Spencer Reid is deeply affected by the schizophrenic unsub, fearing his own mental health issues and struggling with the team's loss of Prentiss.
The BAU is reeling from the loss of Emily Prentiss (who they believe is dead), but they must focus on a series of violent murders in Portland, Oregon. The victims are bludgeoned and stabbed, with high levels of overkill—up to 71 times in one instance.
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. [S6E19] With Friends Like These
This episode is a standout for its unique portrayal of the unsub's mental state. By showing the hallucinations as real, active participants in the first half of the episode, the audience feels the same confusion and helplessness that Ben experiences.
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..." Spencer Reid is deeply affected by the schizophrenic
The BAU realizes the overkill is a desperate act to burn energy so Ben can sleep and get a reprieve from his hallucinations.
Ben’s "friends" urge him to attack a nurse, Karen Heywood, after an awkward supermarket interaction. It’s a deeply sad episode, highlighting that the
When a suspected gang in Portland starts targeting a new victim every night, the BAU is tasked with finding a "pack" of killers before they strike again. But what they find is far more personal, tragic, and psychological than a simple gang war.