[s6e19] With Friends Like These | Recommended |

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..."

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.

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. [S6E19] With Friends Like These

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.

reactions (like Reid or Seaver)?

In a heart-wrenching scene, Ben calls his mother for help during a breakdown, but she dismisses him, telling him to "find a yellow pages" and hangs up, leaving him to the voices.

13/20 on the Unsub scale, mostly because the villain is more victim than monster. Ben takes children hostage, but in a rare

Ben’s "friends" urge him to attack a nurse, Karen Heywood, after an awkward supermarket interaction.