This is the sixth and final post about working on episode four, Paradise, during season four of Criminal Minds. I spoke with CliqueClack.com about some of my production experiences, and I have a gallery of images from the shoot at Flickr. Please note that I’ve done my best to recreate my interactions with the cast and crew, but this isn’t a perfect, literal translation of the entire experience. At the Criminal Minds Fanatic blog, a reader named Stacy created a series of screencaps of my scenes from Paradise. Flickr user heath_bar put together a cool photo mosaic of screencaps, too.
In our last installment of How Long is This Damn Thing Going to be, Anway, I’d just written a short post for my blog during a break in production. Shortly after I posted it, I was called back to the set. We were ready to block my second scene in the cabin, where Floyd comes back for round two.
William was in the chair, Robyn was on the bed, and I was in the doorway to the bathroom when we started. Stacy cleared out the set and gave us an actor’s rehearsal with John.
On the first run through, I came into the room, said, “That would really be something . . .” and walked right up to Robyn.
“Wait,” I said. “That’s not right. I haven’t left myself anywhere to go. Sorry.”
I took a few steps back, and delivered the line again. This time, I stayed in the doorway and just pointed to her. Yeah, that felt better. Then, when I said, “I have to say, I didn’t think it’d be you . . .” I slowly walked up to her, like I was stalking my prey, enjoying how terrified and weak she was. I picked up the bat and used it to punctuate each line. (Some of that was in the script, some of it was just following my instincts, but I really like the way it came together when we filmed it.) Then I walked back over to him, taunting him the whole way, enjoying his suffering. When he sassed me, I reminded him who was in charge, with the old bat to the gut move. You know the one.
At least, that’s how we rehearsed it the first time. The second time, I had an idea.
“John,” I said, “What if . . .” I leaned down and got close to William’s head and lowered my voice. “What if I I get kind of conspiratorial when I talk to him about what always happens? It’s like I’m letting him in on it, like I’m really toying with him, because I’ve gotten away with it before, I’ll get away with it now, and he’s powerless to stop me.”
“I love that,” John said.
“I think I have to try to headbutt you if you do that,” William said. “I can’t just sit here and take it.”
“Well, let’s try it and see what happens,” John said.
We reset, and when I leaned down to whisper at him, he lunged at me. It was scary, because if I’d gotten a few inches closer, he probably would have broken my nose. I stayed in character, though, pulled back, and raised a finger. “Easy!” I said to him with some amusement, like you’d tell a dog who wouldn’t let go of the Kong. “I have to say I did–” He lunged at me again, and I let the anger take control. “EASY!” I said. I did not like it that he challenged my authority.
We continued rehearsing the scene until that beat was finished.
“Yeah, that’s great,” John said.
Stacy invited the crew back, and we went through the same routine as the last scene. Again, we filmed it quickly, in just a few hours. Again, I was impressed by the professionalism and speed of the Criminal Minds crew. Again, I was envious of the people who get to work with them every day.
Now, quickly doesn’t mean easily. This was an intense scene, and I wanted to be sure that I didn’t over-complicate it, over-act it, or miss any beats. There are few things worse than watching an episode when it airs and realizing that I completely missed something that would have made a performance more interesting. I can’t watch myself too closely when we’re filming, though, because people don’t do that in real life and it makes performances seem too studied and self-conscious (for a perfect example of an over-studied, self-conscious performance, watch Rebecca Pidgeon in . . . anything.) In this instance, it was a real gift that I was working with such talented actors, and a director who I could completely trust and rely upon to ensure my performance hit all the right notes. I was able to lose myself in Floyd’s head while we rolled, and just let him guide me. If I felt icky when we cut, I was pretty sure I’d gotten there.
Next, we shot the final scene, where Ian breaks loose and attacks me. I only recall a couple of things about shooting this: It disturbed me so much to pull Robyn’s dress up her legs. I don’t recall exactly where they cut on air, but I’d usually get up around mid-thigh before I stopped. I’ve known her since we were kids, and finding the real rage/hatred/sexual energy that Floyd had was even more difficult than it would have been if we didn’t have a prior relationship. In some ways, it helped, because we trusted each other more than the average pair of actors would, but it was still uncomfortable for me. When the scene was finally over, and she was untied from the bed, she sat up, and we hugged each other. Tightly. For a good long time. I’m not sure who needed it more, to tell you the truth.
The stunt was pretty straight forward, and William’s double made sure I didn’t get hurt when he slammed me into the wall. I knew I was working on a show with a real budget when the wall didn’t shake or fall down. There was a moment of supreme hilarity when I shoved him off of me, and then wailed on him with the bat. It was, obviously, a break-away bat, which is foam rubber molded around a flexible shaft. It looks great, and is safe, but it can get deformed pretty easily. Picking a random example: if you use it to hit the guy on the floor, it may bend and look really funny when you pull it back for the second hit, still acting as enraged as ever, causing the entire crew to laugh at you.
In the original script, Floyd was supposed to cut Abby’s leg when sliced the tape around her ankles, but that was cut out on the set to save time. After watching the episode, I don’t think we needed it.
When the scene was over, John got together with Robyn, William, and me. “I just wanted to say thank you for a great week’s work today,” he said. He didn’t have to say that, but when those scenes were over, we’d left it all on the stage, as the saying goes, and it was really awesome of him to acknowledge that.
I had a pretty long break after that scene, while they got set for the BAU to kick in the door and ruin Floyd’s good time. I spent sitting it in video village with the writers and some of the other producers. I asked Erica and Debra so many questions about the story, I can’t recall all of them, but I remember how excited they both were to have gotten the truck crash at the top of the show pretty much exactly the way they wanted it.
“You write that scene, set it at night, in the rain, and figure that it’s going to end up being cut by production to save money.” Debra said. “When it’s on TV, it’s a minivan, in the afternoon, and the sun is shining.”
“But we figured that we may as well go crazy and put it all in there, and hope that they’d only cut a little bit of it,” Erica said. “Maybe they’d just take out the rain, or not let us crash the car or something. I can’t believe we got all of it!”
While I talked with them, I was stricken by how much they love writing for this show. I got the feeling that they don’t take it for granted, care deeply about each episode they write, and want everything to be as good as it can possibly be. For this episode, particularly, they wanted to tell a story that was disturbing and scary, “Like a horror movie,” Deb said. Based on the feedback I’ve gotten from people who watched it, I think they succeeded.
Video village was set up pretty close to the actor’s chairs. Paget and Thomas were sitting down between setups, and I don’t remember how it started, but we ended up talking about geek stuff. I think Paget mentioned that she and I had done the Celebrity D&D thing to Thomas, and somehow that lead into Doctor Who.
“Who’s your Doctor?” She asked me.
“Tom Baker, of course,” I answered.
“Mine too!” She said.
We both looked to Thomas, who had become very interested in reading his newspaper.
“I told you, we’re nerds,” she said to him. I may have swooned just a little bit.
They went back to work, and I went back to waiting. The only thing left for me to shoot was some inserts of my eye, peeking through the hole in the wall. It was, admittedly, an anti-climactic way to finish work on the show, but when it was done, and Stacy announced to the crew, “That is a picture wrap on Wil Wheaton,” the applause from the cast and crew blunted the sadness I felt. My adventure was over, and it was time to go back home.
I went back to my trailer and, with a heavy heart, changed into my regular clothes. I signed out for the last time, and on my way to my car, I ran into Debra Fisher.
“Do you have time to see the writer’s room?” She asked. I’d been asking to see it all week, but there had never been an opportunity to get away from the set.
“I sure do!” I said. The melancholy I’d been wallowing in moments before was replaced by a familiar excitement.
We walked through the stage and out the other side, up a flight of stairs, and into their production offices. For the next twenty minutes, Deb showed me where she and Erica write their scripts, including the white board they use to plot their episodes.
“Is it okay for me to photograph this and put it online?” I said. “This is really cool.”
“Sure!” She said.
I pulled my camera out of my backpack and took some pictures.
When I got leaned in to take some closer shots, I saw something really awesome. The last line on the whole thing said “Floyd gets away.”
“We originally wanted Floyd to get away,” she said. “We thought it would be really cool if the last shot of the show was a couple checking into a new roadside motel in a new location. You’d see Floyd check them in, and the camera would crane up to see the No Vacancy sign flicker on.”
“Oh man, that would have been awesome!” I said.
“We thought it would be cool to have Hotch really screw up,” she said, “but we couldn’t sell them on it.”
“Do you guys write extended story arcs?” I asked. “I haven’t really watched much of the show.”
“Mostly it’s pretty self-contained in each episode,” she said, “sometimes we’ll have something carry over, but the network likes us to keep things confined to one show.”
She showed me volume after volume of books, filled with crime reports, autopsy results, criminal psychology, and other things that they have to use for references.
“I bet that’s some disturbing stuff,” I said.
“You don’t even want to know,” she said with a wry smile.
She walked me down the hall, and I got to go into the actual writer’s room. I felt like I’d been granted access to the most secret, most special, most magical place in the world. It wasn’t a room for relaxing or building a fort; this was a room for creating, and I could feel it. I wish I could describe exactly what it was like in there, but I was sworn to secrecy. I hope it’ll be enough to read that it was filled with evidence that the people involved in the creation of Criminal Minds love the show and work very hard to make it awesome.
I lingered in the room as long as I could, but eventually Deb had to go back to the set, and I had to go home. We headed out of the production offices, and back down the stairs, where Erica Messer and John Gallagher were standing outside the stage door. I thanked them both one final time, and began the long, lonely walk across the parking lot back to real life.
On the way home, I reflected back on my week as part of the Criminal Minds family. I guess I could have enjoyed the satisfaction of a job well done, but there would be time for that later. As I left Floyd Hansen behind me and headed back to my real life, all I could think about was how much fun I’d had, and how much I already missed it. If you’ve ever gotten on the bus and watched summer camp recede into the distance behind you, you may know the feeling.
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Wil thank you so much for sharing all of this with us!
I have to say I’m glad they swore you to secrecy about the writers’ room… makes it more magical and leaves plenty to the imagination! =)
So glad you had such a great time. Can’t wait to see you in more…
*smiles*
I just loved this whole multi-part post. The insight into acting, writing, crafting, creativity, etc. just kept me reading. Thanks so much for sharing this with us, Wil.
I had never seen an episode of Criminal Minds before so it was a little strange to begin with. But i was just so un used to seeing you play this type of character that it kinda gave me the no feeling. It was hard for me to see you as this violent serial rapist and not as a fun loving DnD nerd. So the result was a lot of me giggiling to my self. Now dont get me wrong. You played the part very well. I think thats why it was so hard. You played “Rapist” so well, and it was just so not the person that you really are that it just made it kinda funny.
I hope that isnt insulting… its ment as a complement.
Really enjoyed these CM posts – bunches of thanks for giving us an insider view.
Currently wallowing in disappointment that I was too lame to read your blog on the day of the reminder and show airing, therefore missed both. Unfortunately, can’t seem to locate it anywhere online. Any suggestions – maybe I missed a site?
Since first time posting, also have to throw in that I’ve always loved your character on TNG and with friends still affectionately refer to him as (one word) wesley-crusher-god-of-space-and-time, when we catch an episode. 🙂
What a good run of posts. Thank you for sharing this, Wil. It kind of feels like I got to be on the set, too.
Agreed, I thought Floyd getting hit by a truck wrapped it all up too nicely and would have liked to see him get away to be chased another day but I understand the network’s desire to have it all contained. Makes reruns easier and makes it less confusing for people to drop in and out of watching the show.
Great episode. Wish we got to see more of you acting. 😉
Cheers!
Thank you very much Wil!! It was great to get some insight to your thoughts of the filming!!
Wow, that lot took a while to read, but it was really insightful, thanks for sharing! I know what you mean about playing a character so different from your real self. I studied drama at university and it was always liberating to step into another person’s skin (especially the crazy/evil ones) and get away from polite, ordinary little me for a while. I hope I can find a way to watch your episode in the UK, I’d love to see how you created a character that is so different to the ones you usually play. I’ll be in America in a few weeks, maybe I’ll be able to catch it on demand. . .
Here’s hoping!
I have really loved reading these posts, even without seeing the show (I will try to get my hands on it eventually, but we don’t have broadcast TV). Thank you so much for taking the time to write these. Reading it was like being there.
I really enjoyed these posts – and I thought you pulled things together nicely at the end (despite your protestations).
I have the show on my dvr but haven’t watched it yet. I think these posts will add another layer to the experience.
Great series, bud
This has been a fabulous set of posts to read Wil. It’s also great timing for me.
I’m a cultural anthropology graduate student (studying the creation of culture and emerging culture online). I love to teach, and figured an acting class would not only help me improve my skills in that area, but also help me as an anthropologist in the field. I decided to audit a beginning acting class this semester.
Over the last couple of months our professor has introduced our class to ideas like “committing” to a character, and terms like “sides” and “beats” and “givens”. We’ve chosen monologues for an assignment and had to figure out things about our characters the same way you did with Floyd. It’s been a real treat and a privilege to read your posts at this point in the semester, and get see these sorts of things in context. (It’s also comforting to know that an experienced professional can still get as nervous as I feel when I have to get up in front of class.)
You’re a good teacher as well as a good writer. Thanks!
Wow…. I got so wrapped up in the description of these events that I actually became emotional when it was over and you had to walk away. Perhaps you communicated the enormity of what this meant to you, so well, that I could feel how sad you must have been to give it up. Sympathy pain.
Thanks so much for taking us, your readers, on this journey with you. It was pretty powerful stuff and great writing, Wil.
Hey, Wil, great posts about CM. I’ve rarely watched the show, but your performance was great. Reading about the behind-the-scenes stuff is kinda cool, and these posts tacked together would make a great chapter in a book. 😉
BTW, I’ve actually had to stop watching the TV show “The Unit” due to Rebecca Pidgeon. O-ver e-nun-ci-ay-shun.
I’ve really enjoyed this miniseries; I love your writing style! Hope I get to see this episode soon x
I was wondering if that was your eyeball. Cool!
This episode was intense. I think, Wil, this was your best onscreen performance in a long time.
After the episode was over, my hands were still shaking and it was totally awesome how you scared the crap out of me.
You rock, Wil!
This was a real treat to read, especially after seeing the episode. (I watch regularly, but this episode had an extra dimension for WWDN readers!) Thanks very much for writing it for us.
Hi Wil. Long time reader, first time commenter.
1st: Saw you on CM and you did a great job.
2nd: I have really enjoyed all of your posts about writing, geeking and acting, but this series of posts is a step above. For those of us who devour the special features on movie DVDs, this has been golden. Second best only to hanging out on a set. And for those of us who write, your uh, blogging about the story evolved was frickin’ awesome. I would be too shy to ask all those questions myself so kudos to you. Please, please blog your next acting gig too.
And your last paragraph hit the right note. Don’t sweat it. I could hear that bus flipping gears as it drove away when I read it.
Nice writing, Wil. I’ve been a long time reader, too. I’ve commented once or twice. I saw the show, and I loved your performance. I wish we could see more of you on TV. Keep up the great work!
Wil – I don’t know if you’ll ever be in a series regularly again, but the work you do (Walter on CSI, Floyd on Criminal Minds) is great.
Maybe you’re going to be a Charles Lane or William Schallert – someone who acts throughout a long life, but always doing different stuff.
This was really cool, thanks! I keeping checking the cbs website to see if they’ll put the full episode up there. I missed it and now I’m really wanting to see it.
Great account of your time with the show, Wil. I haven’t had a chance to see the episode yet, but it sounds like I’m in for a real treat when I do!
Thanks for sharing your experiences and your pictures – it was a very entertaining read!
Watched the screencap thing on the fanatic site..The single raised eyebrow was almost freaky, the deerinheadlights made me laugh, and your expression in the one standing behind Ian makes it look more like a “how-to” thing.
Really, really enjoyed this series of posts and the flickr feed. 😀
Like a couple others, I wonder if watching again will be any different after reading this series. Was planning on doing it anyway…someone was nice enough to bug me while I was watching. Missed a couple things. Meh.
Great performance on the screen and awesome read on the blog.
Do you think the Rebecca Pidgeon problem is just a function of her being married to David Mamet? If you have to recite dialogue like that too much, I imagine it could deaden your ability to do more naturalistic stuff. I actually liked her performance in State and Main.
Wow, great story! I didn’t respond to any of the other posts because I really wanted to get the whole story. It looks like you had a lot of fun, and I’m sorry the adventure (Can you really call it that?) was so brief. Maybe one day you’ll have that experience again, perhaps with another show, even.
A very cool set of posts. It’s an awesome experience for me to have seen the episode and have it fresh in my mind while reading your story of how it was produced.
I’m reading Just a Geek right now and I know I’ve missed something by not reading the posts when they were “fresh”. Because I vaguely remember the heady days of Internet over-exuberance and I’m sure that some of your posts from that time were influenced by what was going on then. However, I’m also enjoying your look back at them.
What great stories, thank you! I’m bummed I didn’t get to see the episode, and a bit disturbed by the depth of creepy you acquired to play Floyd. Just shows you’re a great actor.
Thanks!
I just think it’s awesome that there is an occupation where “I think I have to try to headbutt you” can be a normal part of a professional conversation.
This has been a great ‘slice of life’ series for all of us non-television types. It was engrossing, but you never took away the magic.
After reading about your excitement over both this job and the Numb3rs job last season, I’m curious. Would you consider a reoccurring or staring role on a series? Most of the time you seem to regard acting as a hobby with an occasional paycheck, but whenever you do a show you seem to really get into it again. Would you like to do it again full time or near full time?
I realise this would require someone to offer you such a role, but if it happened, what would you think? Assume it’s a decent fit and a decent cast/crew.
(I’m in no way connected to the TV or movie industry; not fishing, just curious)
Dude. There is nothing wrong with the ending. I know you were looking for something more inspiring, but really, the last paragraph nails your feelings, makes us feel just what you were feeling as it came to an end. It was so abrupt, and now it’s time to get back to Real Life®.
Well done.
These CM entries were real ‘page turners’ for me. Thanks muchly for sharing and congrats on the great role.
Thanks for sharing this story with your readers. The pictures were so much fun and helped to bring this to life.
I really enjoyed the episode and I really look forward to (hopefully) seeing more of you on screen! 🙂
Awesome posts Wil, thanks. It’s great to read such a comprehensive look behind the scenes. I hope you get more work like this because it’s great to see you on screen. Not to e-slime or anything, but I have a lot of respect for you and it’s just cool to watch you work, as well as read about it.
Keep it up!
Great tale.
And I believe Tom Baker is almost every American’s Doctor. Or at least, every American who heard of the show before David Tennant took up the sonic screwdriver.
I am really kicking myself for not recording this episode on DVR. I want to watch it again after reading all your posts…
Also, I just saw this link on another blog: http://perezhilton.com/2008-10-28-guess-the-connection
About Robyn Lively! I learn something new every day!
I know a lot of other people have commented either here or on one of your other posts. I wanted to wait until I had the chance to read the whole thing.
I thought you did a fantastic job on Criminal Minds and the posts were just as great.
Perhaps someone has already asked this (sorry, I just can’t wade through all the comments right now), but since you spoke so highly of your experience, would you consider returning to series television, at least in a recurring, if not starring, role?
(I agree that it would have been great for Floyd to have gotten away — what a treat that would have been for all of us, getting to watch you go toe-to-toe with the CM gang for a few weeks.)
After CM, and your turns on CSI and Numb3rs, I’d like to think CBS now recognizes along with the rest of us that you are very good (the word “genuine” comes to mind) at what you do when it comes to acting.
Of course, please don’t give up the writing and blogging — that’s what’s drawn all of us into your world, which is a pretty nice one, if you ask me.
Continued good luck!
Thanks for the great posts. I enjoyed the episode, but I wish Floyd had gotten away. They have chased a serial killer over a multi-episode story arc and I’m sorry they didn’t do it this time. Reading your writing about acting breaks my heart a little, so I wish you’d had that opportunity.
I have been wondering … and sorry if someone else has asked this … do you think that exposing as much of your real life as you do here has an impact on the viewers’ ability to suspend their disbelief while watching you play a character? I understand that we don’t know you or anything, but regular readers probably know more about you than they do many actors. Just curious …
Wil, I have really enjoyed reading about your Criminal Minds experience, thanks for writing it. I wasn’t able to see the show, I hope to catch it on a rerun or on the web sometime.
Wow, that was an amazing set of seriously awesome posts. Now I’ve got to see that show! I knew it would pay off someday after reading your blog all these years 😉 It’s about the only one I read regularly, maybe because it reminds me of Being John Malkovich (inside Wil’s head looking out), it’s that well written.
And now, you’ll never get cast in a Mamet joint. Why Wil, Why? Why?
Hello Wil…. That episode of Criminal Minds has yet to air here in Melbourne Australia…. But I have really enjoyed your blog posts about your experience on the set. I look forward to seeing your character next week when the episode airs.(sounds like he was a scary bugger).
I think that says, a lot, Wil, that they were considering Floyd getting away, to haunt Hoch in the future.
I think it says a lot that they would even invite you back had you not been splattered all over the roadway 🙂
I love how you’ve woven the story of your experience on the show with your photographs. It imprints a very clear picture of what it feels like to work on the set of a TV show like Criminal Minds. Well done! I hope you have many more opportunities to bring your writing, your acting and your photography together!
I really enjoyed reading about your time on the set. It’s really cool to hear what a great experience you had on a show that I really enjoy. It’s nice to know that the people who bring us the show (actors and writers and technicals) have such a great respect for each other and really seem to like the job.
The only bad thing is that since Floyd went out in a blaze of glory, we won’t get to see you on the show again!
This series of posts is why i continue to read your blog.
Thanks for this set of posts. I held off on reading them until we watched the episode last night on the tivo. Very interesting reading!
Also, you should totally change the picture of you here on the wwdnix page to be the one of you all made up in the bloodspatter makeup.
at least for halloween!
So, I’ve never watched Criminal Minds, but I wanted to tune in to see your performance. ^_^ I have to say, I was very impressed and proud of you. I also have to say that I would never, ever watch that show again, because it’s WAY too dark. (I have a lot of nightmares and actively try not to give my brain more fodder to work with.)
I could not take Aaron seriously. Because all that kept going through my head was, “Serious cop … is serious.”
One other thing that popped out at me in an otherwise nail-biting and terrifying episode was that when the cops are discussing the killer’s background, they theorize that he despises women and was abused/neglected by one (by the way, that scene was just like a House differential). However, in your performance (which was awesome), Floyd tells Abby what a wuss her husband is for not protecting her. Then he asks her if she wants to know what it’s like to be with a “real man.” To me, in his messed up brain, that kind of seemed like Floyd wanted to be there for her, to protect her. I don’t know exactly how beating her up first fits into that, though. I mean, he certainly does punish the women, but the sexual aspect of it seemed more protective that predatory to me. (OMG, nobody take that the wrong way. Rape is horrible and wrong, etc, etc. Just theorizing about the CHARACTER.)
I guess if I stop overanalyzing, I can take a step back and see that it’s all part of Floyd’s mind games. But it did make me go, “Hey, but … what if …?”
Hey Wil, this just aired in Australia tonight!
Normally I avoid these “murder & death” shows like the plague as they’re really not my thing, but after your in depth notes on filming the episode I was really intreauged on how it came together in the end.
I have to say it was pretty good and I really enjoyed your performance. I wasn’t sure if I could get into it knowing a bit about who you really are etc, but I thought you did a great job. I was suitably freaked out by Floyd enough to not want to watch anymore of these kinds of shows again!!
Cheers x
Like many others here I have never watched Criminal Minds before but I made the time (finally) to check it out just because you were in it.
You nailed it… nuff said.
I’m sorry that Floyd got killed though by what could only be called a poorly implemented piece of poetic justice. I mean seriously… hit by a truck? I full expected him to hop on an ATV and burn it out of there.
Shows like this bug me because trying to pack a full story arc like this one into an hour makes the entire experience feel rushed.