Spencer Reid is deeply affected by the schizophrenic unsub, fearing his own mental health issues and struggling with the team's loss of Prentiss.
13/20 on the Unsub scale, mostly because the villain is more victim than monster. [S6E19] With Friends Like These
Compare this episode to other "psychological" episodes? Spencer Reid is deeply affected by the schizophrenic
Ben’s "friends" urge him to attack a nurse, Karen Heywood, after an awkward supermarket interaction. Ben’s "friends" urge him to attack a nurse,
It’s a deeply sad episode, highlighting that the true monster isn't just the illness, but the lack of support. Ben’s struggle is treated with a surprising amount of empathy compared to other Criminal Minds episodes, especially in the final scenes with Ashley Seaver, who grapples with the remorse Ben showed.
Ben takes children hostage, but in a rare moment of clarity and mercy, he does not kill them despite his "friends" demanding it. The BAU eventually catches him, and he is shot after charging them with a knife. Review: "With Friends Like These..."
In a heart-wrenching scene, Ben calls his mother for help during a breakdown, but she dismisses him, telling him to "find a yellow pages" and hangs up, leaving him to the voices.