Children of the Dark (17 Oct. 2007)

The BAU travels to Denver, Colorado, where they investigate a series of home invasions that end in the murders of entire families. However, the case takes a turn when they begin to suspect that the killers were once-abused children.

Director:

Guy Norman Bee

Writers:

Jeff Davis (creator), Dan Dworkin,

Stars:

Thomas Gibson, Paget Brewster, Shemar Moore

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Thomas Gibson	...	Aaron Hotchner
Paget Brewster	...	Emily Prentiss
Shemar Moore	...	Derek Morgan
Matthew Gray Gubler	...	Dr. Spencer Reid
A.J. Cook	...	Jennifer Jareau
Kirsten Vangsness	...	Penelope Garcia
William Lee Scott	...	Gary
Francis Capra	...	Ervin
Jhoanna Flores	...	Carrie Ortiz (as Joanna Flores)
Stephanie Erb	...	Dina
Christine Healy	...	Mrs. Manwaring
Tom Kiesche	...	Lt. Nellis
Mark Doerr	...	Tom
Bob Rumnock	...	Supervisor
Masam Holden	...	Tyler

Storyline

In Cherry Creek, Colorado - a suburb of Denver - middle class families are being murdered in their homes. The houses have been robbed only of small items of monetary worth. The victims have all thus far been traditional families - mother, father and children. The parents are gagged, bound and eventually brutally beaten whereas the children are murdered by an injection of phenobarbital. The nature of the deaths lead the BAU to believe there are two unsubs, a dominant and a submissive, the latter who acts as the angel of mercy in the way he kills the children. Through evidence, the BAU know the unsubs work their way into their victims' houses through a trusted ruse of some sort, and after entry the victims have no way of outside contact since phone lines are cut and cell phone access is blocked. They get a break in the case when in the latest attack, there is one survivor, the teen-aged daughter, Carrie Ortiz. Carrie witnessed the murders and saw the unsubs' faces. Other information ...

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Plot Keywords:

cherry creek colorado | injection | ruse | home invasion | tonka truck | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Cantonese Spanish

Release Date:

17 October 2007 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mark Gordon Company, The, CBS Paramount Network Television, ABC Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 42 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The plot of this episode is very similar to that of the film Funny Games in that two young men talk their way into a house to kill the unsuspecting families inside.

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Quotes

Emily Prentiss: In the city, crime is taken as emblematic of class and race. In the suburbs, though, it's intimate and psychological - resistant to generalization, a mystery of the individual soul. -Barbara Ehrenreich

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Connections

References Leave It to Beaver (1957)

User Reviews

Criminal minds investigates a 1997 Michael Haneke film??

It's a basic rip/spin off of funny games. (Delete as appropriate) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119167/ or US version.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808279/ Similarities too many to mention. No mention of Michael Haneke in credits.

What's going on??? Is there a tie in with the American release of Funny Games?? I have just watched the episode on television and am interested the lack of internet debate revolving around this seemingly obvious plagiarism or collaboration. If you feel like you have opinion on this matter then please respond to this post.

Yours Sincerely, Sir Nosey Englishman.