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The CBS crime series Criminal Minds held viewers in its grip for fifteen seasons with its gripping depiction of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) as they pursued the country's most sinister serial killers, or "UnSubs" (Unknown Subjects). The show became infamous for its chillingly realistic portrayal, frequently crossing the line between reality and fiction.
This was accomplished by basing storylines on actual crimes and notorious serial killers. By weaving aspects of true crime into its own stories, Criminal Minds provided a dark and foreboding window into the world of killers, examining the psychological elements that cause people to do terrible things.
The show effectively incorporated these real-life influences into fictional narratives, producing engaging and disturbing television that captivated audiences. Even the rebooted Criminal Minds: Evolution keeps this up, further solidifying the show's legacy of delving into the darkest aspects of the human mind through the framework of true crime.
7 Criminal Minds episodes inspired by true crimes
1) "JJ" (Season 6, Episode 2): The Natalee Holloway Case
The Season 6 episode "JJ" closely resembles Natalee Holloway's disappearance. The episode is about a young woman who goes missing on holiday at the beach. She was last seen with two young men who said they dropped her off at her hotel.
This is a copy of the Holloway case, in that she went missing while on holiday, with the difference being that it was not in her own country: the Criminal Minds episode takes place in America, while Holloway went missing in another country. In each scenario, a body is never found and suspicion falls upon a duo of suspects, but never with hard evidence to make charges.
The show breaks with reality in offering an outcome: the girl, who had disappeared, was discovered alive. She thus had a more upbeat finale than what likely happened.
2) "Cradle to Grave" (Season 5, Episode 5): Based on Phillip and Nancy Garrido
"Cradle to Grave" from Season 5 of Criminal Minds bears some resemblance to the Phillip and Nancy Garrido crimes. The Garridos abducted 11-year-old Jaycee Dugard and kept her in captivity for more than a decade, during which time she was raped and gave birth to children.
The Criminal Minds episode involves a married couple that abducts a young woman, whose husband sexually assaults them over and over again. The significant difference is that in "Cradle to Grave," they dispose of the female children and retain the men, while Garridos permits Dugard to retain her daughters with her.
The series starts with the murder of one of the victims who was taken captive after childbirth, introducing an ominous tone.
3) "Reflection of Desire" (Season 6, Episode 8): Shades of Ed Gein
Season 6 episode "Reflection of Desire" parallels with the notorious Ed Gein. Gein, whose gruesome acts against the corpses of young women served as inspiration for horror films such as Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, inspired Criminal Minds as well.
Rhett Walden, the "Hill Ripper" character, stores his mother's corpse at home and mutilates victims' corpses. Walden's persona also invokes Norman Bates of Psycho in the script.
4) "Broken Wing" (Season 14, Episode 9): The "Angel of Death" - Donald Harvey
"Broken Wing," Season 14, delves into the idea of an "angel of death," based on Donald Harvey. The episode has the BAU investigating a string of suspicious overdoses at a rehab center.
Harvey was a serial killer in real life who killed individuals in hospitals where he worked, frequently targeting the elderly or those who were terminally ill. He was convicted of killing 28 individuals by turning off their oxygen or injecting poison into their IVs.
5) "Children of the Dark" (Season 3, Episode 4): The Creepy Pair of Leonard Lake and Charles Ng
"Children of the Dark," from Season 3, is a graphic portrayal of psychological trauma, inspired by the infamous serial killers Leonard Lake and Charles Ng. The episode revolves around Gary and Ervin Robles, who burglarize suburban houses, kill the parents, and spare the children. Like Lake and Ng, the Robles brothers are a serial killer duo, family annihilators, and thieves.
Their partnership is like that of the notorious pair in various ways: both groups had a Caucasian man and an accomplice of another race, and both groups had at least one member who was abused by parents. And like Lake and Ng, a Robles team member takes on the identity of a victim before they are arrested.
6) "There's No Place Like Home" (Season 7, Episode 7): The Dark Shadow of Jeffrey Dahmer
In "There's No Place Like Home" of Season 7, Criminal Minds brings in James Heathridge, an unsub who seems to be modeled on the notorious Jeffrey Dahmer, whom the episode directly names. Both Heathridge and Dahmer were serial killers and kidnappers with comparable victim profiles, both targeting Caucasian teenage boys with high-risk lifestyles.
Heathridge enticed his victims to his trailer with beer and sex offers, similar to how Dahmer would lure his victims to his apartment. Heathridge dismembered the bodies of his victims after killing them and retained body parts as macabre trophies, similar to Dahmer's morbid habits.
7) "Blood Hungry" (Season 1, Episode 11): The Vampire of Sacramento - Richard Chase
A memorable episode in the first season of the show, "Blood Hungry," is when the team stalks a murderer who eats the organs of his victims, a sinister activity inspired by Richard Chase.
Chase, dubbed "The Vampire of Sacramento," murdered multiple individuals, drank their blood, and fed on their bodies. Although the episode doesn't show all the graphic details, it is inspired by the case of Chase.
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Criminal Minds was able to balance fictional narrative with elements of real crime to produce a gripping and unsettling show. Through influence from real-life criminals and serial killers, the show delved into the darkest corners of human nature and into the psychological reasons behind why people kill.
Segments such as "JJ," "Cradle to Grave," "Reflection of Desire," and several others, exhibit the show's dedication to bringing its stories into reality, further making the fiction of Criminal Minds all the more disturbing.
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