S4E22 - “The Big Wheel”

The episode opens with a closeup of some eyes. A sudden zoom out, and we see a white man, maybe in his 30s? Lying on a bed. He reaches for some glasses, puts them on, and then pulls his watch from the bedside table. We see him make the bed and look out a window. He is very particular and methodical in his movements, so I'm worried this is gonna turn into an OCD kind of thing. He puts together an outfit – again very precise and methodical. And we see him brush his teeth. But the mirror is covered. He switches into a different pair of slippers, he opens the fridge kind of funky – yeah OCD. And he takes a sandwich out of the fridge and cuts it. He “cleans” the knife and puts it away. He puts half of the sandwich back in the fridge and he opens it the same kind of way. He keeps eyeing the clock.

We see him leave his apartment, and get in his car – again opening and closing and opening the door again. He starts driving, and there is plastic wrap over the steering wheel. We see him walking, and he won't step on cracks. And yeah, he's a germaphobe as well it seems. He stops walking and then suddenly takes off again, he walks towards a house and the door is open. There is a woman on the phone – she is a real estate agent. She thinks he is someone else – Robert, and he just stabs her? He writes something down on her papers, and then he follows her to the couch, where she dies. 

Now we’re at the BAU and JJ is briefing the team on what happened. The real estate agent was named Michelle Watson, and she was murdered in Buffalo. Until the day before they didn't have any leads at all, but then they were sent something from an unknown source: a video with no sound – and it looks as if it was a hidden camera recording from the Unsubs POV of all of his morning activities from what we saw in the opening. The witnesses were able to give enough information that the police were able to get a sketch. And next, they also notice what appears to be an editing suite in the unsubs apartment. They talk about how dangerous and gang-filled Buffalo is, and then they see the last part of the little home video. Wait. unsubs be streaming. And it is the unsub writing “help me” on a whiteboard in red ink.

Next, the BAU is on the jet, and they are analyzing the different frames of the video. They notice that the unsub edited out a lot of time/footage of the video, given that we can see the clock/times throughout the video. They also mention that at the crime scene Michelle Watson’s wallet was left, along with her very expensive diamond ring, and the unsub didn't take any of that, so he is definitely not financially motivated. Garcia was able to find 22 cases of a blonde white, early 30s woman being stabbed – all unsolved. The BAU works with Detective Anderson, and she is very alarmed by the 22 unsolved cases. 

Next, we see the Unsub going through different footage of what looks to be other killings he has done. Man, he is an artist fml. 

Rossi and the BAU are talking to Det. Anderson – saying how “help me” being written in the video is very strange because it is in direct opposition of the psychology of a psychopath – they don't have the capacity to feel empathy towards others. Garcia cuts in and shares that the footage is analog, has since been digitized but is seriously degraded – meaning it was degraded over time and having been watched over and over. So yeah, he’s been doing this for like 10 years or 20. They also clock that the name Robert written in her book – however, there is no information regarding who Robert is; Reid does some handwriting analysis and says it was written by someone who is left-handed. They think perhaps it is an alias. There is also the number 29 written in the book and circled twice in red ink, however, they think this was written by someone who is right-handed – possibly the unsub. 

Garcia also points out that the next day is the 29th. Prentis and Morgan go to the crime scene. They walk through everything. They say that she must have known someone was coming – it was an open house. And she didn't see the camera. Morgan believes that the camera is in the glasses. 

Now we see the unsub washing his hands – he only uses a bar of soap once before throwing it out! 

They start looking into camera shops, as well as secure locations for someone to have been killed. Apartments, houses, basements, etc. offices. They also clock that he has been stabbing these women every 12 months. Prentis, Morgan and Hotch notice that he must be obsessive-compulsive because of the cracks in the pavement, the sandwich and the red ink. 

Now we see the Unsub in his apartment, and there is a knock on the door. He looks through the peephole and it is a woman – she is smiling, and seems excited? She calls for him, calling him by the name Vincent, and saying “its Alice”. He waits and then opens the door. She comes into the apartment, and seems like the opposite of him super colorful and not uptight. She kind of flirts with him, saying that he’s cute. She says she is there because there is a wedding the next day and they want him to film and edit it – because he’s the best. 

He asks her to leave, and while doing so, she sees the TV that has his sketch on it. She’s like “that looks like you”. She’s like “uh.. Vincent?” and he’s like “i need to change my glasses.”

Cut and we see her lifeless body on the side of the road. Morgan and the rest of the BAU is looking into it – it is a very different kind of killing. She does not match the victimology, and she’s the only one who has been dumped and with signs of remorse. 

Next the BAU delivers the profile: 

• This unsub has extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder 

  • This most recent killing does not fit his victimology, so he probably did not target or even mean to kill her 

• Five camera shops recognized him, however only one knew him, saying they knew him only as “Vincent” 

• He bought two mini wireless cameras and them fitted to his glasses 

• He is well versed in camera technology and probably generates income through a related field.

• He walks in off the street, politely waits his turn and pays in cash 

• This guy is mobile, probably in an SUV

• He is starting to devolve, – his OCD is getting the best of him, he will start taking bigger and bigger risks to achieve his goal 

• Because today is the 29th he may have something planned today 

• He sent the film as a way of reaching out, he may be ambivalent but his OCD won’t let him stop 

Hotch asks about the autopsy report, and Rossi says that all of them except for Michelle Watson were overkill – she was only stabbed once. And her killing was the only one he sent footage of to the police. 

Now we see a young mom and her kid on the sidewalk, her kid is playing on a scooter and she is watching him. Vincent is in a car parked on the street, watching the entire thing. A phone from inside the house starts to ring, and the mom seems conflicted – answer the phone or watch the kid. She calls after her kid “don’t go anywhere I’ll be right back” and makes her way towards the house after the phone. Now Vincent gets out of the car, he checks his watch, and walks after her. 

Prentis, JJ and Garcia look over the previous victims. JJ points out that all of them happened during the spring, so perhaps something about the Spring is his stressor. Reid also points out that Michelle was only stabbed once. Garcia has been working on learning more about the footage of another woman in the background of the tape the unsub sent – she points out that this woman also fits the victimology of being a young blonde. Reid also discovers that there was actually a witness in one of the older murders – the woman’s son. 

Now we see Vincent and the kid on the scooter. Vincent is like “53 seconds, you were faster the first time, what happened?” the kid jokes about having run over a cat, and then he is like “happy birthday Stanley!” and the kid is like “king for the day, right Vincent?” – so they must know each other. Vincent is like, “I made you a promise, remember?” Stanley is like of course, and Vincent tells him to put out his hand, and on his hand, he circles with a red pen – not actually writing or anything – two circles. Stanley is like, no way, for real? And Vincent is like, “yeah, tonight, it's here tonight!” WHAT IS HERE TONIGHT. And tells him not to tell anyone. He leaves, and Stanley is like, you know nothing will happen if you step on them – regarding the cracks in the sidewalk. And Vincent is like, you're a kid, what do you know. Also – this kid is blind? It took me way too long to realize. 

The BAU is discussing the witness of the previous murder – apparently, he didn’t actually see anything, and they didn’t interview him because he was so traumatized. Additionally, he was foster homed afterwards. However, he is still in Buffalo. 

The BAU approaches Stanley, he is sitting out on the porch – this is the kid whose mother was murdered. They talk to his adopted mother and she says that she;’s had him for 9 months and the paperwork has just gone through so she is legally his parent now. They're also getting ready to move to CA. She explains that he’s been blind since birth and since his birth mother didn't want him to use a cane, he instead makes a clicking sound with his mouth – we have heard this sound from the Unsub too – and it works as like, an echolocation technique. 

Morgan says he wants to talk to Stanley about his mother, and Stanley cooperates. He says he wants to help. We learn that they had been playing outside in the snow, and he went inside because he was getting cold. However, his mom didn't come inside. He didn't hear anything, until he hears her crying. He went outside and she had been stabbed to death. He realized that someone else was there, but it wasn't his mom. And Stanley realizes that the unsub saw him. 

Now Vincent realizes the cops are on to him as he sees them on the streets. He talks off his glasses as a means of hiding from them. He walks down the street and he gets cornered by two guys – ugh, “gang” violence. He says he doesn't want trouble, the guy who approached him says he doesn't want trouble and threatens him with a gun, however, Vincent just stabs him. He does get shot, but he hardly reacts. Cut and we see him in his apartment, and it looks like he cleaned himself up fine, however he didn't clean his apartment floors! 

We see him walk from the bathroom to the kitchen and drink milk out of the carton like a heathen. He eats the rest of his sammich, however he takes it apart before eating, and stuffs the bread in his bullet wound?? Girl what is going on. He then puts plastic wrap around himself, as a means of preventing the bleeding? Hello??? He watches the TV with the footage of a woman getting stabbed. We see that the woman is stabbed, and a son is like, mommy? And I think the son is Vincent. 

The BAU interviews the witness who watched him stab the “gangster”. The witness tells the BAU that the unsub was also using echolocation. And they realize that Stanley is the “event” because it's his birthday. They go to Stanley’s home and the mother realizes that Stanley is gone. She is freaking out. 

Cut and we see that Stanley is in the car with Vincent. Stanley is telling Vincent that the BAU visited him today, and they talk about his mom. Vincent talks about how the unsub would never ever hurt him.,,and then Stanley hits him with a “i wish he had killed me” LOL. 

The scene cuts and Vincent is having a time at a carnival? 

Back at Stanley’s house, they find blood near the window. His mom loses it, and they explain to her that the man they are looking for is allegedly injured, and his name is Vincent. She reacts and they realize that Stanley already knows Vincent – he was registered helper in a mentoring program. Garcia is able to use vi-cap and realizes that the woman killed in the video that Vincent watches was indeed his mother – Kim Rowlings, and her son Vincent witnessed it. With this information they are also able to find Vincent's address. Prentis, Morgan, Hotch and Prentis bust into Vincent’s apartment, and in his little editing office, they see that the tape of his mothers murder is on loop. They conference Garcia over the phone. 

On the phone they talk to Stan’s mother, and she says that Vincent only ever visited Stan under their own roof, but he started visiting a lot more once she mentioned that they were going to be moving away. They realize that because of his penchant for building things – such as a ferris wheel, Vincent probably took Stanley to a carnival with a ferris wheel. The team goes to look for him, and Hotch stays behind to look through his stuff. 

Stanley and Vincent approach the ferris wheel, and Vincent is like, struggling, you know, because he was SHOT. they get on the ferris wheel, and Stan is like, LIVING. 
The BAU busts into the theme park carnival. 

Stan asks Vincent if he can see the stars, and how beautiful it is. He tells Stan that if he reaches forward he could catch the stars. Dfgjkfdgjk. Vincent is then like, “remember you said you wished he'd killed you?” 

Rossi sees them on the ferris wheel.

Then Vincent is like: “You can  never ever wish to be dead. Never wish for that. I saw my mom die too, and like my father I did some bad things – did some bad things.”

Stan: “What are you talking about?” and he's starting to cry.

Vincent: “You’re gonna hear things. You’re gonna hear bad things about me. But you can never, ever, wish to die, Stan. Because you're special”

Stan: “How am I special?”

Vincent: “Because you helped me to see. To see.”

Stan: “Can we go around one more time?”

Vincent: (Hears the FBI in the background) “Oh…I don’t think so.”

Stan: “I wish you were my dad”

Vincent: “Forgive me.”

The Ferris wheel goes down, and Vincent is like, passed out. Morgan is like, “Stanley it's me” and comforting Stan, but Stan is like, “what's going on?” and asking for Vincent. Morgan carries him away and he’s asking for Vincent. His mom runs up and hugs him, and Stan is SO CONFUSED. Then he's like,- “Derek, did he kill my mom?”

Morgan doesn't respond verbally, but he touches his face, so he knows. 

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