Criminal Minds was known for its twisted and gruesome storylines. But one season 8 installment upped the shock value a little too much.
The episode, titled The Lesson, follows the BAU team as they investigate a serial killer who is leaving male victims with dislocated limbs inside wooden boxes. For his calling card, the unsub dyes all of the victims’ hair black, paints their nails, and dresses them in similar clothing.
Because of the very specific staging, Dr. Spencer Reid suspects that killer is turning his victims into human marionettes. How he connects those dots, we’ll never know. But as usual, Reid turns out to be right.
With the help of Dr. Reid, Penelope Garcia uses her internet wizardry to find a man named Adam Rain who fits the unsub’s profile.
The story of the man becomes increasingly horrifying as the team learns that Rain was forced to watch someone murder his father when he was only a child.
Then as an adult, Rain fell into a coma after a car crash. And when he awoke, he had the personality of a kid. And he immediately asked to see his dead father.
Doctors later realized that the brain injury caused Adam Rain to lack empathy and judgment. And once he was released from the hospital, the man dedicated himself to avenging his father’s death.
But instead of locating and killing his father’s murderer, the deranged psychopath decided to kill several people, turn them into puppets, and use their bodies to reenact the murder. Seriously, who thinks of these plots?
But unfortunately, the episode’s overall story is not the most disturbing part of the show. There is one particular scene that probably forced many fans to turn off their TV. And that’s saying a lot. Because as all viewers know, Criminal Minds crossed many lines during its 15-year run.
‘Criminal Minds’ Takes it a Step Further By Showing the Marionettes Perform
During the scene in question, Adam Rain actually creates his marionettes on screen. And the producers made sure to be as realistic as possible with the visuals.
As the murderer prepares his puppets, he attaches a stretching device to their wrists and suspends them in the air. While doing so, the victims’ shoulders dislocate and rotate 180 degrees in the wrong direction. And the camera shows everything.
Then later, Rain gleefully makes his marionettes perform a show while continuously pulling on their disjointed limbs. And again, the camera focuses on the disgusting, unnatural movements.
Just writing about the situation makes our stomachs lurch. So if you’re binge-watching Criminal Minds on Netflix and have a hard time looking at gruesome content, be sure to skip The Lesson. You’re welcome.
