person. A Christian, certainly, but not a man who condemns them. Instead, he's "thought-provoking!" In fact, the writers go out of their way to point out - several times - that Satan worshipers never hurt anybody!!! Yeah, right!

This is one of those shows where the viewer thinks, "This could have been so much better."