Distress
Directed by John F Showalter
Written by Oanh Ly & Andrew Wilder
Written by Oanh Ly & Andrew Wilder
Gideon: "Our life is made by the death of others." Leonardo da Vinci.
An UnSub kills people who make noise, like construction workers. The team realizes he is a combat veteran reliving the trauma whenever he hears loud sounds.
Tropes present in this episode:
- Alas, Poor Villain: The UnSub is shot In the Back by a SWAT sniper who misconstrues his actions as attempting to attack a child. The BAU admits that they wish that things could've ended differently.
- Neck Snap: The UnSub's modus operandi.
- Secret-Keeper: The UnSub's best friend doesn't want the UnSub's wife to learn about him having to kill a child during the war. He makes Gideon promise not to do it as well.
- Sympathetic Murderer: A Shell-Shocked Veteran suffering from PTSD due to having to perform a Neck Snap on a Child Soldier to protect his best friend.
- War Is Hell: The reason why the UnSub kills is because of PTSD caused by his participation in one.
- Would Not Hurt A Child: The UnSub relents on killing a would-be victim after getting distracted by the man's daughter and gets worried about her. Tragically, the belief that he could've been otherwise is what gets him killed.
- Hotchner: "If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace." Thomas Paine.
