What did you think of tonight's Criminal Minds episode "Jones"? Please post and let us know! Here are some preview caps! Enjoy.
Thanks to Lin, I have the quote: Robert Kennedy once said, "Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live."
Anyone get the music?
There will be spoilers for Jones in the comments.
I'm glad Gideon spoke to Reid at the end, but not much info to the whole drug thing. The whole rival thing was too hyped up and the guy was kinda weird.
ReplyDeleteI have more questions, than I had before. This bites having to wait a month before any new episodes.
The case was interesting though and smart.
(The guy who played the New Orleans cop, would've been a great Gambit. I like X-Men.)
Garcia had the noodles on her shirt!!! Just like she mentioned in the blog! Love the episode.
ReplyDeleteI also LOVE X-men. Its a sickness really.
Lee :)
Interesting ep. The basic crime and solving it were very good; well told and well developed. Nice twist, and very logical once the pieces started to fall into place. Plus the backgrounds, physical and cultural, were gorgeous. I loved the line about "A girl with that many beads ..." -- if you only knew how many beads my mother-in-law came home with. (shudder!)
ReplyDeleteI liked the JJ mini-romance -- very nicely done, just enough. And yeah, the cop was yummy!
I'm bewildered by Ethan, unless he's coming back in a later ep.
I'm not sure we've resolved the drug addiction line. Things Ethan implied didn't quite square with what was said at the end. But --YAY! -- the team was not as in the dark as we feared! ("We are the brightest minds in the country; we're not entirely dim, you know.")
Thoughts on why it's always Prentiss that Reid snipes at (and hangs up on)?
Oh yeah! I forgot she told us about that noodle. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI just kinda wanted more of the Reid thing answered. I'm going crazy.
My favorite X-men is Cyclops. James Marsden did an excellent job in the movies.
Off topic...I'm in Iowa and the weather guy just said we're going to have gail force winds tomorrow and a blizzard. There's a huge winter storm coming tomorrow. There's still a couple thousand people still without power from the storm last weekend. Yikes!
sorry, got off the subject. I just want to know what's going to happen to Reid. It's distracting me from the cases.
Oh -- one more thing. The last scene with JJ and the cop, when he's talking about wanting to close the case for his father for so long, now he doesn't know what to do -- was I the only one hoping Gideon would step up and say, "You know, you'd make a marvelous Dread Pirate Roberts"?
ReplyDeleteOkay, that's Jill's fault for posting those pictures earlier this week, but still ...
ah, I want Gideon for my daddy. He's so smart and sweet...I want to snuggle poor Ried...So does JJ have a boyfriend now?...Loved Emily's softer hairstyle...Where was Hotch?...And I want to put a bomb under my car so Morgan will hug me. Oh, nevermind, that was last night. I just want to do anything to get Morgan to hug me...Good episode, liked the female serial killer twist.
ReplyDeleteI was a little restless at the beginning -- it seemed to be moving a little slowly, and I never have much patience for J.J.'s expositions :) But I ended up loving it towards the end. The scene between Gideon and Reid was exquisite -- although I have to admit, I wasn't really watching Reid... It's a wonderful thing when Mandy Patinkin gets a scene that especially highlights his extraordinary acting talents.
ReplyDeleteI know, I'm really waiting to find out more about Reid and the drugs! They're doing a good job of dragging it out but not to the point of getting fed up with it.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe Reid always snaps at Prentiss because she's newer and he can always use the "You don't know me very well" card. Maybe? Although I sort of feel bad for her when he does snap at her!
I started laughing when I saw Kirsten drop noodles on her shirt! She's a spiller!
The New Orleans cop was pretty cute too!
Robert Kennedy once said, "Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live."
ReplyDeleteI think the writers pulled a fast one on us! They gave us all these clues about Reid's supposed drug use--even the "Previously on Criminal Minds" clips at the beginning showed the drugs and Reid getting injected and then Ethan's comments about something being wrong with Reid, and alluding to drugs, but they tricked us! Sneaky people that they are!
ReplyDeleteI think that Ethan is going to come back in some way--there didn't seem to be a big arch rival thing going on, though.
There wasn't a quote at the end, so that makes me think that there will be a bit more to this storyline, but I could be wrong (and usually am).
I love your line about Dread Pirate Roberts, Lin! And it would have been perfect!
And about why Reid snipes at Prentiss--I think that maybe because she is new and doesn't know him as well as the others, she might take it from him a little longer than any of the others without calling him on it. The others wouldn't accept that kind of behavior from him at all. Like Morgan said, "if you want to come up with a better excuse . . ."
And since this leaves more questions, that is a good way to insure that we will be watching in April to see what happens.
JJ's flirtation with the cop was cute--
I am glad that Gideon talked to Reid, but it made me want them to delve a deeper into the problem.
Hotch seemed to be missing from this episode--I know he was there for the take down, but I missed him in this episode.
You just had to get one more picture of Reid and Hotch hugging, didn't you Stacy. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI really liked the episode. I can't wait till April!
ReplyDeleteAnd that rival thing, I think people hyped it up too much.lol. Ethan was very interesting, he could see right through Reid.
It's spooky when someone can look through the soul. :shrudders:
*blinks innocently* at Lori. *heh* Now, c'mon, Reid could've used another hug tonight! *G* And I thought I did pretty good--I included everyone!!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the main plot line, although the unsub being a woman seemed pretty obvious to me.
ReplyDeleteThe whole Reid thing leaves me totally befuddled. All those hints of a drug, or at least a serious PTSD problem, and then a brief convo w. Ethan (a smart guy who decided to follow his dream) fixes everything? Gideon seemed to say, "We're all screwed up, too, so you probably belong with us."
I'm not enthusiastic about dragging out the "is he or isn't he on drugs" story line, but neither do I see what happened tonight to be a decent resolution.
I think he genuinely doesn't like Prentiss. Don't know why. Maybe she's an easier target for his rage since she hasn't been with the team as long.
Wolverine is my favorite X-Man. And I have comics from the series going back over 20 years. Never could bring myself to sell them.
Lee said...
ReplyDeleteI also LOVE X-men. Its a sickness really.
I’ve noticed this with my friends; it’s strange, isn’t it, that people who come together over a common interest or two find out that they really have about 17 things they both love. I have been a fan of X-Men since I was about 12 and watched the cartoon show on Fox after school every day :)
Lin said...
Thoughts on why it's always Prentiss that Reid snipes at (and hangs up on)?
Wouldn’t you? :) She waltzes into the BAU with nothing but a mysterious green light from Somewhere, without Gideon or Hotch knowing anything about it (this still needs explaining, I think), and everybody is supposed to treat her as their new best buddy so soon after losing Elle in such an insidious way? Nuts to that. Besides which, even Hotch the Human Sculpture displays more empathy than she does. And she expects Reid to tell her what’s bothering him? No wonder he’s avoiding her like the plague.
Lin said...
The last scene with JJ and the cop, when he's talking about wanting to close the case for his father for so long, now he doesn't know what to do -- was I the only one hoping Gideon would step up and say, "You know, you'd make a marvelous Dread Pirate Roberts"?
*gasping with hysterical laughter* Ok, clearly watching The Princess Bride about 6 times is not enough, because this never occurred to me :) But if anyone ever makes a Princess Bride/Criminal Minds parody, they should hire you for the writing team.
I've got a new theory, Thanks to Jill, we know they're taping the April 11 episode right now, I think the writers have been playing with us for the last couple weeks while they've been watching the message boards and blogs to see what the fans want. (Sneaky S.O.B.s better come up with the right answers in April.)
ReplyDeleteLoraLee
Oh, almost forgot (it's way too late to be awake) I don't see it until tomorrow, Ethan's the rival, okay, know that, who is he? How does Reid run into him? Is he a New Orleans cop, a bad guy, a Hobbit? Give me a clue.
ReplyDeleteLoraLee
I think this is one ep I'll have to watch again (and bemoan the lack of Hotch...but I digress as usual)because right now I'm feeling kind of *meh* about it.
ReplyDeleteI thought the case was really intruguing and I wasn't overly surprised a woman was the killer but I thought it was a good twist.
Even that scene with Ethan where he implies something, maybe about drugs, I thought it was more just his saying he could notice something WRONG with Reid. I think the drugs were one of those red herrings the writers seem so fond of.
I also liked that the team wasn't in the dark about something being off with Reid. My whole view on it was that they were treating him like an adult--they were giving him the room to get over whatever he needed to get over--but they weren't oblivious that he was having problems. I think the writers handled it quite well, to be honest.
I think we're done with the whole drug issue; whether they'll make any more references to Reid's problems I really don't know, but I have a feeling it won't be centre stage again for a while. (On a shallower note, I really hope he doesn't cut his hair. I like it the way it is.)
As I said, I do need to watch this ep again--I was a little distracted in it, too, because I was waiting for the Reid things to happen. Second watching, I can pay more attention.
Criminal Minds just went off in California. This episode was another great one. Not surprising. You know a show is good when you ask yourself, "what could they possibly do next", and then they do something amazing.
ReplyDeleteI want to talk about another aspect of the show really quickly. Most of the time we think of the acting, but we need to appreciate the technical side of things too. First off, the writers are getting better and better. I don't know how on Earth they come up with such creative stuff. Writing a script is not easy!! Think of all the pressure, espcially if it is a hit show.
Also think about the wardrobe that the characters wear. The wardrobe departments work really hard and they're good at what they do.
Just a little view from a different aspect from someone who has been a few sets in Hollywood!
I agree with Kris -- there was some pretty amazing stuff here. For the writers to get this many stories into what, 41 minutes now, and to do it well, is remarkable.
ReplyDeleteI also continue to love the time-warp sequences. I'm sure there's a better name for them, but where one of the cast is talking about previous events while walking through them -- beside Jack the Ripper, up the stairs at Jones beside the girl, etc. There was a remarkable one previously with Reid beside a whole series of serial killers. It's really a distinct device and it works so well for this show -- gives it a unique style that I really like.
I think Kris is right--there are so many people behind the scenes who end up making (or breaking) a show.
ReplyDeleteAll the crew (and cast, of course) of CM should be proud of the work they do and the product they turn out each week.
Even when I don't immediately LOVE an ep (doesn't happen often, trust me)--I'm still amazed at the quality of the writing for CM. They do very, very, VERY consistent characterisation--which is truly wonderful to see. And we've got some really wonderful and cool characters on this show.
I've been reading stuff by folks on my LJ f-list and they're starting to convince me that Prentiss is being written the way she is for a reason...I'm certainly going to stick around to find out!
I will say I haven't been this involved with a show's fandom since my first foray into online fandom....and that this show? Is MUCH better written than my other show (although I loved that show dearly; still do).
And as much as it might annoy me at the time, when I look back at the eps where they've done red herrings or have been oblique about what's going on (like this one, with the drugs issue...) I'm amazed that they manage to pull it off.
So, yes kudos to the CM writers...and the cast and crew. And big "Thank you" to them for creating a wonderful show and characters that we love and care about!
I pretty much agree with Stacy wholeheartedly. (Stop the presses!!!)
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, if we haven't caught on by now that the cast and crew, like JJ, cheerfully manipulate the press as shall seem good to them, I think we're not paying attention.
I liked this ep a lot, and was quite satisfied with the ending. It didn't feel like an attempt at hard closure to me, the kind of "And now everything is all better" that I'd expect from shows that, well, I stop watching.
But rather, there's the acknowledgement that they're all damaged in some way (Gideon certainly is--I mean, we still see him hyperventilating at crime scenes now and again) but that nobody expects anybody else *not* to be damaged.
I also liked the way that Reid kind of obliquely lets Gideon know that he's been doing this in the past because it was, you know, the path that he happened to be on, and now he's doing it because he chooses to do it. That was a step into adulthood.
And also, gratuitous Casablanca references are always good by me. (Was that why we didn't get an ending epigraph, I wonder?)
I'm the Prentiss apologist. I love her to death, and this ep just made me love her more.
Why would a serial killer who's this organized and sneaky use her own credit card to book a room where she's planning to murder someone?
ReplyDelete*G*
ReplyDeleteI get to watch this ep tonight (CTV, don't get CBS...booooo), and all of these comments just made it that more exciting! And the screen caps are like the appetizer. *laughs*
I have to second Stacy and others in how much I love every aspect of this shows - not only the actors (who just rock my world), but the writers who so eloquently and superbly make each episode what it is. Maybe I'm an optimist, but I haven't been truly disappointed yet with anything that's gone on. Sure, I've been left at one episode wondering "What the heck?" or "But......", but then the issue I worry about is always resolved later on, I keep my mind open that the writers will soothe all of our woes eventually. :-D
Can't wait to see it tonight!
Finally got to see this ep this morning as I had to work last night.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty damn good. Interesting case...although I'm a bit confused by the whole drug thing. Was he or wasn't he, cus when he was talking to Ethan, Ethan gestured at Reid, but it was more like he was indicating the drink. Maybe Reid was drinking, not drugging? Oh, well, either way, I think they've wrapped it up as much as they're going to.
Liked JJ flirting with the cop, he was kinda cute.
Oh, and Ethan and Reid were competitive friends, not 'arch rivals' sheesh, that's as misleading as the drugs thing!
And where was Hotch? I missed him!
Overall a great ep...and I can't believe I have to wait a MONTH for another new ep.
AMAZING EPISODE!!!
ReplyDeletethe new orleans cop was very cute, the accent helped.
who is ethan?
ReplyDeleteI'M SSSSSSSSOOOOOOOO MAD...!!!! OUR CABLE STILL "OUT" SINCE SNOW WEDNESDAY NIGHT. I COULDN'T SEE "CM" LAST NIGHT. THAT'S THE BIG TRAGEDY OF MY LIFE...!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWILL ENJOY READING YOUR SPOILERS AND WILL TAPE EPISODE WHEN RE-RUNS ARRIVE...!!!
ROTTEN SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!
(I feel better now that I've vented my "snowfrustrations")
ACTUALLY, CABLE WENT DOWN TUESDAY (NOT WEDS) NIGHT!!! SEE, I'M SO FUDGIN' MAD I DON'T KNOW WHAT DAY I'M LIVING IN (grimace, lost-in-space look)
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I have to say I have been disappointed by the writers sometimes -- specifically, from the time "The Boogeyman" ended until "The Big Game" began, for the most part; it's a bit of a blur now. But not lately. I was blown away by The Big Game/Revelations, and these last three episodes have also been consistently great.
ReplyDeleteNot to downplay the difficulty of their work (believe me, I'm an aspiring writer and I KNOW how you sometimes want to drive your head through a wall just as a distraction from the fact that you've got #$@&!*-all), or their creativity, because they've come through with a fantastic product and they should be proud. But it is also their job to provide us with entertaining episodes, and after Boogeyman up til Big Game it felt as if they were kind of unsure what to do next. To me, those episodes seem a little... lost.
Add to that the fact that I don't really consider Prentiss an adequate replacement for Elle... and, well...
But there's very little they can do to make me stop watching, short of killing off Gideon or something :)
I didn't really like Elle to begin with. I actually prefer Prentiss!
ReplyDeleteJulie, Ethan is a character they introduced in this ep. Reid says that they grew up together and competed in everything -- spelling bees, etc. They started training with the FBI together, but Ethan quit after the first day. He's now a musician (and a good one) in New Orleans. Reid calls him up and they get together for a drink and Reid blows off flying to Galveston to interview a witness to hang with him.
ReplyDeleteEthan is very perceptive and knows at first glance that there's something not right with Reid.
The two are very good together, very believable as old friends in both the things they say and the things they don't have to say, if that makes any sense. The whole story is kind of a sidebar to the plot, and I'm not sure where it's going. It will be very odd if we don't see Ethan again. But there was none of the edgy competitiveness I expected from the spoilers posted -- he's much more old friend than rival.
I think that the episode was very well done. Matthew and Mandy worked it at the end, I loved the timing, when Gideon said anyone who's been through what you hvae, would. And Reid saying he'll never miss another plane. Kinda in the dark with the drugs though. Personally I don't have a problem with Emily, I may potentially like her more then Elle. I think Reid has his problems with her because she is just in the wrong place at the wrong time. However I don't think he'd necessarily mouth off to Hotch or Gideon and I you can't say that if it had been Morgan calling that he would have shown up. I think he is okay one second and then not-so-great the next and Emily calls him on it and 'butts in' if you will.
ReplyDeleteAs for the rival plot, I liked the way it was done. Ethan and Reid were believeable as competitors, the friendly sort. Also, I'm glad the writters didn't make Ethan a jerk. They kept his personality kind and compatible with Reid. It would have been so cliché if Ethan had been the opposite of Reid. You know, arrogant, pompus, cocky, ect.
Oh, I forgot - the coolest line of the show, I think, was when the killer asked Handsome where his father was and he said, "The storm took him." Just four words, but so much meaning in them, so much of the shared experience and so understated. Really nicely done!
ReplyDeleteSlashgirl, thanks for the caps, and sitting with the site!
ReplyDeleteI think our Reid is learning how to hide things from others, and to manipulate them. This includes his drug use. Drug users and other with addictions are manipulators and each interaction teaches them how to get away with more. They are particularly good at this with people who are close to them, such as family (or adopted family).
I believe that his snapping at Prentiss is because he knows she is the one least likely to cover for him. She is also the one most likely to discover his secret, since they are being paired on tasks frequently. He cannot sneak off to the bathroom or elsewhere to shoot up.
Conspiracy theory says Reid knows something about how Prentiss got into the unit and does not trust her. Perhaps she is a plant? Or…perhaps…the cliffhanger at the end of the season deals with Reid doing something stupid or drug facilitated that puts Prentiss at risk…
Paget is doing a nice job in portraying a female FBI agent based on my encounters with them. Keep in mind there are still not a large number of women federal agents and most would do anything to prove they are worthy.
i loved the part when they were at the party and gideon wanted emily to give reid something and she was all like umm. and he was like "come on. You don't think i noticed something up with him" i was like YES! finally! can you just do something now. i was kinda upset when they ended it like that with reid just saying "i'll never miss another plane" does that mean he'll stop taking the drugs ( if he's on them) and stop being a jerk? i kinnda want the old reid back. the walking encyclopedia. miss that. where they ask him for stats on everything. Hotch was visably missing this episode and i don't know. i think hotch and gideon or hotch gideon and morgan should have confronted him. i don't know but it being just gideon... was kinnda weird. umm... JJ's side romance was kinnda cute, i loved when garcia dropped the noodles on herself. i love her and morganss convo's. " baby girl you never dissapoint"
ReplyDeletei loved that. i wish i could find a guy who talked to me like that and called me all those cute names. i loved when ethan was walking down the ally and all scared and stuff and turned the corner and reid was there smiling. i thought that was so funny. I want him to cum back and maybe help them on a case and reid to feel left out because ethan knows maybe a touch more then him.. you know? but.. i guess that will havta wait because we don't want this to become the reid hour... although.. i'd love it.. but we want many more seasons.. so.. everyone needs theyre screen time. whew.. thats about all i havta say.
I was getting a bit annoyed at Reid always snapping at Prentiss. Why? Even though he's cute, I would have told him to kiss my ass in front of the whole team. (i'm mean lol)
ReplyDeleteI think it should have been prentiss saying something to him.
I loved the ending of teh show. The way Reid was like "I'll never miss a plane again." It made me hope that he's not totallly lost. And of course we must hail the all knowing Jason Gideon. He just has everyone figured out. I love that. I did wish for a little more Morgan Garcia but I'll take what I can get.
ReplyDeleteI was really impressed with the writing in this one and was it just me or was the lighting exceptional. I usually don't take much notice of the lighting but I did in this one.
ReplyDeletePrentiss is growing on me. I think we may have rushed to judgement prematurely with her. She is proving herself to be an able part of the BAU.
All in all a great episode. The show is on a roll. No real surprise!
Awesome episode. Great performances and writing. I would like a wrap to the Reid thing but I am trusting the writers on this one. I think it was a solid episode.
ReplyDeleteGreat episode. I am freaking out that we have to wait so long for a new one.
ReplyDeleteI loved the scene with Reid and Gideon. I liked this episode very much. I wish we did not have to wait so long for another episode. I hope they show some good repeats.
ReplyDeleteLoved the episode!
ReplyDeleteI thought both Ethan and the New Orleans cop were great characters and I hope they return sometime.
I also loved the talk between Gideon and Reid at the end - it was sweet without being sappy, which is always better.
I loved the quote. How appropriate. Great episode. Solid writing and the cast slammed it home.
ReplyDeleteThis was another great episode. Criminal Minds is getting better each week.....I absolutely LOVE this show. I also love that Morgan figured out the unsub was a female. Brilliant deduction on his part!
ReplyDeleteNice, but I want MORE!
ReplyDelete6 weeksss! I'll need some drugs to kip up!!!!!
Paola
Gideon's going to have his work cut out in the Bad Sweater Competition after that lime-green collared monstrosity of Reid's. If you ever needed proof that Spencer's favorite boutique is Le Goodwill, you have it there.
ReplyDelete(Criminal Minds: THE CHARGE OF THE BAD SHIRT BRIGADE. Please note, this is not a complaint. I rather love the bad shirts and worse sweaters.)
I did finally get to watch the episode and it was really good. I really liked reading everyone's thoughts on the episode. Strong writing as usual and now that I have been to the set I see the shows differently than I did before. I now know how much work each one of those scenes had to have taken. I love this show!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this episode. I agree with you regarding Reid not liking Prentiss. I understand she wants to be a part of the team but she cannot just come in and start making remarks regarding another team member who has been there alot longer than she. I really liked the end where Gideon and Reid finally get to talk by themselves because Gideon is the father figure Reid did not have.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed this episode. Great storyline, great actors. I was really surprised about the unsub’s identity. At the beginning you considered the murderer to be a stone-hearted, unscrupulous man that kills innocent persons in a very cruel way without any understandable reasons. But in the end you see this crying, desperate woman and somehow feel sorry for her. She is a murderer and she really did kill innocent people and what happened to her isn't an excuse for this but it humanizes her, reveals a tragic fate. There is never an excuse for doing such horrible things but it gives us a little idea why she did it. And in the end I was wondering: Did she really want the agents to shoot her? Concerning Reid and drugs I really don't know what to think about it now. This episode didn't answer any questions. But I like the part Ethan played (I am glad that he was a friend and not a rival as announced). And I love the final scene with Reid and Gideon. Very touching. Gideon seemed to be pretty emotional.I am really glad that they ended the episode this way.
ReplyDeleteI loved this episode. Now I have been watching from the super bowl episode and I have several episodes under my belt and I am feeling connected with these characters. Thank you for this blog.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about this one. I think I need to watch it again. oh, what a shame.
ReplyDeleteReid did surpass himself with the jumper but kind of made up for it with grey shirt which was surely a kind of homage to German techno pioneers Kraftwerk.
And it needed more Hotch. But yes, I kind of liked the plot. Some of it, anyway.
Elizabeth
I liked this episode and I liked that Reid did not take any drugs.
ReplyDeleteI have it on good authority that the next original episode will air on March 21. After that, there will be 5 new episodes, then a summer of repeats.
ReplyDeleteKraftwerk! OMG. Now there's a conversation: who on the team listens to what?
ReplyDeleteReid's maybe not gothy enough for Kraftwerk. Perhaps he's more a fan of breathy ecto-girls?
(spoilers and speculation follow)
I don't think Reid is using the dilaudid. The one time we saw him with the bottles, they were still full.
I think he's well on his way to becoming a maintenance alcoholic, though.
Ethan's pointing to the glass of (?)brandy when he makes his comment re: "That might help you forget...."
And Reid's been acting like somebody who's been suffering post-traumatic stress and drinking heavily. Showing up late for work,
unbathed and hung over, vanishing to go hang out in bars, and so on.
Add that to the comments made by JJ regarding drinking on the job, and
Ethan talking about his own drinking (and I notice that Ethan has not *stopped* drinking, and the first thing he does is take Reid out for a drink) I think it's suggestive.
Also, I think when Ethan says "You're not well," 'not well' is a euphemism for "abusing substances." Given the shaky-hand gesture that goes with it.
Also, at the end, I notice when Gideon shows up, Reid *doesn't* have a drink in front of him. He's already made his decision, in my
interpretation.
[I won't be surprised if we find out Gideon's military history includes either a stint as a tunnel rat (MP would be the right build, at age 18 or 19) or as a POW. I think the reason he wouldn't go into the sewer in Distress was because of PTSD, and I think Morgan knew it and covered for him.]
Alcohol is something he could reasonably get away with for a good long time, remain functional, and not lose his job. As a law enforcement officer subject to random drug testing, he couldn't do that with a narcotics addiction.
I think his snappishness with Prentiss is compounded of a bunch of things. Such as, Prentiss (like me) has terminal foot-in-mouth
disease, and always manages to say just the wrong thing.
Additionally, he's scared he can't do his job. And she's been offering to help him (which he interprets as a suggestion he can't do the work, which is also why the others can't take too much of the load off him,
because it would be more destructive than helpful), she tried to make a joke about Ethan which Reid took as a personal affront (it seems to me) because he's afraid he "can't take the heat," and so on.
Also, I notice Reid never promised Gideon that he would stop drinking.
He said, more or less, that he wouldn't let anything affect his work. And Gideon's reaction is not approval--it's a long, considering stare, and then turning back to, metaphorically and literally, face the music.
...to be continued in March. *g*
Like Monica I am new to the show and the blog. I have also only been watching since the Super Bowl but I really liked this episode. Being new I usually have questions after an episode and I email Jill for the answers but she seems tired from her trip. Is there someone else that I can ask?
ReplyDeleteAha - you see the Kraftwerk reference was a very oblique one. Reid is adopting the uniform of the Teutonic automatons, indicating that he is, to an extent, operating on autopilot. He is trying to present a face of efficiency and competence, in order to mask the confusion going on within.
ReplyDeleteHowever, despite the uniform and attempt to appear in control, Reid is, in fact, unravelling. (His hair looked good though - moment of gratuitous shallowness there). I agree that the dilaudid looks like a red herring and he is keeping it to prove something to himself.
I would guess he might be drinking, but that wasn't a very large brandy. Although he could have had 18 more before the night was out. I still think his behaviour is very consistent with stress and a traumatic experience, and also the whole range of emotions that recalling his childhood will have brought up. He is doubting himself and his ability and is probably depressed and anxious etc.
And he is snapping at Prentiss because she hasn't known him long enough to snap right back at him. Although maybe she should . . .
The line about not missing another plane did bug me when I watched the ep as it just sounded a bit trite and a bit too much like it was trying to put a lid on the whole issue. But I am going to cut the writers some slack as I think the ambiguity about the drugs has been a clever touch, especially with the teaserish "previously on Criminal Minds . . . " at the start.
Elizabeth
Re: the plane! the plane!
ReplyDeleteYou know what Rick says to Ilsa as they're going back to their separate wars at the end of Casablanca? Maybe the second-most-famous line in the film?
"You'd better hurry, or you'll miss that plane."
...I did notice there was no closing epigraph this week.
I was at some other forum, can't remember which, but they brought something up that was interesting.
ReplyDeleteYou know how Reid was ALWAYS squemish around dead bodies? But in this episode, he looked at the dead guy, and took out the note from his mouth, like it was nothing.
Does this mean that he's growing up?
I know everyone wants the old Reid back, so do I, cause really I miss him spouting statistics all over the place.
The poor guy hasn't been the same since Revelations, I hope he gets back to his somewhat old self later on, or next season.
Mona, you can ask anyone questions, you can post them here on the blog if you want to. You may get a lot of different answers, but that is a good thing, because it promotes discussion and ideas no one has thought of before.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the post about why the unsub used her credit card to rent a room--you hear it all the time about an unsub unspooling and doing something stupid that gets him/her caught and this is exactly what she did. It also ties in nicely with the Jack the Ripper story that about the last victim--the idea that Jack the Ripper may have rented the room in which she was killed in his own name.
I hope Reid is using the drugs personally because I think it could do so much more to develop all of the character. Yes if he had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder he would go see a counsellor but I don't see how that helps any other character to grow whereas a drug addiction would cause the characters to work together to help him, he would need the support from the whole team.
ReplyDeleteI liked this episode because of the lead detective. he just seemed so down to earth compared to most of the other people they come across. I kind of wish they'd bring him back at some point.
ReplyDeletejacqui #242
Love this episode and have watched it many times. I lived in New Orleans for 4 years so I enjoyed them taking the show there. I agree with many of you that the scenes between Ethan and Reid and Reid and Gideon were very poignant and so much was communicated with few words. I was wondering if anyone knows, what song Ethan is playing on the piano at the end of the episode? I can't get it out of my head.
ReplyDelete