Criminal Minds (2005–…): Season 8, Episode 10 - The Lesson - full transcript

Every time I wake up...

I'm disappointed...

I didn't die.

The crappy food.

The-the bed sores.

It's bad enough being stuck
with Coma Boy,

drooling all day,

but every time I see your face,

I feel sorry for the woman
who's got to look at it.

Mr. James, that's enough.

You probably go home all alone



with a sleazy magazine

and cheap Chinese,

crying yourself to sleep
on your saggy couch.

You know what?
All I have to do

is turn up the morphine,
and you'll be dead.

Oh... Oh, you kill me...

...and I'll haunt you
till the day you die.

When you wake up,

you'll see my face.

When you go to work,
you'll see my face.

And every time you kiss

that three-dollar whore
you call a wife...

...you'll see my face
laughing at you.

Laughing at you



as she lays there pretending
to enjoy it, when we all know

she'd rather be
with the postman.

Am I right?
I'm right, aren't I? Aren't I?

Oh, you're right.

Oh.

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Oh!

sir?

You've been in a coma, sir.

Just relax.
Just relax.

Just relax. Shh.

Sir...

Hey.

This is your lucky day.

Mm...

She's screaming.

I'm worried
someone's going to hear her.

I'll handle it.

You sure we should keep her?

She's perfect.

Don't you agree, Mr. Conrad?

What chapter are you on?

The part where
she's at the coal mines.

Yeah, say what you will
about his writing, Maeve.

It's fascinating
the way he weaves characters

into situations, right?

Yeah, I mean, I'm not sure
what I think of it.

It's slightly obtuse.

Yeah, he t...
he tends to be that way.

I... I probably
should have warned you.

He's not really anything like
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Still my favorite.

Guess what?

What?

I think the stalker's gone.

The e-mails have stopped.

Really? Since when?

Two weeks ago.

Why didn't you tell me?
- I wanted to make sure.

- What about the phone calls?
- No, I haven't gotten any.

No more heavy breathing
on the machine,

no more hang-ups.

You know, oftentimes,

if a stalker's advances
are completely ignored,

their erotomanic fantasies
will be diverted

to a more receptive target.

I went to the store yesterday.

I even sat in a cafe

and had coffee
without my disguise on.

Something deep inside my gut
tells me he's gone.

I think it's over, Spencer.

Well, our-our instincts exist
for a reason.

They're definitely responses...

I want to meet you.

...to environmental stimuli.

Do you hear me, Spence?

Yeah, I-I...
No, I-I heard you.

MAEVE
Well,

what do you think?

I think it's time.

Let's get started.

Uh...

- Sorry I'm late, guys. I had
an appointment. -GARCIA: Yeah.

Okay, three days ago,
Bruce Phillips was found dead

with his blond hair dyed black.

He had been put in a box
and left on a busy street.

A custom-made box.

Maybe our UnSub was a carpenter.

He stuffed him in there,

practically folding him
in half.

He had also
been hung and restrained,

and that's where the plot
thickens like bad soup.

Yesterday, Justin Marks and
Connie Foster, who were dating-

they went missing two miles away
from the first abduction site.

A couple. He's escalating.

Yes. This morning,
Justin's body was found.

He had been hung,

he had been stuffed in a box,
left in an alley.

Officers say his brown hair
had been dyed black.

Connie's still missing.

So, he probably still has her.

Well, why would he reject
Justin overnight,

but keep the first male victim
for two days?

Something about him
didn't work out.

Look at his neck.

He was hung multiple times.

The question is,

what does he do with Connie?

He could make her

watch him abuse the men, or have

- asphyxiative sex with them.
- Well, a brunette male

and a woman are crucial
to this guy's fantasy.

Well, he's kept Connie.

Maybe she's the object
of his desire.

Well, our first order
of business is finding her,

and then making sure
he doesn't do this again.

Wheels up in 30.

Shh.

Please, please,
just tell me where Justin is.

Shh, Shh, Shh, Shh. Shh, Shh.

Please tell me
what you did to him.

Please, just tell me
that he's okay, please.

Please, please.

I... I can't do that.

Just like this.

There. Like that. There.

There.

Now, say cheese.

Cheese...

William Shakespeare once wrote:

"Love looks not with the eyes,
but with the mind. "

All right, let's go over
the victimology.

Both the male victims had
their hair dyed black,

and the woman is a brunette.

The guys

are similar-
same ages, same builds.

They were also abducted
outside their homes,

which were all in the same area.

So, they were probably
being stalked.

Was Connie with her boyfriend
when she was abducted?

Yeah, it looks that way.

Her purse was found on
the ground outside of his house.

- So, this involves some kind
of ruse. -REID: It's difficult

to lure most people from the
security of their own homes.

Well, some people

let their guard down.

Yeah, stalking victims
vary their routes home.

They enter and exit
through different doors.

They wear disguises.

They don't talk
to anyone in their driveway.

They hardly talk to anyone at
all; they're-they're terrorized.

Okay, so, maybe
they were followed, Reid.

I mean, bottom line is,
the UnSub escalated.

The first male
was abducted alone,

the second was
with his girlfriend.

Well, what do
we know about her?

Connie was in her 30s.

Baked cakes for a living.
She's never

had a run-in with the law.

Assuming he kept her,

- what's the reason?
- She's a necessity.

Somehow she fits
into his fantasy.

And so far, that need may be

- what's keeping her alive.
So, what we know

is that we have an UnSub
with a fantasy or a deep desire

that requires the man
to look a specific way.

Since he rejected Justin
so quickly,

he's probably looking for
a replacement as we speak.

Did you get it?

Yeah, I got everything-
uh, nails, wire...

Still need a crank.

We don't have a lot of time.

Tomorrow will be here
before we know it.

Yeah, we can't just
chose anybody.

It has to be the right guy.

Someone with black hair.

Same size.

And nothing less than perfect.

Gin Rummy.

Help!

Help!

Please, help!

Help, please!

Oh, my God.

- Please!
- Oh, my God.

You got to help!

Yeah.

Please.

Please, you got to help.

- What happened?
- Do you have a phone?

Yes. Come in.

This is a pretty open
disposal site.

The UnSub wasn't trying
to hide his victim.

Detective Martin,
is this how he was found?

The crime scene's exactly
how we found it.

The Coroner's Office was pretty
backed up due to a bus crash,

so CSI just finished
working the scene.

Look at the box.

It's like he's on display.

How considerate.

Okay, so this was taken
the day he was abducted.

His hair was longer then.

And he painted his nails red.

He didn't do that
to the first guy,

so, what's going on here?

He's trying
to emasculate them.

It's all part
of the UnSub's fantasy.

Please, somebody help me.

What are you doing?

Please...

please, please just let me go.

How can I let you go?

We haven't even started.

What did I do to you? Please.

- Here.
- Please.

Let me help you up.

You... You really
should get some rest.

You have bags under your eyes.

Did you kill Justin?

It wasn't right.

The next one will be better.

Do you want me to set up?

Yes, yes, please set up.

Now...

I have to take your clothes off.

No, please.

No... no, please,
get away from me.

I'm sorry, but it's the only way
I can work.

No... No... No! No!

MORGAN
Hey, Hotch, our latest abductee

looks just like
our last two victims.

His house
is in the hunting zone?

Smack in the middle.

Roommate came home
and saw blood on the window.

Wallet and keys
are still here, too.

What about hair color?

Naturally black.

He might not be a surrogate;

he might be the actual object
of our UnSub's focus.

Hotch, you might be right.
You know what?

Let me call you right back.
I think I got something.

Good. Thanks.

It's a little light, isn't it?

That's not blood.

I've been getting lame GSWs,
a few bus crash victims,

but a hanging-
now, this is fun.

You think it was sexual?

Not in the traditional sense.

Well, look.

There are numerous
ligature marks

on the neck,
indicating he was hung

multiple times.

The ones without abrasions

were probably made
by something soft, like fabric.

Any idea how long
it went on for?

Based on the different,

varying coloration
of the bruising,

I'd say about 12 hours.

This ligature mark with
the abrasion is the final one.

There's an inverted "V"
in the back.

He was hung
with a leather strap or belt,

which is what killed him.

Oh, we also found ketamine
in his system.

Well, ketamine acts quickly,
so he must've used a ruse

to get close to our victims.

Yes- the bones
were perfectly disjointed.

They could have dislocated
from the fall after hanging,

or when he shoved them
in the box.

Uh, actually, the bones were
dislocated antemortem.

- Oh, goody. Overtime.
Can you check

to see if the bones
were dislocated in the same way?

Yep.

Same way.

This guy's sicker
than my last girlfriend.

The question is,
why is he doing this?

Medieval torturing techniques

have a long, dense history.

Skinning someone alive
was commonplace.

Placing someone's hand
in boiling water

happened almost daily
in the church.

Please, tell me what you want.

This is what I want.

Focus on the floor.

From the way these joints
were disarticulated,

it appears as though
we're dealing

with either drawing
and quartering or the rack.

No!

The rack
was the most prevalent way

to disarticulate
the human body.

Yes! That's it! That's it!

If our UnSub's using it,

he's beyond maniacal;
he's a sadist.

Garcia at your service.

Can you find anyone in the area
that might sell or rent

medieval torture equipment?

Besides a friend of mine
in knitting group?

Try S&M suppliers.

We're looking
for a stretching rack.

Spanking the keys as we speak.

Don't worry- they like it.
Okay. I have...

cross-checked
stretching equipment

with S&M equipment,
and I found something

that stretches something,

but I don't think
it's the something

- we're looking for.
- Maybe he made his own.

- That would be pretty elaborate.
Okay, I'm gonna

- keep looking. I'll get back
to you soon. -HOTCH: Thanks.

I just went
to the latest abductee's home.

Not only did our UnSub use
fake blood in some kind of ruse,

but the front porch security
cameras were also disconnected

- right before the abduction.
So he cased the site.

It's a residential street.

A lot of people
coming and going.

That's high-risk behavior.

Yeah, the UnSub didn't care.

He needed him
and it was worth the risk.

Why are they doing this to us?

I don't know.

They're ready.

Okay.

I hope it works this time.

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.

Catch a tiger by the toe.

If he hollers, let him go.

Eeny, meeny, miny...

moe.

I pick...

...Y-O-U.

The box is wrapped this time.

What is this, a... gift?

His natural hair color's
black and still he kills him.

And, look, no neck wounds.

- Then how did he die?
- Maybe he bled out.

Or he fell from something.

Look at his hands.
He bored holes

through the hands that ripped

and then he moved them
to the wrist.

Reid, check the feet.

Stigmata?

Hanging and then crucifixion.

So this has to do
with religious beliefs.

Maybe he's found a new way
to torture them?

And still he's keeping Connie.

- Something about her is working.
- Hotch, look.

These are the exact same jeans
that victim number two

was wearing- look at the trim.

Bonner Brothers-
is that a local store?

About five miles.

Half, uh, thrift store,
half yuppie mart.

I'll have JJ
and Morgan check it out

after we get the profile.

Due to the sophisticated nature

of the crimes,
we believe that we're looking

for a male UnSub
who's at least 30,

who is torturing his victims.

We think that he's trying
to perfect a delusion

at which he's failed
three times.

As with most
fantasy-based crimes,

the reality never lives up
to the perfection

of what the UnSub envisions.

This fantasy involves
the torture and stretching

of his victims, including men
that have had their hair

dyed black by the UnSub.

But before he kills them,
our UnSub

fixes their hair
and paints their nails.

He's now escalated
to crucifying his latest victim,

driving holes
into his hands and feet.

Historically, crucifixion

is a sentence reserved
for serious crimes.

Which makes us believe that
somewhere in the UnSub's past,

he feels his victims
have wronged him,

so now he's performing
some sort of Inquisition.

This time, you're going
to do it correctly

so that...

he will learn his lesson.

What lesson?

You know what I'm talking about!

- I don't.
- Yes!

- You do!
Whether he's getting

his victims to repent or adhere
to certain religious beliefs,

he is hanging them
as though they were victims

of the religious tribunals
of the 1100s.

But something in his fantasy
is not working,

because he keeps
discarding the men.

He kills them and then
ritualistically places them

- in a box with tissue paper.
Which is odd,

as his initial behavior
dehumanizes them.

That means he values those
victims more when they're dead.

So far we believe he has spared

the one woman that he still has

in captivity- she's either
witnessing these horrors

or being forced
to participate in them.

Crucifixion is sadistic,

and watching it
is the ultimate torture.

Consequently, we believe
that the killings will continue

to escalate as the UnSub strives
to achieve his perfection.

Thank you.

Adam...

Adam?

They're ruining it.

They're ruining it!

I don't know what to do.

I understand.

There's something
I need to tell you.

What? What is it?

You're ruining it.

Instead of taking command
like an adult,

you're sitting in here
crying like a baby!

Are you a baby?

How can you say that?

Do you want him to die again?

- No!
- Then pull yourself together.

You're running out of time.

You need to find
a father and a son.

I'm ready when you are.

Hi. May I help you?

Uh, yeah, we're looking
for these clothes.

We're out of these.

- I'm sorry.
We're with the FBI.

What's your name?

Tucker. Tucker White.

How may I help you?

There's a victim in a case
that we're investigating

who was wearing a shirt
and a pair of jeans from here.

Do you mind if we show you
a picture?

Sure. Whatever you need.

Do you know this man?

No. No, I don't.

Uh, would you happen to have a
record of who bought this stuff?

Um, if he used
a credit card, maybe.

But if he used cash,
probably not.

But I can look for you.

- We'd appreciate that.
- Right.

Whew...

This is all very...

- Spencer Reid.
- Ooh, yeah, it sure is.

Well, at least his style
is consistent.

Yeah. What's going on
with him anyway?

Oh, I think pretty boy's
got a girlfriend.

- You do?
- Mm-hmm.

Wh-Why hasn't he told us?

I respect his privacy.

No, you don't.

You're right. I don't.

But I'm not about
to play "20 Questions"

with someone
I'm not sleeping with.

Mm.

What the...?

What...?

What the hell? Hey!

This guy serious?
- This is agent

Jennifer Jareau- I need
to put an APB out on a brown

Chrysler station wagon,

driven by a Tucker White,
going east on Dover Street.

Oh, there you are.

How's the geographical
profiling going?

And why are
you doing it in here?

It's going good.

I'm-I'm just having trouble
concentrating

out there, is all,
so I came in here.

Hmm.

So, what's with you today?

Is this about...
Phone Booth Girl?

She wants to meet.

Wait- you guys have never met?

Aren't you curious
what she looks like?

No. It doesn't matter
what she looks like.

I mean, she's already
the most beautiful girl

in the world to me.

It's just...

what if she doesn't like me?

Why wouldn't she like you?

'Cause I'm weird.

I slouch, may hair is too long,
my tie is perpetually crooked.

Your hair is fine.

Really? Thanks.

My mom thinks it's too long.
So does my Aunt Ethel.

Well, you're not dating them.

I just...

I just wouldn't want
to ruin something so special

over something
so trivial as looks.

I think you're excited,
but afraid.

Seeing her will only make
the relationship better.

Trust me.

When does she want to meet?

Right when we get back.

Do it.

Don't psych yourself out.

We'll see.

Sir, I have a mom and dad

that are probably
looking for me.

Shh, Shh, Shh, Shh.

Hold still, Steph.

This is gonna be great.

My name is Connie.

What are you doing?

This is the only way

that I can make it stick.

What are you talking about?

Wow. She's perfect.

I know. I know.

Shh...

Shh, Shh, Shh, Shh, Shh.

Hold still.

We're almost done.

Tucker?

This is a surprise.

Hey, Adam.

Um... the FBI came by today.

The FBI? What for?

Well, you know those clothes
I sold you last month?

Some guy who was wearing them-
he ended up dead.

Are you serious?

He was killed-
as in murdered, Adam.

Have you hurt someone?

No, no.

There must be
some misunderstanding.

You bought all eight sets, Adam.

Look, ever since
your car accident,

you've been acting
kind of funny.

What's going on with you?

Look, why don't you come in
and have some tea?

You need to take the edge off.

I'm serious, Adam.

Everything's gonna be okay.

Promise.

Right. I'll get a warrant
over there as soon as possible.

The owner of the vintage shop
bolted from the store.

Well, I've got
something strange, too.

The M.E. just called.

Not only were there
ligature marks

on Victim Three's arms,
but his jaw

was dislocated, as well.

- His jaw?
- Why would you

hang someone, dislocate
their joints and their jaw,

and then crucify them?

I can see your wheels turning.
Don't hold back.

Maybe he's dislocating
their body parts

so that he can
manipulate them himself.

For what purpose?

Think about it

for a second.
If you add the dislocation,

the holes in the hands,
the strange clothing,

and the odd makeup-
I know this sounds crazy,

but what if our UnSub
is turning his victims

into human marionettes?

The Greeks translated "puppets"

as "neurospasta,"
which literally means

"string pulling,"
and throughout time,

they have been used as a method
to tell kings a story

so the subjects didn't have
to speak directly to him.

It was a way to hear the truth.

It seems like this UnSub's
doing something similar-

using his puppets
to tell a story.

He can't be

- controlling them by hand.
No, he probably

built some sort of contraption.

Yeah, he's trying
to lift his victims.

That could explain
why they discarded the men.

- They were too heavy.
- What do you see?

Well, I'm checking licenses
of our victims,

and each one weighed less
than the previous one.

You know, if he's making
human marionettes,

it also explains why he's
stuffing his victims into boxes.

It's like a sick toy chest.

So he is dehumanizing them,

but he's just not killing them.

He's turning them
into his playthings.

A father and son
were just abducted

from a parking lot at gunpoint.

A witness saw a man
force them into a car.

Dave, you and Blake
go check it out.

We'll have Garcia start looking

for theatre owners
and puppeteers in the area.

Okay. Let's do it again.

Should we break their jaws?

No, no. I need to hear 'em.

Please...

Let us down.

No, you guys have
to do it right this time.

You have to save them.

From what?

From the robber.

I told you.

And...

again.

Okay, there are five
puppeteers-slash-marionetters

- in the area.
Any of them

recently released from prison?

N... No.

They're working kids' parties
and at hospitals.

What about someone who had

a traumatic incident
with a brunette girl?

Well, that's kind of specific.

Hold on. Let me

patch in Morgan and JJ.

Hey,
we're at the clothing store,

and we got the names
of five people

who left numerous messages
for Tucker this week.

Give them to me.

All right, we got Sam Holby,

Terrence Crammer, Vincent Lang,

Matt Parker and a Jill Olger.

And no, and I'm crosschecking

those with Hotch's list
of puppeteers.

And no.

So, I've got eight more names,

some written
on pads in the back.

Others are frequent customers.

All right, Penelope,
we need you to trace

the phone lines here, too.

See if this guy Tucker
called the UnSub today.

Give me your money!

Give it now!

That's your cue.

What-What's my cue?

You're supposed to say,

"I don't have any money,"
after he says,

"Give it to me now. "

Say it again, Mr. Conrad.

Give me your money!

Give it now!

I don't have any money.

You're lying.
I saw you with it.

Dad, just give him the money.

I won't.

Mitch? Mitch?

What are you doing?

You're supposed
to save my father.

My name is not Mitch, and
I'm not gonna say these lines.

Ow!

Now, if you don't save him,
then he is gonna die.

Is that what you want?

People, it's going
to be a full house,

so... push through it.

We just came
from the parking lot

where the father and son
were abducted.

It looks like the UnSub might be
on the surveillance camera.

Witness said
there was a blue van.

Mm.

Garcia?
- Yes, sir.

Were there
any incidents involving

a father and son

in the puppeteers' histories
that you found?

Father and son. Okay. No.

I'm coming up empty

What about 20 or 30 years ago?

Well, there was a pretty famous
puppeteer in the late '50s

named Alex Rain-
uh, he died in a robbery.

- His son witnessed it.
What was the son's name?

Adam Rain.

Mom died ten years ago.

Crosscheck

Adam's name with the names

of the patrons
in the clothing store.

Oh, I got a big old hit.

Okay, Mr. Rain called
Tucker, the owner,

40 times in the last month.

Check this- uh, his father was
most well known

for a-a pair of puppets
named Mitch and Steph.

The male one
had dark black hair,

the female was a redhead.

Do you have an address?

Last known was
a building on Pine Street

that used
to be a his father's theater.

Come on, Dave.

And guess what he drives.

Blue van.
Call us back in the car.

It's two minutes
until curtain.

You ready?

It's gonna be right this time.

Let's hope so.

Break a leg.

Ladies and gentlemen,

truth is what
the storyteller brings you.

He holds up a mirror
to your soul,

and reflects back
the truth of what happened,

or in this case,
what should have happened.

And so, without further ado,

the Rain Theatre proudly
continues that great tradition

in this very special matinee
performance of "The Robbery. "

A family tale of love...

and redemption.

Somebody...

help us.

When you pull the
strings of Adam the puppeteer,

he unravels faster than
a two-cent romance novel.

He worked at a glue factory
most of his adult life.

He was in a car accident
that put him in a coma

for over a year.
He woke up three months ago.

Staightaway, the nurse says

he starts acting
really childish,

asking for his father,
who died over 50 years ago.

The head injury must
have been the trigger,

and he woke up with the delusion
that he was a boy again.

- Like a Peter Pan syndrome.
- Yeah, if there was

damage to the
pre-frontal cortex,

he might lack rational
thought and empathy.

So, he's a psychopath
who thinks he's a kid again,

and wants to avenge
his father's death.

If the robbery
that killed the father

- happened in the theater...
- He's reenacting that moment.

Give me your money!
Give it now!

I don't have any money.

You're lying!
I saw you with it!

Dad.

Just give him the money.

I won't. I won't.

Dad, just give him the money.

I won't.

Come on!

Do something!
Do something!

Please.

Mitch!

Stop!

Come on, do something!

Do something!

Come on.

Do something.
Do something.

Adam Rain, this is the FBI.

I need to see you hands.

What are you...
what are you doing?

Somebody call security.

You can't ruin this.

Adam, put down the gun.

We're in the middle
of a performance.

This is not a performance.

Yes, it is a performance
and this is not how it ends!

We need to get these people

to a hospital.

After they...

save my father...

from the robber.

What robber, Adam?

From him!

He did it!

We have to stop him.

Mr. Rain, it's only a puppet.

There's no one there.

When you were young,
your dad loved you so much,

he never told you
that the puppets

weren't real.

That's not true.

It is.

And that's why Steph and Mitch

couldn't save him that day.

They only moved
when he made them.

You're lying.

Adam, don't do to these people

what the robber
did to your father.

You can save them.

Thank you.
Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.
Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, I think after this long,
hard week we just had,

we should all
head over to Rossi's

and pop open
some old, expensive wine.

That's a plan.

Could we maybe
play some games, too?

Oh, what kind of games?

You tell me, sweet cheeks.

Hotch...

we're heading
to Rossi's, you in?

Uh, Jack's got a sleepover
this weekend,

so I was gonna go
to New York and see Beth.

- Wow.
- Hubba, hubba.

Aw...

Well, wait a second.
Where's Reid?

L- he said he had
something important to do.

Spencer has a girlfriend.

Oh.

Hi.

Um, Spencer Reid for two.

You are the first to arrive.

Would you like to be seated?

Yes, I'd like that.

Hello?

REID
Maeve, it's me.

Listen, don't come
to the restaurant.

What are you talking about?

I'm outside.

Go home.

Spencer, if you don't
want to meet me,

you can just say it.

No, that-that's not it.

Look, I think
your stalker's here.

What?

Please just go.

Okay.

- Hey.
- Hey, dude.

Good to see you.

Uh...

So, what's up?

Excuse me, sir.

A woman just left this for you.

Thomas Merton once wrote,

"Love is our true destiny.

"We do not find the meaning
of life by ourselves alone,

we find it with another. "