Criminal Minds (2005–…): Season 2, Episode 4 - Psychodrama - full transcript

Don't you even think about it!

Back it up.

Everybody, down!

Everybody, down!

I think I said watch it.

I said watch it!

Please, don't.

Over the past two months, the
L.A. Field office has been tracking

a series of 4 bank robberies
in the L.A. Metro area.

It's one individual
wearing a black ski mask.

He's highly skilled.
It's his unique M.O.



that put him squarely in our court.

This happened two days ago.

He's making them undress?

He takes their clothes and
locks them in the vault,

then he goes for the cash.

Smart.

Nobody's going to run
after him butt naked.

It's also a psychological advantage.

Make the captives feel exposed,

intimidated, and much
less likely to fight back.

That, and the mac-10
he's waving around.

- Boy's got a lot of firepower.
- But why is this case for us?

Because in the last
robbery, two things changed.

One, he beat the security
guard nearly senseless,



and two, after he made everyone undress,

he forced two pairs of
victims together at gunpoint,

then he made them simulate
sex with each other.

It's remarkable. By
utilizing a practical M.O.

The unsub has stumbled on
to a psychological signature.

- It's fascinating.
- He's a sex offender now.

Fueled by violent rage.

Only our unsub doesn't
know it yet. If he did,

he wouldn't be robbing banks anymore.

So, he's a violent
sex offender in denial.

And a sexual predator who's
just escalated his crimes.

He's a serial killer in the making.

Hey, what are you doing here?

Your cell phone kept going
straight to voicemail.

Yeah, no, I was in a meeting.

Is everything all right?

Going out of town?

Yeah, we gotta go to L.A. I was
going to call you from the car.

What is it?

You really don't know why I'm here?

Honey, I'm sorry, we're running late.

I just got back from the hospital.

- Jack?
- Oh, my God, the tests.

- What happened?
- He's got a condition.

It's treatable and
he's going to be okay.

I'm sorry.

How was he?

Scared.

They put those electrodes all over him
and he was wondering where his daddy was.

- Babe, you promised you'd be there.
- I know.

I'm sorry.

Where is he now?

At home with my mom.

I didn't want him here
while we were talking.

Look, I know this job
is important to you,

- but we're important, too.
- You don't have to tell me that.

I don't want you to wake up
some day in some random city

and realize that you
don't know your own son.

They can go without me.

No, they can't.

It's okay.

Go.

We'll talk about it when you get home.

I'm so sorry.

Sorry

"Man is least himself when
he talks in his own person.

Give him a mask and he
will tell you the truth. "

Oscar Wilde.

"Stripping bandit. "

That's terrible. That makes it sound
like the bandit's doing the stripping.

What would you call him?

- Pervert.
- Scumbag.

- I'd call him an ass
- Hey, focus, please.

We have the details of the 4 bank robberies
to learn before we get to Los Angeles.

At this point is he more a
bank robber or a sex offender?

Seriously. What's he going to do
next, rob a bank or rape somebody?

I'd say we need to know more
about how he robs the banks

- and who he chooses to victimize.
- Why these banks and why these victims?

Pairing these specific
people together is a fantasy.

If we can figure out the
nature of that fantasy,

we may be able to predict his targets.

In the last robbery I don't see any photos
of what he made the victims actually do.

There is a problem with this
surveillance system. We're working on it.

We should hit the ground running.
How should we break it down?

There's got to be a pattern to the banks.
We should run a geographical profile.

That's yours.

And for the sexual aspects, we need
to look at the specific victimology.

You and I can go with
the victim reports,

see whatever surveillance
footage they've got.

Leaves the unsub himself.

We'll need his perspective.

Crime scene.

The suspect entered around 2:00 P.M.

And a witness said he saw a man
on a motorcycle with a backpack

speed by a few minutes
after the robbery.

Freeway's just a few
blocks that way, right?

Actually, we're within a
half-mile of 3 freeways.

This is a perfect location.

If he's on a bike, he's got
no trouble getting out of here.

Well, first he's got to get to his bike.

- Where's it parked?
- It could be anywhere.

No! No.

A guy this good wouldn't risk his bike
not being anywhere near when he comes out.

He'd park illegally. Probably
not in the parking lot, but

further down the block, maybe, or

or right across the street here.

We need to know if any of these
places have security cameras

that might have caught the bike.

Ready?

Let's go rob a bank.

Basically,

we assume the suspects will
hunt close to where they live,

but far enough to remain anonymous.

Each one of these data points
represents a bank that he hit,

and this area where the lines intersect

give us the best estimate
of the unsub's home.

So, how many does that
narrow it down to?

Couple hundred thousand.

Oh.

Witness statements.

Not planning on seeing any of the
sights this afternoon, were you?

I've already seen the Hollywood
sign, been to the Getty center,

I'm not really interested
in John Wayne's footprints,

so I guess that covers
the sights of Los Angeles.

Let me guess, New York?

Now, what would make you say that?

Is this all the video
equipment you've got?

That ain't Quantico.

I need to set up a link
with our tech back there.

We got another bay as crappy
as this one down the hall.

- You all right?
- I just need some popcorn.

Have fun.

So, he enters

and he walks right to this spot.

Pulls his weapon out and shoots
into the ceiling right there.

That gets everyone's attention,
let's them all know he's dead serious.

Efficient.

This is the best spot in the bank.

I can see all the
tellers, the front door,

and that's the back office over there.

- So, he knew exactly where to go.
- He had been here before.

Next.

Next, he turns,

- aims the gun at the guard.
- Don't you even think about it!

Back it up.

Disarms the guard and
handcuffs him to the base.

So, where's the threat?

The guard's disarmed and chained.
How's he a threat to the unsub?

He isn't.

Then why did he take
the time to assault?

He's got control, he's
obviously got skills,

the very thing that he
doesn't have is time.

He didn't assault the guards
in the previous banks, why?

What's changed? What's
different about this guard?

Maybe this guard
reminded him of somebody.

What were the guards in the
previous robberies wearing?

Uniforms?

Black suits.

That's it.

That's all.

Our boy's efficient, he's determined.

This ain't his first picnic.

He's got his trade down cold.

Something about a guy in uniform
triggers an emotional response.

- Army?
- No

Army, you're conditioned to
work with people. This guy,

he don't trust anybody.

Prison.

Best trade school in the country.

I got access to 4 bank
robberies with security footage.

- What do I get to do with them?
- You know your...

digital perspective whatever software?

- Digital perspective analysis rendering?
- Yeah.

Honey, not only do I know
it, I helped develop it.

Good,'cause I want every
physical dimension of the unsub:

Height, waist size, inseam,
everything that you can give me.

Honey, if he opens his mouth, I'll
give you the length of his teeth.

Just keep it clean and
don't call me honey.

See anything interesting?

Maybe.

He took his time,

he looked at me,

then he pointed his gun at me.

And you were all naked at this point?

Yes.

Bank manager's wife. She
stopped by to pick him up.

They were going to celebrate
their son's 16th birthday.

The son was with them?

Daughter, too.

He knows the kids are theirs?

Witnesses said he checked
their wallets first.

He would have seen their names.

So, of all 13 people, he puts together

woman in her 60's, guy in his 30's,
married couple in front of their kids.

Why?

Maybe they were the most inappropriate
couples he could think of.

He's sadistic.

Would explains why he brings them here.

He could have taken them
behind the teller windows,

he could have taken them back into
the vault, but he chooses here.

It's the most exposed place in the bank.

Like a stage.

Like, it was as important for them to
see what was going on as it was for him.

Public humiliation.

I said, watch it!

Robbery wasn't about the
money. It was about getting off

on what he made these
people do on this spot.

Forcing others to squirm and watch.

We got to know what exactly
they were forced to do.

We need to see the fantasy.

Did you ever get a hold
of the security videos?

Yes, but they were mostly erased.

That's Henderson, the bank manager.

Said he was so flustered
after what he had been through,

that when he was
gathering the tapes for us,

he hit the wrong buttons
and erased part of them.

- You believe him?
- No. I told him I thought he was embarrassed

about the tapes getting out
and he erased them on purpose.

He denied it.

You rule out the
possibility he was in on it?

Why would he be involved in a robbery when
he had to go through something like that?

Maybe he didn't know what was gonna
happen. Maybe he was betrayed by the unsub.

Or perhaps he was coerced.

There's been many
documented cases of robbers

forcing bank managers to
assist them with their crimes.

None of that is consistent with
the M.O.'S of the other robberies.

Maybe there's a reason this last
one was different from the others.

- A call from Quantico on one.
- Thanks.

Garcia, it's Hotch.

Are we ready for something
completely weird?

- How weird are we talking, Garcia?
- The security footage Hotch gave me,

- I ran it through my software 3 times...
- and?

And there are weird height issues.

i. e., the unsub in the first
three robberies is 6 foot 1

and the unsub in the
last robbery, he's 5'10".

So what? In the last robbery we're
dealing with a different unsub?

An unsub who is somehow
able to erase tapes

that show exactly what
happened at that bank.

An unsub who may have
possibly had inside help.

I think it's time we sit
down with the bank manager.

Look, I already told the other agent

that I was nervous. I screwed up.

What else do you want me to say?

It took you 9 minutes to call
911 after the robber left.

I was collecting the tapes.
Before you called 911?

You think I had something
to do with this?

You think I'd put my
family through this?

No.

I don't think you'd put your family
through letting those tapes get out either.

You were the only one who had
access to those tapes, mr. Henderson.

Now, at best, you erased them
because you were embarrassed,

and at worst, because you had
something to do with the robbery.

Now, which would you
rather have us think?

You got to understand.

We were raised baptists.

It's hard for us to talk
about this kind of thing.

It's hard for all of us.

The thought about anybody
seeing those tapes,

even the police...

No.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I didn't think it would matter.

I think it's pretty
clear what this is about.

Shame and humiliation.

Everybody, down!

I said, watch it!

Watch it!

There is nothing wrong with my software.

My software is perfect,

isn't it? No, it isn't.

Why must your beauty be so

painful? God!

- Yeah?
- Pals, don't be ticked,

but I think I may have missed the
sort of glaringly obvious here.

How would you make yourself taller
without being a different person entirely

or having some sort of
weird chinese surgery?

Heels.

Right, sunshine, but
would have seen heels,

unless the unsub had them
hidden inside his shoe.

The point is, lifts.
- Lifts.

Lifts, all hidden up inside his boot.

With a little fancy footwork,
pun emphatically intended,

Garcia here managed to dig him out.

Thanks, girl.

He's trying to throw us
off, hide his real height.

But why would he take the lifts
out just for the last robbery?

Maybe he's getting careless.

Which means he's also
getting more dangerous.

At least we know we're
only dealing with one unsub.

Based on the knowledge that
spending a significant time in prison

stunts emotional growth while
increasing professional skills,

we can estimate this unsub went to jail

between the ages of 18 and 22 and spent

between 5 and 10 years inside.

That puts him at the approximate age

between 23 and 35.

This guy's much more than
just a bank robber though.

What started out as a practical
M.O., stripping his hostages,

triggered a deep
psycho-sexual response.

In other words, when he found himself
in front of a bunch of naked people

under his control, he snapped,

- then he decided to manipulate them.
- And better, or just getting worse,

he's attacking banks earlier in the day

when more and more people are present.

This sounds like he's sacrificing the safety
of having just a few hostages to contain,

for the satisfaction of having
more subjects to control.

He'll be less interested
in money and more interested

in sadistically
manipulating his captives.

In all likelihood,
he'll be high on drugs.

It would be wrong, however,
to write this guy off as crazy.

Bank robbing is an ambitious crime

and it takes time and
planning to pull it off.

What makes this unsub unique

is his fractured psyche.

On the one hand,

a cold, organized bank robber.

On the other,

a disorganized sexual sadist

full of bottled up rage.

Freeze!

Drop it!

- No.
- Come on now,

just put it down.

I got a mac-10.

One shot. You got one shot to kill me.

Even if you kill me,
I'm going down shooting.

The two parts of his psyche have

just begun to bleed together,

now when they finally converge,

we're talking about a criminal

with the skills and efficiency

of a master bank robber

and the rage of a suicide bomber.

He will explode.

Take them off.

- I said take them off.
- No.

Take... them... off!

Sir,

bank robbery in progress. Corner
of Washington and Sepulveda.

Kid in the back room
called 911 on his cell.

Said the suspect's started
making people undress.

L.A. air 8, requesting immediate air
support, Washington and Sepulveda.

How far are we from the bank?

- Without traffic, 10 minutes.
- Let's avoid traffic.

Do I have everybody's attention?

How we doing?

- About 8 minutes.
- Make it 3.

Please?

Less than a mile.

Just around the corner.

Is this your bike?

- Call E.M.S.!
- F.B.I.

- He took off.
- Where?

- I don't know.
- Ma'am. Ma'am, Can you hear me?

- She's unconscious.
- Medics are on their way.

Gideon, he may be headed your way.

You know what the odds are of catching
a motorcycle with a car in L.A.?

Try not to think about it.

There.

Damn it. Go.

It's the first time he's
made so many mistakes.

Hit the bank in the
morning, more people around.

Didn't clear the back room,
parked his bike right out front.

- Didn't bother taking any money.
- Did almost everything you predicted.

Sometimes it sucks to be right.

Witnesses said he refused
to take off his clothes.

- Damn.
- That's enough.

It's not the kind of
rage you bottle back up.

This could be the beginning of a spree.

How's JJ doing on that suspect list?

I'll call her. I'll call Reid
and Elle and get them on it, too.

You don't think he's
going to rob another bank?

No.

He doesn't care about money anymore.

Whatever he's after,

he'll hurt anyone who gets in his way.

- You call Elle and Reid?
- Yeah.

- What's that?
- My son's first steps.

I was out of town and
Haley sent me the file.

It's nice.

It's 5 months ago. I haven't
loaded anything on here since.

Okay. So you film a new
one when you get home.

So, you're sure this is it?

Yeah. Based on all the parameters,

age, armed robbery charge,

time spent in prison,

approximate location
of home address based on

geographical profile.

It's about 360 names.

these guys aren't sweethearts, but
there's only a handful with sex crimes

on their rap sheets and
none are sexual sadists.

That's not surprising. Bank robbers and
gun nuts aren't typically sex offenders.

That's what makes this unsub unique.

What about a pimp?

Roland Lynch, 32 years old.

Pimps are characteristically sociopathic

and, in many cases, sadistic.

Helps control their employees.

Well, this one started out
robbing convenience stores

before working his way into pimping.

That's unusual. Pimps
typically violate by proxy,

forcing others to do the
work for them, whereas,

bank robbers usually
operate in pairs or alone.

So, he's sexually sadistic

and has experience with armed robbery.

Along with fitting all other
parameters of the profile.

All right. I'll get in touch
with his parole officer.

You're Lynch's parole officer. When
was the last time you talked to him?

Haven't talked to Lynch in a month.

What can you tell us about him?

Roland?

A real peach.

He used to punish his girls by raping
them in front of their little sisters.

- He got a habit?
- Which one of mine doesn't?

If I'm not mistaken, he probably
has about a 10 rock a day monkey.

If Lynch is our guy,
he's going downhill fast,

but if he's tweaking, he's
going down even faster.

His latest drug test isn't back yet,

but I'm betting it
isn't going to be clean.

You got a line on him?

Give me a break. You know
what my case load is like?

Hey, come on, man.

He might have beaten a
civilian to death with a mac-10,

caved in a meter maid's face,
and that's just the beginning.

That make the top of your list.

- I'll make some calls.
- Thank you.

F.B.I. I need Roland Lynch.

talk to me, Roland Lynch. Roland lynch?

- Hey! Roland Lynch?
- Quoi?

Don't even think about it. Don't move!

Give it to me. Give it to me.

You know I can count about 16 different
ways you've just violated your parole.

They send in feds for busting parole?

We're here for the bank robberies
and the delivery man you killed.

I don't rob banks.

You violated parole, we've
got you on possession,

you're going down.

You think I'm gonna roll over 'cause
you're waving 3 to 5 at me?

I took beating's that
lasted longer than that.

If I were you,

I wouldn't even worry
about the murder charge.

I'd worry what happens to you when
word gets around you're a pervert.

Yeah, well, I made my
living being a pervert.

You can tell them that.
Oh, this is different.

Went after little old ladies, kids.

Witnesses say you got off when
the old lady took her shirt off.

Old ladies, kids,
inside, think about it.

Hey, Roland,

you're high out of your
mind right now, aren't you?

- Get him in the car.
- Take him back to the field office,

spend a few hours with
him, he'll sober up.

Give me a pot of coffee and I'll go all
night with this fool. Get him out of here.

- Hey, Morgan.
- We got him.

This guy's a hardcore prison rat.

- Elle.
- Hang on.

We just got another call,
restaurant in the south bay.

Guy came in in a ski-mask,
started making people undress.

- He just shot a
14-year-old kid. - When?

- 10 minutes ago.
- What'd she say?

Hardcore or not,

you've got the wrong scumbag.

According to witnesses, he came in and

fired into ceiling.

He separated all the
kids from their parents.

Then?

He's forcing the sons
to hit their mothers.

He started to.

When he tried to get the first
one to hit his mother harder,

he refused, and

when he refused...

it doesn't make sense. They're children.

He's playing out a fantasy.

Yeah, but it's his fantasy
and someone else's children.

They're surrogates of some kind.

No. You don't do this

to someone else's kids to
get off. You just don't do it.

It just doesn't make sense to me.

You internalize violence. You
take it out on other people.

Why force somebody else to do it?

Why force children
to act out your rage?

He didn't make the children
do anything at the bank.

Manager said he put
the parents together.

So, why is he so
focused on the kids now?

I want to talk to the
bank manager again.

I don't know what else I can tell
you. I've already gone over it 3 times.

What we need to know is if
there's something in that tape

that you don't want us to know about?

There were 12 other people in
that bank who were forced to watch.

What could I possibly be hiding?

This is about your children, isn't it?

We're sorry.

Mr. Henderson,

this is very important.

He's already killed 2 people
and he's not going to stop.

God! Go ahead.

Why don't you tell
them what he did to us,

what you let him do?

He had a gun.

He was going to kill me.

Come on.

They took my family from me.

We can't even look
at each other anymore.

I don't know how a family
gets over something like that.

They don't.

Excuse me.

Is it true he would have killed my
father if he tried to stand up to him?

There's no way to know, Darren,
but your father did the right thing.

Is there some reason you doubt that?

It's just...

the robber said something afterwards.

He said he was sorry.

He apologized.

Sadists don't apologize.
They gloat, maybe,

- but they don't apologize.
- Our guy's not a sadist.

We got that part of the profile wrong.

He doesn't derive any sadistic
pleasure from these fantasies,

they're more like a compulsion.

Compulsion that's
literally life or death?

I mean, if anyone
interferes, he kills them.

It's like he's compelled
to direct these fantasies

using these people as actors.

Actors on a stage, it's a play.

It's a psychodrama.

What's that?

It's a form of psychotherapy
whereby actors serve as surrogates

for actual people in the patient's life.

Incorporates many elements of
theatre, including an audience.

There's a very famous pilot program
at the San Luis Obispo county jail

in the mid-nineties.

Isn't that just a couple
hours away from here?

Let's go over the suspect
list and see how many of them

did time in San Luis Obispo.

The answer is 4.

Come on. Tell me you narrowed
it down a little more than that.

Only two live in state,
but only 1 lives in L.A.

Ha, that a girl.

Caleb Dale Sheppard, last known address

- 236 Harbor Lane, Inglewood.
- Thanks, mama.

That's only 1.6 miles from the
last restaurant that he hit.

I've been studying a lot of L.A. Maps.

If he's been attacking that close
to home, he's given up any interest

in protecting his identity.

We need to all go down there and
split up, half to his address,

half patrol in the area around the
restaurant in case he's on the hunt.

Mrs. Sheppard, do you
know where your son is?

Dale doesn't live here anymore.

Where is he, mrs. Sheppard?

He's a grown man.

You have any idea how much
trouble your son could be in?

Jail?

He's a good boy.

Lost his way a bit, that's all.

Well, that's one way to look at
12 years in and out of prison.

You've never made a mistake?

Your son spent time in a juvenile home?

He was out of control,

even attacked his own sister once,

but his father died.

It wasn't his fault.

Was it yours?

What?

Was it your fault?

How many of these did you
take today, mrs. Sheppard?

I had...

back problems my whole life.

She's completely out of her mind.

She's so lonely she'll
just keep talking to us.

I doubt she'll tell us where he is.

That was Garcia. Apparently
Sheppard's sister died

12 years ago,

suicide.

Lady sure did a number on her kids.

She's probably lonely after the
husband died and on painkillers,

not in her right mind, and

nobody there to turn to
but Sheppard and his sister.

So, now he's symbolically
punishing his mother?

He's playing out a fantasy.

Sons gaining total
control over their mothers.

We got something.

"Dale daybreak hotel. "

Sheppard,

- F.B.I.
- Key?

No, I got one.

Clear!

Yeah, it's clear here, too.

Morgan. Crystal meth.

Oh, he's got to be halfway
out of his mind by now.

Which would explain
why he left this behind.

Well, it looks like he's
on foot. Here's his bike.

I'm calling Hotch.

- Yeah?
- Look, he's not here.

From the looks of it, he just left.

Hotch, he's tweaking.

He's unmasked and he's probably on foot.

All right, stay there. Call
if there's any sign of him.

Okay. You Too.

If he's on foot, he must
still be in the neighborhood.

How do we find him?

At this point, he'll probably hit the
first thing that catches his attention.

- Families.
- A public place.

If the trend continues, he'll
look for a bigger audience.

Public place with families.

Guys, there's a public
park not far from here.

- Where?
- . 6 miles from where we are now.

. 9 miles from the hotel
where the unsub's staying,

which we'll actually pass if we
take a right at the next light.

There's no sign of him.

We've got cruisers
everywhere. Where could he be?

There's only a few blocks
between here and his hotel.

He's got to be really close.

- Do it.
- No.

- I said, do it.
- No.

- Do it.
- It's okay.

- Come on, you can do it.
- No, no.

Please, just do what he says, please.

- I said do it!
- Please, do what he says.

It's ok, sweetheart.

Mommy says it's ok.

Put it down.

Drop the knife.

It won't fix you, Sheppard.

It doesn't matter what you make them do,

how many people are watching you.

- Oh, my God.
- Got him.

It's okay, baby.

Look at these people. Look at them!

They're children.

They're children, for god's sake.

I need something that kills.

Give me something. I need something.

You shot me!

You had a hunting knife
to a little boy's throat.

Just give me something for the pain,

you son of a bitch!

- She did it!
- Who did?

My mom.

You don't know what she did to me.

Did you really think you were
going to get back at your mom

by attacking all these other people?

The bitch deserved it.

Except you didn't go after her, you
went after all these other women.

- So what?
- You went after children.

They're gonna have to
learn sooner or later.

What are they going to have to
learn? That no one's there for you.

He's a drug addict. He's detoxing.
I don't care what he asks for.

- Don't give him anything.
- Come on.

He's not a doctor.

He's right. I'm an F.B.I. agent, and
he killed a 14-year-old boy today.

"The basis of shame

is not some personal mistake of ours,

but that this humiliation
is seen by everyone. "

Milan Kundera.

You okay?

I was showing those trainees
around the offices the other day.

They all want to be in the BAU.

I told them what a great job it is.

And they even applauded
when the tour was over.

I heard.

Yeah, but I didn't really
tell them the truth.

I didn't tell them what it's like
to spend your days in this hell.

It's fun, huh?

I mean, who's to blame for
somebody like Sheppard?

His mother?

Broken home?

Society? All of it? None of it?

It gets worse and worse with each case.

Save one life, we save the world.

Yeah.

Well, the one thing I
didn't tell the trainees.

- What's that?
- We do not get paid enough.

You got that right.