Criminal Minds: A new type of crime drama?

[Ryan Rudolph]

I'm usually not one to watch the CSI or the Law and Order crime dramas, but after watching a few episodes of the series criminal minds, I noticed that this particular crime drama focuses more on the psychology of the serial killer than on the trivial details of the crime scene, or the emotional turmoil of family members. I was actually able to stay quite attentive through a few episodes due to the engaging nature of the dialogue, which isn't bad for a crime drama. Anyone else notice this? It seems like a huge step forward for investigative drama.

Btw, does anyone know how many of the characters are inspired by the behavior of actual criminals and how many are exaggerated and derived from junk science for television?

The last episode I watched was very interesting: Based on a serial killer who couldn't get a female mate when he was young, and had a few humiliating rejections that taunted him, so he took a seduction course to learn psychological tricks to trigger arousal in females, and then he proceeded to violently murder them while making them clean up their own blood in a habituated ritual as they slowed bled to death, turns out he was severe OCD.

Now, to me, the psychology sounds believable, but the OCD cleaning ritual - I'm not sure of, anyone ever read about a serial killer who did this?

[BMcGilly07]

I can't speak to every crime drama out there, however there was a time I watched CSI Miami and Las Vegas and every time a criminal news story broke you would see a "clever" ("clever" here to mean intertwining the recurring characters' drama-filled lives therein) reworking of it right as the news become tedious in the retelling to the national mind.

Fiction has lost all interest for me, as a child I loved science fiction shows, books and movies for their ideas. I can no longer stomach theatrical performances because I cannot suspend disbelief- in that the actors are just vapid empty reverse-chameleons.

As a child I wanted to be a poet or a fiction writer, my attempts at the former failed when suffering and love became less nebulous and I could no longer wring any egotistical feeling out of my experience, a poet must vicariously live his own life full throttle. My attempt at writing fiction was a total waste of time, I could set a stage and had some good ideas but could never write anything more because I would always be lost to an inner infinite regression at every turn. Also, if in my attempt to write I couldn't find a voice apart from all of the influences I had read prior to my efforts.

This infinite regress haunted my thinking for years, always doubting and double thinking every dichotomous notion. The only problem with that is regardless of which of the two sides you look at, two more sides spring up to contrast the first. I never doubted my reason, only my motivation and understanding.

[Ryan Rudolph]

yes, I think the more intelligent class is losing its interest in fictional story telling anyway, its an egotistical escape for both the author and the reader.

That explains the surge in crime drama, reality tv, news, competition shows and all the rest of it. Its attempts at capturing reality better. I tried to write a fiction once as well, until I realized that it was a waste of time, and boring the hell out of me.

Basically, it comes down to this:

"philosophers write proverbs that are relevant for eons, while fiction authors write novels that are popular for years"

[DHodges]

I'm usually not one to watch the CSI or the Law and Order crime dramas, but after watching a few episodes of the series criminal minds, I noticed that this particular crime drama focuses more on the psychology of the serial killer than on the trivial details of the crime scene, or the emotional turmoil of family members.

There's a show on one of the science channels that focuses on various serial killers and their psychology (not fictionalized).

yes, I think the more intelligent class is losing its interest in fictional story telling anyway, its an egotistical escape for both the author and the reader.

Or possibly most authors suck these days.

[Carl G]

yes, I think the more intelligent class is losing its interest in fictional story telling anyway,

Shakespeare will always be in vogue.

[Shahrazad]

And Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novels will be in vogue many centuries after he dies. Even his bad works are extremely enjoyable.

[Carl G]

Not to mention fictional story-telling like The State of the Union Address, "Things go better with Coke, the stock market, and "weapons of mass destruction".

[Ryan Rudolph]

I should have been clearer - fiction that closely resembles reality isn't so bad, because its inspiration is in fact nonfiction.

However, fiction inspired by outlandish fantasy, emotional longings, and cheap thrills is what gets boring rather quickly. IE: romance, horror, wizards, warlocks and US conspiracy...: ) ...