I have to hand it to the writers, they always seem to make the Season Finales and the Season Premieres, to have the most disturbing, psychedelic serial killers. From William Lewis to Dr. Greg Yates, and now, Dr. Carl Rudnick. They are all evil in their own ways but Rudnick, for some reason to me was the most mentally illed. The reason, he picks his victims by random, kills them, cuts them into pieces, disposes their body parts by dumping them into the ocean or there was one woman that was put into a wall. Then he steals their identity.
The thing that struck me the most about this episode was how well Yates was about to get into Rollins's head, from the very start. Yates knows what he wanted and he used Rollins like a play toy. Every time Rollins would visit him, Yates would play this mind game. He would answer a question with a question, or more to the point Yates spoke in code. He describes each of the murders in detail and you can see in his face that Yates is getting off on the pain that the women were going through while they were getting killed.
Kellie Giddish and Dallas Roberts's chemistry together was amazing. Roberts plays that creepy, soft spoken serial killer so well it send chills down your spin. The moment that the two characters connected the most and Yates was able to get into Rollins's head was when he told Rollins that she was pregnant. So to have Yates tell her, before finding out herself, has to be every mother to-be's worst nightmare.
Let's get back to the case. Rudnick was a Medical Examiner and through his work he was able to cover up the evidence. Rudnick got away with it for 13 years, until Yates started spilling the beans about him to Rollins. Then Melinda confirmed that Rudnick lied about the time of death, how they died and how one of the victims was cut into pieces. Which gave the detectives a reason for a search warrant for Rudnick's apartment. They found several identities that Rudnick stole from different women. And he would dress up as these women,
to commit his crimes.
After the detectives found the dresses they got the arrest warrant for Rudnick, but the second he was arraigned Rudnick posted a two million dollar bail. Then Rudnick went straight to Yates girlfriend's house to murder her. Susie Frain did not only get murdered but Rudnick cut her up into small pieces, and yet when he got caught, Rudnick claimed it was self defence. After he killed Susie, Rudnick took off and headed to Canada. Lucky he was arrested for shoplifting near the border, so Rollins and Carisi flow up there too pick him up.
On the way back Carisi noticed that Rudick talked to himself and that little piece of information, put the nail in his coffin. Carisi found a video of Rudnick talking to himself about the murdering Susie and the other women. So Rudnick cut a deal with the D.A and plead guilty to two counts of first degree murder.
This was great on so many levels! I loved the way the detectives had work with Yates to convict Rudnick, even though he is know to be a pathological liar. But the way Yates and Rollins worked together, and how he was able to get into her head was amazing. I also enjoyed the slight humour throughout the episode. Although each episode has some kind of humour in them, rather its, Barba's socks or Carisi always trying to get everyone to call him Sonny, even though no one does. In this episode, the best part was the car ride back to the city. Where Rollins was in a bad mood, Rudnick wouldn't stop talking and everything Carisi would say, would annoyed Rollins.
The last scene when Yates and Rudnick reunite after so many years, was bone chilling. I think, there is another part to this story.
