Along with the photos of serial killers that line the walls of Cassie’s new house, the prison interview binders serve as a reminder of the life-and-death stakes of her new “job” in the Naturals program. Until now, Cassie has used her profiling skills only to help her mother con people out of money or to predict customers’ behaviors. In the program, her profiling abilities are put to the test by helping to catch killers. Until the new UNSUB targets her personally, Cassie’s skills are mainly used in training exercises, studying past cases and killers. The interviews contained in the binders are with killers who have already been caught and imprisoned, making them a strong training tool. They become key to making Cassie feel active and useful in her new place in the program. They are also literally the way that Cassie gains more insight into Dean. Reading his father’s interview reveals who his father is, which helps her understand why Dean is aloof and reticent. Knowing who he is makes their connection stronger. Therefore, the binder becomes like a history book that connects past and present.

Moreover, as Cassie reads the interviews, she gains more insight into how killers think, speak, and behave.