You know that feeling when you're watching a procedural show and the "bad guy" is just... a bad guy? Most Criminal Minds episodes follow that rhythm. The BAU flies in, they find a trail of bodies, Garcia works her magic on the keys, and Morgan kicks a door down. But then there’s the episode "The Big Wheel." It stands out like a sore thumb in Season 4. Why? Because Alex O’Loughlin showed up and made us all weep for a serial killer.
Honestly, it shouldn't have worked. The guy plays a murderer. Yet, by the time the credits rolled, half the audience was reaching for the tissues. It's one of those rare TV moments where the guest star completely hijacks the show's DNA.
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The Tragedy of Vincent Rowlings
In the 2009 episode "The Big Wheel," Alex O'Loughlin plays Vincent Rowlings. He isn't your standard-issue psychopath. He’s a man drowning in his own mind. Vincent is a videographer by trade, but he’s also a serial killer with severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
The way O’Loughlin plays the OCD isn't just a "quirky trait" for the camera. It’s heavy. It’s painful. He has to open doors twice. He has rituals for his shoes. He wears different slippers for every room in his house. This isn't just about being neat; it's a physical manifestation of his internal chaos. He kills women who resemble his mother—the mother he saw his father murder when he was just a kid. It's a cycle of trauma that he can't stop, even though he desperately wants to.
That Cry for Help
What makes the Criminal Minds Alex O'Loughlin performance so jarring is the vulnerability. Early in the episode, Vincent sends a videotape to the BAU. It's not a taunt. It's a plea. He literally writes "HELP ME STOP" in red ink on the film.
He knows he's broken. He knows what he's doing is wrong.
Watching him struggle against his own impulses is brutal. Usually, we want the "unsub" (unidentified subject) to get caught as fast as possible. With Vincent, you almost want to see him get better, even though you know he’s too far gone. It’s a testament to O’Loughlin’s range. This was right before he became the action-hero face of Hawaii Five-0, and here he was, looking gaunt, sweaty, and absolutely terrified of his own shadow.
The Relationship with Stanley
The heart of this episode—the part that actually hurts—is Vincent's relationship with a young, blind boy named Stanley. Vincent kills Stanley’s mother. It’s a horrific act. But when he sees Stanley, something in him snaps. He can't kill the boy. Instead, he becomes a sort of twisted guardian.
- Vincent joins a mentoring program to stay close to Stanley.
- He tries to protect the boy's innocence.
- He eventually takes Stanley to an amusement park for his birthday.
Think about the irony there. A serial killer taking an orphan—his own victim's son—to a Ferris wheel. It sounds like the plot of a bad thriller, but the chemistry between Alex O'Loughlin and the child actor, Jake Cherry, is incredibly tender. Stanley is blind, so he doesn't see the blood or the fear. He just "sees" a man who is kind to him.
Why This Role Changed the Show
Most unsubs are monsters. We’ve seen the cannibals, the cult leaders, and the guys who make dolls out of people. But Vincent Rowlings felt human.
The writer of the episode, Simon Mirren, was actually close friends with O'Loughlin. He wrote the role specifically for him. Mirren wanted to show a "day in the life" of a killer, and O'Loughlin delivered a performance that felt more like a character study than a crime drama. He did a ton of research into OCD, wanting to make sure the tics and the anxiety felt authentic rather than theatrical.
It worked.
Even the BAU team felt it. Normally, Derek Morgan is all "tough guy" energy. But at the end of "The Big Wheel," when they find Vincent on the Ferris wheel with Stanley, the vibe is different. It’s not a standoff. It’s a mercy. Vincent is dying from a gunshot wound he got earlier in the episode, and his final moments are spent telling Stanley, "You helped me see."
That line? Absolute gut punch.
Behind the Scenes: A Career Pivot
If you only know him as Steve McGarrett, seeing Alex O'Loughlin in this is a shock. This was a "breather" role for him. He had just finished Moonlight—the vampire show that fans still haven't forgiven CBS for canceling—and was about to lead the medical drama Three Rivers.
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He didn't need to do a guest spot. But he wanted to play someone who wasn't a "leading man." He wanted to be ugly, complicated, and tragic.
He told TV Guide back then that he wasn't worried about playing a killer hurting his "sex symbol" image. He just wanted to do the work. And honestly, it’s arguably one of the best guest performances in the entire 15-season run of the show.
How to Revisit the Episode
If you want to catch this performance again, you’re looking for Season 4, Episode 22. It’s titled "The Big Wheel."
Most people watch it and forget it’s him at first because he disappears so deeply into the role. If you're doing a rewatch, pay attention to the small stuff:
- The way he handles objects with extreme precision.
- The flat, detached tone he uses when he’s trying to "manage" his anxiety.
- The specific way he reacts to the color red.
It's a мастер-класс in acting for a procedural. It reminds us that even in a world of "good vs. evil," the gray areas are where the best stories live. If you've never seen it, or if it's been a decade, go back and watch. Just make sure you have some tissues nearby for that final Ferris wheel scene.
To get the most out of your Criminal Minds rewatch, start with "The Big Wheel" and then jump to "True Night" (Season 3, Episode 10). Both episodes focus on sympathetic unsubs who suffered massive trauma, providing a fascinating look at how the show handles the psychology of "broken" vs. "evil" characters.