S10.E20: A Place at the Table

[thewhiteowl]

 

When a Maryland family is found murdered at their dining room table, the team tracks down other family members and friends to uncover secrets that may have led to it. Also, Hotch must try to make peace with his father-in-law, Roy, after discovering he’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

 

[cosima]

I thought this episode was boring.

Are they trying another spin off? Rosa Blasi was in the opening scene and I'd be sad to know she gone to 2 second clips. She's an amazing actress.

[Danielg342]

I'm not sure this episode has aired yet...?

*confused*

[zannej]

Pretty sure Cosima is thinking of the episode that aired last week.

[Danielg342]

Rosa Blasi wasn't in it though.

[zannej]

Ok. then I have no idea. lol.

[ForeverAlone]

Sneak peek for tonight.

http://www.tvguide.com/news/exclusive-criminal-minds-sneak-peek-ed-asner-hotch/

[normasm]

Wow. Intense.

Edited April 15, 2015 by normasm

[Bookish Jen]

Wow. Intense.

I know. I'll definitely keep some tissues nearby.

[SSAHotchner]

Yes. My poor, sweet Hotch. But at least I'll get to see him tonight more than "Wheels up in 30."

[normasm]

I hope it's good quality writing for him, he so deserves it.

[normasm]

I liked this episode, although it was a little too heavy on the FIL angst. I understand when you have a well-known actor like Asner, you use him. Jessica was good, they just had Jack running in and out, Hotch was really wonderful with the awful pain in the middle of his relationship with Haley's father.

It was nice to see Reid and Garcia in "like" again, and nice to see JJ prompting Reid's thought process with, dare I say it? Respect?!

The only eye roller for me was the dad at the end, dead as a door ail at the table and still upright with his mouth closed. Folks, if you are going to depict violent death to the point of showing a fatal gunshot wound to the head, why not go the realistic measure and show the lolling of the head to the side and the mouth slack? I have never seen a dead person with a perfectly primly closed mouth, it just doesn't happen. But it's something that CM has done badly for many years. Maybe a minor point.

[missmycat]

Okay I loved this episode. The story line for Hotch was good. I liked that it didn't over take the case itself which I found interesting. And while I am never a fan of Reid/JJ scenes at least they didn't dumb him down and make him look completely clueless just to make her look good. I also loved that they waited until near the end to reveal the unsub. And HOORAY for JJ not being in on the take down of the unsub. But most important to me was I felt we got some good Reid.

[Ganya]

Most of the things we have not liked (collectively us, on this forum) were NOT in this episode.  Most of the things we have been asking for, as upstream people have already described, were here.  I want to give CBS, even Messer, credit for the times they give us what we ask for.  This was a really good episode, all around.  Thank you, to all responsible. 

[Watermelon]

Garcia had the absolute correct reaction to being brought a still warm croissant. 

[Danielg342]

That was...an epic waste of time. Okay, so this family in Maryland is more twisted than a Gordian knot...but, seriously, when has a family on this show ever been "normal"? There really wasn't anything new brought to the fore- it was just very blase, your rote "dead family problems" episode that's been done to death for centuries.

 

What really set it back for me is that I thought all this time digging into the family felt so unnecessary...there was no explanation about why rudimentary forensics and good old fashioned police work didn't work in this case- the police just walked in, said "screw it, we know the BAU" and went out to grab doughnuts as the "feebs" did the actual work. There was no actual profiling, just a lot of people being questioned with accusations and wild stories flying around before Reid noticed something your rudimentary detective would have and Hotch put it together, and boom!- the case is finished. Felt very, very unsatisfying, to say the least.

 

At least Ed Asner's turn was somewhat enjoyable. I do feel the show's glossed over the loss of Haley since it happened, so it was nice to see, for a change, the effects and toll it's taken on the Brooks side of things. I did feel that Roy was a bit cold blaming Hotch for the death of his daughter but if I was in his shoes, no doubt that thought might have crossed my mind too, even if I knew better. Still, seeing him and Jessica Brooks grieve over it- and not go over the top- made quite the emotional impact. The only real quibble is that we probably should have devoted the entire episode to it and not have it just be a throwaway "B" story- because it was far more interesting than the "A" one- but, for a change, the sidestory did its job and effectively portrayed that least one agent has a life outside of work. Now, to work on doing that for the other agents...

 

Other random notes:

 

-Rossi was at his snarky best ("Aside from being covered in a murder victim's blood, he's just your average Joe.")

-I could be wrong, but I don't think Callahan once got out of her seat the entire episode

-Morgan was barely there, although he did seem to contribute a bit

-Garcia was her childish self, and tonight seemed a bit more annoying than usual

-I did think, for all of the case's faults, Grant Harvey was pretty good as Marc Clifford

 

Overall, not one of the worst I've seen...but it was very far from compelling.

[whitespace]

I've got a question.

 

The father knew he had a bastard son, right? That's why he stayed with his mistress 'till he graduated. But then he didn't knew that he was his daughters boyfriend? So he never wanted a photo or something? If he didn't want anything to do with him then why stay with the woman, he could have just paied her. Would have saved him trouble with his other son.

[zannej]

Whitespace, you have good questions. I am not sure on the answers. I think that was one of the frustrations with this episode. In an attempt to make it complex, it was made a little too convoluted. I wasn't sure what the father knew or when he was killed and how long his body sat there with his mouth somehow pulled shut. :P

I'm confused about whether or not the unsub started dating his half-sister while knowing she was his half-sister just so he could get close to the family or if he started dating her at first and then found out she was his half-sister... I think he said the father did not know he was his son though. I still don't quite get his motivations. So, his mother set up some war hero story and lied to him and had some ritual and now suddenly the guy snapped? I don't get it. Did the dead father even know that he had a son?

 

The team were too slow in coming to some of the conclusions when they had the info. I liked Reid bringing Garcia a croissant and her showing appreciation. Did not like JJ solo interviewing, although its probably because I'm biased. I also didn't like JJ's one when they were arguing about who the killer could be. She came off as almost angry and rude instead of just speculating (but maybe I'm just reading into it because she annoys me).

 

I still liked the episode and, other than the plot confusions, I thought it was pretty good. I love that we didn't see the unsub up front and we got the team bouncing ideas off each other and trying to figure things out and actually thinking. I also thought Thomas did a great job in this one. There were many moments where he seemed misty eyed and close to tears. Although he was still strangely reserved. I was hoping he would offer my comfort to Jessica, but maybe he thought that would be crossing a line or something. I do think its sweet that he's going to give her money to take care of her dad, but its also very sad that the dad is still so angry.

 

Cade's line delivery still needs work, but he was more animated and I think Ed Asner worked well with him. I thought the part where Jack hugged Hotch looked awkward for some reason. Not sure why. Ed was very sweet and funny when playing the video games. I have to say that he was doing great for someone with alzheimers. I had elderly friends who had trouble remembering things and got confused even without alzheimers. I've seen people with alzheimers. A dear friend of mine developed it before she died. One minute she was chatting with us and the next she was asking where her late husband is and then start to cry when her daughter reminded her that he was dead. Then she would remember some things and ask if she was right that my father was dead and she'd start to cry. And she would repeat questions over and over. And sometimes she would randomly start crying for no apparent reason. It was just very sad to see.

 

I did find it rather said and poignant at the end when Mr. Brooks was talking about how the doctors said he was going to forget Haley and that the anger and pain would be forgotten. That was very sad. And, unfortunately, a lot of alzheimers patients get irrationally angry for no apparent reason. But its ok for the guy to not really know that or think about it. It was also sad that he would not let it go and it was clear that it hurt Hotch.

 

And then I wondered where the hell the wife was. I remember that Haley called her and had to be moved again when she was supposed to be in witness protection. So she was alive then. I'm guessing she's either divorced, or dead, or in a nursing home herself. But it would have been nice if they'd mentioned her.

[Droogie]

The team were too slow in coming to some of the conclusions when they had the info. I liked Reid bringing Garcia a croissant and her showing appreciation. Did not like JJ solo interviewing, although its probably because I'm biased. I also didn't like JJ's one when they were arguing about who the killer could be. She came off as almost angry and rude instead of just speculating (but maybe I'm just reading into it because she annoys me).

I was beginning to chafe a little at JJ of course being the interrogator until later on they brought Reid in on the action. But I don't like her style at all. She acts too tough and jaded. Elle was tough and jaded; however I've come to view her now, JJ 1.0 was softer and kinder. She is still a baby profiler, however long she's been in the FBI. I guess I'm to believe JJ's stint hunting international terrorists turned her into Dirty Harry. Every time she delivers her lines, whatever they are, she has a look on her face like she smells something bad. Edited April 16, 2015 by Droogie

[JMO]

For me, the most outstanding thing about the episode was Ed Asner's work.  And, given that we got a decent amount of Reid, and some good Reid-deducing, that's high praise.  I thought he (Ed Asner) pretty exquisitely portrayed a whole kaleidoscope of emotion---terror and helplessness at becoming aware of his condition, fear of what the future might bring, joy in being with his remaining daughter and grandson, anger at the man he blames for having lost his other daughter, frustration and fury at realizing he's now dependent on that man.  And TG----this was one of those situations where his expertise at playing Hotch with such emotional restraint was truly powerful. I thought he did a tremendous job  as well.  I've always liked the character of Jessica, but never more so than in this episode.  And I thought Jack was actually well played. 

 

I'm assuming Jessica does her software job from home.  How else is she so available to Jack---and how else would bringing her father to live with her actually be helpful?

 

As to the rest: Passed the Reid-meter, obviously, and he made important contributions to the case. 

 

But.....I don't understand why the BAU was called in, in the first place.  They did a lot of 'detecting' (the job of the police), but I don't remember any profiling.  And, while it was a little...different....to have the unsub give a blow-by-blow on how he'd killed, I still didn't quite get why he'd killed.  It wasn't quite the look into the 'Criminal Mind' that it might have been.

 

Very concentrated dysfunction in the family at the center of the case:  homophobia, adultery, blackmail and then potential incest, all gathered around the dinner table.

 

In the end, for me, this was the odd situation of finding the 'B' story, the personal one, far more compelling than the case.  But the 'B' story was good enough that I didn't mind at all.  And the promo!  Looking forward to that one, first time in a long time.

[normasm]

You are spot-on, JMO! I think the reason the BAU was brought in was that they specialize in family annihilators, their motivation and how to trip them up, but, yeah, it might have been a bit weak on the why. But the B story was not just shoved into clunky bookends (yay!) and actually was well woven into the A story, and added to Hotch's narrative.

 

And yes! The all-important Reid-meter! It was chiming along enough to make me happy.

 

I think Ganya upstream said it well, that most of the stuff we've complained about wasn't there and a lot of the stuff we've asked for was. 

[JMO]

Yes, I agree with Ganya that we need to give credit where credit is due.  When it looks like the showrunner and/or writer has been responsive to feedback, we should be encouraging.  I do think we saw some of that.

 

The thing this week was that, if not for the story of Hotch's father-in-law, I don't know that I would have liked the episode.  I would still have enjoyed Reid, and the integration of the rest of the team (although the improvements in those areas made the unfortunate immaturity of Garcia more noticeable), but the main storyline wasn't cohesive enough for me.  So, some thumbs up, some thumbs down, but overall a keeper for me.

[Bookish Jen]

Maybe it was my allergies or maybe it's because I had a challenging day at work, but I couldn't quite get into this episode. I did end up feeling a great deal of compassion for Hotch and Jessica. It's incredibly hard to deal with a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer's. If CM tries to go further into this issue in future episodes, I hope they do a good job of it. We'll see.

 

As for the un-sub and his victims, I just couldn't work up to care about them for reasons I can't quite explain. However, I did appreciate seeing Spencer used in a stronger capacity than he's been used in other episodes. And it's comforting to know Spencer realizes the importance of still warm baked goods. Plus, I liked his blue sweater.

[Danielg342]

Reid and the muffins with Garcia bugged me. Not because I disliked the gesture- it was nice- but because I can't see Garcia allowing food into her computer room. At least during the early seasons, Garcia was pretty fussy about things and cared about her “sanctuary”, so I would think that would include being careful not to have anything that could damage the sensitive equipment.

Then again, I think she's had a few cups of coffee in there so maybe I'm just imagining things.

[JMO]

 

Reid and the muffins with Garcia bugged me. Not because I disliked the gesture- it was nice- but because I can't see Garcia allowing food into her computer room. At least during the early seasons, Garcia was pretty fussy about things and cared about her “sanctuary”, so I would think that would include being careful not to have anything that could damage the sensitive equipment.

Then again, I think she's had a few cups of coffee in there so maybe I'm just imagining things.

 

It only bugged me because I haven't forgiven her for not letting him have a cookie after he got shot in the knee.

[ForeverAlone]

I think the croissant scene was my favorite Reid/Garcia scene in years. The Dr. Who scene would have been great if she hadn't so callously and thoughtlessly dismissed his sexual appeal as a man. But here, she was actually appreciative of his thoughtfulness, and her dialogue with Reid is never as cringe inducing of her dialogue with Morgan.

[Racbec]

I liked this episode.  Neither JJ nor Garcia pissed me off, which is so rare that it is noteworthy.  I liked that both Reid and Hotch had significant parts.  The story was good (enough), and I decided to refrain from picking it apart as I watched.  I will also say that I thought it was well directed, something that I don't typically notice unless the direction is very bad.  

 

On a thoroughly shallow note, I thought MGG looked particularly good in this episode. 

[SSAHotchner]

I'll admit I liked it mainly for the scenes with Hotch and family. I thought that part was well done, although  they could at least have mentioned what happened to Haley's mother, especially since we'd never heard boo about her father before tonight. Thomas was amazing in his performance and even Cade did a good job. I liked the scenes with Jack and his grandpa. I also liked that we got to see some emotion from Jessica. I felt really sorry for her, and I'm glad that Hotch is helping her financially, especially since she helps him out with Jack so much. Good amount of Reid, and he did look pretty good, although I'm still not a fan of the hair. I liked the scene where he brought Garcia the croissant, but my word is she annoying! I could barely stand her for the rest of the episode. Seriously, she's like a whining, fretting baby that doesn't seem capable of holding it together anymore. In reality, they'd have to fire her. And it's doubly annoying because her character in the early seasons was able to handle the gory images of crime scene photos and videos and the demands of team for specific information. Now she seems to be fretting and hand wringing all the time as if it's all just too much for her poor, sensitive self, yet she still manages to self praise every chance she gets.

 

As for the case, I don't know. It was different and it held my interest but it fell apart at the end - again. I feel like these writers get an idea but they can never carry it through an entire episode. Sure you'd be upset if you found your mother had been lying to you about the identity of your father all your life. And sure you'd be upset to find someone you'd been dating was actually your sibling. But murder?  That's not enough of a reason for someone to snap and then take out an entire family. And I would have much preferred for Rossi to have been the one interviewing the killer, rather than JJ. If memory serves, Rossi interviewed the brother, the initial suspect. I feel his experience, expertise and wit and would have been better used interviewing the actual killer. We finally get an episode where JJ is not at the take down, but they still feel like they need to give her something significant, and that's where she falls short. She tries to be edgy like Elle or Emily, but AJ just doesn't carry it off IMO.  I much preferred her understanding, sympathetic side she showed as the liaison in the early seasons.

 

What I did like in the opening was the set decoration. It was visually interesting and appealing...well, to me anyway. I loved seeing the old record player and the 45 although the choice of music wasn't the greatest. A case of not wanting to pay royalties? I'm always somewhat distracted during the episodes because I chat with some fellow CM fans, but it seems I'm not the only one who found the reasoning and details of this case a bit confusing. Overall, I enjoyed it, but, again, mainly because of Hotch.

Edited April 16, 2015 by SSAHotchner

[zannej]

Daniel, in the early years she got mad at Elle for putting a coffee next to her  computer equipment. But in recent years she was shown eating in the computer room. I should note that technology has improved to make keyboards a bit more durable. Some of them can handle spills-- and maybe she just found it was easier to eat near her computer.

[secnarf]

What I did like in the opening was the set decoration. It was visually interesting and appealing...well, to me anyway. I loved seeing the old record player and the 45 although the choice of music wasn't the greatest. A case of not wanting to pay royalties? I'm always somewhat distracted during the episodes because I chat with some fellow CM fans, but it seems I'm not the only one who found the reasoning and details of this case a bit confusing. Overall, I enjoyed it, but, again, mainly because of Hotch.

Actually, I was kind of annoyed with the record player, mostly because I feel like it comes up way too frequently. In this case, the killer is young enough that records were likely not a huge part of his childhood, and it just didn't make sense to me to have a 45 playing. They obviously made a point of this family having tons of records and a fancy record player, but I don't think that's all that common anymore (far less common than it's shown on CM) and that still doesn't explain why the killer went and put on a 45. The Christmas music symbolism was tenuous at best, but the killer just seemed like someone who would have used an mp3 player, or at least a CD player, for the music instead of a 45.

I enjoyed this episode more than many recent ones - the record player being a very minor nitpicky thing - but I thought the case was a bit too convoluted at the end.

TG was incredible, and I love when Rossi is snarky. I also liked that he pronounced "Toronto" as if he was from the city (I know JM is from Chicago, but he does spend a decent amount of time in Toronto). Very minor and totally irrelevant, but it's something that I noticed and made me smile.

[SSAHotchner]

Actually, I was kind of annoyed with the record player, mostly because I feel like it comes up way too frequently. In this case, the killer is young enough that records were likely not a huge part of his childhood, and it just didn't make sense to me to have a 45 playing. They obviously made a point of this family having tons of records and a fancy record player, but I don't think that's all that common anymore (far less common than it's shown on CM) and that still doesn't explain why the killer went and put on a 45. The Christmas music symbolism was tenuous at best, but the killer just seemed like someone who would have used an mp3 player, or at least a CD player, for the music instead of a 45.

I enjoyed this episode more than many recent ones - the record player being a very minor nitpicky thing - but I thought the case was a bit too convoluted at the end.

TG was incredible, and I love when Rossi is snarky. I also liked that he pronounced "Toronto" as if he was from the city (I know JM is from Chicago, but he does spend a decent amount of time in Toronto). Very minor and totally irrelevant, but it's something that I noticed and made me smile.

I understand what you mean about today's kids not wanting to use a record player and the overuse of them. My enjoyment wasn't based on it working well for the episode. I just liked the look. Everything in the home seemed dated. I'm not sure if they addressed that or not. It could be something I missed while tapping on my computer, but the me that gets quite nostalgic for the 50s and 60s just liked the look of the set. I have fond memories of using record players and buying and listening to 45s. That's all. 

[zannej]

I think they indicated that the father was paranoid and very controlling. Maybe he didn't like new technology and insisted that they stick with some of the older stuff and that is why there were records and such.

 

I have fond memories of a large piece of furniture we had (and still have but in bad condition from water damage) that has a record player. On weekends my father would blast Bach very loudly and we would run around the room like crazy kids attempting to "dance" to it. Loved the sound from it. So I have fond memories of record players.

[Bookish Jen]

I liked the tablecloth (well, minus all the blood).

[Russet29]

I think they indicated that the father was paranoid and very controlling. Maybe he didn't like new technology and insisted that they stick with some of the older stuff and that is why there were records and such.

 

That might make sense. I have a family friend who refuses to get cable because she thinks the government can monitor and watch her through it, or something like that. Meanwhile she happily uses email which we now know the NSA definitely monitors. But hey, it only has to make sense to her.

[Droogie]

I understand what you mean about today's kids not wanting to use a record player and the overuse of them. My enjoyment wasn't based on it working well for the episode. I just liked the look. Everything in the home seemed dated. I'm not sure if they addressed that or not. It could be something I missed while tapping on my computer, but the me that gets quite nostalgic for the 50s and 60s just liked the look of the set. I have fond memories of using record players and buying and listening to 45s. That's all.

I miss vinyl. I love the sound that is lost on digital media. We upgraded to CDs early on and got rid of most of our LPs (except autographed ones) bc our turntable died and in the early 90s, you couldn't get a new one without offering up your firstborn. But I think it's making a comeback -- my children, who are in college, both love actual records (so retro! :-) and buy most of their music on vinyl, as do their friends. I think it's making a comeback.

[normasm]

Vinyl is definitely back. Hubs and I have dozens of "records" that sound more interesting than the collateral CDs material I have. You are tethered to the spot somewhat, but there's charm in that, too. My favorite band releases their stuff on vinyl, and it's very popular for even the young'uns.

They used a record player 2 other times recently on CM, in Nelson's Sparrow, and back in season 8, Alchemy, as Spencer dances with Maeve in his dreams. Vinyl is romantic.

[cincivic]

This episode was interesting to me until they got to the mistress. Especially with the time frame. The mistress was 19 when they met and they were together for 26 years. I am sorry,by that actress was not in her 40's . Took me right out of the episode. I guessed correctly what had happene.

[Danielg342]

The actress who played Cora Gillam is McNally Sagal, who is Katey's sister-in-law. So I see what you mean, although I thought she looked young enough- and frazzled enough- to be believable.

[SSAHotchner]

That might make sense. I have a family friend who refuses to get cable because she thinks the government can monitor and watch her through it, or something like that. Meanwhile she happily uses email which we now know the NSA definitely monitors. But hey, it only has to make sense to her.

One of my friend's grandmothers thought that people were spying on her/listening to her through the electrical outlets in her apartment in a senior citizen residence. She would put her hand over the outlet when she would speak. My friend said, "Which one of us do you think is craziest, the one who's covering up the outlets because she thinks someone's spying on her or the one who knows no one is listening but still puts her hand over the outlet while speaking when she visits?" 

[zannej]

One of my friend's grandmothers thought that people were spying on her/listening to her through the electrical outlets in her apartment in a senior citizen residence. She would put her hand over the outlet when she would speak. My friend said, "Which one of us do you think is craziest, the one who's covering up the outlets because she thinks someone's spying on her or the one who knows no one is listening but still puts her hand over the outlet while speaking when she visits?" 

LOL! Well, she probably put her hand over the outlet to appease the lady she was visiting. So I'd say the former.

[Bookish Jen]

This episode was interesting to me until they got to the mistress. Especially with the time frame. The mistress was 19 when they met and they were together for 26 years. I am sorry,by that actress was not in her 40's . Took me right out of the episode. I guessed correctly what had happene.

Maybe that's why this episode seemed off to me.

 

Re: Vinyl. I think one of the reasons why so many people (young, old and in be-tween) have such positive feelings towards vinyl LPs is because they have a certain "warmth" that downloads, CDs and cassettes don't.

[needschocolate]

I felt sorry for Ezra - couldn't they let him wash off the blood?  With the way everyone is supposed to handle blood nowadays (if I child scares his knee and gets 3 drops of blood on his pants, he has to get new pants before he can go back to class), and Ezra's face is covered in blood for hours.

 

I thought it took Reid too long to figure out the timing problem in the mom's story - she had a 2 year old when they met, and they were together for 26 years, so the kid should be around 28, but things were rocky with the dad ever since the kid graduated from high school 6 years ago, so the kid would only be 24. If I recall it correctly, all of this was in the same conversation - it wasn't like she mention the 2 year old son one day and mentioned the high school graduation the next day - or told it to different people. I noticed this as she told the story, but no one else but Reid picks up on this and it takes him hours to do it?

 

There was a definite lack of profiling too.  The unsub's mom says that the dad was very controlling, and then adds, as an afterthought, "but, don't get me wrong, we loved each other" and no one thought that there may be another reason why they stayed together for so long?  They also didn't question why things changed when the son (unsub) graduated from high school (the thought of the dad being a pedophile crossed my mind, until I realized the timing error).  The BAU didn't even explain the motive - that was explained by the unsub to his mom during the last supper.  

 

Nitpicks aside, I do appreciate that there was no JJ superhero. And I don't recall any interactions between Morgan and Garcia (certainly no "flirty" ones).   

 

On the other hand, I get the feeling that the producers and writers had a meeting --- "Well, you all have been reading Previously.TV.  They have a lot of complaints  about our show.  I am tired of their whining, let's give them what they are asking for.  This means no JJ saving the day, no banter between Morgan and Garcia, Reid has to figure something out before anybody else, no 'murder porn' - whatever that is, make sure Garcia isn't able to find something on her computer instantly, don't reveal who the killer is until the end..." - this goes on for a few minutes while someone writes a long list on a whiteboard - "...But makes sure that this is a boring episode.  I don't want them thinking they  were right."

 

 

 

The only eye roller for me was the dad at the end, dead as a door ail at the table and still upright with his mouth closed. Folks, if you are going to depict violent death to the point of showing a fatal gunshot wound to the head, why not go the realistic measure and show the lolling of the head to the side and the mouth slack? I have never seen a dead person with a perfectly primly closed mouth, it just doesn't happen. But it's something that CM has done badly for many years. Maybe a minor point.

 

I can't speak for the other episodes, but the dad's position (and the position of the other dead diners) makes sense in this episode since the unsub probably posed them to look like they were eating dinner. 

 

I've got a question.

 

The father knew he had a bastard son, right? That's why he stayed with his mistress 'till he graduated. But then he didn't knew that he was his daughters boyfriend? So he never wanted a photo or something? If he didn't want anything to do with him then why stay with the woman, he could have just paied her. Would have saved him trouble with his other son.

 

He paid her until his wife found out ten months ago. He was probably paying her to keep her from telling his wife (he was paying the oldest son for the same reason). .  The mistress said that things changed after the son graduated six years ago, but I am under the impression that they were still involved, just drifting apart..  But they never made it clear whether he knew the daughter's boyfriend was his son.  He may have stayed in the relationship for the same reason - thinking that, if he broke up with her, she would tell his wife.  (This doesn't really answer your question, but I hope you find some comfort in knowing that you weren't the only one confused.)

 

 

[normasm]

Needschocolate, one might be able to prop a body that had been shot in the head so that it sat upright, but more likely it would be slumped and slouched. The head would be hanging down, the jaw slack, the mouth open, and the eyes most likely wouldn't be wide open, more like half-mast. It would have been more realistic to have the bodies with their heads down on the table. I know that this is a TV show that has to take liberties with reality to tell stories, but the least they could have done was make sure it didn't just look like a live guy sitting there with bluish makeup and gore on him, head up as if he's looking at something, eyes wide open and mouth closed. For me it takes me totally out of the story when they are so unrealistic. As I said, maybe it's just me.

[needschocolate]

Good points, Normasm. 

 

Having their hands tied behind the chair probably helped keep their heads off the table.  Super glue would work for the eyes and mouth.  As for the heads looking forward instead of down, he just needed to prop them up until rigor mortis set in or hammered a metal rod through each skull - I assume it was the metal rods since rigor mortis would take too long and the blood on lance would be dry by the time Ezra hugged Lance.  It is a little known fact that the standard emergency kit carried around by most murderers contains rope, gloves, super glue, a metal rod and a hammer (both of which double as murder weapons.   

 

I am joking.  The truth is that the OSHA prohibits actors (even extras) to have to sit slumped over for prolonged period due to back and neck injuries.  And the contract from the Screen Actors Guild mandates that faces be seen so the actor gets some publicity out of being a murder victim. 

 

Okay, I am still joking.  You are right, it is rather ridiculous.  I get why they do it - more dramatic impact - but it isn't realistic.  I hadn't really paid much attention before. you mentioned it (and now I am really thankful that I haven't seen any murder victims in real life). 

[normasm]

Fortunately, I've only seen photos, but, yeah. And good point about them having hands tied behind their backs to the chair; that would at least keep them in the seat and relatively upright...