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Recap / Criminal Minds S 12 E 12 A Good Husband

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A Good Husband

A man whose husband is divorcing him kills men who hit on his husband and dumps their torsos in the trash.

This episode provides examples of the following tropes

  • An Arm and a Leg: The UnSub dismembers his victims, leaving only their torso.
  • Artistic Licence – Law:
    • Mark tells Brent that because of spousal privilege, he can't testify against him, but in real life that privilege belongs to the spouse who testifies, not to the one being prosecuted.
    • Reid treats Mark's statement as true, but explains to Brent that it only applies to anything Mark said, and that he can describe anything he saw Mark do. This is not spousal privilege, but the hearsay rule.
  • Control Freak: How the UnSub's psychopathy first manifested, by being controlling to his husband. His later murders become another means of manipulating said husband.
  • Depraved Homosexual: Though it's important to note that the UnSub's homosexuality has nothing to do with his depravity, as Rossi points out when they deliver the profile.
  • Leaning on the Fourth Wall: As though he's aware viewers might take the episode the wrong way, Rossi adds to the profile:
    Rossi: Killers come in all shapes and sizes. This one happens to be gay.
  • Shout-Out: The episode shares its title with a play by Oscar Wilde.
  • Slipping a Mickey: How the UnSub subdues his victims.
  • Squick: Reid takes on the job of distracting a young girl from learning that her father is dead by asking her if she's tried a peanut butter and jellyfish sandwich. Her face gives away that she finds it this trope.
  • Straight Gay: A majority of the gay men in the LGBT community in Palm Springs, California.

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