“Nighthawk”
The spin-off to the popular crime series Criminal Minds seems to be off to a fast start in the eight weeks since its debut. I haven’t had a chance to watch the show though I fully intend to catch up. Last night's episode, “Nighthawks” about a spree killer targeting young men in Tulsa, Oklahoma was definitely not quite as thrilling as I expected, but it was interesting nonetheless for the view it offered of just how devastating the crime of serial murder can be not only on the victims and their loved ones, but on the families of the perpetrators as well.
Sam Cooper (Forrest Whittaker) and his team arrive in town after a young man had been murdered coming out of a club. Frankly, I found the idea that a man well into his sixties could murder three young men in the manner depicted a little far-fetched. What’s more, he committed these spree killings with a baseball bat. Are you kidding me? I mean come on, with as many guns that are owned by residents in states south of the Mason-Dixon, you could bank on at least one of these young men to have a gun–legal or illegal–in the glove compartment or something, but no, Bernero and company are determined to have us believe that this frail, mild-mannered old man would be this successful a killer without a firearm. I didn’t buy it.
Like I said however, I did find the idea that a father of a serial killer, as Leonard Keene is supposed to be in this episode, would himself become a murderer over the guilt he experienced at having gave life to such a monster very intriguing. The interviews shown near the end of the show of Keene trying to understand where his son’s behavior might have come from were very moving and demonstrated a man trying to come to grips with his son’s crimes and his possible complicity in them by avoiding the prospect of engaging with his son while he lived in his own home.
I like Whittaker in the role of Sam Cooper but little else. Janeane Garofalo leaves me expecting stand up comedy every time I see her, not an FBI profiler for a show as dark as CM-Suspect Behavior is supposed to be. Still it was an interesting story-line and I will give the show another chance next week. I’d be interested in hearing any thoughts you all might have out there. Post them in the comments section below.
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