Criminal Minds spoiler thread for "Birthright" starring Joe Mantegna, Thomas Gibson, Kirsten Vangsness, Paget Brewster, A.J. Cook, Shemar Moore and Matthew Gray Gubler. Episode written by Debra J Fisher & Erica Messer.
***Spoilers are in the comments! Beware! :)
**Episode song and quote info will be posted in a separate post below this one after the episode. **
***Here is the original spoiler thread for the episode. Feel free to leave new comments. ***
The new sheriff in Fredericksburg, Virginia, requests the BAU's assistance in the investigation of a series of mutilation murders that are strikingly alike to the cold cases that had occurred over two decades earlier. The investigation leads the team to a serial killer who is fond of kidnapping couples. He murders the husbands and holds the wives captive until they misbehave and then kills them.
ReplyDeleteBut as the team digs deeper, they find out that the psycho killer is the son of a serial killer from 25 years ago who slaughtered people in the exact same way. One of the original killer's victims escaped and had a son from her captor. The team also discovers that he and his mother were rescued by the original killer's wife, who killed her husband so he couldn't hurt again.
can't wait for this ep. It was painful not having a new ep last week!! What r we gonna do when they run out of new eps????
ReplyDeleteI dunno deirdre, I know I'm gonna go thru withdrawal if no more episodes I felt sad last week I didnt even budge to rush to the TV to see the old CM
ReplyDeleteA! I've been waiting for this episode.. last week was sad. I lived like a caveman last week.. no shows to watch, all books for exams.. just sad.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait till this epi!
I don't mind reruns of my favorite shows that much, CM being one of them. But I'm still excited to see this episode!
ReplyDeleteso this episode is new then
ReplyDeleteOMG!!! YAY!!! It looks like this one is a JJ episode or at least I hope so!!
ReplyDeleteI feel sympathy...for Rossi? Maybe he's not that bad.
ReplyDeleteDivorce? Poor Hotch that's gotta hurt. I felt bad for Rossi in this episode but at least we found out his unfinished business. He felt like more of the team this time around especailly at the end. I liked the cute Garcia line and all the twists and turns. I give this one...a 9.1
ReplyDeleteGreat episode. I love the "nature vs nuture" stuff. It's an interesting way to explore that topic.
ReplyDeleteGreat writing. AJ Cook did a great job as usual.
Good ep, loved the strong women. "He came at me. I had to do it" Looooove you crazy pregnant woman!
ReplyDeleteFantastic, fantastic, fantastic episode.
ReplyDeleteI love how dark the tone was, and yet most of it took place in daylight. Something about that was kind of eerily effective.
Love to see JJ getting something to do, as well! She's awesome.
I think that was an excellent ep, with a lot of great little character details and really excellent guest stars. I was particularly struck by the actress who played the eldest Wilkinson woman, who was *excellent.*
ReplyDeleteFull post-mortem tomorrow, I expect, over on my livejournal, and I'll have more to come back and comment on then, if I have time.
Good job, guys and gals!
I don't have a lot to say about this episode. It was really good but nothing especially popped in my eyes. I love that Erica and Deb had Hotch admit some wrongdoing in his ruined marriage, because up until now I really felt he didn't think he deserved what happened with it. That he was never at fault. Not a lot of Reid which is always an issue for me. I liked all the guests tonight, they all did a fantastic job!!!
ReplyDeleteLee :)
Great episode. I so appreciate JJ’s dilemma. Caring people in law enforcement are considered weak. Jaded people don’t care, but they are considered “better”. AJ’s performance was great too. She and Thomas work well together.
ReplyDeleteAs for the creep factor, yes seeing another pregnant woman possibly carrying a new generation of killer is creepy.
Good character development. Now we know about Rossi’s unfinished business and what triggered his comeback to the BAU. Hopefully he will learn a lesson from the older detective and will pursue his business before more time passes.
O GOD!! HELP!! I felt so so so very sad I couldnt believe the end I mean I was like on and off throughout the entire episode but then I tuned completely in and I was like so hurt when Hotch got served HALEY filed for divorce omg!! my heart was so bruised I mean this epi was like wow what the world but that guy was like literally killing those women like hislate father, I truly believe when the detectives went to the second raped victim house she either covered for him or she killed him and my second answer was right.
ReplyDeleteBut anywho I hope everyone enjoyed the show.
Loved the epi! Great suspense and those poor, poor women left pregnant after the rape, after the husbands tortured, raped, and killed those women. It took a lot of guts for the one woman to come back and try to help out the team and for the others, to get rid of the problem! Yikes!
ReplyDeleteI love how Rossi opened up to the retired sheriff and at the end, the sheriff gave him some sage advice not to let the unsub he has been chasing for 21 years, get to 22 years. Hopefully, we will see Rossi open up to the rest of the team about it.
JJ was wonderful--you could certainly see how troubled she was and the talk she and Hotch had at the end about caring and everything not being perfect was very telling.
Poor Hotch--he was FINALLY going to let loose for a few minutes and have a beer with the team and he gets served with divorce papers. Now everyone knows. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.
PLEASE whatever the acronym is for the network and movie studio honchos--give a little and make an equitable offer to the WGA--you are only shooting yourselves in the foot right now. We want our fantastically talented CM writing teams back at work writing more wonderful stories so our equally fantastically talented actors can film them and everyone will be happy!!!
Was a great episode, very well done. I'll comment more tomorrow, since I'm in the chat now, but just wanted to say I was very pleased!
ReplyDeleteThank you soooo much for posting the music --- I couldn't find it anywhere!! I thought that was Drive By Truckers and you confirmed it for me!
ReplyDeleteIs AJ getting ready to call it quits??
Incredible episode. I love the strong women. JJ finally gets something! Happy dance!
ReplyDeleteO another thing I forgot to mention was JJ's performance with Hotch it was great and I truly like felt bad for her dilemma and I m glad Hotch spoke to her and gave her like this great advice.
ReplyDeleteThis episode was better than last week's and on the same par as "Penelope" was with the building tension and excitement. It was like watching a suspenseful movie for 45 minutes. However I didn't like the ending at all. I wanted the killer to pay for it from the BAU, not by his woman. Oh well- acting good on all fronts- disappointed like others mentioned with Reid's airtime, as well as Garcia's. Better luck next time.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Gubler was busy practicing to be a chipmunk!
ReplyDeleteAwesome episode. I loved it. Pig Farmer right?
Loved it. This goes on my top episodes list. The guest stars were amazing. It is so interesting how one child can be so evil and the other not. What will the grandchild end up as? The mom's were amazing. Just the right amount of team personal life. It was nice to see a team member having a bad day. They can't always hold off their feelings. It was great that Hotch finally admitted that withholding his emotions may not be the best thing. The episode was suspenseful. I was pissed everytime a commercial break started because I wanted to know what was next. I loved not knowing who the unsub was until near the end. Not knowing usually adds to the suspense. Although a great guest star and unsub can also lead to a great suspenseful episode.
ReplyDeleteRossi is finally making me care about him. I didn't think that was possible. I thought it was a great episode. Hotch divorced?! That probably happens to a large percentage of profilers. The job consumes their time.
ReplyDeleteJJ was great in this one. I couldn't figure out at first which one was the unsub. Really good episode.
I liked so much about this epsiode...
ReplyDeletethe strong women
the parallels
how the case effected several of the team
the strength of the good son and the mother who had to confront her past nightmare
the courage of the young, pregnant wife (how horrible would it be to find out your husband was a rapist and murderer?) maybe she was more enraged than courageous.
I love this show so much! It always is fresh...always keeps me guessing...the hour passes so quickly.
Thank you to EVERYONE involved in CM. You are the best!
I liked the conversation between the sheriff & Rossi. That bracelet. We need to see the end of it.
ReplyDeleteLove smart women! JJ & Hotch's scenes were magic. Loved that she had some scenes in this one.
Hotch is going to come close to losing it I think but I can't imagine he will go over the edge too far.
Spooky thought about the episode. Since the son followed his dad and became an unsub will his unborn child follow him and also become an unsub???? Is it nature...or nurture? The dad killed one at a time and the son two...will the new baby kill three?
ReplyDeleteLoved this episode! A+
JJ opening up about her feelings was a nice touch.
ReplyDeleteHotch is going through a divorce.
Garcia was just shot.
Rossi is chasing a 20+ yr case that is haunting him.
Reid is dealing with being abandoned.
Morgan is dealing with his former abuse and his problems with religous faith.
Prentiss is trying to find her balance.
Our poor team is one snowflake away from a snow storm. I love that no matter how bad things get it only serves to strengthen their bond to each other.
Loved Birthright. Well done by all.
It took me the whole episode to figure out who did it. Not the whole episode but most of it. I liked the bookend quotes. JJ's meltdown was interesting. I'm grateful that we know the status of Hotch's marriage and really glad that he went with them for drinks. Rossi is winning me over. Reid looked bad in this episode. I am wondering if this means we are going to get something about him soon. I always love the way the writers portray women as being strong and capable. Nicely done episode. Another quality episode.
ReplyDeleteI liked that episode. It was thematically strong. It was disturbing, but I was expecting that.
ReplyDeleteWhat really got me was the character moments, and the parallels between the Main Characters and the case.
And the Hotch and JJ, separate and together moments killed my spirit. In the really, really wonderful way, that amazingly well done spirit-killing does. Does that even make sense?
Anyways, great job, CM team! We'll still be waiting for you when the strike ends.
Strong women, great team moments, J.J. struggling, Rossi becoming more and more a team player...
ReplyDeleteI loved this episode!
And now we know about the charm bracelet. I really liked this episode.
ReplyDeleteLoved JJ and Hotch moments...
ReplyDeleteGreat episode!
I liked the case in this one--but since I was in the chat tonight I was spoiled for whom the killer was, so I don't know when/if I would've twigged to it being the original killer's son from his marriage. Hopefully, the wife that was pregnant will learn from her mother in law's mistakes (of course, she could have a girl or a son who isn't like his father and grandfather at all).
ReplyDeleteLoved the team in this one. Hotch noticing and talking with JJ. Mom's gotta take care of his kids. Liked his response to JJ's about his never losing it. Maybe I should have. And ye gods, there was a leetle bit of Hotch/Reid tonight--they were in the same frame and talking to each other, even. Wow. I'd like more but will have to take what I can get.
I thought Rossi was great tonight and it was good to learn about the bracelet. Although I started to have a *brain go boom* moment when he said it was one of the first cases he'd ever worked on the job and it was 21 years ago. Then I realised he MUST have meant on the job as a profiler, not as an FBI agent. Thank god.
I liked how they showed JJ having trouble with the job--they all do at times--but she's got Hotch and the rest of the team there for her...which is good. I like how Hotch opened up to her, too...it's good to see.
Okay. *squee* DIVORCE PAPERS /*squee* Poor, poor Hotch. I know it hurts right now, but in time, you'll realise it's the right thing. I hope they don't write Haley as trying to keep him away from Jack--she's a bitch, yes, but I hope she's not that much of a bitch. I don't blame him for not wanting to go out and get a drink. *pets Hotch* I think he might need some comforting...and not from Prentiss--I doubt she could manage that. From Reid, of course. (*Ouch* just got bitten by plot bunny. Damned things.)
I liked the case tonight, too--it was interesting and we didn't know from the get go who the unsub was. I really do prefer these types of cases.
I thought Stephen's mother was fabulous--the strength it must have taken for her to help them out by going back into that barn. I also like that they didn't make the child born of rape the killer. The scene between her and Mary was so compelling. And then Charlie's wife ends up killing him...history repeats itself.
This was a great episode...Loved it!
A really really good ep.
ReplyDeleteFirst things first- most importantly - a great script. Excellent job, ladies.
I honestly had no idea who at first was the killer, but then once I did, I saw the parallels and they were beautiful. That end scene of the mother looking at the pregnant wife who had killed the murderous son- the awesome cycle of life that was that scene was...well...awesome.
Because JJ is my fave character- I need to speak to how much I loved her stuff in this.
AJ nails frustrated/irritated/weary JJ. Why this case over the others? Because she's exhausted and emotionally worn out and this one just struck a convenient chord. And her patience with simply non-existent. And considering how often we see her bright and perky, it was refreshing to see. And as always, AJ brings it.
Hotch- also awesome. That final scene with the divorce papers may be one of my favorite of the entire series.
Just an awesome effort overall.
WOW, I thought it was a great episode. The team's problems were so well balanced with the case. JJ's my fav character so it was great seeing her struggle. I was expecting to see it after she shot Garcia's attacker but better late than never. I also love JJ and Hotch moments. They're always great.
ReplyDeleteIt was good to get more details on Rossi's unfin business. Hopefully that will develop more in future episodes.
While I'm not the biggest Reid fan I have to agree with other people that he hasn't been doing much this season at all. There has to b a Reid episode due!
Overall, this was a brill ep!
Dear Santa,
ReplyDeleteHow are you? How is Mrs. Claus? I hope the reindeer are doing well and that you are looking forward to your big night.
I've been *relatively* good (notsomuchbutiknowyouwillforgivemecuzi'msodarncute)this year, so i thought it would be great if you could only bring me two things.
i would love you to drop some snow on the network people, knock some sense into them and let the writers go back to work.
And if you have just a moment, Shemar Moore could call my cell and say "Babygirl, work some of your magic for me" **meooowwwww**
Thanks Santa!!!!
samantha
I LOVED it!! However..... I will pull ino my bag of foreboding and pull out my psych colours 101. The tone to this epi was very dark. Yet in almost every scene we were bombarded with purple. Purple shirts, purple sweaters, purple flowers, etc. Purple is known to have calming features and is considered a relaxing colour. I have to say that it does not hold well for my theory that we are waiting on a big, very big, BOOM!!!!! It's coming pets, just wait.
The cast was excellent, so much that I could almost look past Morgan and Prentiss in their matching outfits *cringe* during the last big scene.
You could hear a pin drop in my house when Hotch said "I just got served"
Rossi and JJ were fantastic, and it almost felt like home, with the whole cast melding nicely and racing through the evidence to try and find the killer. Unsub wasn't the son-by-rape? Who knew? That was a nice twist.
Please sweet mother of pearl let the writers get what is coming to them and from this episode most definitely deserved!!
Can we find out what make of glasses Garcia was wearing in this episode? I am covetting them until they become mine. MUST have.
LOVED it. I rate it : three pink horseshoes, two clovers and a purple diamond.
i really like this one alot. i felt sorry for both rossi and hotch, i like rossi alot i was glad he told the retired sherriff the story on the bracelet he been carrying around, becuse we found out that is the unfinish bussness he has to tie up. really felt sorry for jj.she look so sad. wish there was more reid, i guess he was doing the chipmuck movie at the time. this one was a very sad show. but it was good
ReplyDeleteStill to ill to sit in at the chat.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very good ep. The genetic predisposition for violence and evil shows up on most crime shows eventually.
That both of the sons knew who the biological father was, was a great idea. The legit one was the evil one and the rape vic's son was the good guy and both of the women were ashamed. I liked the parallel with the wives too, and that the young one killed her hubby before he could do more damage.
Rossi was cool tonight with the old time sheriff. They clicked over their levels of experience. Not much Garcia, Morgan, Reed or Prentiss, but JJ was wonderful as an exhausted and depressed agent and YAY for Hotch to see it and comment.
I never thought Haley would start divorce proceedings so soon. She is so passive/agressive I thought she would come back at least once more. Poor Hotch. But, having him a single man is interesting. It makes the entire team unmarried, I do not think Rossi is married, is he?
Rossi is fitting in fine. I loved Mandy, but this guy is okay too.
Good episode and they better not forget continuity and give us some Garcia love and Reid highlights soon.
Lociloco
Normally spoilers don't change anything for me, but I think this time it did change how I enjoyed the episode...My fault! Anyway, I liked it, but it wasn't my fav.
ReplyDeleteI liked the JJ/Hotch moments, but missed Garcia and Reid. It seems that more time is being spent on the guest spots and less on our team, though I'm probably just being greedy and wanting more and probably wouldn't be happy unless the entire hour was packed with Garcia/Morgan, Reid/Hotch,JJ/Hotch moments! I always want MORE!!
Anyway, I think I'm alone in wishing that Haley and Hotch would have worked it out. Their marriage ended too abruptly for me. You see them not all that long ago being cute, recounting how they met and how Hotch loved her instantly to her suddenly not wanting him to stay in the BAU. I realize that there is only so much time each week and the writers are awesome, but I never saw her as a b--ch. She just wanted a "normal" life and I really think they could have come up with a compromise. Just once I'd like to see marriages work through problems, but I do realize that it doesn't work on this type of show. Maybe I just cringe at seeing Hotch in pain 'cuz he's my favorite. If it has to happen the writers are doing a great job though.
Back to this episode, the guest actors did a great job...very believable.
I really liked this episode..... though it was missing "something". I felt sorry for Rossi, and liked that the sheriff told him not to let his unfinished business go 22 years.
ReplyDeletePoor JJ looked so shadowed and lost... I am glad she was able to talk to Hotch.
Ahh... my Hotchner... *sigh* I had such great hopes that CM would break new ground and let a leading man, a crime fighter, keep his happy marriage... but, alas, Hotch and Haley have gone the easy route of every other TV marriage.
So much left undone by CM... Reid from "Big Game".... JJ attacked by the dogs, then shooting Garcia's attacker... Garcia being attacked...
some pretty serious strings that need to be tied up and I can't wait to see if / when / how it will be done
Loved the ep - very creative and interesting. Strong women, including both BAU and guests. First time I've had any empathy for Rossi; he's fitting into the team much better. Although it did seem to me that he was ordering Hotch around on the phone a couple of times (say "please" SA Rossi). Hotch was great w. JJ. Wonder if she's still harboring some guilt over Reid from Revelations, although there's no need. Hotch's divorce can't come soon enough, although I hope Haley doesn't make trouble about custody.
ReplyDeleteI think this ep had the smallest amount of Reid time, yet. Sad, sad me and Quentin. Not much Garcia, either. Did anyone notice that she didn't even get a chair at the round table at the beginning? She had to stand there and take notes!
Loved the case, loved the interplay among the team and the sherriff's dept, loved our team.
And on a less pleasant note, I'm still calling CBS and Disney and boycotting the products.
ReplyDeletePlease, folks, get back to the table and hammer out a fair and equitable contract. You know it's the right thing to do, and it's the only thing that's going to work.
Love the episode but need to make an observation. Am I the only one who thinks they are setting us up for a possible relationship between Hotch and JJ?
ReplyDeleteThe case was very intense and suspenseful. It kept me guessing who the unsub was up until the very end. I loved the twists and turns.
Hotch getting the divorce papers! Yeah! No offense to Ms. Monroe but it was time for Hailey to go. Yeah!
Loved it. JJ was front and center.
ReplyDeleteSondra,
ReplyDeleteEd promised there would be no intra-team relationships, and I hope they stick to that. I think it just messes up an ensemble show like CM (esp. one that's not based on romances). Don't mean to step on anyone's OTP, but I think the romances are better left in fanfic. Then I'll read 'em all! JMHO
I loved this one the guest women actors were amazing, good job with the casting. It was cool to see the after effects of the crims too. We never really get to see what the characters go through after these horrable events, it was cool to see some one trying to deal with the after effects of an attack and just trying to get through ever day life. Can life ever really be the same after?
ReplyDeleteI need more Reid , please! I only get that once a week fix, and it just hasen't been enuff.
Support our writers, if not, we'll just get reruns and crappy reality TV shows!
sondra from a couple of comments ago mention the hotch/jj possible relationship.. well.. they do look good together and they seem to be comfortable around each other.
ReplyDeleteAnd they are my favourite characters in this show.
But it seems like CM is not a show for 'romance'. It's more about struggles of these agents that we see, and i think that makes good tv ;)
Great episode! I especially liked that it addressed the emotionally stressful nature of what JJ has to do for the team. I'm surprised she hasn't had a nervous breakdown by now but it shows just how strong she really is.
ReplyDeleteLoved all of Rossi's scenes, especially the confrontation with the orginal unsub's wife, making her face the fact that she knew what her husband was and that her son had the potential of becoming just like him. And now we finally know what's going on with the bracelet. It has to be hard to have to tell those kids--now adults--that the killer of their parents is still out there. I'm sure the reason the kids didn't return his call is because they've given up hope of ever getting justice. I also miss Gideon less and less with each episode; Joe is a great addition to the cast!
And poor Hotch getting served with his divorce papers in front of everyone. The team all looked genuinely surprised, except for Morgan and Rossi, which means they kept Hotch's secret. I was glad that Rossi was going out to have a beer with the rest of the team; I thought it would take much longer for him to feel comfortable enough with them before he began socializing with them.
Can't wait for next week's episode! It looks really intense and I'm looking forward to seeing Joe's daughter's acting abilities.
I liked the ep a lot, even though it's not in my top 5.
ReplyDeleteThe guest stars were awesome, particularly Mrs. Wilkinson the elder. She was creeeepy. And the good son telling his mom he knew about what happened to her?
I seem to be in a very small minority. The more I see of Rossi, the less I like him. Yeah, I liked finding out what his problem was. I didn't like that the first/only person he's told wasn't a member of the team, and that he's using Garcia to deal with it. Sharing is a learned skill, anyone? Particularly with Hotch being served at the end.
I don't know. I still don't like him. And the more I see of him, the less I like him.
Better than last one. A good classic.
ReplyDeleteWhere was my best beloved Chipmunk, though? I mean, I'm starting to miss him baaaaadly...I needed a little supply for the looooong months to come...
sigh.
Okay, after some time to think about it, and rewatch the episode, I like this one even better than I did yesterday. It's so full of threads and resonances: it rings like a bell.
ReplyDeleteParents protecting children; children protecting parents; team members protecting each other. The victims protecting each other.
All the people who can or can't let go, who move on or who don't. The simple courage of the survivors of violence.
JJ's office, and her endless work: the rest of the team can go out and play, but she has reams of cases to pick through.
I loved that this episode centered so strongly on JJ, and we learned so much bout her. Her moment of stepping up to help the sheriff, her compassion when he didn't know how to deal with the victim's families, was a quintessential JJ moment.
Reid in the barn--OMG. MGG has no dialogue at all in that scene, and he doesn't need it. You're right there with him.
And the parallel between Reid and Karen--both of them facing a similar nightmare to try to save someone else.
The actresses playing Karen and Mary, and the actor playing Stephen, are some of the strongest guest stars we've had on the show. Waht a fabulous job from all of them.
A+.
So the sins of the father are visited on the next generation. But you better watch out for the mothers!!! Yay,for strong women who protect their children. Nice episode about how family ties can bind in more than one way.
ReplyDeleteI noticed the paucity of Reid moments, too. He's been on the back burner so long, his biscuits are burning. Hopefully, the strike will be resolved sometime in this millenium so we can rotate everyone's backstory one day.
(We're still supporting the writers!!!!)
This episode is now my all-time favorite.
ReplyDeleteHands down, no question. Deb and Erica did an amazing job as usual.
Funny thing is, I just realized they did work on Alias and Charmed aswell, two of my other favorite shows, in which they also wrote some of my favorite episodes in them.
It was nice to see a return to the regular format, where the audience gets to profile along with the team. This mental process makes the show different than everything out there.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work guys and gals-when you get to do it again. Hope it is very soon!!!!
I loved it! It was great. I like the fact that we never got to see the killer until the end. I like it better that way!
ReplyDeleteI also glad we finally got to hear why Rossi carries that bracelet and the story around it. It also lets us know why he came back. The kids he calls every year didn't return his call this past year. He wanted to come back and solve their parents murder and give them the answer they have been waiting for, for 21 years now.
I did feel a little sad for Hotch at the end, but then again, if she doesn't want to understand what he goes through better, then he deserves someone better then her!
Rossi may need to accept that the children from that murder 21 yrs ago may need to move on more than they need closure. They're adults now and may be starting families, etc., and want to start fresh.
ReplyDeleteHe may have to work this one for his own needs, and he may have to leave the "kids" alone to live their lives as they see fit. He sounded pretty judgmental about not receiving return calls.
I liked this episode a lot. I loved the strong women, the parallels, the differences. We got a great view of them in a very little time. Excellent! (And loved the guest stars!)
ReplyDeleteThat said -- I had a couple problems with this ep. The biggest one was with JJ. I loved her scenes with Hotch. He talks about it being okay to break down -- but we never got to see the break-down. Unless I missed something, all we saw was JJ being hurt and haunted. Might be the case, might be bad sushi. I suspect there *was* a wonderful scene of her losing it, and it ended up on the cutting room floor. Whaaa!
When they find the first killer's journal, Hotch asks JJ if there's anything about where he held the women and she says, "Not yet." Um, hello, Dr. 20,000-words-per-minute Reid is standing two feet away. Could we please hand him the book?
The scene where the team is split up, half at the battlefield and Rossi with the old sheriff. There's a cut-away scene with the killer killing one of the girls, and then we're back with the team finding the body. Obviously some time has passed, but having the same people in the same places made that hard to reconcile. It looked like we only cut away for a minute, not hours. Again, I think editing. Very disconcerting.
And a trivial one -- we knew exactly where the party girl vanished from, and we had clothes she'd been wearing an hour before, yet nobody even suggested giving the bloodhounds a shot?
I think Rossi is developing nicely. I like the explanation of the charm.
And poor Hotch -- but beautifully handled. Just like him to just announce the divorce and walk away; no dramatics, no display of emotion.
lin--
ReplyDeleteI have to beg to differ on one point: I am just as happy JJ didn't break down. It's not something we've seen any of the other characters do, and I for one am so very tired of the Hollywood trope whereby female characters are inevitably less professional and more emotional than their male colleagues.
JJ held it together and did her job, and I for one am proud of her.
(Unless I missed something, Reid had a second journal.)
(Unless I missed something, Reid had a second journal.)
ReplyDeleteNope, you didn't miss anything. Reid did have journal as well (just re-watching it as I made caps). Also, I would think his 20,000 wpm is for typewritten/published materials; handwriting would probably slow him down a bit as it's not as consistent.
But yes, probably still faster than most of us! *G*
I finally got to watch it last night. Awesome episode. Solid performances and the case was really interesting and exciting. I liked Rossi so much better after this one.
ReplyDeleteVery good episode and I really liked the way in which the women forged bonds with each other - the recent victims and the survivors of the previous episode.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see such insight into JJ as well.
Stacy--
ReplyDeleteWell, we got to see his handwriting-reading speed in Lucky. *g*
Fast, but yeah. Not his usual rate of cruise.
of course, he was reading out loud.
NOt enough Reid
ReplyDeletePoor Hotch
Great JJ Scenes
My heart just broke for that girl when she watched her friend get killed; while promising her that she wouldn't tell her parents what happened to them. At that point she'd have promised to eat broken glass everyday for the rest of her life.
ReplyDeleteThen my heart broke again when Hotch got the divorce papers. The whole team standing there shocked, except for Morgan and Rossi, who knew things weren't right. I always liked the family dynamic to Hotch. I guess I was one of the few that was hoping that they could work it out, at least until the possibility that she was cheating on him was brought up and now she's filing for divorce. Okay! The stupid witch must now die, but I still feel bad for Hotch. He is loosing his family who despite everything, he still loves.
Okay on with the show. Since the son figured this brand of murder to be his "Birthright" he may have figured out that his mother killed his father thus skewing his view of women further. I think he knew what he was doing was wrong and that it was genetic because he told his wife near the end of the episode that he never wanted a family. This leads me to believe that he was afraid that the psychosis would be passed on and he didn't want that. I found it interesting that he picks a girl like dear old mom to marry. I think the reason Charlie became the unsub instead of the other son has more to do with nurture as a pose to nature. His mother making excuses for his behavior and such. If you want to insist on even the nature side of things, Charlie's mother was also capable of murder as she killed the father. I don't think Mrs. Foley would have been able to bring herself to do that. She kept a child of rape because she couldn't punish him for what his father did. I was very impressed with the strength that she showed both in keeping and raising her son and in helping the team catch the unsub. You could tell that the job is really getting to JJ. She is due for on epi. all about her. I'd like to see some of the cases she passes over. Get some insight on what it is like for her to have to make such difficult decisions. There was, again, not enough Reid in this epi. Your killing us Reid fans here, I hope you know that.
I am not so sure about the whole nature vs. nurture thing. I am one who believes that a person can raise above their circumstances, whether natural or environmental.
I forgot to mention Rossi and the old Sheriff. First of all, love W. Morgan Shepard, second love that we got Rossi's reason for coming back. It seams fitting that he wouldn't quite trust the team with his secrets yet. It might display vulnerability where he wants to display strength.
ReplyDeleteAlso I loved the scene with Reid in the barn. You could just see his imagination working over time as he looked slowly up the chains.
I can't wait 'til next week. Joe has to stand there with a straight face while his daughter is pleading for her daddy to help her. Even if you now she's just acting and not really in danger, that's gotta do something to you. You'd have to fight a lot of parental instincts. Should be good.
Ummmmm!
ReplyDeleteIt's 9:00 PM and I just turned on the TV and Criminal Minds is not on. Big Brother is on.
I loved this episode. It held up well during the second viewing.
ReplyDeleteRossi and his bracelet. I liked seeing JJ show emotion. Great episode.
ReplyDeleteI really love this episode. The guest stars are amazing. I did notice that JJ was reading one of the journal for any mention of a location when Reid was right there. I would have thought Reid would be the logical choice to read both. Oh well. JJ reading it played into the emotional plot.
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