Alex on CM: "The Big Wheel" - SPOILER thread

[SirenSong]

Kelly, by off profile, I mean the BAU Team were wrong in their profile. What you've said is exactly what I was trying to say, but you said it so much better Early on in the episode, they tagged him for a sexual psychopath. That was wrong. Vincent was not filming these women to relive the moment for sexual gratification. We then learn that Vincent's mother had been stabbed to death by his father. Vicent stayed with his mother for hours, most likely witnessing the life pass out of her, out of her eyes. Thus his fascination with watching the eyes of the women he killed. Obviously no one recognized the mental health issues that a young Vincent was dealing with and this illness, combined with his OCD, ultimately let to the man we see as an adult Vincent. I would have loved for the BAU Team to realize their mistake and admit as such before the episode was over. Again, I can't wait to talk to my work colleagues tomorrow and see what they think. As I said above, they actual hate Criminal Minds with a passion, saying they oversimplify a very complex and always evolving science.

Alex did a great job of showing how scared, alone and confused Vincent felt in the real world. He struck out at the perceived source of his misery, i.e. these women and/or society in general. His OCD only added to the psychosis he'd been dealing with as a result of witnessing his mother's murder.

I agree, it would have been nice to hear the team acknowledge that the killings weren't for sexual gratification.

Speaking of young Vincent witnessing his mother's murder, it was just a flash but did the kid seem 'off'? Odd reaction I thought.

I thought the same thing about young Vincent's reaction. Makes you wonder how much his mother's actions had scarred him before her murder happened. How much more had he been witness to over the years while hiding in that closet?

[SirenSong]

I was really hoping to see a noticeable blip in those numbers too. Was the 100th Lost ep heavily pushed?

The Lost 100th eppy did get a lot of media attention, but judging by the numbers, not too many people cared. I think that might have actually been a season low for Lost.

[willing freshie]

.

[Fleur de Lisa]

I am so glad that you all brought up that entire "sexual psychopath" issue. I thought it was just me missing something, when they never referenced it again. I realize in the beginning of the episode, there is a lot of brainstorming going on, throwing out different ideas and hypotheses, I just wish they would have cleared that up a bit better later on.

And another thing that drove me a bit crazy, for a guy who was so particular about everything--due to his debilitating OCD, I was floored when he drank the milk straight from the container!! I realize he lived alone, and no one was sharing it with him, but he also used a new bar of soap every time he washed his hands, and cut his sandwich a certain way, etc.

That just seemed to be such a normal guy thing to do--and very un-Vincent.

[nayp]

I am so glad that you all brought up that entire "sexual psychopath" issue. I thought it was just me missing something, when they never referenced it again. I realize in the beginning of the episode, there is a lot of brainstorming going on, throwing out different ideas and hypotheses, I just wish they would have cleared that up a bit better later on.

And another thing that drove me a bit crazy, for a guy who was so particular about everything--due to his debilitating OCD, I was floored when he drank the milk straight from the container!! I realize he lived alone, and no one was sharing it with him, but he also used a new bar of soap every time he washed his hands, and cut his sandwich a certain way, etc.

That just seemed to be such a normal guy thing to do--and very un-Vincent.

I saw that, and my take on that, was he knew he was going to die.

[wpgrace]

I am so glad that you all brought up that entire "sexual psychopath" issue. I thought it was just me missing something, when they never referenced it again. I realize in the beginning of the episode, there is a lot of brainstorming going on, throwing out different ideas and hypotheses, I just wish they would have cleared that up a bit better later on.

And another thing that drove me a bit crazy, for a guy who was so particular about everything--due to his debilitating OCD, I was floored when he drank the milk straight from the container!! I realize he lived alone, and no one was sharing it with him, but he also used a new bar of soap every time he washed his hands, and cut his sandwich a certain way, etc.

That just seemed to be such a normal guy thing to do--and very un-Vincent.

I saw that, and my take on that, was he knew he was going to die.

Yeah I think that was the point... He DID act out of character, for a reason. He had been shot, was in enormous pain... you saw the look on his face while and after drinking... he was in life- preservation mode... probably dehydrating with a shower and blood loss... so he desperately gulped milk... dressed his wounds... and then willed himself to take Stanley on their date. And how sad that what he drinks is milk... sorta a kid's beverage. Heart-breaking...

[Overdamoon]

The only real question I had after viewing last night's episode was why Vincent kept killing women who looked like his mother. After rewatching the episode 3 or 4 times, I paid more attention to the video of his mother's death and realized something that I didn't on first viewing. (you bright and attentive ladies probably picked this up first off)

His mother was carrying on an affair in the house while Vincent was home. The father comes in, catches them in the act, throws the other man out and that's when the violence starts. The father yells at the mom about how she could do this with their son in the house and she yells back that she hates him (the husband) and hates her life. That's when he stabs her.

So is he killing these women as some sort of punishment for her actions or as some sort of way to keep her with him?

SS, I don't know the answer to your question but I have another question related to your post about his hatred toward women having affairs. D'ya all suppose Vincent was still a virgin? Of course, he was since he couldn't stand people touching him. (I mean, poking his chest. ) He didn't know how to respond when Alice hit on him but being an attractive man, he must've had other women hitting on him before.

He was 9 in 1983 so that makes him 35 years old. A 35-year-old virgin.

[Phoenix]

Hmmmm... the bread and saran wrap just made me want to cry for him... He was so out of his element getting shot like that, and had no way to express his shock and pain... He REALLY held in any outward display of the enormous, in fact fatal, pain he was feeling, because he wasn't gonna miss his date with that child. So I find it an oddly moving gesture... usually working that sandwich was a ritual, a stress relief, for him. This time it was too, but the bread-of-life served a different purpose.

Once you saw the end, so much of what had been creepy about Vincent becomes poignant. I haven't watched it the second time, yet, but will later today. (We had a crisis, fortunately not until 10 pm last night, of needing to have hippies explained in prep for a history test...) but I expect I will cry more when I see it today... as I now know how it ended and what he sacrificed for the boy...

Sigh. Somehow watching Alex always makes me sigh...

And yes, he can't hide how darn good-looking he is, but there was nothing sexual about poor Vincent...

It's 1:30 am so I'm just gonna say "ditto" to all Grace's comments...

[mwj01]

Isn't that kinda early for you Phee?

And I think I'll go ditto one of Grace's comments now.

[Overdamoon]

Kelly, by off profile, I mean the BAU Team were wrong in their profile. What you've said is exactly what I was trying to say, but you said it so much better Early on in the episode, they tagged him for a sexual psychopath. That was wrong. Vincent was not filming these women to relive the moment for sexual gratification. We then learn that Vincent's mother had been stabbed to death by his father. Vicent stayed with his mother for hours, most likely witnessing the life pass out of her, out of her eyes. Thus his fascination with watching the eyes of the women he killed. Obviously no one recognized the mental health issues that a young Vincent was dealing with and this illness, combined with his OCD, ultimately let to the man we see as an adult Vincent. I would have loved for the BAU Team to realize their mistake and admit as such before the episode was over. Again, I can't wait to talk to my work colleagues tomorrow and see what they think. As I said above, they actual hate Criminal Minds with a passion, saying they oversimplify a very complex and always evolving science.

Alex did a great job of showing how scared, alone and confused Vincent felt in the real world. He struck out at the perceived source of his misery, i.e. these women and/or society in general. His OCD only added to the psychosis he'd been dealing with as a result of witnessing his mother's murder.

I agree, it would have been nice to hear the team acknowledge that the killings weren't for sexual gratification.

Speaking of young Vincent witnessing his mother's murder, it was just a flash but did the kid seem 'off'? Odd reaction I thought.

I kinda thought it was partly sexual. Well, maybe not sexual gratification but he did derive some sort of pleasure during the act of killing. In the scene at the beginning when he killed the real estate agent, he closed his eyes a moment after the knife went in as if to savor the moment. My husband thought it was some sort of sexual kicks. When I watched it for the second time , my husband watched the first half again and said he was sure Vincent was deriving something sexual. Vincent must have use the recordings of his murder for his sexual outlet or to release his frustration in life. Maybe men interpret these things differently than us women.

[darlingcat]

There was some kind of pleasure or release in that scene. here is the visual to odm's comment

[mwj01]

I am so glad that you all brought up that entire "sexual psychopath" issue. I thought it was just me missing something, when they never referenced it again. I realize in the beginning of the episode, there is a lot of brainstorming going on, throwing out different ideas and hypotheses, I just wish they would have cleared that up a bit better later on.

And another thing that drove me a bit crazy, for a guy who was so particular about everything--due to his debilitating OCD, I was floored when he drank the milk straight from the container!! I realize he lived alone, and no one was sharing it with him, but he also used a new bar of soap every time he washed his hands, and cut his sandwich a certain way, etc.

That just seemed to be such a normal guy thing to do--and very un-Vincent.

I saw that, and my take on that, was he knew he was going to die.

Yeah I think that was the point... He DID act out of character, for a reason. He had been shot, was in enormous pain... you saw the look on his face while and after drinking... he was in life- preservation mode... probably dehydrating with a shower and blood loss... so he desperately gulped milk... dressed his wounds... and then willed himself to take Stanley on their date. And how sad that what he drinks is milk... sorta a kid's beverage. Heart-breaking...

Ditto Sister! He was devolving as they'd said, and almost literally coming apart at the seams. I'll also file with that, him putting his hands all over that ferris wheel safety bar without sanitizing! J/K! That would have detracted from the scene, wouldn't it? Hadn't thought about the relevance of milk being a kid's beverage though.

[Overdamoon]

Kelly, by off profile, I mean the BAU Team were wrong in their profile. What you've said is exactly what I was trying to say, but you said it so much better Early on in the episode, they tagged him for a sexual psychopath. That was wrong. Vincent was not filming these women to relive the moment for sexual gratification. We then learn that Vincent's mother had been stabbed to death by his father. Vicent stayed with his mother for hours, most likely witnessing the life pass out of her, out of her eyes. Thus his fascination with watching the eyes of the women he killed. Obviously no one recognized the mental health issues that a young Vincent was dealing with and this illness, combined with his OCD, ultimately let to the man we see as an adult Vincent. I would have loved for the BAU Team to realize their mistake and admit as such before the episode was over. Again, I can't wait to talk to my work colleagues tomorrow and see what they think. As I said above, they actual hate Criminal Minds with a passion, saying they oversimplify a very complex and always evolving science.

Alex did a great job of showing how scared, alone and confused Vincent felt in the real world. He struck out at the perceived source of his misery, i.e. these women and/or society in general. His OCD only added to the psychosis he'd been dealing with as a result of witnessing his mother's murder.

I agree, it would have been nice to hear the team acknowledge that the killings weren't for sexual gratification.

Speaking of young Vincent witnessing his mother's murder, it was just a flash but did the kid seem 'off'? Odd reaction I thought.

I thought the same thing about young Vincent's reaction. Makes you wonder how much his mother's actions had scarred him before her murder happened. How much more had he been witness to over the years while hiding in that closet?

This got me really curious. How convenient it was that young Vincent actually tape recorded his mother doing the damning act at the age of 9. It's one thing to go by a child's memory but he actually recorded it. If his dad didn't kill his mom, he would have.

[Overdamoon]

There was some kind of pleasure or release in that scene. here is the visual to odm's comment

Thanks DC, that sorta reminds me of the orgasmic Mick look right before he jumped into the bathtub in Fever...

[mwj01]

Maybe the pleasure he derived was just in satisfying his compulsion.