CRIMINAL MINDS “The Thirteenth Step” Season 6 Episode 13 – Sydney and Ray are newlyweds and killers, on a spree of obliteration across middle America to shoot, beat and terrify shop clerks and AA meetings. It could have been horrible, but with skilled writing, inspired directing and brilliant casting in Adrianne Palicki (Tyra on Friday Night Lights) and Jonathan Tucker, this episode stood out from the rest of Criminal Minds‘ catalogue.
There is a reason film is often called a “director’s medium” and television a “writer’s”. With usually 22 episodes to a season, it is hard enough to film the episodes on time, let alone attempt to instil episodes with artistry. This episode of Criminal Minds used sharp editing and creative shots and cameras to great risky effect. The risks did not always pan out – I was not too fond of the voiceover dialogue in the motel room, but then I wasn’t fond of that technique when Danny Boyle used it in Shallow Grave. I did however love Doug Aarniokoski’s (the director of the episode if imdb.com is to be believed) use of an iPhone to record Ray’s father’s introduction scene.
The writing was sharp and between Palicki, Tucker and Janine Sherman Barrois (the writer of the episode), Ray and Sydney became more than the usual dreary Criminal Minds guests. Within the first few scenes they were fully realized characters, and it is one of the few times I’ve ever wanted to leave the main characters and return to the guests. The Russian roulette scene, which is often overused, provided heart lurching tension. The minor twist that Sydney was the dominant ‘psycho’ in the relationship gave the entire spree a somewhat original slant.
The climax was exciting and from Sydney’s psychosexual danger need to Ray’s emotional and turbulent revenge and regret, I have to bring it up again and reiterate that Tucker and Palicki really outdid themselves and were utterly fantastic: I cared more about these two lunatics than I did for the main characters.
Finally, Prentiss’ Scottish colleague joins her at the end of the episode with a warning which will hopefully become an exciting arc for the underused, underrated Emily Prentiss. I just hope this does not mean that rumours of Paget Brewster’s cut episode count are about to come to fruition.
What did you think of this episode? Sound off in the comments below.
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