Who plays Dante in season 5 episode 7 Criminal Minds?

For me, "The Performer" is one of Season 5's weaker episodes along with the very bland and just scraping average "Parasite". Not awful but not great, a brave attempt to do something different but it doesn't quite come off.

Starting with good things about "The Performer", as always with 'Criminal Minds' it looks great, psychedelic in colour and darkly atmospheric. There are a few moments of haunting music, and of the writing the standout was that terrific scene at the end between the team, that was very funny and very sweet and shows very well how strong a bond they have. Some of the in-jokes were a lot of fun and didn't feel too out of place.

Gavin Rossdale is excellent as the prime suspect, and the episode in the early stages does well in making the viewer believe it was him responsible. His relationship with his manager is touchingly depicted too. The acting is very good across the board.

However, the case does lack atmosphere, is quite slight and over-stretched-feeling and while one always welcomes a big revelation twist this one was not that surprising, in fact it's pretty easy to figure out too soon. Profiling is also always welcome, and is a large part as what makes 'Criminal Minds' so great, but there isn't quite enough here and didn't serve as much point or interest as it should have done.

Also did not buy the whole thing with JJ going to the house alone, which was not plausible in a situation that desperately required back-up straight-away and practically was a suicide move. It also takes her a long time to get there, whereas it took the rest of the team nowhere near as much time, that was contrived and the lack of explanation didn't help matters either.

'Criminal Minds' has had many times where it tries to do things differently with varying success. "The Performer" is an example of one that doesn't quite work, with the atmosphere feeling over-the-top and the methodology of the killings very strange even for the concept. The music has its moments but has a tendency to be too intrusive.

In conclusion, not one of Season 5's better episodes. For great episodes of the seasons, stick with "100", "...A Thousand Words", "The Uncanny Valley" and "Mosley Lane". 5/10 Bethany Cox

Paul Davies, a.k.a. "Dante", is an incidental character who was considered a suspect for Gina King's murders. He appeared in the Season Five episode of Criminal Minds, "The Performer".

Background

Dante, as Paul is professionally called, is a Goth rock musician. His persona is that of a vampiric rocker, with many similarities to the portrayal of Alice Cooper by Vincent Furnier, or the character Lestat, created by Anne Rice (although Lestat is a "real" vampire in her books). He has a vast number of obsessed followers who are fanatical and willing to do whatever it takes to meet and/or please him. It is mentioned that he was arrested for domestic violence in 1999 and the charges were apparently dropped. He was also once charged with battery, but it was expunged.

The Performer

Paul was considered a suspect in the murders of several fans, but it is later found out that Paul actually had nothing to do with the murders; he was only the inspiration. It is shown in the episode that Paul is an alcoholic and possibly a drug addict (though drug use is not explicitly shown). He is an aging, washed-up rock star struggling to maintain appearances. The title of his latest album, The Liar, was etched on the arms of the victims. By the end of the episode, it is revealed that his manager Ray Campion and one of his fans, Gina King were responsible for the murders. Daives was horrified to realize that his own manager arranged the murders. He is ultimately exonerated from the crimes but dismayed on what happened.

Notes

• Davies is similar to Lila Archer ("Somebody's Watching") - Both were celebrities who lived in Los Angeles and had a female fan of theirs murder people to promote their respective careers (Maggie killed people who she perceived as threats to Lila's acting career, while Gina King killed Davies' fans to promote his upcoming album at the behest of his manager.) Additionally, in both cases, the fan was institutionalized after their arrest, and both primarily interacted with a single BAU agent (Prentiss in Davies' case, Reid in Archer's.)
• The song that Davies performs at the beginning of the episode is Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division. Steffan Fantini, one of the Criminal Minds' soundtrack composers, makes an uncredited cameo in the scene as his keyboard player/backup singer.

Appearances

• Season Five
  • "The Performer"

Who played Dante in Criminal Minds Season 5 episode 7?

Who is the killer in Season 5 episode 7 Criminal Minds?

What happens in Criminal Minds Season 5 episode 7?

Who plays Gina in Season 5 episode 7 of Criminal Minds?