S4E16 - “Pleasure Is My Business”
Criminal minds said sex positive! The episode opens with a blonde broad in boots, a cowboy hat and bra; she enters a room and strikes a sexy pose – boy do they want us blushing tonight! She grabs some champagne flutes, and struts over to a man. And he’s there. She says “giddy up”, and he says “well, it’s about time.” Now is when i think i should mention that the music is very cringe for this moment. He downs his drink – she doesn’t touch hers, uh oh! And she walks away looking kind of bored.
He asks - what are you doing? As she removes her hat and takes down her pigtails. He collapses – Promising Young Woman WISHES. Her cellphone rings, and she picks up – we hear her say “Hey lover, tonight? Yeah I’m wide open. 2am. You like to make me wait, don’t you? The usual? Don’t you. You want the usual? So where do you want to meet? The cutler? I think i can do that.” She finishes her drink, and the fella is definitely dead now.
Cut and now we see Hotch in his office watching a recording of his son. He gets a call from Patrick Jackson, Attorney General down in Texas. He says he has a case that he could consult on. Hotch says to have the case forwarded to JJ, but then Jackson is like – no, not your team. Just you. Hotch is like, uh why? And Jackson is like, you’ll get briefed. And Hotch is kind of like, okay uh, can you tell me ANYTHING, the case? The unsub? And Jackson is like, its not the unsub you need to be worried about, its the Lawyers. Lets kill all the lawyers!
So Hotch zoomies down to Dallas and meets with Jackson. They talk about the victim - – the man we saw in the opening. They are clasifying this case as a suicide, but as Hotch points out upon arrival, most men don’t take viagra before they kill themselves. He has a wife and kids. So apparently every Wednesday, Ashford – the victim – withdrew 10k from the bank in cash – so this lady we saw was a high-end call girl. They use a different word for her, but i’d prefer to be a little more respectful when writing this recap. But apparently, no one saw her leave the hotel. However , they think this is the second one of this.
Hotch tells Jackson he is gonna call in his team, and Jackson says the reason that he called Hotch in first is that he has 3 judges and one state senator asking if he is even sure he has a case, since when you poke around this type of woman, and this type of lifestyle, people “get edgy” and “call in favors”, to which Hotch is like “I’m sorry but the politics of this are your problem.” and you know what – he’s super right! Hotch still agrees, and as he gets into the elevator, the elevator girl looks pretty familiar! Its her guys! She tries to make small talk with him, but he doesn’t really engage him at all.
We see her get off the elevator, and while in the hallway she unbuttons her shirt, and takes off her hair, because thats totally how women be. She knocks on the door of one of the bedrooms, and as it opens she is like “darling”.
Now, on the BAU jet, Reid is saying that female serial killers are fascinating because ”we don’t have much information on them. But what we do know involves throwing the rules completely out the window” – is this really true though? Or is this a mixture of sexism or just the fact that women are better at this? Reid says that the signature is different because women don’t take trophies or torture, to which Morgan says “because theres no sexual gratification when women kills”, “murder is the goal”, and JJ says “so women are just more efficient at killing”.
Hotch, on the phone with them says, that assuming the job is the stressor, what are the reasons that sex workers kill their customers, and Morgan is like “money, drugs, PTSD” and Rossi says “at some point, every call girl, no matter how well paid, gets coerced into an activity she didn’t consent to” WHY IS NO ONE SAYING SELF DEFENSE LIKE OFF THE JUMP/ MONEY?? DRUGS?? God I’m tired.
Now Prentis brings up Aileen Wuornos, but Hotch points out that Wuornos was disorganized, whereas this unsub seems to be poisoning her victims before having sex with them. With rat poison. Hotch points out that since she’s getting paid $10k a night, they aren’t just paying for sex, but also discretion, to which Rossi adds on, that she likely has a history with them, and sees many of them repeatedly; this means she did not decide to kill them in the moment, this was planned and she intended to do it when she walked in the room. So she is organized and methodical; she plans ahead of time, early on, who is getting got and who isn’t - who is worth killing.
We learn that both victims were in their 50s, highly visible, and careful about their image. Additionally, they are facing the corporate culture that will do everything to keep them out. However, the wife of Hoyt Ashford “isn’t too happy with how he died” so she has agreed to talk to the BAU. BUT, what is frustrating is that the hedge fund released a statement saying he died in his home peacefully. Reid points out that there was a similar statement issued with the other dude’s death.
We cut and we see our ladykiller in a robe; she is waking up her client telling him to get up and take his kids to school. Next wee see her sit in front of a laptop and search “Hotchner + FBI” she watches a press statement he made.
Next we see Prentis with Ashford’s wife. She is RICH. Prentis asks if she can tell them about what he liked in bed, to which she is like “younger” what a cold cold lady. She elaborates saying like, 24 or 25. So he liked the ego boost of the age difference.
Now the lawyers are ghosting JJ and Hotch. One lady shows up, and she was the consultant for the press statement, but not the actual lawyer. She says tough luck! They talk legal stuff – basically its gonna be a lot of tape for no reason. They get sent to a house, and Prentis and Reid are confused initially. Reid explains however, that sex work and real estate are similar, and they are allegedly going to meet a madam here. A lady comes out and greets them, and she explains that she arranges meetings between two consenting adults, however she is not responsible for anything that happens between these adults after they meet. She offers them scones.
She knows about this woman, and she is terrible for business. She explains that her client list is the most important thing. And she is working independently, not with an agency or madam as they put it. Reid says they believe that she is killing men who ask her to perform a specific sexual act, although he says it much more bashfully than i am writing it to be lol. The lady tells them what we all know – they are LOOKING AT THIS ALL WRONG. WHY WOULD A MAN PAY A WOMAN 5 FIGURES. Prentis is like – its not for sex. YAH. WE KNOW. she explains that what men want, besides a no strings attached sex partner is a therapist, someone who will absorb the worst parts of their personalities; everything they cant take home. So it isn’t how they act in bed, its how they act out of it.
Now we see her kill another guy…again before sex actually takes place. And she puts his body int he elevator to be found. He was killed in his office – he is the CFO! And this time she put little x marks over his eyes. Hotch believes it was staged for them. But he doesn’t elabaorate one what grounds he came to that conclusion. At the crime scene, Hotch is already starting to get bullied – telling them to be discrete and not go public. Hotch asks for all the records, etc, on the deceased, to which he agrees.
The BAU goes over all of his records, and yeah, he was a fucking billionaire. They noticed that all of the dearly departed had ex wives and were all holding out on them— not paying child support. Narcissistic and self absorbed – because it would be nothing for them to actually lose. The BAU realizes that sharing this profile with the police probably wont do much good, so Hotch suggests they present it to all of the lawyers, because they are probably more likely to have come across this unsub.
The Profile
A white woman between the ages of 25 - 30
Paid between $10-15k a session
She is very well versed in the world of money and privilege
Even though she is a call girl, she doesn’t look like one, she could pass as a businesswoman or a co-worker – BRO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, CALL GIRLSS LOOK BETTER THAN ALL OF US
She is paid in cash – but she may also be getting paid in other ways, a new car, medical bills etc.
Probably did not grow up with a father figure, and is turning that rage toward clients who walk out on their families
During this briefing, a lady in the office asks what will happen to her once she is caught; Hotch says she will be prosecuted, and the lady asks, what about the other men who are sleeping with her? What will happen to them? YEAH WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM. one of the guys is like, okay but we might get in trouble for cooperating with he FBI, and Reid is like, yeah but she’s also putting you at risk both physically and professionally, since she likely knows a lot of critical and confidential information regarding the businesses, since men talk to her after sex.
A woman who is a lawyer who worked with one of the deceased shares that he was filing paperwork for him, and on the paperwork was stuff regarding a property; she asked what it was for and he chuckled and said “for a friend”, so yeah. Toast.
Now we see another gross man sitting in the lobby. We see her come and meet with him; his name is Trent. It looks like a consultation between the tow, she explains how she operates. He is so awkward; she asks when he wife died, and he gets really emotional telling her about her.
Now we see the FBI investigating the property the girl told them about.
Trent tells the lady that he almost didn’t go meet with her because of the FBI telling them about her, and also about the penthouse she may be living in. she suggests to Trent that they get out. They investigate her apartment and Prentis finds a purity ring. They also realize that she has like no personal information; nothing identifiable in the apartment. They also see that she reads Voltaire in french. Actually reading it cause the spine is cracked. The phone rings and they originally want Prentis to answer, but it goes to voicemail, and we hear HER say “Aaron, its me” and she is calling them! She’s like “i know you’re there!” Hotch answers. He asks for her name. He is nice with her, and they are kind of flirty? She tells him that she looked him up. She grills him about whether or not he sees his kid, and he explains he doesn’t see him as much as he would like, to which she is like “I believe you”
We see that she is calling from a car, and she is holding a gun to Trent’s head while tape is over his mouth. She says “You’re just another whore!” And then she shoots Trent while the BAU is listening. Garcia is thrown by the sound of the gunshot, and we see the woman getting out of the car in a garage. She drops her coat on the ground and then calls 911 and reports the sound of gunshots, giving the exact location. Garcia also tracks the location with the cellphone, and they find Trent in the car.
Now we see the BAU analyzing the phone call between Hotch and the LadyKilla. Reid talks about how her use of the word whore is interesting - perhaps he is trying to distance herself from her actions. However, she also changed her MO - poison to guns, and this changed her victimology because Trent had been faithful to his wife until she died, and they didn’t have kids. Justice for Trent! So she is devolving and this is concerning cause she might just take out anyone who is a perceived threat.
Regarding her phone call, t hey are trying to figure out how the “they”she references exactly is - it isn’t the men she sleeps with “its bigger than that” lol, and she lumps Hotch in with the lawyers. Prentis says it is probably anyone who has powerful, who can cover her up. Rossi brings up the purity ring that they found in her apartment. Perhaps it is about her father; and perhaps she bought her client list from another call girl who retired. Hotch and Rossi approach the lady who told them about the house and ask her about who her clients sleep with, which she is very unpleased with. She does not cooperate, and Hotch bullies her.
Prentis goes to a home, and ask for Katherine. Prentis says they want the name of the girl who bought her list. She cooperates and says her name was Megan Cain; and she confirms that Megan’s father was one of her 8 regulars. She was his call girl for 6 years, and eventually he left his wife – Megan’s mother – for her, however he married someone else. Prentis is like, weren’t you surprised when Megan asked for your list; that she wanted this career oath. And Katherine is like, uh, Megan didn’t want to be a call girl- she wanted me to go away, especially because she ruined the parents marriage and her life.
Back at the police office, or wherever they BAU is holed up, the regroup and share that Megan’s parens divorced 8 years ago, and after that she ended up traveling around the world and kind of fell off the grid for a while. Hotch realizes that she was the girl from the elevator. Hotch meets with her father, and he’s like, um you have the wrong woman how dare you.
So now her dad makes an appointment with her? It is a trap, but ew. He arrives at the appointment, and it is worth noting that there are two champagne glasses again. She tells her dad about what the men she met with liked, and she’s like “i even asked them what these women did that was so much better than mom” and he gets angry, rushes toward her and starts to choke her, and she’s like “thats what they told me you liked” fucking dead.
The BAU deduces which hotel she is at given the ivory floors – since she mentioned that over the phone.
Back with the Kanes! Her dad says he will protect her, but turning her in and posting bail, etc. she says she is scared and asks him to sty with her, and i don’t trust her!! They start hugging and she is crying. He says he needs something, and she’s like what? And he’s like, your client list. He says that he needs it because if they FBI finds it they will prosecute her for all four murders. She gets up, telling him to wait, and goes to her bag. In her bad we see her pick up a gun, hesitate, and then hand him her blackberry. The sirens from the FBI is like outside the hotel now too. He takes the phone and says “I’ll see you at the police station!” And he leaves.
Hotch and Morgan enter her room, and find her sitting on the balcony outside, and she just drained a drink. Morgan says he’ll call 911, and Hotch goes to talk to her. She and Hotch talk, and she says how the men always leave first. In her hand we see that she’s taken the sim card out of the cellphone she gave her dad. Megan asks Hotch “How could your wife have ever left someone like you? You’re the first man i ever met who didn’t let me down… will you stay with me? Promise?” And he says: “Promise.”
And then we hear news coverage of her father resigning in disgrace…and Megan dies in front of Hotch having drank the poison.
Rating Criteria:
Criminal/Serial Killer: 20/20
Character development/ character arcs: 20/20
Forensics/Context: 20/20
Script writing: 20/20
Background characters: 20/20
Overall: 100/100