Tuesday, August 26, 2008

CRIMINAL MINDS SPOILER THREAD FOR "ELEPHANT'S MEMORY"


Criminal Minds: Spoiler thread for Criminal Minds episode "Elephant's Memory" starring Joe Mantegna, Thomas Gibson, Paget Brewster, Shemar Moore, A.J. Cook, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Kirsten Vangsness. Written by Andrew Wilder.

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

***This is the original spoiler thread for the episode. Feel free to leave additional comments. ***

130 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm counting the hours!

Deirdre said...

me too. except i've alot more hours to count as i won't get to see the episode until thurs evening!!

Anonymous said...

i am very excited for this one to come on.

Anonymous said...

The promo for this one looked great! I can hardly wait!

Anonymous said...

having seen the promo for this ep....I really can't wait to see it! Looks like it's going to be a good one....as ever!

Nita said...

Filled with anticipation!

Anonymous said...

It is on now here in Canada!

Anonymous said...

Hopefully we finally get closure on the whole Reid drug thing.

Anonymous said...

AH! I came home form work turned on CTV and its on!

slashgirl said...

Another great episode--but of course, I would expect no less from Andrew Wilder.

I loved the quotes and the musical choices were great too....

I've gotta get ready for the chat and may post more tomorrow.

Thanks Andrew.

Anonymous said...

Well now we understand meetings but man Hotch surprised me in one. Loved it!

Anonymous said...

Can anyone give a summary. It hasn't aired in the west yet. I NEED details.

Anonymous said...

Whoo Hoo!
Great to be Canadian!
I saw it before anyone else :p

Those of you on the west coast... get the kleenex ready.

Anonymous said...

SOmeone leave a spoiler recap puh-leeze!!!!

Anonymous said...

Awesome! A total Reid eppy! (Guess thats what makes it awesom) I just want to reach through the TV and hug him and tell him I will be there for him.

Anonymous said...

I felt so bad for Reid. Great episode.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for talking about the drugs in a direct and understandable way. Thank you for finishing that horrible story!

Anonymous said...

Wilder shot Garcia and I thought he was going to have Reid shot when Reid was blocking their shot. OMG I stopped breathing. Awesome episode. It was Reid a Plenty!

Anonymous said...

You're the smartest man in the room but you're not the only man in the room!

Awesome line and a great episode. I so love Andrew Wilder.

Anonymous said...

My heart is pounding! The best one yet.

How do they just keep getting better and better?


I loved it. Perfect once again!

Anonymous said...

Great eppie!!! But why no preview of next week???

Lisa said...

OMG I was on the edge of my seat and my heart was in my throat in the end! Go Reid!

Unknown said...

so that was a year chip from AA that he was playing with at the end... but i missed when that was written in- with 2 kids I swear I never see a complete episode of anything. This was a great episode...

Anonymous said...

episode recap??? please???

Lisa said...

If I can do this justice.... Owen Savage was a young boy who was bright but had a severe learning disability. He had issues with certain subjects and reading but was very bright. Rather than recognizing it, the school put him in special ed, where he connected and began dating a fellow student, Jordan Norris. In the beginning, Jordan's father, Ron Norris came home drunk, walked in the house with a lit cigarette and the house blew up. Two police officers responded and both were gunned down by Owen at point blank range. One of the cops turned out to be Owen's father, Lou Savage. Owen shot his father in the face, even though he was already dead - this is what made the BAU realize it was a personal attack.

When they were going through the Savage house, Reid had some abrupt comments to make to the sheriff, which Hotch gave him a "look" over. Reid and Morgan went through the kids room and shared a few high school bully stories. Reid assumed Morgan was a jock with posters of Michael Jordan, and other famous jocks on his walls. Morgan admitted he was but Owen's room was filled with black, with blackened out mirrors and pictures of James Dean's damaged car and pics of Johnny Cash on his wall.

Lisa said...

Hotch and Prentiss went to the school where they learned of Owen's relationship with Jordan. They also learned Jordan hadn't perished in the fire as they originally thought - they'd found her jeans stuffed with "meat" so Jordan was still alive. Jordan had run away to a cabin with Owen and had no idea he had killed both of their fathers.

It came to light that Jordan had been taken advantage of during her freshmen year by another high school student, Kyle Borden. The police find Kyle dead with a shot to the face behind the convenience store where he worked. The police assumed Owen skipped town but when they realized what supplies he'd taken, the BAU knew he was still around but in hiding. They also realized that Owen was acting out his own vengeance against 'wrongs'.

Morgan discovered a video (everything else had been deleted) on Owens' computer and it was a video taped of him as an initiation to the wrestling team. He had no clue he was being filmed but they told him he had to masturbate in front of them. Later the team released the video on the internet. The school had removed it, but it was still out there. As the BAU learned this, Hotch asked to speak with the 3 boys who had been behind the filming of the video and they discovered none of them had gone to school that day.

When Garcia was doing research, a video was posted of the 3 boys by a river in their boxers, with Johnny Cash music playing and Owen murdered all 3 boys.

Anonymous said...

what was Reid's quote at the end??? I didn't get it down!!

Lisa said...

Hotch and JJ got the police to agree to release the video so they could buy some time before Owen acted our more revenge. They also got Jordan's best friend to contact her via her PDA (Owen had bought it and paid the bill for Jordan so they could keep in touch when her father wouldn't allow them to see one another - it was also revealed that Jordan's father had hit her.) When Jordan responded to her friend's message, Hotch had Reid upload the links to the media; she didn't believe them and then the video of Owen killing the 3 boys. When Jordan went out front to find Owen, she saw him digging a grave to bury the body of the cabin owner (who'd showed up "early" so Owen killed him). She messaged her friend again and the BAU convinced her to run. She did and showed up at the police station and revealed where Owen was.

Throughout the whole episode, Reid struggled. In the beginning, he'd been at a narcotics anonymous meeting revealing he'd been clean for 10 months and over the last month had struggled with wanting to use again (Dalatid ?) as he'd seen a boy killed in front of him. He kept getting beeped and finally had to leave the meeting. As he left, a man named John, who was the head of the FBI or a division (it wasn't stated exactly but all the members at the meeting were law enforcement) and the man gave Reid his 1 year coin that he'd carried with him for 13 years - he said he never left home without it. Reid asked why he was giving it to him and John said he wasn't, Reid had to give it back when he got his own 1 year coin but he would understand soon enough.

Lisa said...

This was the final quote:

"We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered." by Tom Stoppard

Lisa said...

Reid knew that Owen had nothing to live for except Jordan and now that Jordan had left him, he'd force the police to shoot him. The BAU and police showed up at the cabin but found it empty and Morgan found the dead body of the cabin owner. Owen left a note that he was returning his mother's necklace (she had died in a drunken driving accident years before - her name was Hope).

Reid removed his kevlar and when Hotch asked what he was doing, Reid said that Owen was going to force them to kill him and he wouldn't watch or be a part of it.

Hotch took the vest and told Reid to meet them back at the police station. Hotch, Morgan and Rossi went to the cemetary to cut off and arrest Owen but he didn't show. Hotch knew something was wrong.

Meanwhile, Reid went back to the police station and showed Jordan a picture of the necklace and asked of Owen had given it to her. She said he had and she'd left it at the cabin when she ran. At the same time, Hotch and Morgan realized the truth and Hotch said Reid had known all along. Prentiss called Hotch to tell him Owen was headed for the police station.

Reid and Prentiss went outside looking for Owen as he rounded a corner. Reid handed Prentiss his gun and said "cover me". She tried to stop him but he put his hands up and walked towards Owen. He explained that he knew how Owen felt with the bullying, humiliation, being smart, etc. Hotch, Rossi and Morgan showed up and Hotch said that Reid was blocking their shot. Reid remained in their way so they couldn't shoot or kill Owen. After several intense moments, and a promise that Owen could say goodbye to Jordan and give her the necklace, Owen laid down his weapons. Reid followed thru on his promise and the necklace was returned to Jordan.

On the plane ride home, Hotch asked Reid what he was thinking. He said he should fire Reid for not only putting his life on the line but everyone else's as well and he made Reid promise not to do it again.

To backtrack (trying to get it all)At the beginning, Reid had shown up late for the briefing and Rossi and Morgan said they hoped she was worth it. Reid said he'd been to see a movie but said he couldn't remember what it was about because he had to leave.....

When Hotch got up to leave Reid on the plane, he said to him "It's none of my business but I think you should go see the rest of that movie." and walked away. Reid pulled out the coin and ran his fingers over it......

Lisa said...

One of the best scenes in the show was.... after Reid had another outburst at the local sheriff (how they could have prevented what was happening but didn't), Hotch sent Reid to help Morgan with Owen's room. While there, Morgan said to Reid that he wasn't the only one who could identify with Owen. Morgan admitted that he was 5 ft. 3 and weighed 123 lbs. at the beginning of his freshmen year and got his butt kicked repeatedly. He said it was after that that he hit the gym and started "beefing up". So he said he understood.

Teary eyed, Reid said that when he was a freshmen, a girl, Harper Hillman, approached him while he was in the library. She told him another girl (the hottest in the school) Alexa or Lexa Lisbon, wanted to meet Reid behind the field house so Reid went. When he got there, Alexa was there with the whole football team. They stripped him down naked and tied him to the goal post and laughed at him. he begged them ot help him but nobody did and when they finally got bored, they left him there. About midnight, he'd gotten himself untied and gone home. He wasn't able to tell his mother as she was having an "episode" and until that moment, he'd never told anyone what happened. It was a very heartwrenching moment. :(

Lisa said...

In a nutshell, that's it for those of you looking for a recap.... hope it helped!

Anonymous said...

I didn't mind the episode overall. But I am sick of Reid getting away with putting himself and others lifes on the line. So Hotch "talked" to him about it. Reid will do it again. He should have been suspended, not talked to about it, especially since its at least the third incident where he's pulled this crap.

Anonymous said...

thanks Lisa!

Anonymous said...

This is the simply best episode i have ever seen...if i could hug Reid, i would never let go!

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU!!!!
To Kirsten, Andrew and MGG for staying to chat with us. I really enjoyed it.

*goes back to sleep*

Much love from Maxi

Anonymous said...

It's 12:33 am here, and I have to be up reaaaalllly early. But I stayed for the entire chat with a great group of folks. Kirsten, Mathew, Andrew, Jay - you guys/gal are a blessing to have stopped in to take time to speak with us. It was simply amazing, and so so so appreciated.

I hope you all come back to visit once again, and to talk with us.

Thanks so much for your time.

*hugs*

Anonymous said...

I want to give a HUGE thank you to Andrew, Kirsten, Matthew, and all of the wonderful mods for the chat tonight. It was a fantastic first chat, and it wouldn't have been possible without any of you. Also, thanks to everyone who participated. You all asked some great questions :D

Thank you all so much!!!

lizzymmcf said...

Thank you so much to Matthew, Kristen, Andrew and Jay for taking the time to answer our questions! It was spectacular. I appreciated it so much!
The episode was incredible! Excellent writing and acting as always as well as photography and the works.

Anonymous said...

ok i didn't see the ep but i wanted to say

THANK YOU SO MUCH
first of all to kirsten, andrew and matthew for joyning us tonight. and of course to our mod-team, great job, thank you so much!

it was so great, now i can return to my bed its almost 6am in the morning ;-)

Anonymous said...

I just got out of chat & wanted to thank Andrew, Kirsten, & Matthew for joining us in chat (and Jay for a few minutes, as well). We all appreciate everything you do & it was so great to get to talk to you all. I hope to get the chance to chat with you all again!

And, I loved the episode! I was clutching my chest during the last 15 minutes or so. Great stuff!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely the best episode! Fun chat tonight. Thanks for joining everyone.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
The original Angel here. I do not know who the "ANGEL" in the chat was.
Anyway just popping in to thank our guests tonight. THANK YOU SO MUCH! Matthew, Kirsten, Andrew, and Jay, you guys are great and we love you. PLEASE! Come back soon.

Anonymous said...

Fab ep, MGG was wonderful as was Hotch and Morgan and well....everyone :)It was MAGNIFICIENT. Honestly, what more is there to say? Great show ;)

Thanks to Jill and the mods for the awesome chat and Thanks to MGG, Kirsten and Andrew for all coming and sharing their time with us!

KissKiss :)

Nita said...

First: tonight's episode....loooooved it! Andrew, wonderful writing as always...MGG, amazing!

Second: thank all of you for joining chat tonight, taking the time out of your busy schedules means so much.

Third: Matthew, you know how to make every Gubelette's heart soar! Very sweet of you to give a shout out. Also, you did a wonderful job of explaining things :)

Finally, Criminal Minds never disappoints! Well done to all! (Still need a little more Garcia!)

Anonymous said...

Such a GREAT episode. Most of you know I'm not thrilled with the drug story line so I could have done without that part, but otherwise AWESOME ep! I cried when Reid told his high school story. To think anyone could do that to a little boy, keeping in mind he was about 10 in high school, just made me sick. People can be cruel and our CM writers know exactly which buttons to push to touch our humanity! Great job!!!

Lee :)

Anonymous said...

A huge, earthshaking, cosmically thunderous "THANK YOU" to Matthew, Kirsten and Andrew for being rad enough to hang out with us for a little while. And an equally large "THANK YOU" to the mods who made it all happen pretty smoothly. I look forward to more of these in the future!

Anonymous said...

That episode was fantastic! Great writing from Andrew Wilder, excellent acting from everyone, especially Matthew Gray Gubler, Thomas Gibson and Shemar Moore, they did this great script justice.

I wish to say thanks you to Andrew Wilder, Matthew Gray Gubler, Kristen Vangsness and Jay Beattie for taking part in this chat.

And thanks to Jill, Stacy and all the mods!


Brigitte

Anonymous said...

firstly....BIG thank you to Andrew, Jay, Kirsten & Matthew for coming over to chat with everyone tonight. It was great to hear what they have to say, and I hope they will all come back again soon.

I've not seen the latest ep yet, but from the trailer and what I've read, it sounds like another fantastic episode, and i can't wait to watch it. I'll give proper feedback when I've seen it.

Thanks again to all involved in the chat for making it such a success. It's now 04:51....good night!

Leanne said...

The episode tonight was amazing - very intense right to the end and so heartwrenching.

Secondly, I enjoyed joining the chatroom for the first time. Thanks to all the mods and the guests for putting this together!

Anonymous said...

I've always wanted to join in the chat, but couldn't make it most of the time (missing all the other great chats) due to the time difference. And when I finally able to join in a chat, who do we have? 4 great guests at 1 time. I really enjoyed my first chat and hope to join other chats in the future. Didn't know that it'll be this fun!

I would like to say a big Thank You to Andrew Wilder, Kirsten Vangsness, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jay Beattie for taking time out of their really busy and tight schedule for joining in the chat. You guys are really funny!

Next, I would like to say a Mahusive THANK YOU to the all the chat moderators and Jill for making this chat possible. You guys are like the Charlie Angels of the CM chat! :)

Anonymous said...

I loved this episode! A lot of people have left their detailed imput, so I won't take too long.

Two things!

1. I loved how we got some insight into Reid's behavior post-Revelations. And that "I'll never miss another plane again" could be seen as reference to getting cleaned up. Great resolution to that!
2. I nearly cried when Reid was talking about his high school bully experiences! The first time apart from Revelations I've seen him cry. Thank you, Matthew for such a powerful performance. And thank you Andy Wilder for writing it!

This left me with good feelings for our genius-boy! Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

Well worth the wait. Thank you so much for a masterpiece. Loved every minute. Great interaction. Loved the Morgan/Reid talk. Loved Hotch knew where Reid was. Loved it all. Top 5 for sure. The music was soooo perfect. Drug thing was handled well.............VERY well........:)

Anonymous said...

This is one of those beautiful episodes in which every element just comes together beautifully. The music was almost a character in this one, and the scenes just built on each other, one after the other, until I couldn't help really caring about how it all ended up. I was truly relieved that both kids survived. Reid's story about high school was brutal, and it's great to see Prentiss and JJ teaming up to support a younger woman again.

Thanks, Andrew and cast and crew, for this. And thank you so very much to Andrew, Matthew, Kirsten and Jay for taking the time to visit us in the chat room. It was wonderful.

Anonymous said...

If there is anything more awesome than an Andrew Wilder episode then I am too stupid to know what it could be!

MGG gave us a performance and a half tonight. Unbelieveable level of emotion in this episode.

I cried during this episode. It was very moving and I never cry.

Lastly, I didn't make the chat but I hope there is another one soon that I can attend.

Reid + Drugs = Done! Yeah for that and the way they handled it was letter perfect. No more guessing. That is awesome!

Criminal Minds Fan said...

The quotes and songs are in the post below this one.

Thank you to Kirsten, Matthew, Andrew, Jay and Ed Bernero for the wonderful chat this evening.

Anonymous said...

I think I'm finally breathing normally again. What a ride! Andrew, thank you!

Fabulous performance Matthew. You proved yourself a star tonight!

Excellence throughout from everyone involved. THIS is why we love this show.

I loved the scene with Reid in the meeting. So glad it was handled that way.

I was in full panic mode when Reid took off his vest...terrified that he was going to be shot. I was pacing around the living room talking to the TV.

Such depth of emotion -- what a story. I love all of the layering.

I hope I can get to sleep tonight...too much adrenaline!!

Thank you, thank you!

Anonymous said...

And thank you Kirsten, Andrew, Matthew, Jay and Ed for the chat.

It was so much fun! I loved every minute of it.

You are all truly the best.

Thank you for being so good to us!

Anonymous said...

I loved Reid and Morgan bonding. Reid's confrontation with Owen was thrilling and so wonderfully acted. You could feel it. I was amused that teens under 18 profile as psychopaths or did I misunderstand that part? It is wonderful that they "closed" the drug storyline but I do wonder if they are just closing it for now. They can always have him relapse. I thought the episode was very good.

Phoenix said...

It's late, but I just wanted to drop a note to say thanks to Andrew, Matthew, Kirsten and Jay for taking time out of their shooting schedule tonight to chat with us.
We were all geared up for Andrew and Matthew--but Kirsten and Jay were such a nice surprise. It was great to have them all there.

I also really liked the episode, although I have to admit that Andrew did it to me AGAIN. Opening scene with Reid at what obviously was an "AA" type meeting and I said, "OH, carp! I thought they weren't pushing the drugs on Reid again!" But, as usual, Andrew turned it around. Reid isn't still using, but struggling with his old baggage and the job piling on new. Okay, I'll buy that one.

But the part I really liked was that Reid finally got to "save" someone and be the "hero"--even if he did it way outside proceedure. (Yeah, Andrew. I know you think of Reid as hero in Derailed and LDSK, but not like this one.) Reid will probably always do it his way--if it doesn't get him killed first.

Thanks for a great ep!
Phoenix

Anonymous said...

First of all, THANK YOU to Andrew Wilder, Kirsten Vangsness, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Jay Beattie for joining the chat tonight. You all were simply amazing.

Thanks to Ed Bernero and Jill for working this out, and to Slashgirl, Debbie, Phoenix, Sherlockette, and Tamara for excellent modding!

This episode was fabulous. I don't know how they keep one-upping themselves, but the CM team manages to do it.

There were so many wonderful moments, that it would be impossible to name them all.

Reid at an NA meeting telling the group how seeing the unsub, who really was still a boy, killed before his eyes made him want the dilaudid again. The higher up from the FGBI giving him his own 1 year sober coin to help Reid until he received his own coin was very touching. Reid was late to the briefing and said he had been at a movie when he was beeped. Rossi was a little snarky, asking him about the movie.

So many touching moments in this episode--the talk with Morgan in Owen's room, each sharing with one another--I think this was the only time since Morgan told Reid about his nightmares in S1, that he opened up to Reid, and Reid telling Morgan about the horrible incident he suffered through with his voice breaking at the end when he talked about his mother--I think we were all puddles of goo after that scene.

Reid's behavior reminded me of how he acted toward Prentiss in Distressed, snarky, and he was called on it right and left. The scene at the end with Hotch, when he dressed him down and then brought him back up by telling him that he thought Reid should go back and finish watching the movie--full circle.

There's nothing better than a great CM episode, and this was a great CM episode.

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU SO MUCH ANDREW;KERSTIN AND MATTHEW FOR THE CHAT!!!

it was really cool. i got up at 3.45 am just to be here with you (yes, i am one of the european fans)

matthew, you said "guten tag" when you were leaving. guten tag means "good day" or "hello". to say goodbye you would say "tschüss".
thanks for the shout out.

andrew, it was very interesting to hear how you work on scripts.thank you for that.

kerstin, what a nice surprise!i really enjoyed to read something about the tech kitten from criminal minds.

i think almost no other show has such a contact to the fans. thank you so much for that!

and also a huge thank you to the mods! you did a great job!

love,

mel (gubes_girl)

Anonymous said...

I couldn't make it to the chat - will there be a transcript of it??

slashgirl said...

I'd like to thank Andrew, Kirsten, Matthew, Jay and Ed for the chat It was totally fantastic You all rock!

Thanks to Jill and Lori, Debbie, Phoenix, Sherlockette and Tamara for their wonderful work co-modding the chat. You gals rock, too!

I promise, I'll have squeeage on the ep tomorrow but I HAVE to go to bed, it's almost 2 a.m. and I have work tomorrow. Sometimes it sucks living in the outlands of N.A. *G*

Anonymous said...

The writers have perfected the art of writing a moving case and the perfect character background story all in the same episode.

The first season of CM all we got was tiny bits of personal info. The second season we got more but it was sometimes confusing.

This season they are making the characters into 3 dimensional beings.

Johnny Cash! That was SWEET!

This was the perfect episode. Everything in proportion and suspense galore.

Anonymous said...

The only way you could have improved on this episode would have been to organize a chat with Kirsten, Gube and Andrew W. after it and wow that happened.

Thank you Andrew for not having Reid shot.

I'm assuming the episode title relates to Morgan and Reid's childhood memories. Yes? Very good episode. Down with drugs!

buffyaddict13 said...

I just wanted to say a ginormous thanks to Matthew, Kirsten and Andrew for taking the time to talk with us tonight. We really appreciate it! You guys are amazing!

Anonymous said...

Reid walking up to him in the end was making my heart skip beats. I seriously thought he was going to get hurt. Hotch's anger was beautifully written and reminded me that Reid still has lots to learn. Great episode. They sure spent the budget by using two Cash songs. That was cool. This episode has to hold us since next week is a repeat.

Anonymous said...

Excellent episode.

Anonymous said...

I loved that Reid's emotional scars and drug use were brought out of the closet and talked about. He has so much baggage and has been through so much and it was nice to see it discussed without making it into a soap opera. Very well written.

Reid's understanding of Owen was touching and striking since Reid could have turned out like Owen. The show reminds us that two people can endure the same type of events and one turn out to be a responsible person and the other can meltdown.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much to Andrew, Matthew, Kirsten and Jay as well as the mods :) What I saw of it was awesome:)

I am also wondering if anything that was talked about in the chat will be mentioned somewhere on the board since I only managed to catch the last 10 min or so from work. Thanks guys!

-kIT

Anonymous said...

I just want to say a big big thank you to Matthew, Kirsten, Andrew, Jay, Ed and the mods for the wonderful chat.
I hope everybody enjoyed it as much as I did and hopefully our guests want to join us again some time!
You're all such amazing and funny guys it was so wonderful to talk to you.
Thank you again everybody for this great chat.
Renate

Anonymous said...

Now that I'm really awake (after the chat all I could do was stumble back to bed lol) I'd like to thank Andrew, Kirsten, Matthew and Jay for taking the time to chat with us.

And of course a big thank you to everyone who made it possible and all the moderators for doing such a great job!

Thank you!

maxima

Anonymous said...

It's official: Reid is like kryptonite to my ovaries.

Also, a ginormous thank you to the guests and mods of last night's chat. Each and every one of you is made entirely of awesome.

In Excelsis Grateful,

Sara

PAOLAFROMPARIS said...

Thanks everybody for the chat, it was amazing!
And thanks for this....how to define it? This "OhMyGodish" Ep...I couldn't stop myself from chanting OMG OMG OMG...from criyng, feeling revolted, and feeling so proud of my little sweet dr. Reid...
I am afraid I have a second obsession besides Revelations starting from now...
Mr. Gubler and Mr. Wilder, you deserve the...Emmy...no, the Oscar...no, THE NOBEL price for this ep!!!

Anonymous said...

Just now watched the ep! that is def going to be a repeat watcher!

I know I said the promo and what I read made it sound like a fantastic ep...but WOW that was totally amazing! I thought Matthew's performance was worthy of an award. Difficult subject matter, very emotional, and yes, I got a bit teary!

Jx

Anonymous said...

Reid brought tears to my eyes more than once during this episode. Great episode and now no more drugs which made a great episode. Teenagers are not all psychos! Well maybe my mom would say so but I am a good kid. What is the meaning of "Elephant's Memory" the title?

Anonymous said...

I want to know who Michael Ironside's character was framed after and it was great seeing him on the show. The episode was really great.

Hotch watched the train wreck that was Reid and knew he needed to go to a meeting. Fantastic! I thought the way the drug addiction question was answered was great. It left nothing to the imagination and cut straight to the facts. Ingested, addicted and recovery. We are finally a fandom rid of the speculation of 'did he or not'.

Hotch's slap down was called for a just. Reid put himself in danger and by extension he put the whole team in danger. The theme this season seems to be teamwork and that is great with me!

Morgan was a big hit for me in this one. His bonding and his opening up and listening to Reid were some of the best moments.

There was nothing I didn't like tonight. I know everyone is shocked by that but it was a solid episode from opening to closing.

Anonymous said...

Reid would not have earned his one year coin if Owen had been killed. Reid saved Owen and himself in this episode. You can only bottle things up inside of you for so long. Outstanding episode.

I'm still a Shemar gal but Gubler did a fantastic job last night. Award worthy. He does emotional episodes better than any other actor on the show. I love his dictionary bits but prefer gritty scenes like he had last night.

Always a great ride when Andrew Wilder writes the script.

Missed the Chat! My internet connection was having problems. It sounds like it was great. :(

Anonymous said...

I must thank Andrew, Kirsten, Matthew and Jay for being oh so kind and participating in the chat. Thank you, really, it was a delight, and that many follow.

About EM, what a powerful episode, I loved every minute of it. But I was expecting at least a suspension, honestly.

Tom Bryant said...

Forget the best episode of CM, this epi was what TV is supposed to be. It touched the heart without being Hallmark. It was intelligent without being egotistical.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Mr. Wilder for writing the perfect show to explain many of our............. crazy fans.......questions on Reid and his drug issues. Brillant.
***Who played the part of the high up agent at the meeting..........John??? He is such a great actor. Can we see more of him???.....:-)

Anonymous said...

Drug addiction is a very sensitive topic and it was handled great in this episode. Was this episode timed for the anniv. of Virginia Tech?

Anonymous said...

Once upon a time in the X Files Fandom (the only other fandom I have ever really gotten into) there was a whole fic list for "Mulder Torture" as it was presumed by many that Fox Mulder had been abused by his father and that is why Mulder did not speak to him and why he could empathize with the unsubs so much. The list grew into stories about all kinds of Mulder torment, as varied and as wide as there are fans.

CM goes further and it is great; they are not hiding the character's secrets. Many people go into law enforcement for the power trip and many go into it, as they do in psychology, to fix things that are wrong or lacking in themselves. It makes for great drama, of cource, but it also gives us, the viewers an inside track about what to expect from these flawed heros.

I like this kind of revelation, as long as they do not complicate the characters so much that they become over the top and sink from too many implausable traits and experiences.

Lociloco

Anonymous said...

well as far as spoilers.... lisa covered pretty much the entire episode.


So I will leave a different sort of comment (Jill told everyone to)...

I would like to thank Andrew Wilder (who didn't get to talk that much because everyone was talking to MGG or Kirsten), Matthew Gray Gubler, and our surprise guest Kirsten Vangsness for chating with us lowly fans last night! I had an amazing time!

BTW Kirsten....... you are my hero!!!! (I didn't get to tell you last night and I hope that somehow you will find out that I said this.... but I doubt it).

And Matthew, I hope you had a great time too! I can imagine that putting up with us love sick fans must get boring sometimes. ;)

Uhm yeah, that's about it. Oh Andrew, you are one of my favorite writers on the show!!! I wish you could have had a chance to talk more. I did have a question for you but Lori said that I should ask another one. So I did. :\

Lots of Love from Flint Michigan!

Caitlin, 15 (sadly)

Anonymous said...

BTW I would love to see more of that John guy! He was awesome!! (and it was cool seeing him as a good guy as apposed to a bad guy in Walker Texas Ranger (The series finally))

Anonymous said...

Someone has dealt with addiction on this show or they did incredible research because it was incredibly accurate. I liked that this was a plot point in the beginning and not some blown up in your face shocker at the end of the episode. It balanced very well.

Reid's mention of both his mom and dad was very interesting. Our team all seem to have big daddy issues.

We got some terrific insights into the backgrounds of our characters in this episode and I think it played out very well.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for the wonderful episode last night! I loved it!

And very special thanks to Andrew, Kirsten, Matthew and Jay for taking time out of your busy schedules to chat with us, and many thanks to everyone who was involved in making that happen.

The people involved with CM are a very special group of people. Please know that we appreciate all that you do for us.

AliceW

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much Andrew, Matthew, Kirsten and Jay for stopping filming to chat to us. I really enjoyed the chat and greatly appreciate what you did for the show's fans.

Anonymous said...

Lauren: "Elephant's Memory" is an expression people use to say that someone has a long memory, and that they remember every little detail. That's why Morgan said, "When it comes to to people who have wronged us, we all have an elephant's memory." (I don't think that was the EXACT wording, but close enough.) I don't know if elephants ACTUALLY have long memories or not, but it's a pretty old expression and has worked its way into the language whether it makes sense or not, haha.

Mickle said...

Awesome episode!

(Silly Hotch, you should know by now that when Reid won't look you in the eye that he's just as likely to be lying to someone who knows him as he is to be simply upset.)

Huge thanks to everyone who worked on it - especially MGG and Andrew Wilder - effing fantastic job, all of you!

Double thanks to MGG, Andrew, and Kirsten for taking time out of their very busy schedules to chat with all of us fans last night as well. You all rock!

And another big thanks to everyone at CM Fanatic that worked super hard to make last nights chat come together as well. You guys did a great job coming up with a good structure for handling so many fans all at once and keeping everyone following the rules.

Madelyn Glymour said...

I'm so sad I missed the chat for this -- I wish I could have been there!

Anyway, it was a great episode, but...intense. Parts of it were hard to watch, and I mean that as a compliment to both Andrew Wilder and Matthew Gray Gubler.

(Also, do you realize that this is episode 3x16, or, in other words, exactly one season after the drug addiction storyline was introduced?)

-BeatriceEagle

respectanimals said...

From start to finish, I thought this was a really good episode. It was especially nice to see Spencer’s childhood focused on and find out how the past BAU events and the timeline of those events (Dilaudid addiction 10 months ago, craving drugs after the case of watching the boy die, etc.) affected him. I thought they tied it all together really well. I also really enjoyed the scene with Michael Ironside. I loved that someone higher up in the FBI not only validated Reid’s decision to attend the meeting, but warned him that the next two months (to get to the one year clean mark) were going to be difficult for him. I hope we see that character again sometime in the future.

I also enjoyed the bonding scene between Morgan and Spencer in the boy’s bedroom. We got to find out more about both character’s pasts in that one. And the scenes where Rossi and Emily were working together and Emily and JJ were working together were really good too. Basically just about every character’s scenes in this one were interesting to watch.

I couldn’t help but wonder about the scene where Hotchner came up with the combination to the safe. It was a little too quick and was a bit hard to believe. Was he in the Marines or something? Was his father? How did he just happen to know that date? He doesn’t have Spencer’s ability to memorize everything he reads, so I’m guessing that it must have some kind of significance for him.

It was really nice to see more of Hotchner again, especially as team leader. I loved how he took charge of Reid after he went off on the police in the meeting and then told him to go join Morgan at the house. It reminded me of how Gideon had to take Elle off to the side and talk to her, after she displayed the same type of inappropriate behavior with Hotchner in the episode Aftermath. I also enjoyed the scene between Hotchner and Spencer at the end, on the plane. In the real world, if Spencer had purposely misdirected the others to the graveyard and then basically disregarded the directives of his superior (Hotchner), he would probably have gotten into a lot more trouble than he did, but for the show’s purposes, it made sense that Hotchner would go easy on him. Reid’s inappropriate verbal remarks to the police were at least understandable and didn’t really jeopardize the case in any way. We’ve certainly seen Morgan display that same type of behavior, as the agents are only human and everybody has certain things that set them off. However to basically take over the case and disregard your boss’ wishes is a big no-no. I almost cried when Spencer brought the suspect in to give the necklace to the girl though.

Anonymous said...

The chat last night was mind blowing. Thank you to the Gube, Kirsten, Andrew and especially our hero Ed.

The episode slammed it down. He took the drugs and got addicted. Not what some of us wanted to know but it beats all the wondering about it. I thought it was handled in a very mature and sensitive way. Nice job by Andrew Wilder of taking us there and not slapping it in our faces or using it for shock points in the episode. It was tasteful, clear and interesting.

Anonymous said...

Yes thank you SO much to Andrew, Kirsten and Jay for also taking the time to chat with us. I don't think there are words to express how lucky we are to have such an awesome E.P. who cares so much about his fans. Grateful, thats a good word but doesn't even quite explain it!

Lee

kfarrell said...

In what episode did Reid see a kid die? I am completely blanking and it's driving me nuts!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful episode! MGG did an amazing job; his performance really touched me. I know some people don't like the drug addiction storyline but I think it has given Matthew a great opportunity to shine as an actor. I teared up as he described the torment he suffered at the hands of bullies. I knew he was probably picked on but I had no idea to what extent. It would be interesting to have an episode where he encounters one of the people who bullied him, maybe as a law enforcement official the BAU has to work with. What Morgan said is so true--when it comes to the bad things that happened to us, we have an elephant's memory.

I also thought it was appropriate that this episode aired on the one year anniversary of the VA Tech shootings. Not that anything excused his actions, but I've often wondered how things might have turned out if just one or two people had befriended Cho and defended him against the bullies or if he had gotten the psychological help he needed or if he hadn't had such easy access to guns. I can definitely see why Reid identified with Owen because all it takes is a fairly simple comibination of circumstances to make someone snap. Thankfully, Reid was able to do something constructive with his life.


Ambra

EnigmaticZero said...

Reid saw the unsub kid die in "Third Life".

That's the ep when Joe M's daughter played the daughter of an Irish mob boss.

kfarrell said...

Thank you soooo much Enigmatic Zero! You have no idea how annoying that was.

Anonymous said...

I just saw the episode and I still can't believe what a great great great episode it was.
Thank you Andrew for writing such a wonderful episode and special thanks to Matthew for doing such a great job. It was really heartbreaking to see Reid in such pain and I can imagine it was really hard to play such emotional scenes.
I'm glad we know the drug thing is closed now and Reid got out of this much stronger.
Andrew, you did a fantastic job with this episode.
Thank you so much again. I loved it.
Renate

Anonymous said...

Many thanks to Matthew, Andrew and Kirsten for participating in the chat last night! It was tremendous fun and very insightful. I hope they'll be willing to do it again sometime, and that other actors and writers will continue/begin to participate.

BTW, the new ep was fantastic! Loved every minute of it!

Anonymous said...

The Ep followed by the chat.. Awesome!!!

Andrew alone would have been great,
but then to add The Gube...
then spring fellow Gubelette Kristen at the last minute...

AWESOME!

Who needs sleep? I know I didn't get any last night LOL

Thanks to everyone who helped make this possible, you made a lot of people really happy... and sleep deprived.

Diane Masiello said...

Hi respectanimals,

In response to your question about how Hotch knew the Marine Corps birthdate: it might be an indication that he has a link to the Corps in his family or that he grew up in a place with a strong Marine presence. I never knew a single military person my entire life growing up in New York City, but once I moved to Florida it took me about a week to learn the Marine Corps birthdate is November 10th. I taught a lot of students who were in ROTC, a lot of young women were dating Marines (and they always celebrated November 10th in some way or another). Then, when my daughter was born on November 10th, all of the Marines I'd become friends with thought it was the best birthday. So, yeah. Meet a Marine, and you'll know the date. It's really pretty neat.

Anonymous said...

ok so what can is say!
really good! really fantastic!

i can't write down how great that ep was! the words for that be have to be invented!

great acting, great story

good night

ps: and for the 10000st time thank you again

Anonymous said...

Thanks, first of all to Andrew Wilder, Matthew Gray Gubler, Kirsten Vangsness, and Jay Beattie for stopping by to visit with us in the chat. I enjoyed it greatly, and look forward to more of them. Thanks soooo much also to Ed and all the behind the scenes guys and gals who worked around our social calendar. We have such great friends!

As for the episode-wow, what can I say. The unsub was known early on (and you know I don’t usually like that ; ), but I half expected to find out it was someone else so there was still tension building. There was a lot of profiling in this episode. I really like that. I like to hear the thought process of the profilers, and the huge amount of dialogue in this epi did just that. Great job Andrew!

Of course we worry a lot about Dr. Reid. Now we have more to worry about. Hopefully his 12 step program will help, but he has a long way to go. He was devolving as fast as the unsub, and the line that separates the criminal and those that hunt them is getting thinner all the time. I enjoyed the scene between Reid and Morgan. It is obvious that Reid still seeks to have someone understand him. Morgan tries to help but it seems he is still wary of saying too much about his own past. He still helped Reid some though.

Some people have said in the past that there are no moral lessons in CM stories, but I find a message in every one. Andrew told us he wanted to see the after-effects of bullying. Even if we did not get a lesson in how to address it, we should be smart enough to not ignore it.

I have to re-watch to catch all the nuances of the episode. I will come back to comment again when I do.

Anonymous said...

Mickle reminded me, thanks.

Thank you guys in CM Fanatic for hosting the chat to begin with.
No one represents us fans better than you guys.

LoraLee said...

I loved the episode from beginning to end. Thank you, Andrew for finally clearing up the did he/didn't he/is he currently debate in a clear, unequivocal fashion. Standing up in NA was perfect, it gave us the exposition we needed, without carrying on too long thanks to that pesky call to work :)

The scene between Morgan and Reid in the kid's bedroom, swapping high school bullying, was wonderful. And Matthew you pulled it off brilliantly. Just the right touch of "it happened, I'm over it - or at least I wish I was over it." It blended perfectly with the near-meltdown state Reid was in for the entire ep.

And the ending with Hotch giving Reid the dressing down he knew he deserved was wonderful - I especially loved Reid thanking Hotch afterward: "thank you for talking to me, thank you for not saying the words while telling me to keep going to NA, thanks for not firing me," all in two little words.

LoraLee said...

I wanted to post a separate thank you to Andrew, Matthew, Kirsten and Jay for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come talk with us last night. The entire chat was incredible.

And also thank you to Jill and all the mods for making last night's chat (and all the others past and future) possible.

My hat is off to you all.

Memoh said...

This was a powerful episode. Andrew Wilder did a great job fleshing out Owen Savage into a three dimensional, compelling character. Andrew made feel compassion for Owen without soft peddling the brutality of his actions. He did a fantastic job of revealing the profile of a victim turned murderer by bringing out the harsh reality of the tolerance to bullying that constantly goes on around us.

Bravo!!

Anonymous said...

this one was very good. i was sad for that kid. and how he was treated. and also how reid was treated in school. i sheded alot of tears last night.while i was watching it. it was one of the best so far this season.

Elizabeth said...

Great episode and great performances all round - but MGG deserves a special cheer for being particularly awesome.

Well done Andrew for creating it.

And although I couldn't be at the chat (3.00am my time . . .), thanks for giving up your time to come along.

slashgirl said...

Andrew Wilder has given me yet another reason for his being my favourite CM writer. *G*

I had to watch this ep a few times before I could comment. After watching it on TV last night I was feeling...bereft and I can't really explain why (although I enjoyed it whilst watching it.) Yeah, I'm weird.

Overall, I liked that they didn't do a typical school shooter story--they took the "type" (and the causes of it) and put a twist on it. Bullying is a big issue at every school (and if they say it isn't they're lying). I work at a small school and it does happen, although I like to think that in general, our kids are pretty good. But educating kids and parents about it is so very important.

I loved this ep, in a huge part because it starts to make up for the dearth of Hotch/Reid interaction for most of this season. I should probably enjoy it while I can, as this is probably gonna be pretty much it for this season. Me? A cynic? Surely, you jest. *G*

That it started out with Reid at a meeting was great--most shows would end with that...but we begin with it. And Michael Ironside! I do like him--it would nice if we could have his character come back. I'd rather him as a recurring character than Nicholas Brendan--at least Ironside is interesting to watch.

Reid coming in late--and trying to lie to a room full of profilers. I loved Morgan's line about hoping it was a girl. *hee* My slashy little heart was filled with glee. I didn't think Rossi was that bad--I just don't think he appreciated Reid trying to lie to them. And Prentiss laughing at Reid's discomfort--so very nice of her. /sarcasm. But it was Hotch to the rescue, protecting his Reid. *G* I honestly think Hotch was the only one who really knew where Reid had been...but that's just my feeling about it.

I thought MGG did a fabulous job in this ep. Snarky, snarky Reid and not just to his teammates either. Not only can AW write great Hotch, he writes great Reid as well. I liked how Hotch stepped in and covered for Reid's sharpness with the cops and the guidance counsellor. Hotch understands Reid...and gives him the chance to work through it but finally has to speak to him. TG and MGG were both fabulous in that scene. And Hotch saying he's using Reid...made me think of Revelations where Hotch talks about using Reid for his intellect...

While I appreciated the part with Reid and Morgan in Owen's bedroom--it didn't really work that well for me. Yeah, finding out just how badly Reid had been bullied was heartbreaking (and damn, MGG knocked it out of the park) but having him tell Morgan just didn't sit right with me.

And Garcia is wonderful. And Garcia hopped up on caffeine? Is so totally adorable. I do love her. *G* I did laugh at Prentiss' "DC time". Too cute.

I kinda liked the scenes with JJ and Prentiss and Arlene (the best friend) but...Prentiss never seems comfortable nor comforting when dealing with people who are emotional--she just seems...I dunno. Flat? How comforting can you be when you're not at ease with your own emotions? JJ was awesome--and when she's comforting someone, I actually believe it, unlike I do with Prentiss--I just don't buy it when she's trying to do it. She reminds me of my former principal (the PHP) who faked it--she gave the reaction she THOUGHT she should give...not her real one.

And when Reid handed Hotch his kevlar, Hotch knew something was up, he just didn't have all the pieces to put together.

Reid with Owen blocking the guys from making a shot and his determination that he wasn't going to lose this one. Amazing...and he won, this time, he won. I think Reid needed one in the win column. And letting Owen give his gf the necklace...yeah. Again, CM gives a sympathetic killer...you hate what he did, but knowing what he went through, you can understand him, and see him as human...not a monster. Oh, sad thought, since he killed a cop--he'll probably be given the death penalty, won't he, since it's Texas.

Reid and Hotch on the plane...lovely. When I rewatched it--I was totally taken with watching how Reid was reacting to what Hotch was saying--the smallest shifts of facial expression. God, as I said, MGG was awesome in this ep. Reid's look when Hotch tells him it means he's good at the job ("I'm good at my job") And when Hotch stands up and says that Reid should finish watching the movie and patted his shoulder--one of the best of the ep. I think it shows just how much Hotch gets Reid, so much more than the others do. *happy sigh*

Oh, and on a totally shallow note? Hotch in kevlar with his gun. mmm.

This ep is definitely one of my favourite eps--but seeing as it's an Andrew Wilder ep, I'm not surprised at all. :D

Anonymous said...

What an awesome ep! I'm watching it over and over again! And an amazing chat that followed! What a great week! Thank you Andrew and the entire cast was amazing in this ep. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

Laura

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed everything up to the point Reid lied to Hotch and went to the police station. Reid was an idiot from that point on.

My point is what if the unsub had got there first--well that puts JJ and Emily in a whole lot of trouble. Especially since until Super Reid showed up they had no idea the unsub was coming their way.

Two if Emily hadn't of confronted him at the station he wouldn't have told her the unsub was coming.

Three blocking other agents shots well I guess he learned from the other unsub's in previous episode.

Four well fine you want to talk him down, next time keep your damn vest on.

And finally Hotch and his big speech. I would have bought Reid not doing it again if he hadn't been semi smirking at the time. Except now Reid's saved someone so he will think he has carte blanche to do it again (that was the impression I got from the smirk and talk--yeah I won't do it again and all the while he's thinking hell yeah I'll do it again I saved someone I can talk anyone out of anything.) Reid by now scares the hell out of me on what and how far he'll go because he "thinks" he's right.

Truthfully the talk down seemed damn near soapy to me. Real life Reid would have been toast and we all know it. So it totally turned me off.

Overall give the ep 4 out 5. Can't get a five just cause of the points I pointed out.

Anonymous said...

This episode was sooooo awesome! I cried and cried and cried! MGG did yet again an amazing job portraying Reid! My heart totally went out to him! I was bullied when I was younger so I am gald to see that I am not alone! I love that reid defied authority to save this kid! <3 My FAVORITE EPISODE OF THE WHOLE SEASON!

bumblebee917 said...

Am I the only one who didn't totally love this ep??? I am blown away by all the people who feel sorry for this kid. Sure, he was bullied, and that wasn't right. A lot of people have had bad things happen to them that they have to make a CHOICE to overcome, choose the right path...this kid instead chose to murder EIGHT people in cold blood, seven of which were premeditated. Reid was so desperate to save him it was like he was treating him as some innocent kid who everyone picked on. This kid blew up his girlfriend's dad, shot his own father in the face as well as another cop, gunned down the high school kid at the convenience store, executed three teenage boys, and stabbed to death that poor old man who was just coming home to his OWN home. I'm sorry but I did not feel sorry for this kid even once during the whole episode. It was nice of Reid to take him to his girlfriend, because it is the last time he will ever see her again. The Texas justice system will get him and due to the nature of his crimes he will be tried as an adult and will get the death penalty.

slashgirl said...

bumblebee917 said:

I am blown away by all the people who feel sorry for this kid.

You can have empathy or sympathy for someone without condoning their acts.

Reid felt a great deal of empathy with Owen but he still brought him to justice, he didn't help him escape.

Owen's past doesn't excuse his actions but provides us with the reason why--he was failed by a school system that couldn't/wouldn't recognise his disability; a school system that endorsed bullying and did not punish the offenders (and the excuse as to why the kids weren't punished is so lame--but it's what happens.) Reasons aren't excuses, they're simply that: reasons.

And you say he had a choice, and yes in the broadest sense he did. But he's a teenager (a child) and teenagers don't have the life experience or even knowledge to always KNOW there are other choices. He was so deep inside his mind and his own misery...he couldn't see those other choices.

Reid was so desperate to save him it was like he was treating him as some innocent kid who everyone picked on.

Reid wasn't treating him as some "innocent kid"--he was treating him like someone who had damage--damage that Reid could deeply identify with. Letting Owen get killed would be akin to Reid killing himself. But that doesn't mean Reid condones it or thinks he's innocent. (Hence Reid's reply to Hotch: "What does that make me?")

Reid didn't want the blood of another kid on his hands--and if he hadn't stopped Owen? Then Owen would've killed a hell of a lot more people.

I don't think there's anything wrong with having sympathy for Owen. After all, while he could've made different choices? So could the adults in his life--if the school had dealt with those kids that bullied him...or if his father had cared for him...then maybe he wouldn't've have done what he did.

Lola said...

Wow! What a wonderful episode! One of the bests!

The chat was amazing too! Thank you Matthew, Kirsten, Andrew and Jay for that. I'm proud to be a fan of your show!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much, Slashgirl, for saying what you did regarding the sympathy/empathy comment. You expressed it beautifully and perfectedly. I had noticed in the chat that Andrew Wilder stated the airing of this ep on the anniversary on the VaTech shootings was accidental and not meant to cause anyone any additional pain- which I thought said alot for his own ability for compassion. It is obvious that Andrew has a remarkable sense of empathy of others and it shines through in this ep thru Dr. Reid's character and MGG's remarkable acting.

Andrew's comment about the wanting to understand the motivation about school shootings really got me thinking long into the night after the ep and the chat. Reflecting on the ep, it was very clear that it was the acceptance of the bullying from all of those who were suppose to help or protect Owen that finally sent Owen over the edge. And slashgirl- you said it perfectly- because Owen was an emotionally damaged teenager with no one to turn to or to depend on,, he couldn't see other solutions or choices. It does not condone or excuse his behavior at all but it helps us, as the audience, consider a different side of things. Of course, no one deserves to be murdered for bullying, but when we stop to try to understand those who are driven to such extremes, our own abilities for compassion and humanity grow.

In other words, we should try to understand kids like Owen so that we can then recognize them and reach out to them and stand up for them before they are lost forever. I am glad this ep was so well written, acted, directed, etc. It really is a credit to this show and I can see it gave others as much to think about as it did me.

Anonymous said...

I loved this ep. I love the cameo by Michael Ironside. Who? That would be the "Sir" at the beginning of the ep who "loaned" Reid his one year chip.
I think this ep spoke to a lot of people, as everyone on some level was or is harassed in school. Some more than others. I have always thought that Reid had reserves of emotional strength that if it came down to it would mop the floor with most guys. The fact that he was able to quit the delodin, a very addictive drug, only proves that. I hope that this ep has brought our beloved doctor some closure, both on the drug front and the bulling of his past.

Thanks again to everyone who made Wed. chat possible. We had a blast.

Walburga Benker said...

Thank you to Kirsten, Matthew, Andrew, Jay and Ed Bernero for the amazing chat.

And thanks for the best ep.

Anonymous said...

To be honest I do not get the Reid love at all. I basically want to tackle him and give him a wash hair/haircut/shave and clean him up. Not to mention maybe some fashion sense. One or two of the above is ok, quirky, but ok, but all three is just downright distracting and unattractive. I spent more time ignoring his emotional lines saying he so needs a haircut. And well my pet peeve if he's a special FBI agent isn't there a dress code he is so violating-especially the haircut bit. Though please don't go back to season one's comb over that was just wrong.

Anonymous said...

Hm, I forgot to say that in my other post. (I wrote it as the chat was still going)

Alos BIG HUGE thanks you to Jay and Ed for doing thuis for us. For letting the others chat with us for so long.

Maxi

Anonymous said...

I only began really watching the show because of the Reid drug thing and I love where they took it. I hope it come up again and we see hin with the 1 year medallion thing whether he gets it or even better if he doesn't. I was never a fan of the character of Hotch but the scenes with him and Reid are really touching. Not a big fan of the Morgan/Reid convo though.

Anonymous said...

Okay, slashgirl, tracylb1, and all you other Reid-lovers, I can see I am not going to win against the multitude of you. No need to take apart my comment and defend your wittew Weidy-poo. Everyone is entitled to their opinion about how they viewed this episode. I agree with the anonymous poster two posts above my last post who said Reid was an idiot. He did indeed put Emily and JJ in a whole lotta danger when he lied to Hotch and went to the police station alone. The way that kid was racking up the bodies, there is no way he wouldn't have blown right through Emily and JJ to get to Jordan. How in the world Reid beat him there when the kid had quite a substantial headstart is beyond me. And I stand by my previous opinions about Owen. He may have been abused, bullied, raped, beaten, exposed, or tortured, but none of that will ever make me feel like he was justified in murdering 8 people. Like you said yourself, slashgirl, Reid was Owen, and Owen was Reid, with the exception that Reid overcame his struggles and made something of his life. Don't you think Reid has emotional damage? Don't you think Reid had thoughts about "getting back" at the members of that football team that stripped him and tied him to the goal post? Don't you think Reid still struggles every day with his emotional inadequacies he developed in childhood? I do. But Reid CHOSE to overcome. Reid chooses to overcome every day. Reid knew, even as a teenager, that he couldn't go and murder all the people who wronged him. He knew right from wrong. That is all I am saying about Owen. Owen also knew right from wrong. But he chose to do the wrong thing and get vengeance on all the people that had hurt him and Jordan. Teenagers, as you say, may not know about all of their options, but they do know right from wrong. This is why we don't have teenagers murdering people all over the world every day. Can you imagine if every teenager had the excuse that they didn't know right from wrong? And the excuse that the "school system didn't protect them" and "my dad didn't understand me"? There would be a whole lotta parents out there with their faces blown off. I go back to my earlier comment that we ALL have had bad stuff happen to us, in childhood, as teenagers, and as adults. And how we process our emotions and choose to overcome is what makes us stronger individuals. Owen chose the wrong path and now he has to live with the consequences (in TV land, of course), and with the blood of eight people on his hands.

Anonymous said...

Thank you soo much to Andrew, Matthew, Kirsten, and Jay for the chat the other night! It was really fun reading all of your responses!

And a huge thanks to the mods for putting that together! You guys rock!!

Anonymous said...

Andrew, thanks for another good epi.
I was so looking for that prop we saw you on the picture with. *gg*

It seems you all had a good time at the chat. I'm sure our mods did an incredible job. Thanks to Andrew and MGG for being there and especially Kirsten and Jay for popping in.

CU sindee

Anonymous said...

Overall I liked the episode. But I don´t like Reid getting that easily away with putting the team in danger. Him having sympathy for the kid is understandable. And I feel sorry for Owen, Jordan and Reid for what happended to them . And it´s a shame they didn`t get help when they needed it. But that doesn`t justify murdering eight people. Owen chose the wrong path whereas Jordan, Reid and even Morgan who experienced something real bad as a kid (Profiler Profiled, Lucky)probable over a span of years chose the right one.

Still it was a good episode and the acting was great as always.
I really liked the Reid/Morgan talk . There should be more of it .It could help both of them to overcome their demons from the past.

Please bring Michael Ironside back!

Anonymous said...

Better late than never,thank God there's CBS available in the middle of the Caribbean sea!
First of all, thank you soooooo much, CM writers for a Reid-centric episode. He's been on the back burner so long his buns were burnt to a blackened crisp. And Andrew Wilder did such a wonderful job of writing an episode that concisely defined Reid's drug problem with a definitive resolution to the satisfaction of the fans who wanted some sort of acknowledgement of what Reid was going through last season. The episode was very well-written. AW intergrated many threads. There was a suspenseful race against time to find the unsub before more harm can happened. There was the pathos of Reid identifying with the emotionally neglected teen to the point of being uncharacteristically out of line and endangering himself. And wow, we also get a story of how a naked Reid was tied to a pole in public. But no chance to get all salacious, folks, since we're talking about a prepubescent Reid!
This is now my favorite AW epiosode!!!!
And note to wardrobe dept; I know we need to be reminded that Reid had a nerdy past but the ill-fitting sweater and baggy pants was a bit much. His pants was flapping in the breeze so much, I was afraid he'd take off like the Flying Nun in the next strong gust!
Sorry I couldn't make the chat afterward. It would have been more exciting to chat with the four special guests and others than to be dragged into a conga line!!!
A great big thanks and kudos to the guests and mods for creating a wonderful experience for the CM fans!!!! You guys are the best!!!!

frogdawn said...

Random thing: I KNEW that house was going to explode at the beginning - I totally flinched when he opened the door, and then I was all relaxed when it did explode.

Loose cannon Reid! yipes! fun but a little unsettling. Dude - you made me cry - again.

The bullying...really brought home the magnitude of what kids can face today with technology in the picture.

I was both horrified by and heartbroken for the unsub, but I was very glad at the end, when he listened to Reid, and he was able to give Jordan the necklace instead of being pounced on and hauled off kicking and screaming.

Big thank you for you chat angels, guests and mods. I couldn't be there, but the echoes are still warming my heart