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Criminal Minds Season 6 Episode 6

Devil's Night

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AIRED: Oct 27, 2010

8.5

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Episode Summary

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The BAU is called to apprehend a killer who has struck Detroit for the past three years during Devil's Night, the notorious pre-Halloween celebration.

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Fan Episode Reviews (4)

A pretty good episode with much to like about it but....

7.5

By kyomoi, Dec 05, 2011

I couldn't understand why, when Kaman began to recover, the family didn't simply tell him he had a son born while he was in a coma. It would have given him so much to live for, to strive for. There had to be more reason for hiding his child from him.

Other than that it was a good Halloween yarn. Loved the touching ending scene between Hotch and Jack.
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A lovely and perfectly written episode!!

9.5

By greysgal, Jun 01, 2011

one of the best episodes this season. I can not believe he would do this all because of a woman who left him. Thomas gibbon's acting was amazing in this episode. For a moment i honestly believed that he was going to be murdered by the unsub. But that little boy saved the day. this cast never ceases to amaze me. Its still very sad that J.J left but in episodes like this i can see that they all are amazing actors it's not only part of that cast that is stellar. My favorite part was in the end when Jack comes out in his costume and tells his dad that spiderman is not a real hero and he wanted to dress up as one so he is his father. It's sweet to see that Jack has gotten through his mom's death relatively well! :)moreless
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It's 'Devil's Night' in Detroit, (techically, the three nights before Halloween which culminate on 31st October) and it looks as though the devil himself is on the loose for the third year in succession as people are being captured and burned alive.moreless

8.0

By Lady_Lancaster, Apr 21, 2011

How refreshing to see a good episode where the team actually sits down together and profiles an unsub properly before trying to find him or her. This has not happened for quite some time and I admit, it did my heart good to see my favourite show getting 'back to basics'.

When Garcia presents everyone with a file detailing a three year murder spree which always takes place on 'Devil's Night' in Detroit and where 7 victims have died in the previous three years by being covered in gasoline and then burned alive, Hotch decides that they BAU team must travel there at once to try and stop the unsub before he kills again. They have 48 hours in which to do so.

I wondered at this point whether Garcia was still in 'J.J.' mode or whether Hotch had previously selected the case and asked her to put together the file as I doubt very much whether she would be permitted to choose the cases the team took on in the way that J.J. did given her lack of knowledge and experience in this area. When Hotch came in and said 'We're going to Detroit' I believe I had my answers as he already knew all the particulars of the case.

It was good to see Reid just 'being Reid', talking almost non-stop about all the little things which he finds exciting and which usually bore everyone else to death. It was clear that going to Detroit has ruined his own marvellous Halloween plans, that's for sure!

The unsub was creepy and angry and I think that was a very important factor in making this episode enjoyable. When the unsub is dull or not at all scary, it makes everything far less interesting. Good to see Leonard Roberts again and I think he did a terrific job as Kaman. Kudos to the make-up department as well for such a fine job in depecting Kaman's horrific burns.

I enjoyed seeing the brief scenes between Hotch and Jack and was very touched when Jack came out ready for Halloween dressed as HIS version of a Superhero - his dad. There was an obvious father/son parrallell between Kaman and his son and Hotch and Jack here, and both were very touching in their own way. It was possible to feel sympathy for the unsub while still being appalled at his horendous crimes.

I admit to having a bit of a problem with Rossi doing the 'let's remember last night's events' thing with the victim's widow. It was almost exactly the same as Morgan's efforts with Detective Spicer last season. Telling someone they WILL remember something if they close their eyes and concentrate is no guarantee of success, particularly as the woman had just lost her husband in a most horrific fashion. Having said that, I was more interested in getting back to the rest of the story so I didn't let it bother me too much.

It was good to see quite a bit of Paget Brewster in this episode. Given that we know her screen time is being reduced considerably this season, I was pleased to see that it didn't happen in this episode.

One thing that did irk me a little was when the reduction in fires in Detroit in recent years was being discussed and the fire chief (or whatever his rank was) pointed out that there were only just over 100 fires in 2009. He did not mention that part of the reason for this dramatic reduction was the presence of not only the fine citizens of the city who are determined to stop the annual carnage of arson (as depicted by the signs and discussion in the episode) but also due to the many, many people involved in "Angel Night", a counter-concept introduced several years ago when the number of fires reported was well over 800 in one three-day timeframe.

Mainly due to the efforts of the emergency services and sometimes over 50, 000 volunteers, the people of Detroit feel much safer than they once did in the days before Halloween. (Official statistics list the usual number of volunteers at around 5 - 10 thousand but it can be much higher, (Quite a few more than the '1,000' names that Garcia needed to add to her list.)

I was wondering why other members of the team were worried about Hotch going into the building where the unsub was by himself? Was it because they thought he should wait for an appropriate amount of backup? (This has never stopped Morgan or others going it alone) Also, he does have a background in SWAT so he can certainly shoot. Or are they worried about Hotch himself for some reason that we, as yet, have not been made aware of? Perhaps PTSD following Hayley's murder or it may have just been that they were concerened for his safety given the violence of the unsub and his MO.

I didn't see any of the hidden 'secrets' we have heard about emerging anywhere, unless I missed something.

All in all, I really enjoyed this one. It was good to see a collabarative effort from the team in the beginning and good to have a scary unsub with pertinent issues of his own and very clear reasons as to why he did what he did. A good job and a much stronger script than some of the most recent efforts. Good acting by the cast and the guest actors too.

Happy Halloween, everybody!moreless
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This one had all the elements of a classic!

10

By amazing_race, Feb 16, 2011

I really enjoyed this episode, 'Devil's Night'. The case was quite gruesome, with the use of fire to inflict fatal fourth degree burns on victims. The strangest part of the case, I felt, was the fact that the killer operated only three days a year.

What I enojyed apart from the case was the ending, wahich was sublime! That was written exceptionally well, and I was really impressed with that!

The episode also had the right suspense to make it really nenjoyable! I've really enjoyed this one, and I would definitely recommend it.

This is a heavily underraetd episode, and I think Criminal Minds continues to excel! Keep it up, guys!moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Kirsten Vangsness	Analyst Penelope Garcia
Paget Brewster	SSA Emily Prentiss
Shemar Moore	SSA Derek Morgan
Matthew Gray Gubler	SSA Dr. Spencer Reid
Joe Mantegna	Senior SSA David Rossi
Thomas Gibson	Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Leonard Roberts	Kaman	Guest Star
Jocko Sims	Tony Torell	Guest Star
Ernie Hudson	Lt. Al Garner	Guest Star
Cade Owens	Jack Hotchner	Recurring Role

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Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Prentiss (Paget Br...

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Prentiss (Paget Brewster) on Criminal Mi...

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Rossi (Joe Mantegna) on Criminal Minds f...

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Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) on Criminal M...

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- Director Charlie Haid and guest star Michael Warren worked together previously on Hill Street Blues.
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QUOTES (3)
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- Jack: Dad, don't look at me.
  Hotchner: I'm not looking, are you almost ready?
  Jack: Yeah.
  Hotchner: You need any help?
  Jack: No.
  Hotchner: OK. (Jack walks in dressed like Hotch)
  Hotchner: Whoa. That is definitely not Spider-Man.
  Jack: He's not a real superhero.
  Hotchner: He's not? OK, I give up. Who are you supposed to be? Jack: I'm you, daddy. (Jack and Hotch smile at each other, and Hotch gives his son a hug)
  Hotchner: Let's go get some candy, my little G-Man.
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- Hotchner: Thomas Kempis wrote, "Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of its trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility; for it thinks all things lawful for itself, and all things possible."
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- Hotchner: Niccolo Machiavelli wrote, "If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared."
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NOTES (2)
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- Original International Air Dates:
  Czech Republic - April 3, 2012 on Prima family
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- The songs heard in this episode were "Trouble Man" by Marvin Gaye and "She's Gone" by Tavares.
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