History Recap / CriminalMindsS4E11Normal

* OutlivingOnesOffspring: Norman’s youngest daughter was run over by a car after she wandered away when he was changing a tire. He keeps replaying that day, blaming himself for letting her die.

A man suffers an intense masculine identity crisis after his youngest daughter gets run over by a car right in front of him. When we see him snap, he goes on to murdering random women who resemble his wife - but the truth of his wife and family aren't revealed until his spree is almost over.

* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Norman's elder daughters Sasha and Britney are seen talking on the phone and playing a video game, respectively, while giving him annoyed looks, although it's implied he may have just imagined that as part of his breakdown.

* HeroicBSOD: Todd, when she sees the Unsub killed his whole family. She finally admits that she can't handle this job.

* MeaningfulName: The Unsub being [[PunnyName "Norm Hill"]] is a little on the nose, but effective.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: The Unsub realizes in the end that he shot his wife and daughters in their beds at the start of the episode.

* NeverMyFault: Inverted. One of the BAU members actually worries about the potential collateral damage of their actions. Surprisingly enough [[CharacterDevelopment it's Todd]], who had previously had a "But I just did what I needed to do" attitude in spades.

** The Unsub has a miniature model of an Aston Martin from ''Film/GoldFinger''.

* OffingTheOffspring: Norman shot his two surviving daughters along with his wife shortly after his first kill.

** It is not clear if Jenny died on the spot or in the hospital despite all the doctors' efforts to save her.

** It is not clear if his daughter Jenny died on the spot or in the hospital despite all the doctors' efforts to save her.

* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Norman's daughters Sasha and Britney are seen talking on the phone and playing a video game, respectively, while giving him annoyed looks, although it's implied he may have just imagined that as part of his breakdown.
* CreationSequence: PlayedForHorror as the BAU explains how Norman's psyche, now that it has gotten the high of his first murder, will never feel this good again and in the search of reaching it he will refine his killing techniques, placed as narration over Norman uses tools from his garage to [[SawedOffShotgun saw off his shotgun's barrel]] and attach a bracket to the pump's handle so he can fire it one-handed out his car's window.

* FiveSecondForeshadowing: When the BAU enters the kitchen of Norman's home, Todd covers her nose and mouth, like if the place stinks. Foreshadowing the reveal that Norman's family has been dead for several days, which is revealed a few seconds later when Hotch enters one of the children's room and reacts with disgust.

* InUniverseCatharsis: The opening scene plays out like a classic road revenge fantasy, with a bitchy Karen getting shot and her car crashing in spectacular fashion. It's easy to see why Norman found it so satisfying. [[DeconstructedTrope That's part of the problem]]...the satisfaction eventually fades, and Norman goes to horrific extremes to recreate that experience again.

* OutlivingOnesOffspring: Norman’s youngest daughter was run over when he was changing a tire. He keeps replaying that day, blaming himself for letting her die.

** The Unsub has a miniature model of an Aston Martin from Film/GoldFinger.

* TragicVillain: Norman lost his youngest daughter to an accident which he feels personally responsible for. The grief, as well as the feeling of being judged and loathed by his wife and daughters, caused him to enter a delusional state, killing them and then going on a killing spree, while hallucinating them as still alive. Only when he's arrested does he realize he killed his family, and that utterly crushes him again.

** When Morgan, who had gotten a call regarding the fate of the Hills from David Rossi, shows him the SUV is empty and tells him his family is gone, Norman suddenly remembers the truth - he murdered his wife and daughters shortly after shooting Judith Hannity.