What lies within the Criminal Mind...

"There are certain clues at a crime scene which by their very nature do not lend themselves to being collected or examined. How's one collect love, rage, hatred, fear...? These are things that we're trained to look for." (Season 1, episode 2)

I am a self-confessed Criminal Minds fanatic. I am particularly interested in blogging about Criminal Minds for its niche storylines, that is, fictional serial killers. It differs from other fictional crime shoes which focus on analysing evidence left behind after a crime. Such crime shows include CSI and SVU. Raney and Byrant (2002) indicate that the popularity of such crime shows can be derived from the emotionally centred response we have to violent stimuli. It is such that we will feel horror or disgust at the morally repugnant offender in Criminal Minds.

However, this cannot be the only thing that keeps us glued to the televison each week can it?

If it were so, then popularity of crime shows would be founded in a love of violence alone.

Raney and Bryant suggest that the enjoyment factor depends upon the sense of justice that is conveyed by the show and this argument has significant merit. A formulla, as such, can be determined to exist in the Criminal Minds saga. That is, they (The BAU) always catch the bad guy. Furthemore, most of the time a victim is saved. Ultimately we go to bed after an hour of Criminal Minds feeling as though justice has been served and that good will always prevail. Herein lies our enjoyment.

A complimentary argument is presented by Lee. Lee suggests that inaccurate depictions of crime in fictional programs may exist in response to “a public desire for authentic participation in a world that, though genuine, stands at a necessarily spectral remove...and with its even- tempered characters and violence contained, also provides...a sense of psychic protection”. This argument has merit insofar as it suggests that we get peace of mind from such shows. For the most part what is presented in fictional crime is black and white, good and evil. We are not forced to consider whether such dichotomies even exist.

Ultimately, the picture we get from criminal minds is a skewed one. There is a suggestion that the FBI has one criminal profiling team to solve all serious crimes. The show also seems to suggest that there is a ready profile for all serial killers, that can easily be referred to. Such representations within the series forego the acknowledgement of grey areas that are not always clear, which ultimately becomes one the show's weaknesses. While I love Criminal Minds, there is a lot to be desired in the way of truthful representations.

References:

“‘These are Our Stories’: Trauma, Form, and the Screen Phenomenon of Law and

Order.” Discourse 25.1-2 (2002)