Criminal Minds

Cold Comfort

Season 4, Episode 14, Aired 2/11/09

Episode Summary

The mother of an abducted child works with the BAU in Seattle to identify a serial killer who kidnaps, murders, and embalms his victims.

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Cast & Crew

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Thomas Gibson

Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner
Joe Mantegna

Senior SSA David Rossi
Matthew Gray Gubler

SSA Dr. Spencer Reid

Fan Episode Reviews (13)

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Interesting killer's pathology, marred by writer on board gives credence to psychic woo-woo.

5.0

"Mediocre"

By Robin_Lionheart, Apr 20, 2011 Report Abuse

Although the killer had an interesting pathology, this episode was marred for me by the writer, and JJ as the writer's mouthpiece, bending over backwards to give credence to psychic woo-woo.

JJ's desire to believe, and eventual consultation of, a psychic known to be a fraudster rather diminished my respect for her character. However, I didn't think enough of Garcia and Kevin's intelligence to be put off by their eager consumption of newspaper horoscopes. "You might be surprised", says Kevin, but he's such a poorly-written character that nothing he does surprises me.

Rossi is chosen for the voice of reason, disdaining psychic from experience with grief vultures in his previous cases. The psychic clues are misleading at first, but the writer's heavy hand makes sure that Rossi gets his comeuppance in the end.moreless

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4 1
Decent Episode, worth watching but I wouldnt rewatch it anytime soon.

7.5

"Good"

By Katerina80, Dec 14, 2010 Report Abuse

Cold Comfort was a good episode, though I have to admit I would not consider it one of their best. To me, I thought it wasn't as suspenseful as others are, which is where my love for the show lays. Rossi was quite rude, he is one of my least favorite, I don't hate any character, I just don't love him as much as the others! I can understand how Rossi would not believe in the psychic, but he didn't have to so boldly state that to the mother. Perhaps drop that bomb easily at most would of been necessary!moreless

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3 3
Sometimes when people lose a loved one, they find it impossible to let go ...

6.5

"Fair"

By Lady_Lancaster, Dec 14, 2010 Report Abuse

Four young, blonde women in Olympia, Washington have been abducted. Each abduction is several months apart. When three of the four missing girls are found dead and it is noted that they have been embalmed, the BAU profile that their killer is holding them for a reason and that he or she is reliving some kind of important fantasy.

When the mother of the only girl not found hires a clairvoyant to help locate her daughter, the BAU (particularly Rossi) and the local police are more than a little bit skeptical but we see that the girl, Brooke (played by Mercedes McNab) is being held in order to fulfill the fantasy of a young man who was unable to cope with the loss of a beloved nanny from his childhood.

Average episode, but great to see Mercedes McNab again after her role in "Buffy" and several guest spots. Acting good, script weak, but certainly watchable.moreless

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4 0
A young man mourns the loss of a loved one in a very unconvential manner...

9.0

"Superb"

By lrigD, Sep 21, 2010 Report Abuse

I enjoyed this episode. It was good to have CM back, and I am glad there will be no more breaks for at least the coming two episodes.

The case was actually quite interesting and very sick. I was actually more freaked by the Ivan *weird surname* guy than I was by the actual unsub... Some of the things Ivan said just creeped me out.

Also, I was glad with the mention of Holland, no matter how small! :)

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the team's dynamics even more. I didn't particularly like Rossi's attitude... the mother obviously needed to believe her daughter was still alive, and I felt Rossi was plain hostile to her. Aren't profilers supposed to be good with emotions?
Another thing I noticed: they said early on that the unsub could have lost a loved one, and then the detective asks "Like a girlfriend?" and Hotch says: "or a wife, or a mother."
They knew about the necrophiliac (?) part at this point. Would anyone, no matter how twisted, actually have sex with a replica of his own mother? That's... I don't know, it seems quite impossible.
As for the rest of the episode... Again, am I the only one to notice they always pair Hotch and Emily? (The horoscope part was hilarious, by the way!)
Surprisingly I didn't feel very much sympathy towards JJ. Maybe because she hasn't been a big part of the show for a while, but while I enjoyed her presence, I felt like something was missing...moreless

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3 0
creepy...I loved it!!

9.0

"Superb"

By jordinajamaica, Sep 21, 2010 Report Abuse

I loved the starting with Garcia and Kevin reading the horoscope and Morgan and Prentiss joining them after... I loved that JJ is finally back.
Really good case: A guy that kidnaps and brain washes young blonde haired blue eyed woman to make them like his opair that died 15 years ago. Really creepy but great! What I found a little bit disturbing was that JJ had a new haircut that looked exactly the same of all the victims.
I kinda hated Rossi in some moments in this chapter but at the end he explained JJ why he was behaving like that and I kinda understand...
I liked that they didn't completely rule out that the phsychic was a fraud...
In all a great chapter!moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- The story the unsub forces his victims to read to him is an old Danish fairytale called The Troll's Daughter. Edit
- In the scene when Brooke Lombardini is rescued, Hotchner tells the paramedic that she was dosed with barbiturates and the paramedic orders 2 mg of Narcan. Narcan (naloxone) is for opiate overdose only (heroin, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, etc.) and would have no effect on barbiturates. Edit
- In the scene at the restaurant with Hotch, Prentiss and Det. Fulwood, the green van in the background is lettered "Bernero Linen Service." The same van was used in "Mayhem," but the signage was "Bernero Hospital Linens." Edit
Notes
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- Thomas Gibson and guest star Vondie Curtis-Hall previously worked together on Chicago Hope. Edit
- This episode marks A.J. Cook's return to the series following the birth of her son. Edit
- Guest star Mercedes McNab and Nicholas Brendon worked together previously on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Edit
Quotes
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- Reid: (about Prentiss' birthday) 7:12 AM, October 12, 19...
  Prentiss: Hey!
  Edit
- Stanley Usher: With all due respect, sir, you may not know what she needs. Your job is to apprehend the perpetrators.
  Rossi: We're not talking about my job.
  Stanley Usher: Well, maybe we should be because there are a lot of people out there that don't believe in what you do either.
  Edit
- Prentiss: So if I wanted to embalm a body, what would be the process?
  Morgan: Start with some nose plugs.
  Edit
Allusions
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- The Edgar Allan Poe quote in the opening sequence is from his poem "Annabel Lee," which is about the death of a beautiful woman. Edit
- The psychic's name was Stanley Usher and the unsub's first name was Roderick. Combining those two names creates the name Roderick Usher, a character from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher." Edit