Wednesday, September 12, 2007

CRIMINAL MINDS: "LEGACY" SPOILERS


Criminal Minds: What did everyone think of Criminal Minds "Legacy"? Beware of spoilers. The quotes and song info are in the Criminal Minds posted in a separate post. Thanks to Stacy for recording them. :)

119 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't know yet..but counting down! Hopefully it'll be Reidcentric.

Lee

Anonymous said...

OMG Gideon and Hotchner watching and laughing at the old movies. OMG that was such a great scene. I have never seen Gideon so happy! I am loving everything except the damn commercials.

Anonymous said...

Morgan is HOT. HOT. Laughing with that sexy smile. I am so happy. Damn this is a good one.

Anonymous said...

Let's see the unsub is using a film projector. Who wants to bet Gideon switches to DVD?

Bunnyofdoom/Threepwood said...

Does this remind anyone else of Saw?

This is too damn creepy. Who thinks the woman escapes?

Anonymous said...

Anyone have a nightlight I could borrow?

Madelyn Glymour said...

It reminds me of Saw, yes. But really excellently.

I have no idea whether she escapes. I hope she does, but it seems like we're due for a loss. Especially since the victim of "Open Season," who was similar in that we followed her through the episode, lived.

So, I say it's up in the air.

Anonymous said...

This is awesome. I want to kiss the writer on the lips. When can we have caps of Hotch laughing?

Anonymous said...

This is great. Why so many commercials? The first scene with Hotch and Gideon was one of the best this season. They never have fun like that. Yeah projectors are out!

Anonymous said...

Another rampaging dog. Is this writer a cat person?

Anonymous said...

Bernero wrote this and he must like "bringing the scary". I need tivo. This is an awesome episode.

Anonymous said...

who sings the song "been left for dead" that played in the homeless montage?

Anonymous said...

OMG HOLY GOOD EPISODE!!! We got our Reid back, which is the most important thing to me. He is back to his self concious awkward self!!! Hotch was funny in this episode(houses and job)and even showed JJ some love. Morgan through his ass up in the air which always makes for a fun night and all in all the writing was top notch!!! WOOHOOO!

Lee :)

Madelyn Glymour said...

The plot was Saw, but I honestly don't care, because, well. Morgan leaping into a moving car, Hotch staring down an unsub, Charlie Chaplin, and I just...

I like it.

-BeatriceEagle

Anonymous said...

Since I never saw, "Saw," heh. And thank god.lol. But this was SUCH a GREAT episode! Totally rocked. =)

Anonymous said...

I really liked it from start to finish. It was creepy but the cast was wonderful tonight. Hotch was a sight to behold.

Anonymous said...

Okay I loved this episode. I think it's my new favorite actually. There was creepiness, a good case and good times at the end. It was like a perfect episode. Gideon and Hotch in the beginning were so cool together. I love when they show the two of just being friends like that. Adored the dective that wanted to help those people, even though they were the dregs of society. My favorite part was when they were talking to teh people on the street. It was just so cool. I liked when Reid got all flustered with the prostitute. It was the old Reid back! I laughed so hard when they were talking to Hotch and he delivered the line about Spencer getting propostioned by the prostitutes. He was so deadpanned, like it happened every day. And Morgan's look exchange with Spencer at that was priceless. I loved when he went after the guy too. That was great. The poor girl that got caught was great. She was such a fighter. The ending was so perfect. Just the group of them hanging out. Especially teh cute Garcia/Morgan moment that slipped in there. All in all this episode was amazing. I give it my first ever 10 out of 10. I hope the season finale will do as well.

Elizabeth Bear said...

Okay, totally creepy.

I'll be under my bed.

Wow. They don't usually "get" me. But the broken glass did it.

Madelyn Glymour said...

Two things. (I comment too much.)

One, body count. If the unsub died, then we have to give 1/3 of the credit to Prentiss, Morgan, and Hotch. Did he die?

Two, the ending scene. It broke me. It's strange, because it shouldn't have. It was a good scene. They were happy, and hanging out, and everything was fun. But for some reason that was when I completely broke down.

Oh, and one last thing. They've been doing something interesting with the victims. For the past few episodes, instead of multiple victims who we only see for a few minutes, we've been getting one victim who we follow through the whole episode.

They're trying to make us invested in them.

Anonymous said...

This is one of the best ever episodes. Ever. I have not been this creeped out and fascinated in a long time. The cat jumped on the couch and scared the crap out of me. Wonderful episode.

Anonymous said...

That broken glass bit was twenty different kinds of freaky.

Sooooooooo glad that guy got shot.

Fantastic opening scene, and even better ending scene. Morgan and Garcia teasing each other was adorable and Prentiss flinging popcorn at Reid was complete and utter WIN. Those two are totally siblings.

Anonymous said...

I liked it. Dark, creepy, and full of nice little character moments.

JJ and Morgan both got lightbulb moments of "Ah hah!", which was great, and I loved the movie night bit at the end (JJ/Reid/popcorn tossing - priceless!).

Not the best episode ever, but one I'd watch again.

Anonymous said...

The broken glass will have me up all freakin night. I really liked this episode but it was so scary. I loved the scene with Hotchner, Gideon and Morgan in the beginning and tell me that Reid is not the man. Go ahead...I dare ya!

Anonymous said...

The cast was right on the money tonight. The writing was freakishly frightening and perfect. Everything was perfect but I agree with the other posters that I will be hearing smashing glass for days. I wish they could all be this good. Morgan was great all the way. My man is the best. The opening with him in the doorway was great. His ratta tatta with Garcia does in the book of best CM moments.

slashgirl said...

Okay...kinda creepy but not that bad. (Longtime horror fan here, takes more than this to creep me out.)

Liked the scene with Gideon and Hotch at the beginning: Hotch LAUGHING. *melts* And morgan's comment about the old guys. (Okay, so Bear must be right about how Hotch aged between last season and this. *headdesk*) And I don't get Charlie Chaplin. *sigh*

Loved Hotch telling JJ someone he greatly respected suggests 63 people might be dead he's willing to go on the chase. So very Hotchly.

JJ figuring out the postmark thing--go JJ.

Hotch's being pissy with the police captain, and his comment about all the homeless people leaving cus they bought houses. Hotch rocks, as usual.

When Gideon questioned the others about working on, at that point, their not-case--and when Morgan tells him they've got a House Cleaner...yeah.

Reid was being his adorkable self tonight, and Morgan cutting off the vocab lesson. Cute

Oh, Hotch and Reid scenes tonight. *is happy* "Reid got propositioned by every prostitute we talked to." I was laughing at that one.

Morgan tackled a van tonight. He's moving up to bigger prey, it would seem. But, yes, GO Morgan--good catch on his part. And how sweet was he with that homeless woman? I like what Prentiss said to him, too. True.

When the girl fell into that glass? I winced, big time--and yet again, CM gives a female victim who fights hard. Although I think that "sunset/rise" was a film, not real.

Hotch was very good with the accomplice, Stephen, wasn't it?

I liked the OCD detective--kinda cute, but how he went over his boss' head and everything. Kind of a sad man, too, but yeah. He was cool.

The scene at the end was so very nice--watching the movies together and throwing popcorn at Reid--lovely.

And that's about it for my disjointed ramblings...

Anonymous said...

Anyone planning on actually falling asleep tonight? NOT. Loved it. We need Edward Bernero to write more episodes. Scared the hell out of me and was dark, intense and edgy. I actually yelled when she fell in the glass. I do think we have Reid back to normal now. I think the drug thing is behind us. Thank God.

Anonymous said...

I can see the influence of our writer, ex cop Ed Bernero, in this episode. Cops do struggle with what to do with the homeless. There is political pressure on every front to move the “problem” out of the jurisdiction. Some cops will resort to buying one way bus tickets to get people out of town. Some citizens use the police to solve social and mental health problem. Some, like the unsub felt it was not enough to wait on the cops. I guess one theme to the show was cops are expected to do what society won’t. Down from soapbox.

I am still mulling over the female victim’s “can’t win” scenario. It is a hunting technique to wear down prey. Obviously hunters don’t just exist in the woods.

I enjoyed the family movie night. I agree with Gideon. It is good to remind people to take some time to lighten things up. I guess all is well, until next week. The roller coaster ride continues.

Anonymous said...

I loved the ending scene too. It is nice to remember that these people spend more time together than with their families. They really are a family. I loved the personal touches we were given tonight but NO MORE DOGS!

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed this episode. I was on the edge of my seat for most of it. It's not a favorite but definitely a solid episode. The ending was wrapped up rather suddenly...it came out of nowhere. They were at the right place at the right time and then with just a location they magically made it to the right room just in time? Until then, I thought this would be my new favorite because of the suspense. Oh well, it was still fantastic. The movie moments were great. This episode really showed the family dynamics of the team...and I love that.

Madelyn Glymour said...

I don't think that anything is behind us with Reid. Or rather, I think that he may be acting normal, but we haven't heard the last of Revelations.

-BeatriceEagle

Anonymous said...

The scene with her and the glass almost made me pee in my pants. I was so scared and it was really very scary. I wanted her to live so bad.

Anonymous said...

Oh Madelyn I so hope you are wrong. The further they take us from Revelations the more I think it was a ruse. He looks and is acting great.

Wonderful episode. Something for everyone. I agree that we have had our fill of dogs and dead female victims. I thought the plot was great.

Madelyn Glymour said...

I don't necessarily think that we'll have huge, climactic drama about "Revelations." I just don't think it will be completely forgotten.

Something will bring it up again.

-BeatriceEagle

Anonymous said...

The drug thing: Matthew gave an interview and he said, the drug storyline, is NOT over.

Hint: Which is why Chris Mundy(who wrote the drug angle) signed up for two more years.

Anonymous said...

Next week maybe Morgan can tackle an airplane. That was a great scene.

Anonymous said...

Why is everyone so freaked out about the glass thing? What really got to me was the body parts hanging from the ceiling and the decapitated head.
I'll still sleep though; the writers worked their magic by including those awesome scenes at the beginning and end. I loved that Reid is back to normal for the most part. The Morgan and Prentiss scene out on the street was touching. The Reid and prostitutes scene had me laughing out loud; it was great. Overall, this episode was definately one ofthe best of the season. The writers have not only redeemed themselves from HAT, but increased my love for this show even more.

Anonymous said...

I thought JJ was awesome. Way to be paying attention!

Anonymous said...

I posted this on the quotes post but it should have been here:

The quotes are always good but I think I am missing the greater significance of Chaplin. I think there has to be a point behind it that I am missing. Help!

Is there something about Chaplin that I am not tying in to the episode. I really liked it.

Anonymous said...

Please no more Reid/Drug story line. I am serious in saying this, this is not a drama queen move on my part..if they bring back the drugs I will stop watching. I will find a new favorite show. I fully understand character development but MY opinion is that they took a wrong turn with this character development and should sweep it under the rug FAST. And yes, this is coming from the ultimate MGG fan. Sorry but I just can't support it.

On another note did everyone else like how Gideon kinda "gave it" to the team over them concentrating on a case they weren't even invited in on. That was awesome, and I liked his outfit too.

Lee :(

slashgirl said...

monica:

They were watching a chaplin movie at the end...maybe it refers to the team letting go of their troubles. Just a thought.

Anonymous said...

Monica
Chaplin studied human behavior. He was very good at it. So is our team. Even Chaplin said lighten up!

Anonymous said...

Monica, I guess it cpuld tie in with the beginning when Gideon told Hotch that he was going to show the Chaplin film to his class to teach them about letting the horror of their cases go and they ended up doing just that by watching the film?

Anonymous said...

Ok, the glass room did me in. Not in terms of being scary, but in terms of OUCH and ICK and that was just wrong! But it worked well in the "Saw"-esque storyline. I figured the team would save her at the very last minute and they did. My favorite scene: the popcorn and movie at the end of the episode. I can't say this ep is my favorite, but its definitely in my top ten.

Anonymous said...

i believe the quote ties back into the opening scene when Hotch and Gideon were talking about Gideons class and why he was going to show them a Chaplin movie. It may also tie into the troubles the homeless deal with. It could be linked to the ordeal the victim went through. To a certain degree, the meaning of many of the quotes are open to interpretation and your own experiences and beliefs.

Elizabeth Bear said...

I think the Chaplin film is absolutely one more hint that Hotch and Gideon have finally gotten it together to start changing the institutional culture of the BAU to something more supportive.

And I don't think Reid is out of the woods.

But I think he's working very hard to hide that anything is wrong.

janeegg said...

I'm still thinking about the song the killer was whistling--"Joanna" from Sweeney Todd. Some lyrics: "I am in the dark beside you" and "I'll steal you, Joanna." Even more pertinent to the attitude of the killer in this episode, also from Sweeney:

There's a hole in the world like a great black pit
And it's filled with people who are filled with shit
And the vermin of the world inhabit it...but not for long.

I also loved Reid and the prostitutes!

Anonymous said...

The scene with the prostitutes was great. JJ was the woman. Morgan is my hero. What can't that man do? The glass was freakish. The opening and closing scenes make me want to kiss Bernero on the lips and give him my first born.

Anonymous said...

Angie Said... lol

Ok did anyone else notice that the detective's boss, i dont remember his name, who at first totally disagreed with BAU being there was the Capt. Fuller from 21 jump street? Maybe i'm the only one that actually has that show on DVD but a little part of me cheered when i saw him!!

The ep wasn't too bad for me other than creepiness... and due to morgan's awesomeness i think im gonna go back and do a tally of mega-sweet-awesome door kick-ins and takedowns performed by morgan.

Anonymous said...

This was another great episode.

Again, another strong female victim and the episode follows her as she tries to escape the Hell that the unsub has in store for her. Her falling on the floor in the room filled with broken glass made me wince, and then near the end when she sees her shoes and the door open to the outside and starts crawling to the door and keeps passing pairs of shoes and then they show all the pairs of shoes lined up toward the door. Totally creepy. It reminded me of the pictures from the concentration camps in WWII with the pictures of all the shoes. The Holocause Museum has (or had) an exhibit of shoes the murdered Jewish prisoners left behind. It blows your mind.

This episode is filled with little jewels.

Gideon and Hotch watching the Chaplin film and laughing together.

The detective from KC showing up at the BAU; JJ talking Hotch into going to KC to see if there was a case and then thinking it was a wild goose chase and Hotch telling her that when someone he greatly respected (JJ) suggests 63 people might be dead he's willing to go on the chase. Great moment. JJ gets props! And then JJ shows that she deserves props when she notices the postmark on the envelope from the person who sent the letter to the KC detective being from KC, Missouri and they were in KC, Kansas making it a federal case. Way to go JJ!

I also loved the scene where Gideon grumps at the rest of the team when he finds out they were working on the case when it wasn't theirs yet and then when Morgan tells him that they had a "House Cleaner", he promptly sits down and starts reviewing their work! Loved it!

Reid getting propositioned by the prostitutes was priceless and Hotch telling the doubting captain that the missing homeless people weren't missing, they all got jobs and houses in that deadpan delivery. What a hoot!

Morgan being so sweet with the homeless lady and then seeing her about to accept a ride in the DHS van and asking the captain if DHS vans made rounds at night and running to the van and taking it out! The man is truly a super hero, action star!

I also like that Prentiss told Morgan that he had a way of making the people around him feel good after he was so sweet with the homeless lady. She really is becoming a great character.

Hotch was phenomenal with the accomplice, Stephen, I think. He told Stephen what he wanted Stephen to tell him and then proceeded to make him tell him what he wanted. I did notice what someone else commented on that during the take down, they all happened to be at the right place at the right time, but I think that they did have Stephen tell them everything about the building, but they couldn't show it because it would have made the episode too long and probably 7 or 8 commercials wouldn't have been shown! You just have to make that leap.

At the end, the female victim wanting to see the unsub's face and then laughing at him and telling him that she won was a little creepy, but still satisfying.

And of course, the scene at the end where they are all watching the Chaplin film and laughing and throwing popcorn at each other was wonderful.

At the beginning of the episode Gideon told Hotch that he was going to show the Chaplin film to his class to teach them about letting the horror of their cases go and they ended up doing just that by watching the film. He followed his own advice (thanks Slashgirl for that last line!)

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Angie Said... lol

Ok did anyone else notice that the detective's boss, i dont remember his name, who at first totally disagreed with BAU being there was the Capt. Fuller from 21 jump street? Maybe i'm the only one that actually has that show on DVD but a little part of me cheered when i saw him!!

The ep wasn't too bad for me other than creepiness... and due to morgan's awesomeness i think im gonna go back and do a tally of mega-sweet-awesome door kick-ins and takedowns performed by morgan.


Hey Anon!!! You weren't the only one! I recognized the captain from 21 Jump Street! After the episode, I had to go to Youtube and listen to the theme song again.LOL.

Anonymous said...

Diane...
Thanks. It's so nice to know i'm not alone in the world!!! it was a bit sad to see him getting older though, definitely a cool guy!
Angie

Anonymous said...

I loved that the victim was able to confront him and let him know that she was a survivor. I thought the whole episode was very CM fan friendly. We were given a spine tingling episode and some precious character moments that did not distract from the case. Gideon owns my heart but Morgan is the man. And JJ showed just how darn smart she was tonight. I loved this episode. It is one of my favorite episodes.

Anonymous said...

I am so pleased that I have finally seen Hotch really laughing and having a good time. It made the whole episode for me. I think this episode went a long way in further developing the characters. I enjoyed it.

Anonymous said...

I thought she was going to die until the end. I was weirded out by the glass, the shoes and all the undercurrent. I liked the episode. One of the best. Was it just me or did they do something different with the lighting in this episode. It seems to be not as bright. J.J. figuring out the postmark was so great. Morgan is incredible and his scene with Garcia was great. The popcorn throwing and watching them unwind was the highlight for me.

Anonymous said...

I had never heard the opening qoute, by Herman Melville, before. However, having worked with the poor and homeless on the front lines for many years, I see it every day. Priviledged, upper middle class people criticizing the behaviors of people whom they have absolutely no understanding of, or compassion for.

Anonymous said...

Great episode. No wasted moments. Great character development. Wonderful story.

Anonymous said...

I am sitting at my computer and now I realize we only have one more episode left. Legacy was great. It was actually perfect. I would not have changed a thing about this episode but I did think the victim was a bit weird. Sorry but I had an uneasy feeling about her. I loved the interaction with all the team members. I felt like Garcia was at frustrated but didn't she look great. JJ showed everyone how smart and sharp she is and I really liked that. Great writing and acting.

lisaw918 said...

To sum up, since I've already written what feels like a thesis on this episode:

-Gideon, Chaplin, eeee! Hotch succumbing to Gideon's enthrallment: eeeeeeee!
-Creepy, control freak unsub, blood everywhere. Urrrrk.
-Good title. Good theme. What we do with an inheritance; leads back to nature v. nurture. Nicely done.
-Reid gets a lot of mileage out of that tie-rescuing scene. If it hadn't been for the sublime bits of Gideon and Hotch with the Chaplin, and Morgan calling them old-timers, Reid would have owned the episode just on that.

Anonymous said...

This is out of left field but during the first scene I was wondering if they were showing us just how well Gideon and Hotch liked each other as a setup for the finale when Hotch will have to profile Gideon. Just a thought. Great episode. Detective McGee was a cutie.

Elizabeth Bear said...

One thing I thought was really interesting and fabulous was that Garcia's missing persons searches keep turning up nothing. It's this great thematic reminded that nobody cares about these people.

Nobody.

Anywhere.

Except McGee.

Anonymous said...

I did think that was incredibly sad and it was the first time I cam remember that Garcia came up completely empty on info. Has that happened before and I missed it?

Anonymous said...

I loved watching JJ figure out the postmark. Great episode.

Anonymous said...

Detective McGee was a really good character. Can we keep him?

Madelyn Glymour said...

One note, because I keep seeing it brought up: I don't think the victim, at the end, told the killer, "I won."

I'm pretty sure what she said was, "I want... I want to see his face."

-BeatriceEagle

Hizz10n said...

i have not seen it yet, but it sounds great!

can anyone explain to me what they meant by "Reid got propositioned by every prostitute we talked to."
i'm from Norway, so i don't always get everything...

slashgirl said...

beatriceeagle said:

I'm pretty sure what she said was, "I want... I want to see his face."

It was after that. Once Morgan takes the masks off his face, she tells him that she won.

Anonymous said...

There is a scene where Reid is hit on by some prostitutes and then Hotchner teased him about it.

Anonymous said...

Didn't the girl last week say "she won" too? "Charlies Angels Come On"

Lol

Lee :)

Hizz10n said...

manda sa...
There is a scene where Reid is hit on by some prostitutes and then Hotchner teased him about it.

6:49 AM


Oh, nice! i can't wait to see that!!!
how does he handle it?

Anonymous said...

I think the episode had a really good balance to it. The crime was spooky but we had much more personal team time moments than we usually get. I really thought she was going to die. Someone else said that it is female victims but in this society women and children are the most likely to be involved in violent crime. I really liked the episode. I want to buy Morgan a superman shirt. He could stop a tank.

Anonymous said...

Gideon and Hotch laughing= A+
Morgan smilling and calling them old= A+
JJ saving the day= A+
Reid and the "pros"= A+++
The shoes that freaked me out= A+
Her falling on the broken glass= A+
Garcia and Morgan banter= Never enough of that
Popcorn throwing= A+++++
Great episode.

Anonymous said...

There is nothing hotter than a Morgan tackle. Go Shemar.

R said...

For a TV show this one wigged me out!

Shawn said...

JJ needs some more props! I keep reading here that Morgan is hot, Reid is hot, blah, blah blah! JJ is soo HOT!! And she showed her smarts in picking the case, solving the postmark, showed her humor in throwing popcorn... I only wish she had been the one pulling the trigger to kill the Unsub (yet I think she is too classy for that), she would have had the Trifecta! JJ Rocks. LOVE JJ!!

Anonymous said...

The lack of empathy towards the homeless and those who have less was overwhelming to me in this episode. It was as if they walk among us but are invisible. The episode had lots of levels to it. The team banter was fun. I thought the team dynamics of Hotch and Gideon being the leaders of the group was better defined by this episode. I am not sure what I think about the victim's need to see his face but I guess it meant something to her. I liked the episode.

Anonymous said...

I think we have not heard the last of the Reid Drug storyline. I think all we have right now is the foundation. Sorry but that is my opinion and I actually think it could be a wonderful arc. What do you do with an agent who has problems like these? The writers could really do a great job with this. I think it is built into Season 3.

Anonymous said...

MR. BRENNERO YOU ARE THE BEST!
Great ep.
Gore, a bit, but bareable.
Good the parallele with the unsub and Monk...er, I mean, the cop who called the BAU. Same profile...for a sec I thought the unsub and him were the same person with double personality...but I suddenly realized we were actually seing the killer doing his dirty job AT THE SAME TIME, so the cop had the best alibi of all, he was with the BAU team!!!
AND REIDDY smooch smooch smooch!!!!No wonder all the prostitutes (aw I don't like this word) the Loveladies (this is better) in town went crazy, WOW, teaching him... er...what life is, I bet they would have done it FOR FREE!!!LOL!
He watches the movie at the end as a child would do, first row, almost with is nose on the screen... "nothing is permanent in this world, not even our trubles..." said the quote. Nothing is pemanent.. is he starting to heal? He seemed serene, much more than in the past eps. anyway.
I LLLOVED the final scene, wich was soo relieving, all the team watching the old good movie, like a family, eating pop corn and laughing...but who threw Reid the popcorn ? Prentiss or J.J.? I go for Prentiss....

respectanimals said...

I thought this was a very good episode, however it will never make it into my top ten, as I didn’t appreciate having to watch some poor woman get tortured in about half the scenes of the show. The scenes that focused on the team members however were excellent, both the professional and personal ones! They definitely get Kudos from me for those scenes! I especially liked Morgan in this episode, for not only the concern he showed for the homeless woman, but the way he jumped into the van and then of course the usual body slam of the bad guy. WAY TO GO MORGAN! I purposely don’t watch movies like SAW however, so I hope they focus more on the psychological aspects of serial killers in the future, rather than resorting to blood and gore tactics. The music, the way they edit the scenes, the dialog, photos and narration are more than sufficient to convey the horror of what these unsubs do. If I want to watch gore, I’ll rent a bad horror film.

Anonymous said...

A small thing caught my attention. During the first scene with Hotch and Gideon watching the movie Gideon asked Hotch if he had a few minutes to stay and watch. Hotch looked at his watch and answered that yes he had a few minutes. I think I forget sometimes that these two have enormous respect and feeling for each other. It was nice to be reminded.

Elizabeth Bear said...

I agree, Katie. The friendship/partenrship dynamic between Hotch and Gideon is really wonderful.

I was struck, actually, but how much Gideon did not seem to want to be there in this episode. He's reading the financial pages during the initial briefing, and then when he comes back he tells the team to get back to their own work.

Until Morgan points out to him that they have a real problem, and he starts hyperventilating.

I think Gideon is Really Not Doing Well.

This season has been rough on him.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Elizabeth Bear about Gideon's condition. I think he has been in a downward spiral since Elle's shooting. I think it has been given to us in many ways since that episode. I believe he is getting ready for a total meltdown.

Anonymous said...

I think that emotionally this has been a difficult season for all of them:

Reid: kidnapped, drugged and tortured.
A.J.: DOGS from hell, guilt over Reid's situation.
Hotchner: Juggling family and work is not going well and he has told us that he is stressed out. I also think he feels guilt from Elle being shot.
Gideon: I think he feels guilt about everything and everybody- Elle being shot and not being able to reach Reid.
Morgan: He had to confront his abuser and relive the sexual abuse he was subjected to as a young teen.

Anonymous said...

I think that Hotchner and Gideon are not only friends but I still say that Hotchner considers Gideon to still be mentoring him and giving him guidance.

I liked the episode. The way they humanized the victims was very well done. She had a family and a life and they showed us that she was worthy of attention.

Anonymous said...

There have been many comments about the glass and that was nerve jolting but the shoes will stick with me.

Anonymous said...

McGee was the only one who gived a damn about what was going on. We need him on our team permanately. He was an interesting character. I wanted so badly for someone to listen to him and respect what he was trying to tell them.

Anonymous said...

I think I need to rewatch it because I seem to missed so much. I took the first part of the episode at face value. Gideon and Hotch enjoying the movie reels. After reading everyone's comments I can see that I need to go back and watch for the symbolism. That is not a hard ship. I really liked the episode. Minus the dog!

Anonymous said...

Could one of the morals of the story be that it is not the hand you are dealt in life but rather what you do with it? Am I lame?

Anonymous said...

I think there were lots of life lessons and observations in this episode. Smarter people than me will have to answer your question. I did like the episode. Loved Morgan's tackle.

Elizabeth Bear said...

I don't think CM deals in morals, really, so much as arguments.

Not, X is Y, but X and Y and Z and Q are all different aspects of a situation, and maybe there is no good answer, but you can do your best.

That's something that comes up again and again--impossible choices. (Like Reid having to decide if he will save Nathan, or let him take his own life.)

Not so much in this episode, though--what I walked away from this one with is the idea that life is not fair, that there are people for whom every door *is* closed, who have the odds stacked against them and who cannot win. (Like Maggie.)

The slaughterhouse is that metaphor made concrete.

But she maintains her humanity. She "wins." The only victory available to her, and it's a tragic fragile victory.

Contrast Charles, who has every advantage--money, servants, property.

And who uses those advantages to become a monster who despises Maggie and those like her, without understanding that really, she is doing the best she can.

She's not a hooker with a heart of gold or a soiled dove. She's just a woman, drug-addicted, probably born into poverty, and trying to raise her daughter.

She may not be any better than she should be, but she's a human being and she matters.

lisaw918 said...

You guys are awesome; I'm loving this thread.

There's one thing that occurred to me that no one's mentioned so far: the fact that the unsub remains nameless until the very end.

Reason One: He's the foil for the homeless people; no connection to society, no one who would notice he's gone, or that he's there at all.

Reason Two: His anonymity is the source of his power. This goes back to all the legends and fairy tales in which learning the true name of a foe gives you complete power over him/her. Rumpelstiltskin, for example. And it happens that way in this episode; the minute they learn his name, his power is dispelled, and they find him and rescue the damsel in distress.

Anonymous said...

That is true and I did not realize that. We did not know his name until the end. Nameless does seem to be name of the game in this episode.

And I need to have a fangirl moment and comment on how wonderful Hotch looked last night.

Anonymous said...

I have to agree about Gideon. He is the saddest man on the planet. He knows no true joy.

The episode was very good.

Anonymous said...

I will try to write more after the kids go to bed tonight but I really liked the episode. One of my top 5.

Anonymous said...

Regarding the popcorn tossing -

The only person we actually saw throwing popcorn at Reid was JJ.

The cut to Prentiss laughing didn't say to me that she was throwing popcorn too, rather that she was cracking up at what JJ was doing.

Fun little moment, that was.

Anonymous said...

I think the victim wanted to make sure she did not remember the unsub as the haunting shrouded figure that tortured her but as a real human. It gave her some power back to know he was not a monster that controlled her.

There have only been a few episodes that dealt with the victims and what they thought (even Reid) as they were being victimized. I don’t watch other procedural shows because they don’t deal with emotions and the impact of the crime on those involved. This show is different because it does.

When murder victims are treated as “bodies” and never as people, it is easier to watch a show but it makes killing and torture easier to accept. Perhaps the intent of this episode was to cut off some of the callus.

Eliza said...

Wow. That was good

I am so pleased that I have finally seen Hotch really laughing and having a good time. It made the whole episode for me.

Oh yes, and someone mentioned this but Hotch's sarcastic remark. Sweet. I was like Snap! My father has the same stare as Hotch it scares the heck out of you. I used to go running from the room when I was younger.

Anonymous said...

Wow! Really creepy episode, but a great vehicle for character development for all of the characters, in my opinion. Hotch and Gideon enjoying themselves was awesome. And I loved the interaction between the team at the end...too cute!

The part where JJ discovers the postmark was so awesome...I was like, you go girl!!

And finally, lovely Reid...seems to be back to his "usual" self...let's hope he's back for good!

Anonymous said...

I loved this episode. I thought Detective McGee was so desperate for help you felt sorry for him. He was so down on himself. He was so determined to find out what happened to them and he really cared about the street people. The scene where they were all on the street showed the homeless people greeting him and shaking his hand. It was great to see Steven Williams (McGee's boss) again. I loved him in 21 Jump Street and as Mr. X in X-Files.

Anonymous said...

Legacy was a really good episode but it was high on the creepy meter.

Elizabeth Bear said...

I agree with Sherlockette. One of the reasons Criminal Minds is my favorite show in the history of ever is that the victims are not placeholders. They're people. They have agency and personality.

And what they do affects the story.

This program is all about deromanticizing trauma, and it's an awesome thing.

Anonymous said...

I liked this ep a lot. Def. in my top 5. And what IS the deal with mad dogs? And severed heads....

Unless we missed it in Doubt (which was not broadcast recently due to the slaughter in VA), then Reid's problems have not been resolved. I don't see them taking the time in the next/season ender ep, so I'm guessing at next season.

Sorry. JMHO

And Quentin would have taken down that bad dog like Morgan eats vehicles. Yeah. Woof woof woof.

Kris said...

Another great epsiode. I'm with Slashgirl...I like horrors, so it takes a little more to freak me out.

Good episode though. Not a dull moment!

Anonymous said...

Squee!

Sounds like another totally amazing episode. Now I'll start counting the hours once again till it hits my station on Sunday. *sigh*

dearlydead said...

Loved Morgan's flying leap/tackle on the van. Athletes turn me on, especially him. oh!
Loved Hotch and interviewing the unsub.
Whole episode was great.

Anonymous said...

Really good episode.

Except, I have to agree, I could have done without quite so much explicit gore. I understand the reason but ... see "Jaws" for suspense without seeing the actual shark. JMHO.

I love love love getting to see the team relaxing and laughing together. Wonderful stuff!

And even though we spent a lot of time on the victim and the cop, it didn't feel like the team got short-changed in this ep. I'm not sure how to explain that, but excellent writing condensed the story so that there was an awful lot going on and yet nothing got lost.

I loved when they were giving the profile and the local cop looked so uneasy, knowing that they were pretty much describing him. That happened with Reid once in S-1. Nice.

And the scene where Hotch interrogates Stephen (Stephen Foster? Like the song writer?) was absolutely brilliant. The silent waiting for so long that you *knew* the guy would blab -- both the acting and the writing were superb.

Oh, and Reid getting propositioned by every hooker on the street -- and Hotch seeming completely unsurprised by that. Well, heck, we all know about half of us would proposition him in a hot second ... ;-)

My husband and son both took one look at the glass and said, "Hey, that's from 'Saw'." Sigh. And, um, once she had the jacket off, why didn't she just stand on it and shuffle her feet to the door?

Oh, and one continuity thing -- right after the glass room, her feet are covered with blood. But in the next shot of her they are *completely* clean. Then later they're bloody (but not as much) again. I think I only caught it because I was thinking, at least the blood drops will help her find her way out of the maze.

Excellent ep, and I can't wait for next week!

Elizabeth said...

Not sure what to say about this at first - apart from I am glad I didn't watch it last thing at night.

Good stuff was Morgan tackling a van and Hotch being Hotchly to the max. And Gideon and Reid might be trying to hide it, but neither of them are OK. Not at all.

Good to see JJ showing that she has brains.

I haven't seen Saw - but this chilled me. The relentlessness and the repeated snatching away of hope was gruelling to watch. Even though you can guess that the open door is too good to be true, Maggie keeps on trying and that strength of spirit is truly admirable. And yet so chilling to think that those who went before her tried the same and didn't make it.

nebula

Anonymous said...

I am watching it now and getting creeped out!

Anonymous said...

I have rewatched this episode four times and everytime I do I find something else to like about it. Great show.

Unknown said...

Honestly, I thought the episode ended too quickly, too abruptly... There's definitely something more to this. Or at least, there could be.

McGee is OCD right, socially awkward, an outcast, belittled, disrespected, his opinions don't matter, people don't listen. When the BAU releases the profile, he flinches, don't you realize he fits the stereotype perfectly?

When he walks into the interrogation room with Hotchner, he stares the twerp down as well.

When the "killer" was caught at the slaughterhouse, he said, "just let me do my job!"

If you've watched SAW before, then you know that the plot twists can include "killers" who are actually coerced into parading as killers to save their families, etc.

The real mastermind... still stays at large. McGee... He's the one. Mark my words, he'll return in a future episode as the baddie. At least, he should.

Regards,
Charles

mammonite@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

I absolutely loved it! This is what makes CM such an awesome show. There are truly those sick, twisted humans out there that act this way. I appreciate that they don't write the episodes as if none of it really exists. I also enjoy the variety.

Anonymous said...

This was the episode that had me cringing and squirming in my seat. Especially when the unsub threw that girl into the room with the broken glass. Then she had to run, with her cut up feet, from a doberman that was chasing her.

However, Morgan being nice to that homeless lady and then stopping that van made up for that.

Anonymous said...

Loved the episode but it freaked me out the first time and did it again tonight. I really do enjoy this episode.

Anonymous said...

I really caught tons of small things that I missed the first time I watched it. Great episode.

Anonymous said...

I liked this episode more this time around.

Anonymous said...

I love how the show doesn't make the female victims weak. Sometimes they do fight back. Not many shows do that.

I loved the first scene.

Anonymous said...

For me, the 2 or 3 seconds of the look on Reid's face when Hotch is telling the others about him being propositioned is priceless...sort of like, "yeah, it happened, I can't believe it myself, but it's true." LOL

Anonymous said...

I loved this episode the first time but it has become increasingly difficult for me to keep watching Gideon knowing he is gone soon. I am going to just walk away until then new season starts.

Anonymous said...

I loved this episode the first time I saw it ... but I can't watch it anymore....it is just too creepy for me and I just can't take the old man at the beginning....it is just too much.

But, I remember when I saw it the first time, I thought it was one of their best episodes ever.

Anonymous said...

This Episode didnt scare me at all it intregued me ( due to being a big time Horror fan myself) But it did have a bit of a saw feel to it but was much more toned down. This might sound Odd but this Episode Inspired me to write a Horror movie. Also I Believe taht the Homeless are people as well and when crime happens to them its not taken seriously enough by the police. It Showed alot of Heart from the Whole BAU team.