Wednesday, August 06, 2008

CRIMINAL MINDS SPOILER THREAD FOR "A HIGHER POWER"


Criminal Minds spoiler thread for Criminal Minds episode "A Higher Power" starring Joe Mantegna, Thomas Gibson, Paget Brewster, Shemar Moore, A.J. Cook, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Kirsten Vangsness. Written by Michael Udesky.

***Beware- Comments on this thread will contain spoilers***

***This is the spoiler thread from the first airing of this episode. Please post comments about the episode here after you rewatch it. ***

74 comments:

Anonymous said...

Counting the minutes. Is this a new writer for the show? I don't remember his name from any other episodes.

Anonymous said...

ReneƩ O'Connor, best known for her work as Gabrielle on Xena: Warrior Princess is one of the guest stars. Yeah! She's awesome.

Deirdre said...

I'm really excited about tonight. I just can't wait to get my CM fix

Unknown said...

Oh my gosh Gabrielle is going to be a guest start on Cm cool I loved Xenia Warrior Princess.

Anonymous said...

I think he is a freelance writer. Maybe we can ask Jill to find out if he is staying with the show. Yo Jill!! Info please.

Anonymous said...

5 hours not that I am counting. *g*

steph said...

I still have 8.5 hours to go...

Lisa said...

Hey

Are there any Canadians out there that are being rail-roaded by American Idol?? I'm sooo upset, they are not playing CM on CTV (Canada's CBS kinda) and I don't have cable!! Does anyone know whats going on??

I think I'm going to cry:(

LAsell

Anonymous said...

Ya I realized that yesterday.. luckily i have cbs...

I was so pissed off though. I was thinking CM would, again, be at 7pm like last week... it's idol's fault. This year's idol sucks. Ya i should stop basing idol. LOL.

slashgirl said...

lasell

From what I can figure out, CTV isn't airing this ep...their schedule for next week shows the info for Elephant's Memory.

I don't know when they'll show a Higher Power. I'd suggest to keep checking their online schedule...

Anonymous said...

Not great so far. Hopefully it will get better after this commercial break. It seems disjointed to me. Maybe on rewatch I will like it better.

Anonymous said...

It was an alright episode. Morgan's disbelief given a clear pattern (every two weeks is just too much of a coincidence) was a little insincere feeling to me. Prentiss and Rossi were both good in this ep, as well as Reid. Disappointed there wasn't more with Hotch and his kid. Not horrible, but not as strong as last weeks ep.

Anonymous said...

Not too bad of an episode. I didn't like how Morgan acted though. Loved Reid talking about the self help groups. It works into my story real well. I also like that it's a Reid centric episode. But that's getting off the point. Hotch was alright. I'm glad that Rossi is not being so hard. I give this a 8.4

Anonymous said...

Nidrian, I am so glad that it wasn't just me who thought it was just okay. I am disappointed with the episode. It lacked depth and seemed thrown together. Definately not as good as last week's episode. I thought the actors did a good job.

Phoenix said...

This episode seemed a bit "flatter" than usual. However, I did like the ending, especially the part with Emily and the Lori Ann. Overall, I liked what they did with Emily and Rossi.

After thinking about it, I think this was the one written by someone else, not the usual writers. Considering how tough it is come come it cold, it was an okay episode.

The only part I didn't like--and maybe I'm reading the wrong thing into the scene--I thought Ed said they were going to drop the Reid/drug story line. (Leaving it that he was stressed and tempted but never addicted.) The scene with Emily and Reid about the self-help groups being anonomous made it look like the topic was coming back. I hope I'm wrong. That's such a bad direction to take Reid's character.

Anonymous said...

I thought the episode was okay. Not horrible (HAT) and not great (LDSK). I agree that you could tell it wasn't written by one of our writers. It lacks their individual marks. I wouldn't watch it again but I am not sorry that I watched it tonight. It was a good solid effort by an outsider.

Anonymous said...

m-m-my baby. The look on his (Reid's) face. OMG imma cry now! It was a good episode. Not the best I've ever seen, but good. ESPECIALLY THE LOOK ON REID'S FACE WHEN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT NOTES FOR PROGRAMS!!!!!!!!! :'(

AAAAAH IS IT NEXT WEEK YET?!?!?!?!

Anonymous said...

I liked Hotch going to see his son. At least we know that the writers are going to keep Jack in Hotch's life. They certainly have set us up for next week's episode by Andrew Wilder. That's going to be great. This episode was okay. The team didn't seem very passionate about the case but there were some good bits in it.

Anonymous said...

Morgan didn't seem like Morgan in this one. I am not even sure I really understood some of what he was saying or implying. It was ok.

slashgirl said...

This was an okay ep. Not enough Hotch...but then some of what we did get was good. I like that they're not forgetting about Jack. And poor Hotch, he needed a hug...from Reid. *g*

The brother of one of the suicides is the one who calls JJ.

Rossi is talking to Hotch, who says he needs a personal day to talk to Jack and try explain what's going on--not sure how much he'll understand. "I've lost her, I'm not going to lose him." Yay Hotch.

Despite doubts--mostly from Morgan, Rossi decides they'll take the case. Morgan isn't convinced that they've gote a serial killer.

There was some really nice Reid and Rossi interaction tonight--I think Rossi finally getting a handle on Reid.

Morgan owns four properties--he and Prentiss are talking in the bathroom of the cops brother and Morgan brings it up.

That poor baby with his mother hanging in the other room...

I miss Hotch. I hate Hotchless eps. Sucks.

Garcia gets called and they ask about drugs that could be used to immobilise someone.

Morgan needs them all outside and Hotch has arrived! Yay Hotch. They're talking outside cus the unsub might be a cop.

They cut to an AA meeting. Man talking about his son…and games.

AA man goes to little league game, antoher AA guy comes and sits with him—unsub.

Garcia calls them back, call morgan "my burning love hunk" She talks about her research, found
needlemark in woman's head and names a couple drugs that metabolise quickly--thus can't be found in autopsy.

Cut to AA man with unsub--I called it. This suicide is gs to the head and they find a needle mark.Morgan finally agrees they have an unsub.

Reid talking about the letters being from 5 step grief type program...they figure out the unsub is attending meetings and from the commonness of what they find by asking around at various meetings, they get names and Garcia finds out who it is. It's obvious that Reid knows about the groups from experience...from the look on his face.

Team realises that the unsub's brother didn't committ suicide but that it was his first kill; he and his brother were molested by his father.

Okay, Prentiss/Garcia: canon: I love you Penelope Garcia. *G*

Hotch in Kevlar. Mmm.

They figure out the latest victim, who smashes her car to stop the unsub.

Turns out the cops brother wasn't murdered—his name wasn't found in the unsub's house…he committed suicide. Analysis of the journal concluded it was suicide and of course the cop is in denial.

On plane, Rossi asks Hotch how it went with Jack, Hotch says he told him he wasn't going to be around as much. And that Jack gave him a hug and told him everything was going to be alright. Rossi: smart kid, like his dad. *G*

Morgan and Prentiss talk, he explains why he has four properties...makes him feel like he's changing things.

Overall, an okay ep...I'm sure looking fwd to next week's ep--I even watched the promo. AW H/R ep. YAY.

Anonymous said...

I liked it but the scene with the baby made me want to cry. The preview for next week looks great. Rossi seemed more relaxed this episode so I guess solving his case last week has helped him calm down.

Anonymous said...

I'm kind of lukewarm to this episode, too. I can't pinpoint what was different. The storyline was good but not hit-it-out-of-the-ballpark -- which it usually is.

I couldn't understand why Morgan was so skeptical. The Hotch stuff was really unsatisfying - kind of pale.

The Rossi scenes were good and the Reid scenes were great - as usual. (Betcha can't tell my bias.) And Garcia was great too.

I think I need to watch it again to really give a more thorough review/reaction.

Overall, I think the new writer did okay. With a serious fan base like us, we're a tough audience to woo and win over.

Anonymous said...

They are doing a really good job of keeping up and not dropping story lines this season. I liked the continuity of Hotch's divorce being carried over to this episode. I especially liked his sense of urgency to talk with his son. He put him before the job and that was a great thing to see. Also, his talking to Rossi at the end about how it went with Jack was very good. As I said I like that they are not dropping things for later use anymore.

Reid is obviously up next. We've all seen the interviews and know what is going to happen but they did a great job of giving us some nice clues. The Reid story line was dropped without resolution last season and it is time for it to end. I'm looking forward to it.

I enjoyed the episode.

Anonymous said...

Debbie, You really nailed it. I wouldn't want to be new and writing for us. We are a really demanding fandom. The episode was flat. No real highs or lows. Next week will be better.

Anonymous said...

This was a sad episode. Those poor grieving families.

Rossi really shined tonight. He was full of caring for Hotch and was really into the case. He did a good job trying to corral Morgan when Morgan obviously didn't want to be there and wasn't convinced it was even a case.

Prentiss was really touched by this case, you could see the concern on her face and a catch in her voice.

I felt bad for Hotch, and really expected to see a Hotch/Jack scene, but that wasn't in the cards tonight.

Reid was interesting when talking about handwriting analysis and the various help groups. It was a telling moment, and I am anxiously awaiting to see what transpires regarding his PTSD or addiction, or whatever it will turn out to be.

This wasn't the best episode, but it did have some good moments.

jaims said...

jerichulova, what do you mean we know what's going to happen? i've been out of the country and -- so awfully -- away from the internets (actually on graduate criminology work), so i'm lacking in the sufficient background info; a more fleshed out explanation would be much appreciated. and, not to ruffle anyone's feathers, but my opinion is (in contrast to phoenix) that reid's addiction was a faboo thread. but i'm a creep.

Anonymous said...

The golden rule for CM should be that you have to know how to speak like Garcia to write an episode. Garcia didn't sound like Garcia in this one.

The episode was okay but I could tell without even knowing that someone new had written it. It was long. I thought it would never be over. Sorry. I'm sure it was a great effort but we need to stick with our own writers. Disappointed.

Anonymous said...

Jaims,

I can answer the question for you. Matthew Gray Gubler did an interview about the drug story and also there are spoilers all over the internet about it.

I actually liked the episode very much. I liked the slower pace. It isn't what I would want all the time but it was good for one night. I thought the Hotch scenes were moving and the case was interesting.

Anonymous said...

I liked seeing more of Prentiss tonight. I wasn't a big fan of the case, though. And it felt strange to not have Hotch with the team for a while.

Can't wait for next week! Wednesdays are always too far away.

Anonymous said...

It was nice seeing Prentiss offering comfort. I'm so used to it always being JJ comforting the victims and/or families. Prentiss has a very nice empathetic soft side and I like when we get to see it.

Hotch isn't my favorite character but it was weird to have so little of him in this episode. It felt like someone was missing.

The guest stars did great jobs tonight.

Anonymous said...

i have lots of time to watch this show over and over. i have sugary monday morning .i will be off the next for months so i can watch criminal minds and not miss anything. can,t waite to see this one later tonight,

Anonymous said...

Tonight episode was okay. Not great, not bad. I like Reid and Prentiss in this one. Prentiss seems more touched by the case then the others. Rossi was good too and I like how he was looking out for Hotch. I wish we had seen Hotch with his son.

I'll say that for his first CM episode, Micheal Udesky did okay.

Can't wait for next week episode!

Anonymous said...

ooops for get to mention in my comment before that I like that Morgan was the voice of dissention. Not much JJ in this episode too.

Like I said before not a great episode, not a bad one.

Brigitte

Anonymous said...

There is no doubt that this was an outstanding first effort by the new writer. It was a good episode. We had Ed's tremendous episode last week and next week is a given hit since Wilder wrote it so maybe our expectations were just too high. Maybe mine were too high. There was nothing wrong with the episode.

I agree that Emily was very good in this episode. I also thought Rossi was very good. It was nice seeing him so honestly supportive of Hotch.

Unknown said...

I liked the episode it was a bit Creepy and hit a bit close to home with the suicide talk and the loss of kids after just loosing my second cousin who was four no more than nine months ago to a freak accident but the epi was good over all.

Anonymous said...

The brother being his first kill/ suicide leaves me with questions.

This is probably just me but I thought there were way too may close-ups in this episode. I didn't like the camera work at all.

The episode seems like a filler episode. One of those episodes that is okay but leaves you dying for a great one. Next week we have a new episode by AW and the promo looked great. Then repeats I think. I know it is posted on the blog somewhere but can somebody remind me of the writer episode order that we have left for the season.

Anonymous said...

The plot points were easy to figure out in this episode. The conversations seemed forced and the whole team seemed detached from the case. Sorry. I just didn't like it at all.

Anonymous said...

Reid's knowledge of self help groups, the spoilers we already have coupled with the promo make next week look like a winner. It looks like it is a Reid-centric episode! Looks like I just may be adding another Andrew Wilder episode to my top ten. Give me my Reid. I like Rossi but I am tired of him and this episode had nooot enough JJ or Hotch in it.

The unsub and his brother were molested and he became a monster. I thought the casting of the actor who played the unsub to be very good. He did a great job.

I thought is was an acceptable episode. It had its moments.

Anonymous said...

The episode needed to show Hotch with his son. That would have made it better.

Morgan not thinking it that there was a serial killer was a new and nice touch. I liked that he disagreed.

Prentiss has come a long way since she joined the team. There were great Prentiss moments tonight.

B for the episode.

Anonymous said...

This was a good episode. I think it did a good job of showing the team working together despite unexplainable disagreements (Morgan, what was wrong with you?) and Hotch's divorce. You could TELL he was in pain, and I am glad the rest of the team could balance with his reduced ability to concentrate. And the lead up to Reid's big episode? I nearly died, I'm so excited... you could tell he was silently panicking about the group therapy stuff.

Over all, I am glad CM is back with an episode that is really unlike what we've seen before! That's a good thing. Granted, it is not going to be the HUGE memorable episode of the season, but that's okay... it is simply another installment in the lives of our characters and it is a good "filler" between "Damaged" and "Elephant's Memory".

Thanks, Michael!

Anonymous said...

A bit of a strange ep, but not a bad one. I don't think folks understand how hard it is to find the soul and words of a character. It takes time.

An intriguing story overall and nice that the killer was believable.
-S.

Anonymous said...

Morgan's properties was cute. Prentiss' concern about whether they truly are making a difference was a nice touch. Reid had a double dose of his loveable twitches tonight. Next week is going to be so wonderful. Is it Wed again yet?

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know were I can watch the full episode from tonight? I had to stop watching it in the middle and it did not record!!! Please help, I can't find it anywhere.

Anonymous said...

I really liked it. I liked the team interaction and that everyone had their moments without the episode belonging to one character. I was confused by Hotch asking Rossi for time off since I understood Hotch to be the big boss but maybe I missed something. I was very happy with tonight's episode. Next week looks great. Lets abuse Reid some more. Since Andrew Wilder wrote it you know it is going to have lots of twists and turns. I bet Reid looks like a pretzel by the end of the episode. I love having the show back.

Anonymous said...

Ok I'm sorry to be a bother.. but is there any way that someone could detail an explanation of the reid spoilers I'm supposed to know. I've had limited time to surf the past few months and would really like to know specifics! Or perhaps steer me in the right direction of what website/article to check out. Thanks so much love u guys!!!
~Angie

Anonymous said...

i also like to no where to go for that reid spoiler. i really want to no what is going on. i saw the preview for next week. it looks really good.

Anonymous said...

I liked this episode. It's not the best, but it was still good.

My problem with this episode is Morgan. He seemed so... not Morgan. He was out of character. He wouldn't be the one to pass up this kind of case. And when he mentioned how Hotch wouldn't care about the case either, I went 'What?! Hotch? Are you kidding me?! Just a little nudge from JJ and Hotch is on the case'...

Reid... what can I say... his drug problem reappearing, and how he 'dealt' or deals with it.

I hope next week's is better.

Anonymous said...

I liked this episode a lot. I don't think Hotch was asking Rossi's permission to take some time off. I think he was asking him to cover for him while he took some time off. That is good team work.

Give me my quotes, some decent music, the jet and a good unsub and I am happy. I thought this was a very good episode.

Anonymous said...

Kimmie: That is how I took it. I liked that he asked Rossi. It reminded me of how Hotch was with Gideon. They backed each other up. I thought the episode was great. I really enjoyed it.

Anonymous said...

I liked this episode but it's not a stand-out. The case was interesting but it didn't seem to have the same intensity that most episodes have. I did like the little piece of info about Morgan owning properties. I wouldn't mind having him as my landlord!

Next week's episode looks great! I can't wait to see it!

Ambra

Anonymous said...

I want more Reid/JJ moments!!! :(
I hope that, in the future, they will work together again!!!

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite things about CM is that although they often do the same sorts of things, there's always something different (beyond plot) that makes it fresh and interesting. I don't know how the writers achieve this, but I love it.

Anonymous said...

OMG, I really loved this episode. I loved how they dealt with Hotch taking a day off for explaining everything to Jack. Thomas Gibson was wonderful in this. Of course everybody would have wanted to watch a Hotch/Jack scene, but I think sometimes not being able to watch something gives a show more depth. I don't know if that's understandable. And I love Rossis reaction in that episode. It shows just how much he cares about Hotch.
And Reids face when he talked about the self help groups said all that has to be said about him and his dealing with the drug problem. Very very good work from Matthew. You just wanted to hug him and tell him everything will be good at the end.
I loved it that their were jet scenes again in this episode and the scene between Rossi and Hotch was really really touching.
So I think I'm really happy with this episode.
Really good work Mr. Udesky!
Renate

Anonymous said...

Seriously, that is what they should have called this episode. Everyone was so very serious. They have brought Prentiss into the forefront, I think perhaps, it will be to offset JJ not being on-screen as much. Hotch was grimmer than grim and it was very sweet that his kid helped to comfort him. I agree with several other posters that Morgan's reluctance was kind of irritiating and not at all in character.
Rossi was good and a definite plus for the team this time. I did not get druggie vibes from Reid at all, and never even thought of the drug problem. I think that is a dead issue. It just seems to me that knowing about "support" groups would be something Reid knows about.
Garcia looked especially lovely in her red outfit.
An okay ep, not a great one, I as not particularly moved by it.
LOCILOCO

Anonymous said...

I liked this eppy. It was good. I liked Rossi's concern for Hotch. Hotch looks so sad. He needs a hug!
I also like what Morgan does in his off time. "I kick down walls."
The scene where Reid is talking about the groups and the letters they have them write. You can tell he was talking from first hand experience. Poor Reid. He looked do sad there!

Anonymous said...

Episode was fine, not as strong as last week, but still worthy. Printess, Rossi and Reid stepped up well. He was a believable killer.

Next weeks looks very good...closure perhaps.

Criminal Minds Fan said...

A bad episode of CM is still better than a great episode of any other tv show so I am going with "glass half full" and call it a good episode.

I can't imagine how truly difficult it would be for a brand new person to write for the CM audience. Whether it is a freelance writer or a new addition to Ed's writing staff, we are a very hard audience. Almost no small thing gets by us and we pick at every small detail. We know the history of everything and every character. That is a lot for a newbie to deal with.

I thought there were some very nice elements to the episode. The idea of Hotch going to talk with his son and his determination that he would not lose him from his life was good writing BUT Jack should only be 2, maybe going on 3 years old and therefore the dialogue between Hotch and Rossi at the end made no sense. Jack wouldn't be old enough to tell his dad that everything was going to be alright because he should barely know how to walk and talk in full sentences at 2 let alone understand divorce, etc.

Prentiss, Morgan and Reid held true to their characters in this one. Rossi was great. Much better in this episode. Less tense and I guess his case being solved last week helped us with that problem.

JJ seemed totally detached. Her briefing was unlike any other she has done in previous episodes. It was almost too brief but okay. She sat away from everyone on the plane and seemed to be mentally a million miles away. Perhaps this is the build up for the JJ is pregnant story that is coming. If so it makes sense but if that is not the reason then it was weird. We'll need to wait to see how it plays out and revisit whether it made sense in this episode.

The timeline of the suicides seemed off to me but I will rewatch it and see if I missed something. Morgan not believing it was a serial killer and the tension between him and Rossi over it was good.

The promo was awesome. It looks like next week is going to be great. Hardly a surprise since AW wrote it but I think Michael Udesky deserves lots of praise for this episode. All things considered he did a good job and I think it is a very hard job to do. So thanks Michael. I hope you enjoyed working with the best writing staff working for TV today and you gave us a good episode!

PAOLAFROMPARIS said...

Rossi was ssweet, Morgan stubborn, Hotch huggable, Reid....
Oh, Reid....
I missed a bit of action, but Reid...
oh, REID....*dreaming*

Anonymous said...

I liked it. It was a good episode but a little bit slow. There wasn't anything to get my adrenaline moving but I liked it.

Anonymous said...

can we get the trailer for the next episode up on here?
in a hurry, please.


and maybe this isn't the right place for this question, but where'd they get the info for last week's talk on the hypothalamus by dr. reid? do people know the sources of their info, or do they ever critique it? or do they just let it be bc it's a (fab) tv show after all?

Anonymous said...

I think Jack would be almost three now and I don't think Hotch expected him to really understand the situation as much as he wanted to assure them both that they were going to be okay even if they saw less of each other. I liked those parts.

Has anyone considered that Prentiss' focus on the suicides and her obvious distress may have to do with her father. We've met her mom (Kate Jackson in Honor Among Thieves) but there hasn't been anything said about the situation with her dad. Just a thought.

Anonymous said...

Anon: We know they use a lot of experts from all fields to gather data because Ed and all have discussed that in interviews. The rule around here seems to be that we can talk about whatever we want about episodes.

Anonymous said...

I really loved this episode. It was dark and serious. And that`s what I like about CM and why it`s my favourite show. I liked Rossi and Prentiss a lot in this ep and I absolutely loved how the writer let Morgan act. Michale Udesky did a great job. I hope they let him write more episodes for CM.

respectanimals said...

I didn’t really care for this episode. Some of it was very predictable and a lot of it just seemed a bit contrived. I also thought it crossed the line by making us watch the baby in the high chair, while his mother hangs in the next room. Scenes like those make me like the show a lot less and are part of what gives the show it’s gruesome reputation.

Morgan was totally off. I could understand his skepticism of the case, but to be completely closed-minded didn’t seem like him at all. And the little property/smashing down doors thing wasn’t very fulfilling either. It seemed empty, like it was missing something. I did sort of like the conflict between Morgan and Rossi though. Morgan has distrusted Rossi from the beginning, and he was the same way with Jason Gideon at times, so that sort of fits his character. I think the main characters need a little conflict between themselves now and then.

Hotchner had so little air time that I couldn’t help but wonder if Thomas Gibson is maybe getting less airtime for a reason. I would have liked to have seen him featured more prominently in the episode.

I did like Rossi and Emily though. For the first time, Rossi finally seemed to fill Jason Gideon’s shoes within the group, instead of acting like the Lone Ranger. He was supportive of Hotch and did a good job leading the team and making the decisions. I’m also starting to like Emily’s new hair style.

Reid and JJ were both just fine too. I was intrigued by Reid’s knowledge of self-help groups. It made me wonder if he has participated in any of those types of groups recently and what for exactly. Unlike some other fans, I’m not really turned off by the possibility of Reid dealing with a drug problem, but given his history he could have attended groups like that for many different reasons. It didn’t necessarily have to be a drug problem. I also liked JJ’s interaction with the police officer.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the little exchanging of pet names between Garcia and Morgan makes me cringe. It’s unnecessary and is really seeming forced these days.

I also mentioned on the blog once before that none of the actors could read the quotes nearly as well as Mandy Patinkin did when he was on the show, but I think Paget Brewster is getting really good at it. I thought her quote near the end was very well done.

Anonymous said...

That's right Emily get in line. Everyone loves Garcia.
How old were those kids suppose to be anyway? Old enough to be at a dance yet at least two of the families have toddlers. Talk about spacing out your kids.
O my gosh that baby with the mother hanging in the other room. I wanted to cry. That sweet little boy has to grow up with out his mom now.
Speaking of kids, poor Hotch. His family is being torn apart and there's nothing he can do. He's worried about Jack and everything. Hotch needs a hug.
I love the hand writing analyzation. I like how we are seeing more the geographical profiling and such. We are finally seeing more of Reid's math skills put to work.
Over all I liked the ep. but I wasn't in love with it. I give it a B+

Now on to next week. How am I suppose to keep from biting my nails to the numbs? Finally the answer to the question that has been keeping me up nights. Reid...drugs...yes...no? Reid needs a hug. I'LL GIVE HIM ONE!

Elizabeth said...

I'm really surprised people are calling this a filler episode. I thought it was a very touching study in grief and how we deal with the difficulties life chucks at us - both the townspeople and the team.

The crime of the week wasn't the most important part of this - but for me, it never is. I watch the show because I think the writing is top notch and the characterisation is subtle and yet expertly done.

Anonymous said...

I thought the episode was good. I would always prefer to learn the unsubs identity through the profiling rather than having him appear early in the story. The "reveal" was too early.

The range of behaviours of the potential victims was pretty accurate. Responses to grief are not identical, and that showed in the story. The BAU members showed a similar pattern. Each had different reactions to the grief of others.

I feel the writer did a pretty good job keeping the character's voices. I am not surprised by Morgan's responses nor do I think they were out of character. He has become much more vocal about his disagreements with the team. He has asserted himself more since Gideon left, much like an elder son would when a father deserts the family.

I was somewhat confused with the comment Reid made about the psychological autopsy and its accuracy. Since suicides are not prosecuted criminally(naturally) how can they be used in court? Perhaps they are in civil proceedings. it was just an awkward statement to me.

Tracy said...

I'm delayed in writing my comments, my week got crazy.

i liked this episode alot and was glad to see the team again racing against the clock to save someone.

Every time I saw Hotch I just wanted to *huggle* him, I hope everything gets back to normal, well as normal as it can be, soon.

The unsub was creepy and I liked the conflict with the team of taking the case or not taking the case....I thought Morgan was a little inflexible but was glad to see Rossi take that into account and work to convince the team to consider it.

It was an ironic twist, and a good one, to have the death that caused them to take the case, actually be a suicide.

The handwriting analysis part was interesting but I would have liked to seen more of it....maybe that would be a good extra for the Season 3 DVDs....hint hint. :)

All in all, a great episode.

Tracy said...

P.S. Still not a fan of Rossi doing the opening quote, I don't know, I just don't think he has the right voice for it.

Maybe we'll get Hotch next week.

:)

Unknown said...

I think Mr Udesky did a great job. Beautiful episod. I enjoyed it a lot. Many thanks.

Anonymous said...

Just watched this ep. I could tell it wasn't by one of the 'regular' writers...but I guess over time you get to know and understand the different writing styles of the CM regulars. Considering that the CM fans know more minute details of the show/plotlines/timelines etc than any other fandom, Michael has done very well. I enjoyed the episode, if 'enjoy' is an appropriate term to use. I loved the Reid moments, and the tie ins with past storylines, and also the build up for next weeks ep - some guidance from the existing writers I'm guessing! -

JJ being distant this week.... hoping that it is to do with the pregnancy storyline and not a 'whoops' moment.

Morgan a property developer....why does my landlord not look like him???? :-)

Anonymous said...

I really liked this episode. I felt that Morgan not agreeing with the team got a little old but otherwise well written!!!

Lee :)

Anonymous said...

I just don't like this episode. It doesn't pop for me.

Anonymous said...

Even after viewing this for the second time, I still can't figure out what to think about this episode. It's such a downer. Even my affect feels like it's been flatten by a really big steamroller. The case was so-so. I figured out that the unsub was using succincylcholine from the beginning so there was no suspense for me. The team figuring out that it was through support groups was no big reveal. It was weird that Morgan had to be such a doubting Thomas. The best part was Reid looking sheepish during the comment about self-help groups since we now know what was going on with him.
In all, not the best but not the worse episode.