Criminal Minds Season 19 Episode 8 Should Scare Everyone Away from a Momma’s Boy

Critic’s Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

4.2

Imagine finding out that someone pretended to be a family member to get access to the serial killer they’re obsessed with.

That’s exactly what happened on Criminal Minds Season 19, adding another layer to The Fan, who is clearly far more meticulous than anyone initially thought.

Voit has no choice but to open up to the BAU, even though something is holding him back, and even he doesn’t seem to know what it is as he fights with the darker part of himself.

Meanwhile, the team has another case of the week on Criminal Minds Season 19 Episode 8, bringing back some more feelings of seasons past in a great way.

When a Mother’s Love Goes Too Far

The case of the week is one we’ve seen on Criminal Minds before, but it has a unique flair in the photography and the draining of the blood.

We got another female victim who wasn’t afraid to fight back. She initially did everything we would all do in calling for help, but when she realized that wasn’t going to work, she made sure to think of a new way to escape.

However, the episode has a much darker message than most other shows, focusing on a mother’s love for her sons.

There are plenty of TV shows that remind us that momma’s boys can be problematic, and many women love to dote on their sons in ways they never would with daughters.

For many men, it leads to issues with partnerships.

However, there are the odd men who become more like Norman Bates from Psycho, and that’s certainly the case for Marvin on Criminal Minds.

Part of me does have empathy for him. He’s grieving, and he’s struggling with how to deal with that loss.

Yet, he’s an absolute danger to society, kidnapping women in order to kill them and then pose them.

It’s clear his mother was all he had, as nobody has gone to check on him since her death.

He’s all alone in the funeral home, and in a way, it’s no wonder he’s gone a little crazy.

The standoff at the end was somewhat disappointing compared to what we’ve seen in the past. Yet, it connected perfectly with the rest of the story.

This was a man who wanted to do his mother proud. He wanted to prove that he was someone worthy of her love.

While we didn’t get to know his mom, the portrait of her made her look mean and judgmental, and she likely was.

I would love to spend a little more time exploring Marvin’s psychopathy, but it seems we can only spend that time on Voit (and anything connected to Voit).

I don’t believe Marvin was killed in the end, as it looked like Luke shot him in the shoulder, so maybe there is a chance that some of the more psychopathic killers of Criminal Minds could come back at some point to delve deeper into what makes them tick.

Or maybe that’s just the dark side of my brain talking.

There was a great connection back to JJ, who has raised two wonderful boys.

I think we get to see the difference between Marvin and JJ’s boys, not just in the sense of the woman raising them, but also in the friends JJ has around her to help.

(Oh, and the mention of Spencer made my heart swell.)

The Fan Is Constantly One Step Ahead

As soon as The Fan walked through the prison doors to talk with Voit in Criminal Minds Season 19 Episode 7, we knew he was a step ahead of everyone else.

Just the fact that he was able to pretend to be one of the family members of a victim Voit had agreed to speak with made that part clear.

What we didn’t realize was just how far ahead of the game he is.

This is a man with absolutely no empathy. He was able to trick the father of a victim into believing that he was some sort of long-lost cousin to get access.

Those glasses weren’t just for show to hide his identity, but to literally block the camera from picking up any facial features.

He knows how to avoid being caught, and he doesn’t even need a mask to do it.

The picture he showed was of Voit’s family, which makes sense. His daughters are the only people he cares enough about to protect at this point.

While they’re supposed to be in witness protection, it looks like The Fan may have found a way to get to them. 

Is it possible that Lance and Laura have something to do with getting to Voit’s family? Why would The Fan be so obsessed with them if they weren’t some sort of means to an end?

Watching Prentiss realize that they need to go right back to the start with everything The Fan has done made me smile. She’s not afraid to admit that they likely have the entire profile wrong.

It’s not a bad thing to say that the initial profile was wrong. They’re working with what they know and what they have.

As more pieces of the puzzle go together, another pattern can emerge. As more blanks are filled, a new strategy is often needed.

Profiling is a science, and science can change based on research.

What’s interesting about the entire storyline is that Voit is holding back, and he doesn’t really understand why.

His Rossi-Conscience is offering theories, but Voit doesn’t seem to want to accept that the darker side of him is still there. How long will it take for him to snap, or is his need to protect his daughters strong enough to hold on?

These final two episodes of Criminal Minds Season 19 are sure to ramp up the intensity further, as the focus starts to shift more toward The Fan than the cases of the week.

By the way, does anyone else feel like we’re dealing with another George Foyet?

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Did something stand out in this hour of Criminal Minds that I missed? Do you have a theory about The Fan? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s dive deeper into psychopathy.