When a present like Legal Minds runs for a very long time, it introduces quite a lot of villains. Some, like season 4’s Mason (Garret Dillahunt) and Lucas (Paul Rae) Turner, or season 8’s John Curtis, aka The Replicator, performed by Mark Hamill, are unforgettable.
However others disappear, which is a disgrace as a result of a few of these lesser-known villains are probably the most terrifying. They might not have flashy kinds or a excessive physique depend, however they’re true monsters. One such ignored killer is Stanley Howard from season 3, performed by Michael O’Keefe.
Who’s Stanley Howard in ‘Legal Minds’?
Dr. Stanley Howard had a troublesome childhood. His abusive mom typically locked him in closets, which led to an awesome concern of the darkish that he carried into maturity. Regardless of this, his grownup life appeared regular.
He married Jane (Stephanie Venditto), adopted a toddler, and have become a psychiatrist, influenced by his mom. It appeared that he had turned his trauma right into a approach to assist others. He even began a charity for abused kids, exhibiting that he needed to assist those that had suffered as he had. On the floor, Stanley appeared like a terrific particular person.
There was a darkish aspect to Dr. Howard, nonetheless. After leaving his follow, he started distributing flyers beneath the title The Goodman Institute, claiming to assist folks overcome their fears.
He attracted many younger individuals who have been new to the town and battling nice fears. Stanley gained their belief by speaking to them for a number of periods earlier than introducing them to a lethal type of publicity remedy.
The concern issue is excessive with Stanley Howard
That is what makes Stanley such a terrifying killer. Being murdered is horrible, however being murdered by your worst concern, particularly by somebody you trusted, is brutal past perception.
All through the episode, Stanley makes an attempt three murders, although his ultimate sufferer, Missy (Danielle Sapia), survives. Every try turns into extra horrifying, largely as a consequence of Stanley’s lack of emotion.
His first sufferer is a claustrophobic girl named Jenny (Jennifer Keyes). Stanley locks her in a field and as she screams, he calmly closes the window and covers it with magazines. The second is Patrick (John Bobek), who’s afraid of water.
Stanley watches Patrick drown after he lets go of the security hook he was holding on to. Lastly, he buries Missy alive. Every time, Stanley exhibits no regret. He merely writes notes in his journal about their concern ranges.
It is all very scientific, which is confirmed when Stanley tells Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) that the victims have “donated themselves to science” earlier than leaping off a constructing.
It’s not simply Stanley’s use of concern and psychology that makes him so terrifying. It’s the truth that he’s a health care provider. Once we go to a health care provider, whether or not it’s for our thoughts or physique, we belief them to care for us. We belief them to do the appropriate factor, to comply with moral requirements, and to uphold their oath to guard us.
We belief that they care about our well-being and would by no means deliberately hurt us. As a health care provider, Stanley shatters all of those assumptions. He’s evil and knowledgeable who hides in plain sight. He has entry to probably the most personal elements of his sufferers, which he then makes use of towards them.
It would not be shocking if Missy might by no means belief one other therapist once more, afraid of being harm once more. We concern betrayal, and Stanley embodies our worst nightmare.
‘Legal Minds’ Stanley Howard resembles some real-life killers
If that’s not sufficient to make your pores and skin crawl, contemplate that Stanley could have been impressed by real-life serial killers. There are various examples of medical doctors who’ve used their careers for evil somewhat than good. One such felony, Christopher Duntsch, was the topic of the 2021 docuseries Dr. Loss of life: The Undoctored Story.
Duntsch didn’t function in the identical approach as Stanley; as a surgeon, he intentionally botched operations and evaded detection by transferring to different hospitals. There are various extra examples of murderous medical doctors, so it’s attainable that the writers of Legal Minds drew on a few of these real-life characters when creating Stanley.
The killer who most intently resembles Stanley, nonetheless, is the Cleveland Torso Assassin, also called the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run. Not like Stanley, this killer was by no means caught for the twelve murders he dedicated.
The Cleveland Torso Assassin focused individuals who won’t be missed, very similar to Stanley, who selected victims who lived alone and had no mates or household close by. Each killers had victims of each sexes, and the entire Cleveland Torso Assassin’s victims have been discovered close to our bodies of water, much like Stanley’s victims, aside from Missy.
The Cleveland Torso Assassin was considered a medical physician, as a result of state of the our bodies. Stanley was thought to have a background in psychiatry, as a result of methodology of killing, which slot in with frequent phobias.
Whereas there isn’t a affirmation that Stanley relies on this killer, the similarities are so sturdy that it appears greater than a coincidence. It makes Stanley much more terrifying to suppose that he could possibly be based mostly on a killer who was by no means caught. How lengthy would Stanley have continued killing if he hadn’t stopped?
There are various candidates for Legal Minds’ most terrifying killer. With 324 episodes, and extra in the event you depend Legal Minds: Evolution , the sequence has launched many villains. Nevertheless, those that appear the least threatening typically have the most important impression, which is why Dr. Stanley Howard stands out.
He makes use of folks’s phobias towards them, revives fears of harmful medical doctors, and bears hanging resemblances to a real-life killer whose identification stays a thriller.
Stanley blends in, making him much more harmful. Hopefully he does not encourage any copycats, as a result of he is a killer who does not want to alter to be terrifying. Legal Minds is on the market on Paramount+ within the US
