Photos: Vivian Zink/ABC Studios ©2009 ABC Studios.
Criminal Minds spoiler thread for "To Hell and Back" starring Joe Mantegna, Thomas Gibson, Paget Brewster, Shemar Moore, A.J. Cook, Matthew Gray Gubler and Kirsten Vangsness.
** Beware! Comments will contain spoilers. **
*** This is the original spoiler thread from when the episode first aired. Feel free to add additional comments after rewatching it tonight ***
309 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 309 of 309I agree with Diane. The Reaper is all about control so if he actually kills Hotch it wouldn't seem to make much sense. He was even a cool customer when they took him to prison cause he knew he was still kind of in control.
Yes There is hope ! ;)Maybe I'm naive but I can't believe that TG will be the one fired, amongst all the other actors... I'm not sure he's more "expensive" than JM or anyone else... And his role is fundamental
(sorry about my bad english btw)
I think the reaper is gonna try to deal with Hotch again... i don't know... by threatening his family or something like that (but with a happy ending...)
First of all I am a Hotch fan and if he is killed it will sure have negative results for CBS - so CBS please be smart.
But one thing which really bothered me in the final scene was Hotch coming home. First tossing away his gun this way - He was SWAT! when he started his FBI carrier he know the danger of a gun and than throw his gun away like that!!!
Also without changing and still in his shoes not at ease jet he takes a drink standing in his entry hall and it seems it was not the first time he acts so - so what is happening with Hotch, this is not like fearless leader acts.
So I strongly hope he will live and he will be able to overcome his problems in Season 5
I really try to be positive in these comments, but I just can't this time. I feel completely let down by Ed Bernero and Chris Mundy. I know they could have done better than that.
This episode could have easily been condensed to one hour. Personally, I think Amplification should have been expanded to the 2 hour finale. The ONLY reason I was on the edge of my seat was because of the opening credits (C. Thomas Howell) and thats not right. The story itself should have done that. There should have been some tie in with Foyett and these murders but maybe that is coming in Season 5. I find it hard to believe that Reid would not have connected the eyeball drawings somehow(....perhaps the lingering effects of anthrax?). Also, there is no way Lucas could have pulled all those kidnappings and supply stealings (seriously....STEALING O-neg?? That would be hard for hospital personel to pull off...much less a mentally challenged person). Lo-Fi/Mayhem was so much better. Maybe we are spoiled, but I did expect something at least on par with LF/M and this wasn't even on the same golf course.
And another thing..... I'm personally tired of cliffhangers. With times as bad as they are, do we need the added drama? Maybe its just me......
Powers that Be...you can do better...I know you can! NOW FIX IT! And if you kill Hotch, you might as well update your CVs. You were given a gift with the seamless transitions of Elle/Gideon to Prentiss/Rossi....don't be greedy. We won't take it.
I'm very very optimistic that Hotch will be around for next season, even if he has to be in a hospital bed for a while. As long as he's back in some form, I don't care. Obviously I'm not happy he got shot, but I just want him to survive. =/
I'm REALLY interested to see what happens with the Reaper. I didn't even realize the significance of the eye until it was pointed out here, I'm surprised Reid didn't catch it either, but I'm guessing, he will in the next season. :D
I am a huge CM fan and have been since the beginning of the show. But can anyone seriously believe last night's finale? We are supposed to believe that a mentally challenged man, huge by all accounts, has kidnapped 80+ people and broken into several medical facilities to steal specific medical supplies without anyone noticing? Come on. The writers on this one would have to believe that the viewers of this well previously well written series would have to be the mentally challenged ones here. Writers please be aware that the viewership of this show are top shelf with above average intelligence and we require a minimum of believability. My husband and I kept saying that there had to be a 3d guy who was the one who was perpetrating the kidnappings and thefts and left the other brother to commit unspeakable acts. Give me a break!
Yeah for me the season ended with amplification...
and i hope that season 5 will start with Hotch safe and sound!!
Last night's epi was a pretty well portrayed remake of the Pickton case up here in BC. Not really gripping, but okay.
What was NOT okay was implying that you've killed off your lead character. TG has indicated he loves playing Hotch, and it is obvious he has a large fan base. He deserves yet another emmy for the last few seconds and monologue.
To TPTB: kill him off, I'm done with CM and CBS. One cheap stunt too many.
but I also think that we can "forgive" (so to speak) the producers because of the general quality of the show Two or three "not that bad" episodes on 26 : it's still good for one show
TPTB???
OMG! Okay, so its Hollywood and we don't know for sure, but come on, killing off Hotch? Are you really that stupid? Not only is he the guy that keeps the team together, but Gibson gives us fabulous performances every week.
I can't believe it... ruined an otherwise entertaining couple of hours and I won't be back in the Fall if Hotchner isn't.
Nothing worse than cheap tricks and this was nothing more than a cheap trick. Doesn't matter what happens! Still cheap. Ed should respect fans more than this!
A little confused here so bear with me, first I would like to say that I really enjoyed the finale last night but I can't remember whothe character that shot hotch at the end is. What did he mean by " you should have made the deal" and how does it play into the picture that Reid showed Hotch in the barn? And who is the reaper I am reading about in the commments here?
Thank you ahead of time if you know the answer.
Kate, i completely agree with everything you said, especially the cliffhangers thing and the elle/gideon -> prentiss/rossi.
(Personally, i like emily a lot more than elle, but still...it hurt when elle left; gideon cannot be replaced, no matter how hard rossi tries).
I absolutely HATE the fact that we are being put in this kind of situation again. One thing we ask for: the characters alive, safe and sound. Is that too much to ask?
WE cannot handle anymore cast changes. I will continue watching until the end, because it is impossible for me to give up on reid and morgan and everybody else, but if hotch dies die, that wound will never heal!!!
Why ruin a perfectly great season of Criminal Minds by airing such a lame cliffhanger?
The pig part was cool enough. Why not leave it at that and go out in style?
If they want TG off the show or if he wants to leave then do it with grace and honor.
Here's my two cents worth: I liked it. Comparing to previous writers, yes, the overtly written suspense does not measure up. If, that is what one is to expect every episode....however, stepping back and looking from a different writing perspective (and there is many in the entertainment field), I think the writer did a good job in the viewing time allotted. There were many other scenes not viewed, that were cut during the editing process....so who knows what other elements were originally there.
I got the impression that the writer taking a different approach. Attempting to play more of a psychological aspect regarding the thought processes of the unsub(s) and relate it to things that acctually occured.
It reminded me of M. Shulman's "The Village", things were presented more mentally on certain aspects of human nature outside (way, way outside) the normal.
The way the veteran rammed his car into the Canadian Toll area, leaving no one hurt. That was a foreshadowing showing things were not going to be as viewers typically expected. The writer took a chance, which in this current recessive market, one has to take a chance now and then to remain competitive. You only fail if you allow your product to go stagnant. I love this show and hate labeling it as a product, but in the television media world, that is what it is. So there have been some writing changes. Kudos and respect to the writer for that attempt, no matter how popular it was.
As for the cast, they did an amzing job with their characters. There was a real sense of how important each team member was, Not one or two team members was really the focus this time. Something we viewers got a taste of from Amplification, the whole team is brought forth.
Each had their part, each knew their place and Hotch acted more like the Unit Chief in this one than others, remaining focused and stearing the others to remain on task, yet while leaving them to do what each does best to pull all the information together.
Reid spotted certain key clues that others may not have picked up on right away, Rossi doing the mental wits dance with a severly twisted unsub, JJ utilized her laison skills, Prentiss and Morgan were the basic frontrunner soldiers and Garcia's computer skills to retrieve hidden information that brought everthing to light behind the dominate unsub's reason for the murders.
The ending of the episode was exceptionally gripping for me, I work with mr/dd's and could easily see the cycling of his behaviors. The actor protraying Lucas did a good job. Someone physically as strong as Lucas with his mental capacities could easily be swayed to doing something hidious, not fully understanding what they are doing. Even in my field, there are documented cases of manipulations of patients to commit violent acts because one staff member manipulated them. So for this character and how he was protrayed in the end tore at my heart.
Finally, seeing the team's individual mental processes of the case brought forth the underlying anguish someone in those positions silently deal with and internalize on their flight back. Hotch being confronted in his home by an unsub and possibly killed in the end left an entirely different direction for the CM viewers. It was not the expected cliffhanging case being worked on, but the shock of something entirely different and personally directed at the Unit Chief. I'm looking forward to season 5.
Thank you all for letting voice my opion!
Peace and Love everyone!
Rick, the reaper was Foyet who was the unsub who got away in "Omnivore" and had it in for Hotch and Morgan.
I can understand a show that is in its first few seasons wanting to build up interest and trying to retain their ratings by using a cliffhanger but this show is doing great in the ratings and is going into its fifth season strong and healthy. I don't understand why there was a need for any type of cliffhanger.
Great job by the actors.
Would love to know how Reaper dude even got into Hotch's apartment/house in the first place? Hotch is FBI and knows about security. That was a major whole for me. I need to see how they explain it. The episodes both sucked.
I have been a devoted fan of Criminal Minds since the first season aired, but I just think they could've done better. I believe the writers of this show are capable of greater things than cheap tricks.
"You Should Of Made A Deal!" Gimme a break!
Story was exciting. I will say that some parts of the first part were a tad bit slow. Feeding humans to pigs and experimenting on humans was a first for the show. I thought it was pretty good.
I really hope that Hotch did not die. He is a really important part of the show. I've been hooked on this show since it first aired. I don't want to lose any more main characters. This is not like when Lola's character got shot. It felt different.
Wow, great job on connecting the 'eye' with the reaper, that slipped my mind. I did notice though that the eye appeared in Lucas's drawings, and took the eye on the surrounding trees as markings for the underground room. Clever writers slipping that in.
I just managed to see the season finale and i was bitterly dissapointed. Even for a regular episode it wasn't good. I felt it dragged on too much and it didn't capture me one bit. I can't believe this was written by Chris Mundy and Ed Bernero. I was so excited to hear they wrote the finale, but now I'm very dissapointed. This episode was flat, not particularly interesting or captivating. Pretty straightforward case, predictable. The story was dragged on without reason, the characters didn't feel right on many occasions...I appreciate the fact that they were supposed to be struggling with the enormity of this case but somehow that didn't come accross. Or it didn't feel real.
Anyway I'm dissapointed by this episode, beyond the fact that Hotch might have been shot. I can't believe that you are actually considering killing off Hotch. Losing the leading character is the greatest disaster for any show. Especially since we had two major cast changes already. There's not much more the fans can take you know...I'm know I'm not going to be back for another season if Hotch really doesn't make it. And so many people won't...
I'm going to divide last night into two parts. The majority of the episodes were devoted to the actual case with just a few eye clues thrown in and it was very good. They were strong episodes. They saved the finale cliff for the very end and it was like a mini episode all on its own. That part didn't thrill me!
Ok, great point about the "reaper" and the "eye" in Lucas' drawings and on the surrounding trees - perhaps he was the 3d guy as I stated before there would have to be to make this finale believeable. No way Lucas could have pulled off all of those kidnappings and thefts from medical facilities. Now it's starting to be believeable . . .
Hotch's last words:
Sometimes there are no words, no clever quotes to neatly sum up what's happened that day. Sometimes you do everything right, everything exactly right, and still you feel like you failed. Did it need to end that way? Could something have been done to prevent the tragedy in the first place? Eighty-nine murders at the pig farm, the deaths of Mason and Lucas Turner make 91 lives snuffed out. Kelly Shane will go home and try to recover, to reconnect with her family but she'll never be a child again. William Hightower, who gave his leg for his country, gave the rest of himself to avenge his sister's murder. That makes 93 lives forever altered, not counting family and friends in a small town in Sarnia, Ontario, who thought monsters didn't exist until they learned that they spent their lives with one. And what about my team? How many more times will they be able to look into the abyss? How many more times before they won't ever recover the pieces of themselves that this job takes? Like I said, sometimes there are no words, no clever quotes to sum up what's happened that day. Sometimes, the day just... ends.
And that is why we love Hotch ...
Point of Order: Foyet (The Reaper) was holding a gun pointed a Hotchner. Simultaneous cut to black with sound like gun shot.
YOU DONT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. Watch episode 1 of season 5 before you rant about someone dying.
Yes, we do LOVE Hotch! Best character on TV. We all need a hero and he is believable... not perfect, but a true leader nonetheless, always trying to do the right thing.
Get rid of this character and I'm so done with CM. Please don't make that mistake.
Being a HUGE fan of classic novels growing up and even to this day, i couldnt help but see similiarities between last nights season finale and "Of Mice And Men." Now i am aware of the fact that the plot from last night is based on a true story of a farmer from the early 2000's killing up in Canada, however, the show used a lot of aspects of Of Mice and Men in my opnion. I think its an amazing way to bring classic literature that we all raed in High School back into the spotlight regardless of what it is in relation to...If you are not familiar with the novel, I recommend going online and looking for a summary. George and Lennie are very similar to Lucas and Mason in the show and i could honestly go on and on about similiarites...Does anyone else feel this way?! Please let me know so i dont feel like Im trying to hard to relate one to the other!
Okay, still behind and lost. I started reading the comments and turned on the t.v. to race to the end of the second hour....and I had to stop and swoon over yummy JM talking to a man in a bed with a trach. For a few weeks now, he has looked unwell. Not anymore. Now THAT'S a season finale!
Back to the t.v. to see what happened to TG.........
I know I'm late to the 'after party' but WHO is the guy who shot Hotchner? I don't remember the guy. And WHAT DEAL?
Thanks in advance. And I, too, hope Hotchner isn't gone for good. He's a great asset to the show. He's the daddy!
Ehhhh, well, I think it's fair to judge this episode only on its own merits rather than any CBS monkeyshines. I know my opinion will be retroactively colored by the outcome of the cliffhanger. It's not possible to evaluate the episode without considering the merits of dropping the Aaron Hotchner character from the cast. But I have to analyze whether this worked as a drama.
It did. This episode had the kind of tension and discipline that characterized the fine writing and directing of the first part of the season. The investigation flowed logically from clue to clue with little contrivance. Hotch's interrogation of the crazy booth-crashing veteran was intense and produced surprising results (although there was something peculiar about the lighting and camera angles at times). Reid's observations were sharp but not superhuman. The degradation of the street people felt real without being patronizing. The unsub's being a quadraplegic puppetmaster was a nice twist, and his selfish sulkiness was well played. His brother definitely seemed stupid enough to do whatever he was told and had a poor enough understanding of the world to fly into a rage when threatened. As for the grossness, I did not find it gratuitous. The one thing that strained credulity is that they didn't remove Hightower from the crime scene once it was located, and that he happened to find an unattended weapon. It was clear from the measures he took to attract attention to the murders that he was unstable, and to keep any victim's family member at the scene would have been cruel.
There was one thing I truly hated. I loved it when Rossi turned all the mirrors around to eff with Mason, but the frisson of Jack Bauer when he laid his hand on his breathing tube? No. Just no.
As for the ending, well, we made it loud and clear to CBS that removing Thomas Gibson is a deal breaker. When it comes to brinksmanship, they lose. I have no problem dropping a show that takes a bad direction. I just have to hope this is no more than the usual cliffhanger.
Lots of holes in the A story. If Mason was a quadriplegic then how could Lucas have taken care of him. Seems to me that Lucas did not have the mental capacity to take care of someone in such a fragile condition. How could Mason have survived without proper care? Also, why so many faces? Were we supposed to guess what was going to happen? I knew he was in the credits but why were we supposed to be watching for him? Was the reaper in some way involved in the actual A story and I am just missing it?
If we are going to talk about HOLES in the episodes then hell yes lets talk about whether Lucas could have handled the care of his brothers trachea tube. No frigging way.
Also, the tracking dogs couldn't find them. Another huge hole.
Face it folks, the writing was just not there this time around and it has nothing to do with the Hotch situation.
Elle is shot! Wow last night was like watching the Fisher King all over again but the B version of it. I would be happy to never see another pig again in my lifetime!
ok well i feel a little surprised about one thing.... is Hotch so depressed that the first thing he does when he comes back home after a (tough but they all are) case is drinking? I'm not judging but it suprises me it doesnt seem like him
maybe being severely injured will be a new opportunity for him... (more smiles and a girlfriend, well, a life...)
Ed used bright colors and pretty pictures to tell us "Foyett is coming back and Hotch is in danger"
- Reid talking about pigs being omnivores
- the eyes everywhere (put up by Lucas, not Foyett - they said they were a sign of Mason always watching)
- Reid saying to Hotch "Do you ever get the feeling a case isn't going to end well?"
- Hotch's monologue and entering his dark apartment alone
Now I can't wait to see how Hotch gets out of this mess and contacts his team to come for him!!
Oh.... and what was up with the hunter and the rabbit? were we supposed to believe the stealthy slender legs of the hunter actually belonged to clumping along Lucas???? or is there more to that?
I watch a lot of law enforcement shows and I have to say that Hotch is my all time favorite character. I love his depth and that only really started developing over the last 2 seasons.
I hope that everything works out during contract negotiations with TG. I want to say I could support the show without him but I honestly can't picture myself sticking around.
I love watching law enforcement shows too (and anything in that area: besides CM, i also watch Bones, Law and Order SVU, CSI: Las Vegas, Dexter, i watched Homicide: Life on the Street - great show!). What other law enforcement shows do u watch?
Back to Criminal Minds...I gotta say...is it so hard to have 2 consecutive seasons with the same cast, from start to finish? Really...this is ridiculous.
To Hell...and Back Episode Recap
Part I
We start our Season 4 Finale with what appears to be our unsub cruising around a neighborhood in the Cass Corridor of Detroit that is teeming with homeless people, prostitutes, and drug users. He has pictures in his hands and appears to be looking for someone in particular. We then see him arrive at the border crossing at Port Huron, MI to cross over into Canada. He’s allowed to enter then stops his car before turning around and crashing it into the guard post. He’s arrested by the RCMP and requests to see the FBI, saying he’s killed ten people.
JJ presents the case to the team. William Hightower, an Army vet that lost his left leg in Iraq, claims to have picked 10 people off the streets of Detroit, killed them and dumped their bodies across the border in Canada. The FBI is having problems confirming his claim as the people killed were all transient and they are having problems finding any information on them. Garcia will look into it like a bloodhound. RCMP seeing no other choice brings the BAU in.
Prentiss and Morgan are sent to the Cass Corridor to confirm if they really do have victims while the rest of the team goes to the RCMP. Rossi knows the lead investigator having trained him in the past in profiling. Hotch interviews Hightower and we find out that Hightower crashed through the post so he could draw the attention to the missing people in Detroit – one of whom is his younger sister, Lee. He had tried to get the Detroit P.D. involved but they didn’t think there was a case. The BAU, however, believes Hightower and wants to use him – must to the chagrin of the RCMP, to help track down the unsub through his connections with the people of the Cass Corridor who are weary of people especially law enforcement.
Next we meet our true apparent unsub. A pig farmer who has his latest victim hog-tied (what else). We see him mark the man with a red X on the back of his neck, take him to a fence railing, and then whack him on the red X with a hard blow from a hammer. We then see our pig farmer withdraw something from the victim (presumably stem cells). Garcia finds out that there are break-ins at medical supply companies that correspond to the victims going missing.
To Hell...and Back Episode Recap
Part II
The team believes the unsub tortures the victims, maybe performing experiments. They believe he’s a sexual sadist that keeps them alive to torture them in lieu of an actual sex act. We see our pig farmer break out a reciprocating saw, then carrying a bloodied bag over to his pigs where we are the treated to the sight of the pigs chewing on an arm. So now we know how he disposes of their bodies.
Through talking to Hightower’s mother, the team figures out a connection to the cashing of welfare checks and the disappearance of some of the victims. Morgan and a Detroit detective ask a street kid where they cash their checks. He tells them the checks can only be cashed for food or shelter but that most of the people on the street don’t want the cash for either of those things. There is a local motel that will cash their checks for .30 cents on the dollar if they don’t stay at the motel giving them the cash to buy their drugs.
We see a young girl (Kelly) who has just cashed her check at the motel. As she leaves, we hear a horn honk from a car across the street from the motel. Thinking it’s a drug dealer she hops into the car of our pig farmer. The BAU arrives at the motel minutes after Kelly is abducted and is on the tail of the suspect. They fax a copy of Kelly to the border agents to check every car. But our pig farmer has another way to cross into Canada. He uses a boat he has stashed near the shore. He has a car parked on either side of the river.
When they don’t see him crossing through the border crossing, they start thinking of alternative routes coming up with an Underground Railroad (really?) route that has access to the water. Prentiss finds a hidden car and Garcia runs the VIN number coming up with a name…Mason Turner, a 39- year- old man with an extensive medical education.
Garcia gets an address on him and they go the house, Morgan and Prentiss finding medical supplies and lots of blood and Hotch and Rossi finding Mason Turner in bed on a ventilator. How can this quadriplegic be our unsub? Rossi decides to interrogate Mason Turner. Mason tells him that his brother Lucas is the man they are looking for. That Lucas is the one that paralyzed him, that he’s crazy, and that he’ll kill you all if you don’t kill him first. Rossi doesn’t believe that Lucas acted on his own, that Mason is involved somehow though obviously not physically. Mason has mirrors throughout his room so he can see what Lucas is doing. Meanwhile, Lucas is very agitated and holding Kelly in some hidden location off of the farm.
Hotch has Garcia come to them in Canada while he gets a warrant for her to look at his computer. While looking around the farm with Morgan, Prentiss thinks she hears someone yelling but she can’t tell from which direction the scream came from. She and Morgan keep looking around the farm coming to a large waste disposal bin. When they open it, they find shoes…lots and lots of shoes. After sorting them, there are 89 different pairs of men’s and ladies shoes. Morgan also finds Hightower’s Army dog tags that he had given his sister for good luck.
To Hell...and Back Episode Recap
Part III
Morgan tells Hotch that he has to leave the farm - he can’t take it anymore – so he goes to join Prentiss who is out with members of the RCMP looking for Kelly. Reid finds drawings Lucas has done and says he doesn’t think Lucas is psychotic – but rather mentally challenged. When he’s with Kelly, he seems confused, scared, and even concerned about her. Kelly begins to try to connect with him, asking his name and saying they could be friends.
Garcia finds what they have been doing with the victims. They are conducting experiments on spinal regeneration by harvesting stem cells. Hightower hears Mason talking about it. Kelly gets Lucas to go find some food, and once he’s gone, she tries to escape but she can’t but she does take his phone. Telling him she needs to use the bathroom, Kelly is able to get outside and turn on the phone. Garcia has Mason’s phone and they have the number he dials all the time using his voice control. Garcia gets the call from Kelly and speaks with her briefly. This gives Garcia enough info to track down he general location. They find the underground bunker she’s being kept in and get her out safely but Lucas freaks out and the police shoot him. Meanwhile, William finds a gun conveniently and haphazardly left leaning against the railing outside of Mason’s home (again really?) and shoots Mason before JJ can stop him. At the end, the team returns home all a little shaken by the events of this case.
End soliloquy by Hotch: “Sometimes there are no words. No clever quotes to neatly sum up what’s happened that day. Sometimes you do everything right. Everything, exactly right and still you fell like you’ve failed. Did it need to end that way? Could something have been done to prevent the tragedy in the first place? 89 murders at the pig farm. The deaths of Mason and Lucas Turner make 91 lives snuffed out. Kelly Shane will go home and try to recover, to reconnect with her family but she’ll never be a child again. William Hightower, who gave his life to his country, gave the rest of himself to avenge his sister’s murder. That makes 93 lives forever altered. Not counting family and friends in a small town in Sarnia, Ontario who thought monsters didn’t exist until they learned they spent their lives with one.
And what about my team? How many more times will they be able to look into the abyss? How many more times before they won’t ever recover the pieces of themselves this job takes?”
Hotch goes home (to what appears to be an apartment), throws his keys and bag down, puts his gun on the table and pours himself a drink. He feels a presence behind him and hears a gun cock.
Hotch turns around to see Foyett (our unsub from Omnivore) standing there wearing a mask and pointing a gun at Hotch. Foyett tells him “You should have made a deal” referring to the deal that Foyett made with the lead detective in Boston to stop killing many years ago.
Soliloquy continues: “Like I said sometimes there are no words. No clever quotes to neatly sum up what’s happened that day. Sometimes the day…just…(BANG!)…ends.”
BANG!! Fade to black and we have to wait to find out Hotch’s fate in Season 5. It’s going to be a very long summer.
Recap by HardKorr
I'm shaking. I've only just got to watch the episode. If Hotch goes, then so do I.
What's the consensus? have they killed my beloved Hotch?
I'll watch the season 5 opener, but if Hotch is dead......
please, someone reassure me......please.....I'm crying
hey Aggie you're not the only one who is devastated believe me I've been thinking about it all day!!!!
but there were no official announcement that Thomas Gibson is leaving the show So, it's a cliffanger like another one...
Hotch is always in danger, but well, is a hero... ;) That was Heroes do
Aggie, we know how you feel, we've been there. But i say don't worry. We've debated this all day today, and killing off Hotch would be career suicide for the producers and everybody who manages the show...and CBS. I am sure they will not take the chance. This show has an ARMY of fans who will stand up for it.
So please calm down. >:D<
I think I'm gonna stop reading the comments after your one, Irene Because it sums up perfectly the current debate... and it is reassuring!!
Hotch will be here for season 5. And if there are complications, we're gonna do someting about it
Is this how we lose Hotch? After 4 seasons of loyal viewing, loving this character, after seeing him go from hapilly married with kid, to a divorce, alone, absent father, workahollic man and now he dies getting shot in his own home after a case like that? Really Criminal Minds? I don't care if CBS is pressuring you into this. Even back stabbing, deserting Mandy Patinkin got a decent good-bye.
Now all that is missing is to you have him shot in the face.
Well, I guess this is good-bye Hotch, good-bye me as a viewer.
Bridget
I´m a fan from the beginning and have to thank all the cast , crew and writers for wonderful 4 seasons . Some eps are making me jumping up from the couch and some making me shake my head, so this one i didn´t love the 2 hours CM like i normaly do and it has nothing to do with the end when Hotch get shoot. .this ep was okay nothing else. We have seen better cliffhanger the last season then this was. The whole pig thing was a big too far. The highlights are the victim Kelly, she did a great job..... Mason and Lucas are okay as unsubs...and the end with Hotch. I think he will be in the next season. I believe in wonders, please do not disappoint me.
If this was his last ep he deserves a better end then what we saw.
I like all characters from the show but Hotch is the heart and soul of the show, CM is not really CM without him.
We lost lots of wonderful writers specially Andrew Wilder. I think it´s enough, no more changes, don't want to lose anyone else.
If Hotch dies I don´t know if I want to watch season 5.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Totally awesome eppy! Had to have been based off of Robert Pickton from British Colombia. Loved seeing the Canadian flag in the background and seeing the picture of the RCMP officers in their full dress red uniforms. I did find it funny that they kept referring to them as the Royal Canadian Mountain Police, and never shortened it to RCMP.
They nailed the questions at the border crossing though.
I hated that ending! I was screaming and am still shaking.
cmwinner
I'm no psychic, but I do think Hotch will be ok. I rewound and rewatched the whole two hours, and one thing struck me both times....Hotch's body language and facial expressions did not convey surprize at the Reaper in his home. He had more of an " ok, this ends now..." look. We seen Hotch put himself in place as an easy mark before, when he actually was in complete control.
We need all our characters...that's all I have left to say.
I guess I'm in the minority, but I thought this episode was really good! In fact I was actually quite surprised to get online and find out that everyone had rated it as just ok. But then again, I have purposely stayed away from the spoilers this season, so I had no expectations for the episode and have not read any possible rumors about any actor leaving the show. Since he's my favorite character (after Gideon that is), like everyone else, I really hope they won't actually kill Hotch off.
I do wish that they had NOT listed Howell in the opening credits though. That made the ending way too predictable for me. I kept waiting for his appearance, so as soon as I saw Hotch at the end, I knew what was about to happen. It was still a bit of a shock to actually hear the gun go off though, even if I figured it was coming.
I have to wonder if the last scene was added as an afterthought. It was so separate.
I liked both parts of the episode very much . They were dark and depressing and there was a gloomy atmosphere . Thats how I like Criminal Minds. I like the lighter episodes as well, but here it was just fascinating to watch how this case affected the whole team really badly (specially Morgan and Garcia).And Hotch knows exactly how hard cases like that are for his team and like me he is fearing that sooner or later somebody will reach his or her breaking point . The cast did an amazing job these two hours and the guest stars were really good.
The only thing I did not like was the ending. Like I posted here earlier, to me it was boring. I predicted since weeks that something like that would happen. They staged and hyped the whole Thomas Gibson might have to leave story too much. I don´t believe one minute that they kill Hotch of the show. And I am tired of it being again Hotch who might be the one who is injured and has to cope with it during at least the first episodes of the new season. That would be a repeat of season 4 .
But maybe the writers manage to surprise me after all .I hope each member of the team is safe back in season five. I love them all!!!!
I actually don't know what episode you all were watching last night, but I thought it was wonderful. Gross, yes. Disgusting, yes. Freaky, yes. But it was great! I couldn't watch the scenes with the pigs, but I oftentimes have to turn away when watching particularly gruesome stuff. It reminded me of the episode "Lucky" with the guy who ate women and had recipes for their preparation. I think Sharif Atkins (William Hightower) is an AMAZING actor, and I had hopes that maybe he was going to become an FBI agent - maybe in the spinoff which is mostly off now, but now he's going to jail. Darnit!!!!! I thought his character was wonderfully endearing in his dedication to his mother and the homeless people. I think a lot of people may be annoyed because this was not a Reid-centric episode. I love Reid-centric episodes, as I think MGG is a great actor, but I thought this was a great Morgan/Hotch/Prentiss episode. And, frankly, it's nice to see them figure prominently every once in a while. I cannot be the Matthew Gray Gubler show all the time, after all (as much as many of us would love that!)
The fact of the matter is, yes, it was gruesome and somewhat hyperbolic, but let's face it. We are dealing with sick, psychopaths here. Psychosis is not always a pretty thing - and I believe this episode really focused on the ugliness of what these folks (Profilers) have to deal with on a daily basis. It's a job I often fantasize about having, but really wouldn't want to do.
The writing, in my opinion, was impeccable. They slowly demonstrated that Lucas was as innocent as the people he was murdering - really a victim in his own right. It also took a piteous character, Mason, and demonstrated that ANYONE is capable of evil. And Kelly's compassion for Lucas at the end was simply beautiful - I really liked her character.
Rossi's interactions with Mason were just wonderful. I love Rossi - didn't want to, but I do. He's amazing! He is a nice shot in the arm for the typically too cerebral other characters -- Rossi represents the real world in many ways - a world the others oftentimes seem to live outside of.
So, that being said, I must have seen a different season finale from everyone else, because I thought the acting was impeccable, the writing magnificent, and the ending surprising (because I expected Howell's character to go after Morgan). Kudos to the writers, actors, crew ... and you know what, I love Hotch. Don't steal him away from us - we, and the team, need him!
Those episodes were disturbing and to know it DID happen in Canada was very scary. That said I didn't like those episodes as much as the others from this season. Season 4 had many great episodes; Demonology, Pleasure is my Business, House on Fire, Mayhem, 52 pick up, Normal, Roadkill and Omnivore but To Hell and Back were not one of them. The pace was a bit slow,the writing not up to the usual high standard that CM did accustom us to, really Lucas could do all this on his own in his mental condition?
But the worse was the ending. What is the thinking behind this? Are you REALLY letting go of Thomas Gibson? Really? The actor who play the best character on the show? I mean no disrespect to the rest of the cast but Gibson is by far the best of them, playing a character that isn't easy to play. A character that rarely display much emotions but who does show lots of intensity. You should really look back at all the episodes you have made and realise that Hotch is the main character on CM. He IS important to CM. Without him well CM will never be that interesting.
I truly hope TG will be back next season if he isn't then I will stop watching. For me it is impossible to watch CM without Hotch.
Sincerly,
Trish from Philly
Wow. I never thought I would say this, but that was one of the worst episodes of Criminal Minds I've seen.
I have loved this show for 4 seasons of intelligent writing and superb performances. However, this was cliched, very predictable and actually, boring in parts.
And then we get the cheap stunt at the end. Why the need to end each season with a cliffhanger, Ed? You don't need gimmicks like that to keep people watching - we don't watch CM for the cliffhangers, we watch it because until now, you have respected the fans and given us good, thought-provoking drama. I thought the team behind CM were bigger than cheap stunts like that.
And to watch an actor of Thomas Gibson's stature have to go through such a farcical ending was embarrassing.
I really hope that this episode wasn't CM jumping the shark, although, sadly, I suspect it was.
Actually Calliope, most of us here like this as the HOTCH-show and that's why everyone is complaining about this episode. Because this is how we are losing Hotch? After an episode like this? To a "twist" like that? - Mary
I thought last night was OK but not the best i've seen. I still love the show. If they lose Hotch I'm not sure how I'll like next season.
I hope it was a taser and not a lethal shot or maybe a tranquilizer gun.
If they eliminate Hotch, the Daddy, might as well shut it down. They already weakened the show, anymore and it would suffer too much.
Hotch has found a part that suits him, certainly better than the husband in the other show he did with Elfman (spelling?).
Anyhow, I'm now stoked about next season and swearing off hotdogs and bacon for a few days, at least till those little piggies ahve gone to market.
I'm not understanding why people are so upset.
If a season finale makes you impatient for the new season to begin, just dying to know what happened/will happen, then in my opinion, it is a great season finale!
***
And what about some people saying it was a 'ripoff' of an actual pig farm incident, implying that CM isn't original?
Hello, most of their crimes are loosely based on actual events!
I understand that people are pissed because this could be the end for Hotch. What I don't get is why it's so unbelievable that a guy who's spent a significant portion of his career hunting down serial killers, could end up being killed by one. Really?
I've never been a police officer or an FBI agent, but I'm thinkin' that any job that comes with a gun & a badge must also come with the possibility that things may not end well. (On that note, Ed Bernero used to BE a cop, no? Maybe, just maybe, he knows what he's doing.)
The show is not without its issues, and like a lot of other people, I'm a little worried about what the loss of so many great writers will mean for next season (so many episodes, so little uncharted Reid trauma). But I've always liked that the show doesn't pull (many) punches. So, would it suck if Hotch were to die? Without a doubt. But it would also be more realistic.
Sometimes the bad guy wins.
Besides, given how rarely things turn out to be what they seem on this show, I'm more concerned about Morgan's job dissatisfaction.
Intense episode.
More gruesome than other episodes, but not more violent.
I don't think that Hotch will have the time to take his second gun, not with Foyet holding him at point-blank range. And I don't think that Foyet will want to torture Hotch before killing him. They are in an apartment : the only sound of the gun will have drawn the attention of the neighbors. Foyet is many things but stupid is not one of them.
That said, I think that we saw Reid being quite worried. He even asks Hotch if he ever feels like a case is not going to end well.
He saw the eyes drawn by Luca, and the eyes caved in the trees (probably by Luca also).
He doesn't know that Foyet is back, but he has a bad feeling, a bad premonition.
So, maybe he's worried enough to want to check on Hotch at the right time.
Anyway, I'm so happy to see more interactions between Hotch and Reid. They work well together, ... let's hope it continues.
Hotch is the best character ever created (tv, movies, anything). He is the classic, good guy, hero. TG is perfect in bringing him to life.
I was disappointed and heartbroken last night that he was the one in peril. Why must the people who run the show be so mean to us fans? We have to wait 4 months to find out what happened to him?!?!?
I have watched every episode from day one. I love CM. But, if they kill off Hotch (as some have rumored here), I will not watch CM anymore. And, for that matter, I just may boycott all CBS shows.
Hmmm... personally i agree with those of you who thought this episode was too graphic. I mean yesh!
As far as the end the thing i keep thinking about is the Omnivore profile. He needs power and fear, hence his not killing Morgan when he had the chance. Killing Hotch looked depressed, not scared or terrified. Not to mention this guy really seems to like to have control over law enforcement. As much as i fear it, him wounding Hotch then going after the rest of the team or other people important to hotch while Hotch is powerless to stop it fits the character more...thus the shooting. plus didn't Gibson re-sign to the show last season? Isn't Padget the one due for contract talks?
Eh i'm probably reading too much into this
To anonymous # ? (three posts above): It is very unlikely for an FBI profiler to be killed by a serial killer and to my knowledge it has never happened (here or in a foreign country). Therefore Hotch being killed by a serial killer is a very unlikely scenario. And yes, I've worked in this field ...
There's not much of CM I can criticize but the constant shoot-outs (although I like those ... lol), hot pursuits, abduction etc. are not realistic. Entertaining yes, but not the real thing. Profilers are mind-hunters and hardly ever have to pull their gun and often don't even make the actual arrest. Undercover and regular uniformed patrol officers encounter the most dangerous situations in the field and I'm sure Ed would confirm that.
what episode was the reper on i miss it i think or i tape it and i didn,t see it .i will have to find it then finish the second half then i will comment later
The Reaper aka Foyett was the unsub that got away in Omnivore.
Oh...my god..yesterday, after watching the episodes and reading some older posts on the blog, i was thinking of how cool and amazing it would be if Thomas Gibson would come here and talk to us in the chat room. And today i go to the blog's first page and wow. I can't believe it. I think it's obvious what the first question on all of our minds will be.
I've never been in a chat-room here before, i am so excited!!!!!
first i really like this episode, i was breathless the 2 hours...
second im pretty sure that Hotch its not dead.
i dont think an episode its bad just because a character die or its in danger, remember what kind or series is: cops, murders, etc, of course sometimes someone have to die or be injured, that makes it more interesting, so please take it easy and dont get mad with writers and producers, we have to support our show.
there is a lot of people, working hard everyday doing this wonderful show, i love all the actors and i dont want anybody leaves but i will understand if that happens.
Again, i dont think Hotch is die, believe me, just take a deep breath, relax and wait like me for the 5 awesome season.
it would be nice a post for suggestions for the 5 season isnt it?
bye
Ed,
Thanks for coming to chat with the fans last night. Hope you had a great time!
As I posted here earlier I absolutely loved the two episodes. But the more I think about it the more I hate the ending. Not because Hotch might be killed of , because´I am sure that won´t happen. It was just a cheap, boring and since weeks predictable cliffhanger.
No, I hate the ending because it takes away from an otherwise wonderful written story that showed how cases like that and the job our agents are doing is affecting them really badly.
Garcia crying because it was too much for her and Morgan even not being able to stick around the farm anymore and questioning the job they are doing showed how hard their jobs are. And it won`t leave JJ unharmed staying in the house with the unsub and later together with Garcia helplessly having to watch William Hightower killing the unsub. Reid seemed really depressed going through the few belongings of the brother.Prentiss was the really wonderful and great agent she is always but I wonder how long she can do the job before she starts asking herself the same questions Morgan is asking.
There is so much more I like about these episodes . I liked Rossi interrogating the unsub even using some debatable methods because he knew otherwise the unsub would not talk and there was still a girls live in danger. And even if it looked like Rossi had no problems doing it you could see it was not easy for him. That was some great acting by Joe Mantegna.I liked Rossi sending JJ out of the room before he started the interrogation so that she wouldn´t have to watch. And Hotch letting Rossi doing the interrogation even though he probably knew how Rossi was doing it shows how well he knows Rossi and is trusting him to do the right things . Hotch like the rest of the team was really terrific. He kept everyone focused on the case . But he didn`t fail to see how this case pushed his agents to their limits . He let Morgan leave the farm without any debate because he saw that Morgan couldn`t take it any longer . And Hotch knows and is fearing that sooner or later one of his agents will reach his or her breaking point.
The episodes showed brilliantly the lasting affects cases like that and crimes and violence generally have on victims and their relatives and the agents who handle the cases.
The acting in these episodes was amazing, main cast and guest stars likewise.
The dark gloomy atmosphere was very well captured.
I loved these episodes !
But then BANG !A shot and a black screen and the last two hours seem forgotten and everybody just talks about Hotch maybe getting killed.
Don`t get me wrong . I LOVE Hotch and I don`t want him to leave. And I am sure won´t happen. It was just a cheap cliffhanger that takes away everything else there was in the episodes.
And while because of that cliffhanger everybody is fearing Hotch might be leaving ,I am more concerned like somebody else on here about Morgan or even Garcia or JJ because of the affect this case has on them. Even Hotch is deeply worried about his team.
I hope all seven agents are save back in season five and I want to thank the whole crew and cast for an amazing season four.
Ive been reading this blog for 2 seasons now haha is it possible for someone to inform me on how to get to the chat/give any login
I'm a bit late to post, but am in agreement with many others in feeling let down and extremely disappointed in the finale. The premise was good and had huge potential, but felt the writing was too predictable. The cast did their usual great job, but it still left me shrugging indifferently. That is, until the very end.
Are you seriously killing off the best character on TV? Don't get me wrong, I like most of the CM characters, but Hotch is integral to this show. He has become the lead and is a quiet rock. TG does a fantastic job and never seems to get any credit for it. Need to cut an actor, go somewhere else. And to kill him in his own home that was is a total disgrace. Have some respect. Better yet, prove the rumors false and bring him back for all of next season and beyond.
I truly hope Hotch survives, or I'll be flipping channels on Wednesday nights.
Best part of the show was TG's monologue... so moving and so haunting.
You'd better bring Hotch back safely next year or I will quit my 4 year relationship with the show. Cheap stunts don't impress me and we're not stupid fans.
To JennKuhn and anyone who want to join the Thomas Gibson chat in two weeks,
To get to the chat,
send an email to cmfchat@gmail.com tell them your name and ask them for the password for the Thomas Gibson chat.
The chatroom is here http://www.criminalmindsfanatic.net/parachat.html
NOTE: don't freak out if you don't get an answer or the password immediately, those are often only send the day of the chat with the rules of the chat.
I feel like one of two things is going to happen, and I don't like either.
Either Hotch is going to die, or they're setting someone else up for it, most likely Morgan in my opinion. Although Hotch and the reaper have a history, if the writers go by the Book of Proper Continuity, they'll know that the Reaper doesn't just kill his victims, he plays with them for a bit. I mean, and the team just HAD to know this was coming, ever since the Reaper escaped from custody. I mean, Reid looked right at the eye that was drawn on the tree before they found the cave that the victim (name elude's me at the moment) and Lucas. And the look on Hotch's face as they stared each other down wasn't a look of someone who was about to die.
I honestly think Hotch is going to be fine. I kind of feel like he's going to be hurt pretty bad, and left for dead, but he'll make it. I feel like Morgan's the one who's going to get it. And I don't like that either. :(
I'm guessing this whole cliffhanger thing with Hotch is just to distract from what's really about to happen. I could be dead 100% wrong, but that's what my gut is telling me.
It's going to be a loooong summer. :(
I just REALLY hope everyone on the team is back and fine... although it's not looking like it. I just don't get why they're going after the heart and soul of this team. Thomas Gibson brings so much to the table as Hotch every single Wednesday. I can't think of a single actor on primetime or the big screens who is as good at what they do as he is.
Le sigh. :/
Oh man...now i'm not only worried for Hotch, i'm beginning to be worried for Morgan.
Oy, my heart :-s
Thank you Ed for joining us in the chat room. It was much appreciated.
As for the season finale, I'm obviously choked about the ending. If Hotch isn't back next season, I'm not.
As for the rest of it, I didn't think it was completely horrible. It wasn't the best I've ever seen at all, though. The pigs were emphasized far too much, as others have said. We got the point from the preview, we didn't need to have it overdone so much in the episode itself. Too much gratuitous grossness.
Great, strong female character in Kelly, she was smart and kept her wits about her for the most part. That was nice to see. Loved Garcia out of her cave and making funny remarks again. Best ever. :)
Love Hotch. He is my favourite character. Enough said.
IF TG leaves it wont be with a death.
It might even be the beginning of a season long arc involving emotional issues that come up during his recovery .
If I survived something like that I would want to try to patch things up with my ex wife.
Hotch might leave the BAU to reunite with his family.
If you are worried no more Hotch,
I think its NEXT YEARS season finale you have to worry about.
oops thats GARY!
I'm a huge fan of Criminal Minds - I've seen all the episodes, have the DVDs, I just generally love the show, but I have to say, I'm quite surprised over all the uproar over the final scene. I like Hotch but of all the characters I think he's actually my least favourite - I just find him too cold. On the other hand, I would be sad to see him go but I don't think it will be the end of the show if he doesn't return - the show survived Mandy's leaving, it'll survive this too if it has to.
But more than the focus on the ending I'm really surprised at the number of people who just didn't like the episode or found it kind of bland. I thought it was a great finale and really a tragic case.
Mind you, I'm Canadian and I know the real-life case of the pig farm out in BC so I found this episode particularly poignant.
I know it's really common for crime shows to borrow Canadian cases (I'm pretty sure even the Homolka Bernardo case made it onto CM) but I wonder if they should have waited another couple of years before they started borrowing details from this case - it was such a tragedy and horror and I think it's still very fresh in the minds of Canadians. That said, I wonder if the writers will ever bring the team back into Canada - I'd really love to see an episode on the Highway of Tears.
Anyway, if there are any other Canadians on here I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode as a Canadian and someone familiar with the real case.
Love the show - can't wait for the 5th season!!
OK i can't believe everyone voted for "it was okay"
I MEAN SERIOUSLY !!
I just finished watching and OMG !!!!!!!!! i was horrified the whole time and i believe that is amazing for a show like CM !!! and i was crying at the same time..if i have to say this is by far the most intense episode of CM..i loved it but i have to say i can't believe the ending...I LOOOOVE HOTCH NOOOO T.T
and if they loose Hotch i don't know what i will do..really !!!!
Well, i think most of us liked it, but the final scene was a big slap in the face. And that kinda took the greatness out of the episode.
But...without that scene...it was definitely one of their best episodes and one of the most interesting cases they've ever had. And the acting...flawless as ever. I can't stop saying this: such a great cast!!! Finding amazing actors with great chemistry...very rare.
Which is why they should keep the current cast !!!!
IMO this episode was one of the best in the season. It was more a feature film than a TV Show and I think, that the CM team (cast&crew) have done wonderful job. I would really enjoy seeing this in a movie theater. There probably were some small details, that I didn't like that much, like graphical violence (sometimes what we don't see scares us the most, our fantasy is the most powerful filmmakers tool) and some dramaturgic bugs, but overall I have to say, that this was one of the best movies I have seen this year so far.
How I feel about the end is another thing. It is ridiculous to put the same team member into life peril at the end of season two times in a row. It is even more ridiculous to do it just because the production studio doesn't know if they are going to fire the actor or not and want to take "time to decide". But that was said here many times before. I really hope, that Hotch will stay with the team for another season and I'm really interested in how our poor writers (because I believe they didn't get into such difficult situation because they wanted) will solve this, how will they make the beginning of the 5th season original, surprising, yet still authentic.
I also have to say thank you to the writers because this episode actually shows, how hard could the work of BAU and all crime investigators be, and that some things can't have a good ending, no matter how hard you try.
I just hope, that decisions of CBS management will not be this case.
Being in th UK I haven't seen the episode yet, or Omnivore for that matter, though it's due to air soon. I have seen a clip of the shooting. There is no way Hotch gets shot. That fade-to-black was ALL wrong for killing off a major character. Whether it's a spare gun in an ankle holster, the rest of the team hiding in the apartment, a flying rugby tackle at the unsub's knees or who knows what else, he WILL survive. He might not be too well for a bit, but he's not dead!
I find it interesting no one has really talked about the fact that this episode is all based on an actual case. They really played around with it for the show but the basics (killing prostitutes and feeding them to pigs) are still there. It did not happen in Ontario however, it happened in British Columbia.
Some people commented that they went too far with the pig concept...but they were actually trying to base it on this case. Look up the killers name, Robert Pickton, if you're interested in making the comparison.
For all the people saying that maybe Thomas Gibson wants to leave the show, check out the blog, right hand side, there should be a link to a letter Thomas Gibson wrote to us fans, saying that he looks forward to playing Hotch for seasons to come.
Whether he'll be back or not (it is conceivable that he is "let go"), it was evident to me from this letter that he doesn't want to go. He enjoys playing Hotch, he wants to continue to play Hotch.
I cannot believe i forgot about this, until somebody mentioned it on the imdb boards. We keep comparing what happened to Hotch to what happened to Elle (probably because they're both season finales). But Penelope got shot too, remember? And she's alright.
I didn't care much for this episode at all, in fact halfway though I was so bored with it I called up my boyfriend. I knew Hightower was going to kill Mason at the end. The pig thing seemed to me someone watched hannibal a bit to much. The plot was all over the place. I would suggest the writers do not have two people write each part. It just didn't flow. To be honest I used to love criminal minds, it was the one show I used to make sure to watch. It really hasn't kept my attention recently and There were many episodes I dragged my feet to watch because there is no longer that pull for me to watch. Don't get me wrong I like the characters I just find better fanfics to read then watching the show.
I so hate cliffhangers... and this one felt it was shoved in at the last minute. Thank god TG is such an amazing actor he made something out of it.
Kill off Hotch and I'm done though... enough is enough with character losses and TG has made it plain he loves playing Hotchner.
Aside from the end, the story was interesting, but the pace too slow.
i am not into clifhangers at all.but when it comes to hotch being shot at the end you reeled me in. it was a little slow but i like it.it was not the best by all means. i don,t want to see hotch get killed off. i hope that is not going to happend.
OMG absolutely loved the episode, can't wait to watch part 2. I have this sinking feeling that they are going to do it to us again, making us wonder all summer what has happened to Hotch. Ohh its going to be a really long summer.
I have a bad feeling, this is not going to end well... Hotch is probably dead or should die at the beginning of the next season ! Poor team !!!!
Not thinking about cliffhanger or someone might leave the show or who should be in danger or anything, just focusing on drama, I actually enjoyed this episode pretty much (enjoy is not the right word though).
I think this 2 hour episode is good enough for season finale, and from climax slowmotion to ending monologue was beautifully done.
Kelly was so brave and smart, and sweet. She was the light of the story.
Lucus was just so sad.
Sometimes innocent heart can do most horrible thing without knowing what it really means.
William Hightower's killing Mason is, yes, predictable, but I think it's written to be predictable.
I feel that Killing Mason was not punishment for Mason but release, and it just made William to be murderer and that's so sad. But I understand William had to do it. It's just sad.
Every team member was in their right place. That was good.
While everybody seemed be overwhelm by the farm's atmosphere, Hotch kept focusing on finding Kelly, who needed them to save her. And same time, I can feel Hotch knew what the team member was going through, understood them all, actually he felt same way.
For me, myself, I have a job which I sometimes feel that even I do my best, can't change anything or even gets worse, and feel helpless and useless. Of course, their job is much, much harder than mine, but I kind of feel same way sometimes, so, ending monologue was really touched my heart.
And very end, when Hotch faced to Foyet with gun, his voice and his face really caught me.
I feel that Hotch was prepared whatever happen to himself, even the death, after the time he was going through with his work and especially after the divorce. I mean, if he still had his family to protect in his hand he would be afraid to die, but, basically he is alone so, I feel he's not afraid of dying and this though makes me feel sorry for him. But. He is not afraid of dying, but he is not resigned. He still had strong eyes there, not let Foyet to beat him. Calm and strong eyes. That's really caught me.
As for Foyet, I don't think he kills Hotch there either. He wants to beat Hotch, and in Omnivore, Foyet knew he couldn't beat him when Hotch answered his question, "It's your decision, not mine. You're the serial killer". And also Foyet knew he got Morgan in his hand, I could see it the way he looked at Morgan when he was caught in Omnivore.
So, I'm looking forward to see season 5 premier.
If Hotch dies, I'll cry for him and stop watching this show, though (One reason is because it takes some effort to watch Criminal minds as non-native English speaker and not living in North America).
Thank you very much for this wonderful season and hope for more wonderful season to come.
So, I'm thinking of this...obsessively, my husband says, but hey...
Anyway, there have been many valid comments made, but I believe (and it's just my wishful thinking) that Hotch will not be dead.
This unsub is sadistic and twisted and his thing is having control. He wants his victims to scream and beg and try to talk him out of killing them...do you think Hotch is going to do that? Heck no. He's too smart for that. He may have been shot, but one shot kills with out toying with the victim is NOT this guy's MO (which is why Morgan is still alive!)
So...in my mind (my favorite place to be) Hotch will survive, maybe get one heck of a going over, some more emotional baggage and a nasty scar from the gunshot, but he will live.
Let's hope the writers allow him to deal with all of this. I for one LOVED the fact that he came home and went right for the bottle. He's human..he's got so much on his shoulders...let's see him be human, let's let him fall a bit. I think Thomas Gibson would do fine job of a "Tarnished" Hotch, don't you all???
I don’t want Hotch to go, period. I can’t make that more clear.
I tried to not let the last thirty seconds sway my opinion of the overall episode and in my opinion it was a fairly good episode. There were certain things about it that felt more real to me than others. Other viewers have already mentioned some.
What felt real:
Morgan, Mr. Stoic, was unable to keep it together but was so affected by the potential numbers of dead that he confessed to Hotch and later, Emily that he couldn’t handle the crime scene. Every person doing that type of work has a specific case or a couple that makes a great negative impact on them. This was Morgan’s.
Each of the team members were deeply affected by what they saw. Each character handled it as his/her character would. There will be long term repercussion for all of them. Hotch questioned whether any or all of the team will be able to recover from this. This was the second time in the series that question was asked.
Mason controlled his brother out of guilt and did a very good job of it. He was very evil and his story could have carried a show, even without all the gore with the pigs.
Rossi speaking to Mason was great dialogue. There was an edged to it, you could tell Rossi was angry but he still managed to get information.
Kelly did a great job of talking to her captor. It is something taught in survival training to do or say what is necessary to escape even if it means you appear to empathize with your captor.
What didn’t work for me:
An experienced police agency would never allow a potential terrorist free run of a crime scene. Hightower should have been escorted at all times. Also, since Hightower’s sister was a potential victim he definitely would not be allowed to be involved at the farm crime scene.
Not too sure that Lucas could have done surgery with his particular condition, nor follow specific instructions.
I’m not squeamish but there was too much focus the pigs. Fifteen seconds of film would have effectively explained what we needed to know. Maybe you could have heard the pigs in the background every now and then that might have had the same effect without dragging out the gory visuals.
I have now watched To Hell and Back twice. I found both parts very mesmerizing. I think it was an interesting show but depressing. I felt sorry both for Lucas and Hightower. The regular cast all had a difficult time dealing with this and with good reason. The first time I had my mind on who was going to be in peril. I really hope Hotch will be back next year - he is so important to the team.
I will buy the DVD but I'm not sure I will watch this again. Maybe if I let enough time go before I watch, I will be able
watch the season finale again on tonight and I still hate it, hate the ending. I just cannot believe they, the writers, would Kill off Hotch! This character is the main character on that show!
This is so unbelieveable!!!
But I have to say that the guy who played Lucas was a very good actor.
Thomas Gibson did an amazing job especially at the end, he was able to bring lots emotions, surprised, defiance to Hotch without saying anything. He is such a great actor.
I do hope he will be back next season I simply can't imagine CM without Hotch.
Anyway CM without Hotch isn't something I will watch.
Eva
I finally managed to see the episode and...well, it was not so bad, actually I enjoyed it, I don't really understand why the people were so against it. There was a good team work, and suspence,of course it was a bit too obvious (the death of the brothers was a "cliché") but I think it was ok, we had much worst this season.
The end and the cliffhanger...
I will PRETEND I have not seen it.
Will Hotch wake up in a strange airplane next season? Gah.
Anyone here old enough to remember a little show called "Dallas"? The Who Shot JR cliffhanger was so big there were tshirts made!
Most dramas end their seasons with a cliffhanger - it's how they get you back after the long summer.
TV has been populated by instant gratification "reality shows" for far too long now. The TV watching populace has the attention span of a flea.
The first episode of the new season you may find this final scene to be not at all what you thought you saw.
Goddessoflubbock
He's a cop...he has guns all over the place. It also looked like the masked man had a silencer on his gun...the fade to black was all about the sound of the gun. I could be wrong, I deleted before hitting rewind to check.
I also thought that the guy from ER did a great job as the guy looking for his sister.
Better late than never now that I'm over the jetlag.
Wow, that was an exciting finale with an unsub whose psycho-MO could be called Porky and Bliss. This is one episode that could make vegetarians of us all. I didn't quite understand the stem cell research thing but the method to the madness was chilling just the same.
So it will be a long summer until we see who's the better shot!
I just want to make a few points to anyone that was wondering about feeding the remains to the pigs. These 2 episodes obviously got their idea from a real case in Vancouver, Canada. I can't recall offhand how many transients were killed but they were all prostitutes (no men) and it was a pig farmer who would take these women to his farm to "dispose" of their remains to his pigs. I believe he's still on trial.
Also, a few of you can't understand how a mentally challenged man can do these crimes but from what I caught with the show was that his brother probably reminded Lucas many times that he was to blame for paralyzing his brother and that since Lucas was at fault for that, his brother had the "upper hand". Lucas could have NEVER done these crimes alone and he definitely didn't understand the implications or damage he was doing to the victims or their families. It was obvious with his interaction with (was it) Kelly.
I just have a question that someone might be able to answer. I understand why they would choose Detroit (it being a large city and all) but what was the inspiration with choosing Sarnia with a population of 75000(a city known mainly for it's industries and visited by Michael Moore in his movie Bowling for Columbine) when Windsor is right across the border from Detroit. It was cool that I could watch a show that mentioned the city I was born and raised and still live in. Scott Road is real too (except there aren't too many homes on it, it's more industry). It's pretty cool but I'm curious to know why Sarnia...LOL
just watched the finale tonight. I think someone should check the map of the crossing that was shown. It was actually the Windsor-Detriot crossing that was shown. I guess geography isn't important when Canada is involved.
I liked the season finale. It was very well executed. It kept me on the edge of my seat. The ONLY part I really didn't care for was the ending with Hotch being confronted by the Omnivore serial killer. What it meant to me was that the season Five opener would involve more Hotch drama. The only thing that could make for a Hotch-centric episode is lots of Morgan, Reid and Garcia.
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