Psychodrama (11 Oct. 2006)

The team flies to Los Angeles to pursue a bank robber who is quickly disintegrating into an enraged, sexually-motivated, spree killer.

Director:

Guy Norman Bee

Writers:

Jeff Davis (creator), Aaron Zelman

Stars:

Mandy Patinkin, Thomas Gibson, Lola Glaudini

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
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
Jason Wiles	...	Unsub Sheppard
Meredith Monroe	...	Haley Hotchner
Michael Chieffo	...	Bill Henderson
David Fabrizio	...	FBI Agent Wallace
Marco Sanchez	...	Detective Murad
Gary Wolf	...	Roland Lynch
Jean St. James	...	Claire Henderson
Connie Cooper	...	Karen Sheppard

Storyline

Four times an LA perfectionist bank-robber made the clients-hostages strip before locking them in, so none would do anything, and violates one, but quickly slips into more violent assault against uniformed men. The team realizes he started out as a clever thief, but the opportunity made the sadist awake, who forces odd couples to play sex in front of the others and becomes more violent. The race is on, fearing he'll become murderous...

---

Plot Keywords:

hostage | bank robber | bank robbery | male stripper | underwear | 

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 October 2006 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mark Gordon Company, The, CBS Paramount Network Television, Touchstone Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

43 min 42 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[episode opening quote]
Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner: "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth." - Oscar Wilde

---

Soundtracks

"Our Lips Are Sealed"
written by Jane Wiedlin & Terry Hall
Hilary Duff & Haylie Duff

User Reviews

Stretches Reality Too Much

The team flies to Los Angeles to help find a bank robber who is becoming more and more violent. At first, he simply robbed banks. Now, he humiliates customers and shoots the guards.

I would have ranked this one higher except it defied logic too many times. The unsub, named Sheppard (Jason Wiles), robs another bank but a customer hides and calls 911. L.A. Detective Murad (nice to see Marco Sanchez from "Sons of Thunder" and "Desperado" in here) announces it to the team. Yet, Hotchner, Gideon and company get stuck in traffic.

They arrive after Sheppard has made all the customers strip, has violated one of the women, has killed the guard and has hunted down and killed the man who called 911. He calmly walks out and cripples a meter maid before roaring off on a motorcycle. A minute later, here comes the BAU.

During the ensuing chase, Sheppard slips by numerous roadblocks and drives through the L.A. River Basin to escape. Not once does anyone shoot at him. They know he's already killed several people and yet, they let him get away. I realize the tension has to be drawn out but I have to wonder how letting a psychopathic killer escape makes the BAU effective.

Anyway, the real problem is that we, the viewing public, have to believe that, in Los Angeles, if someone calls in a bank robbery, the only cops who respond are coming in from the L.A. field office of the FBI, located in the LAPD main HQ. There was not another patrol unit nearby or cops on lunch in a nearby restaurant or off-duty cops in the vicinity? I will admit I have relatives who are cops but I hate any police procedural that makes the local cops look incompetent or the Feds look like cold-blooded jackasses.

I am keeping in mind that this in only the second season of the show, so the writing isn't quite there yet. However, Mandy Patinkin is already showing the same character he portrayed in "Chicago Hope." I wish he would slip up and let out a little Inago Montoya from time to time.

On a brighter note, the cast is beginning to finally develop the character traits that will make them three-dimensional. Reid is still awkwardly trying to fit in. In a previous episode, Elle made a mental profile of an unsub who was an arsonist and it fit Reid to a tee, so he knows he needs to open up more.

Hotchner's home life is unraveling and he keeps putting off his wife, who wants to talk about that no cop ever wants to hear -- the need to quit.

The only disappointing member is Derek, who remains basically the same 2-D character even into the current season (even the episode about him revealing childhood sexual abuse failed to make a dent in his hard exterior).