Roadkill (6 May 2009)

A serial killer in Bend, Oregon is deliberately killing people by running them over with his car.

Director:

Steve Boyum

Writers:

Jeff Davis (creator), Dan Dworkin,

Stars:

Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, Shemar Moore

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Joe Mantegna	...	David Rossi
Paget Brewster	...	Emily Prentiss
Shemar Moore	...	Derek Morgan
Matthew Gray Gubler	...	Dr. Spencer Reid
A.J. Cook	...	Jennifer Jareau
Kirsten Vangsness	...	Penelope Garcia
Thomas Gibson	...	Aaron Hotchner
Timothy Carhart	...	Detective Quinn
Dale Midkiff	...	Gil Bonner
Jim Meskimen	...	Dr. Ridgeway
Nicholas Brendon	...	Kevin Lynch
Gerald Downey	...	Officer Feder
Andi Carnick	...	Shannon
James Nardini	...	Paul Makely
Debra Milano	...	Paige Bonner

Storyline

Shannon Makely is the second Caucasian woman to be killed by vehicular homicide in Bend, Oregon in two weeks. The BAU know that it is the same person that killed both women and also that it is homicide since the driver backed over the victims after the initial impact. Both women were also killed along secluded stretches of road. With other information at hand, the BAU believe that the two victims were targeted rather than random killings. When a third vehicular homicide in Bend occurs, the BAU are initially confused as that murder occurred in what could have been a busy public parking lot, and the victim is male. However, other clues comes into light, which the BAU disseminates to the public. In watching these reports from the BAU, Gil Bonner believes he has information which could help the investigation, information he has been keeping secret for over a year. Meanwhile, Garcia is awaiting some information which could profoundly affect her personal life.

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Plot Keywords:

blood trace | suicide | no reception | quoting mahatma gandhi | drawing | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 May 2009 (USA)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

42 min 42 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

According to the story, the killer strikes on Route 7 between Bend and Eugene. Oregon doesn't use the term "Route" for its highways. Also, odd numbered highways run North-South but travel between Bend and Eugene is East-West so the highway could not have been numbered 7. The fast way to travel between those two Oregon cities requires three highways: 20, 242, and 126.

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Quotes

Detective Quinn: Anyone living outside Bend who commutes toward Eugene uses Route 7. It's the most dangerous stretch of highway in the state. They call it "Suicide 7".

User Reviews

Memories Remain

Criminal Minds can be a frustrating series to follow unless you don't mind *huge* variation in episode quality. It's a bit unfair to say Criminal Minds is no The Wire, as they did not have the same restrictions as the makers of this series, but superb episodes like this prove there is no reason why *all* episodes shouldn't be this good.

As is expected for a series designed accessible for new viewers, episodes are usually stand-alone and character-plots - if any - proceed at a snail's pace. For example, Garcia's boyfriend, played by Whedon School of Gifted Ones graduate Nicholas Brendon, was last seen in #4.14, Cold Comfort, first airing almost *three* months before Roadkill. So it is mostly up to the Killer of the Week to deliver the goods.

And boy, does this deliver. The genius of this plot is easy to overlook, as it plays with the expectations of the audience, only to pull the rug from under the viewer just as they think they have it figured out. It's almost as if the writers had looked at the generic Criminal Minds episode plots and decided to lull even the most jaded viewer into false sense of knowing how the plot is going to unfold. Bravo! Only minor niggles pester this behemoth. Discussing them without spoiling anything is difficult but let's just say that when your heart starts pumping like mad (you'd have to be dead not to get excited at the climax), the most critical moment is disappointingly presented - some shoddy editing there. Thankfully, after that comes a moment, where a couple of the first shots are poorly judged, but the scene then rises to sublime heights. 9/10 - more like this, please!