With Friends Like These…
Directed by Anna Foerstar
Written by Janine Sherman Barrois
A schizophrenic man obeys his delusions when they order him to murder people.Written by Janine Sherman Barrois
Reid: Lizette Reese wrote, "The old faiths light their candles all about, but burly truth comes by and puts them out."
This episode provides examples of:
- Aerith and Bob: The men have pretty ordinary names, but the girl's name is Yolanda.
- Bittersweet Ending: Ben is hospitalized where he will receive treatment for his schizophrenia. However, he will most likely be in the hospital for the rest of his life, and it’s unknown if he will ever be freed from his hallucinations.
- Blatant Lies: When Ben takes his young hostages, he holds a knife to the girl's throat and assures her and her brother that he's not gonna hurt them. They remain unconvinced.
- Hollywood Exorcism: Interestingly averted. Ben believes that he's under the influences of Demonic Possession, but the priest corrects him and explains that he's not possessed, so his problem must be medical.
- Hearing Voices: Ben has three voices in his head: Matt, Tony, and Yolanda.
- Imaginary Enemy: Ben's hallucinatory "friends" are this, pressuring him to commit murder.
- Not-so-imaginary, as it turns out that the three are grown-up, homicidal versions of his childhood friends who died in a fire that Ben himself set.
- Double Subverted at the end when the hallucinations themselves suggest they have been with Ben since he was a baby.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Ben is convinced his schizophrenic symptoms are evidence of demonic possession, and after his electroshock treatment his hallucinations claim to be spirits that have haunted him since long before the church fire.
- Parental Neglect: Ben's mother gives up on him when he calls her, asking for help.
- Suicide by Cop: Ben begs to be put out of his misery by the BAU, but they don't do it.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Ben's kills are mentioned to have been done by Ben stabbing his victims at least fifty or more times (with the number increasing with each victim). The BAU eventually figures out that Ben (who is an insomniac constantly pestered by hallucinations) uses the overkill to physically tire himself to the point he'll have a few hours' worth of (relatively) peaceful sleep.
- Two Guys and a Girl: Ben's hallucinations.
- Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Ben stops himself from killing either of the young hostages he takes despite the insistence of the voices in his head, because of their age.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: A nurse tells Ben that he shouldn't be hearing voices anymore, and he doesn't for a time... until Yolanda holds his hand and reveals all three are still there.
- Morgan: Siddharta Buddha said, "It is not his enemy or foe that lures him to evil ways."
