Unveiling the Intriguing Layers of Jackson Rathbone's Character in Criminal Minds

This article explores the television show Criminal Minds and the portrayal of memorable criminals, with a focus on the character played by Jackson Rathbone. Criminal Minds follows the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), a team that uses profiling and behavioral analysis to solve heinous crimes. While the show typically follows a villain-of-the-week formula, some criminals, including Rathbone's character, leave a lasting impression despite limited screen time.

Rathbone's appearance on Criminal Minds occurred during his role as Jasper Hale in the popular Twilight film series. Both characters share similarities in terms of aggression and impulsivity. Despite only appearing in one episode, Rathbone's performance in Criminal Minds is memorable and impactful.

Jackson Rathbone Plays Adam Jackson In Criminal Minds

In the 20th episode of season 4 of Criminal Minds titled "Conflicted," Jackson Rathbone portrays Adam Jackson, a serial killer who preys on Spring Break students. Adam's background is tragic, with his mother's death when he was five and his subsequent abuse by his stepfather. Because of this abuse, the BAU discovers that Adam suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), with an alter called Amanda emerging. Seeking revenge, Amanda kidnaps men who resemble her stepfather and commits murder. Interestingly, Adam has no recollection of these crimes.

Despite Rathbone's commendable portrayal of Adam, the episode has faced criticism for reinforcing harmful stereotypes about individuals with DID. The show implies that those with the disorder are prone to violence or are abusers. Unfortunately, Criminal Minds is not the only offender in perpetuating negative stereotypes about DID, as this is still a prevalent issue in the media today.

Adam Jackson Is Similar To Other Serial Killers

The psychology behind Adam's Dissociative Identity Disorder and the long-term effects of childhood trauma are still a subject of debate within the scientific community, as noted by Psychology Today. However, there are serial killers from history who bear a striking resemblance to Jackson Rathbone's character in Criminal Minds. One such example is Henry Lee Lucas, a serial killer who operated during the 1970s-1980s and also experienced a violent and abusive upbringing, as reported by Time. Lucas, like Adam, grew up in a home where he lost his father and suffered abuse from his mother, only in Lucas's case, the parental roles were reversed. Additionally, both Adam and Lucas threatened their parents with knives, but Lucas tragically succeeded in murdering his mother.

Another individual that Adam closely resembles is the infamous murderer, John Wayne Gacy. Similar to Adam, Gacy exclusively targeted male victims, and the nature of his crimes paralleled the sexually violent acts committed by Adam in Criminal Minds. Gacy, as reported by Esquire, would also asphyxiate his victims. While it is well-known that Criminal Minds often draws inspiration from real-life figures to create chilling unsubs, the writers seem to have overlooked their responsibility to ensure that they are not perpetuating misinformation.