“Painless” – Survivors of a Boise high school massacre return to remember the event 10 years later, but the BAU team is called in when a new killer with a similar style targets the survivors. Also, Hotch is worried that his son, Jack, may be a victim of school bullying, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Oct. 12 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
What do you think about the episode ??
Careful in case you haven't watched the episode yet... comments might contain ***SPOILERS***...
Photo: Michael Yarish/CBS ©2011 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (promo pic for "It Takes A Village")
88 comments:
Looking forward to this episode. Looks very interesting and I can't wait to see Jack!
Jack!!!!!
Watching Hotch with Jack is magic!
I wonder if Hotch will just talk to Jack or if Spencer will say something since he knows a bit about bullying.
The sneak peek was okay but as a Reid fan, I'm wondering why he is the only one NOT there? I wanted to see him!
I guess it's okay to mention this since it is a spoiler thread. I hear that Reid and Morgan are finally getting a scene together like the old days in this episode. I can't wait! I've so missed their friendship! I wonder if this one is about the bullying as well. I think there is a good chance with the talk of outcasts and all on the promo.
I am really looking forward to seeing this episode, especially now if we are getting a Reid/Morgan scene other than just talking about the case!
Since Hotch was admittedly a bit of a nerd as a child I'm guessing he's known his fair share of bullying. Who hasn't? Weren't most of bullied at one time or another as a child? Perhaps Jack hearing that his dad wasn't always this tough superhero he sees him as is exactly what the boy needs to hear.
As for the sneak peek, I'm sure Reid was there, he just didn't happen to make it into that particular clip. : )
Looking forward to watching the episode on Thursday (due to the time difference and my need to "Source" it!).
At present I can't add to what's already been said.
Good to see the blog alive & kicking again - I checked on the off-chance in the hope of some intelligent CM conversation (yeah, and then I arrived...).
Hope the regulars from the bolt hole are fine & dandy? Also hope you're fine & dandy, Jill - is there any chance of ressurecting said bolt hole?! We play nice! ;-))
** Flutters the bonny blues **
Back on Thursday/Friday for dissection. Laters...
Hey BL,
Good to see you back in action.
I may not see this episode. We have a scheduling/viewing conflict in our house and I may have to watch something else, unfortunately do not have your sources. Sad about that but then generally not over the moon about the way CM is shaping up this season but perhaps it's too soon to judge.
Some of us are now also on the message board, we've had urgent calls out for you, CMFAN and Velandra, and we have a bolt hole there if you'd like to check it out. We can also direct message each other over there. Jill is no longer in charge of the blog, not sure if you've noticed that. She has passed the torch to Sindee. Anyway really glad you're still in CM land and will see you here or there.
@ Teresa:
Hellooooooo! Long time, no hear!
Are the episodes repeated in your neck of the woods - or could you watch it online? Stake your claim to the TV - anything other than CM shouldn't stand a chance. ;-))
So far I'm quite enjoying season 7. There've been a few minor things things I think could have been better, but on the whole it's floating my boat. For now!
I tried joining the message board, but haven't had the "authorisation" (or whatever it's called) email sent to me. Maybe it's an oversight? Or maybe it's not? I'd love to join the new bolt hole - but maybe it's not meant to be? Say hello to the others for me.
Anyway, I'll stop waffling and make my bedtime cuppa. T'is nice to be back(ish)...
Sorry fellow bloggers to be going a bit off topic here.
Blimey,I think help with getting on the board may be just around the corner. On our little bolt hole over there Sindee has said to let her know if there's anyone of us who's having problems and she'll personally see to it that they are authorized. I'll let her know. Are your using the same name? Don't know if you need to register again. You could try letting her know here too.
Great start to Season 7. I really enjoyed the first episodes and am looking forward especially to more Hotch. Will look forward to seeing Jack and Hotch together. Also I saw in a spoiler somewhere the 7.10 will have Hotch revisit Foyet. I think that was one of the biggest failings of CM in the past. It was a major arc and had a huge impact. We needed to see more of the effects on Hotch and how he dealt with it - or did he? TG did a fantastic job to show in his acting the toll, by his intensity, edginess, etc. but I think it was a great loss not to see more of the actual way he dealt with the whole arc. It doesn't have to be done to death in an episode but the writers are good at giving a few minutes to the characters without taking from the case.
Personally I would love to see a scene between Hotch and Reid in this episode, and I hope we'll get one.
I have missed their more personal interactions.
I have tried to get on the message board several times and have never received an authorization email back. I would love to join.
Thanks.
Yeah, new episode and new blog to talk about it. Looking forward to it. Just a note that I saw a promo for a new movie that Lola will in showing in November. Remember she was Elle is season one.
Thanks to the new blog moderator.
There you are, Blimey Girl! Have missed you MUCHO! I am happy to see that you have re-joined us! I thought of you a half hr ago while giving my hairdresser my apple crisp recipe - hah! Hah, sorry, fellow bloggers, we do tend to digress and discuss subjects other than CM sometimes...life, food, etc.:) but will try not to carried away here!
Down to the business of CM:
Am on the board, it took awhile, and I still can't use it easily like we can chat here, but I will persevere til I master it!
ITMW, looking fwd to tonite's epi and things getting back to normal abit, now that some of the init dust has settled with Prentiss and JJ back and all.
Miss JJ presenting the cases: she was so damn good at that and Garcia just does not seem a fit for that job. Like her better at the 'puter, ya know?
I hope Hotch gets some meaty lines kinda like Rossi got some screen-time last week; that was good. He should, given that the epi inc. something about Jack.
Hope that after Prentiss and Morgan refresh their skills, they don't always "partner up" as they have so much in the last season or two. They are good together but would rather see other two-somes working together because it was getting abit boring. MHO.
Will be nice to see little Jack; I'm angry already that someone would bully him: I abhor bullies-in any way, shape or form! Esp of kids! Should just not happen.
Hope V and CMF11 find this new thread and we can all chatter about tonite's epi tomorrow!
I love derek morgan!!!!!! He is the best actor ever!!!!
Well I saw it after all and I'm not sure we made the better choice.
What I liked:
The practical jokes between Reid and Morgan, felt more like old times; The final scene with Hotch and Jack, I thought it was well done, good pacing, nice interaction and he is just so darn cute; the opening scenes were dramatic and grabbed my attention, just a pity they didn't live up to their promise, at least for me; Prentiss saying she had been playing scrabble with someone called Cheetobreath, I immediately thought of our Cheetobreath, I know she was referring to JJ but perhaps it was from here they got the idea.
What I didn't like:
Everything else. It was too much like a whodunnit, first the brother, then the blond kid as possibilities; the dialogue between the team is just so rushed, I don't know if that's what makes it seem so cookie cutter to me, there's no pause, no time to get the feel of the person saying the words; hated that scene with Prentiss and Hotch on the plane, too much and not enough at the same time. What made her suddenly think of and ask about Jack? and then he throws out the question about how she made out in Paris. That's it? That's all he asks her? The rest of the team gets the psychological counseling and she gets one question.?
OK enough of a rant for now. I'm going to bed sad.
I didn't love that episode.
I felt the same way after "52 Pickup" : the "funny" scenes are over the top, I especially feel this way when it's in the middle of the case.
They're FBI agents working a serious case and Morgan simply hands out Reid's phone number for "fun" to reporters during said case !!!
I'm sorry but Morgan was so unprofessional.
Also, Reid went to Caltech, not MIT, and he was supposed to have gotten his three PhDs there.
Recap to the writers : Reid graduated high school at 12, went to Caltech, got at least three PhDs there in :
- Mathematics,
- Engineering,
- Chemistry.
He has BAs in Psychology and sociology and probably one in Philosophy by one.
One can argue that he still went to MIT at some point, but it really looks like another continuity failure.
Where Reid is concerned I would prefer the writers to concentrate more on his genius.
reid pranks!!! i loved it :)
i loved the prank! it was wonderful i hope this team love continues on!!
Oh yes, forgot that it started with Morgan giving out Reid's phone number at the press conference, perhaps not so funny after all.
I have waited for over a year and a half for a good Hotch-centric epi and Breen delivered. Thank you! All the team had their moments while Hotch was allowed to shine too. Loved the moment with his son, loved his marksmanship was apparent. And he actually got to work with both Reid and Prentiss! Great work, TG and all cast & crew. Can't wait for Breen's next episode!
Hotch and Jack together were amazing. Hotch was so sweet!
Morgan and Reid made me laugh!
Wonderful episode, full of suspense but family moments too! Best of the season so far!
To Teresa H : no it wasn't funny at all and it was OOC.
Think about how Hotch reacts to his agent lying and possibly putting the FBI in a bad light..
Like another poster said elsewhere remember how Hotch strongly reacted to Jordan lying about a dead sister in '52 pickup', (episode written by the same author...).
Morgan just pretended to be Reid and publicly gave his phone number, all of that on camera ...
Sorry but I fail to see how that's funny and Hotch should have given Morgan much more than a "Hotchalanche" (that Morgan didn't even get to begin with ....).
That's an episode I'll never watch again.
Honestly, my reaction when I watched that episode was : " What the ....?".
No, the Morgan/Reid scenes WEREN'T funny and they WEREN'T the slightest bit in character.
Hotch doesn't have anything to say about Morgan pretending to be Reid and giving his phone number on camera ????
And yes, Jordan Tod anyone ?
Hotch dissed her for potentially putting the FBI in a bad light with her lie.
Morgan is even the one who said that on a Hotch scale she had messed up on a 11 out of 10.
What Morgan did was much worse, professionally speaking; and Hotch is fine with it ????
Funnily enough, the writer of that episode ("52 Pickup") is the same guy who wrote tonight's episode. What happened between these two episodes ?
Also, shouldn't Morgan realize that publicly giving Reid's phone number like he did (ie : to total strangers) could potentially be dangerous ???
I sometimes get the feelings that the writers are trying to make a point about the team never needing to be concerned about Reid anymore no matter what.
Like others have said, Reid went to Caltech, and not MIT. He was supposed to have gotten his doctorates there.
Reid's education is a very big part of the character so it's sad to see that the writers aren't even trying to make an effort by remembering where he went to college. It's really sad.
First the good stuff.
A kid has a problem in school and a teacher deals with it competently. Awesome. As a former teacher I have to say thank you. Jack is a great kid with a realistic problem, love that. Not finding out the UnSub until the third act is always good. Reid learning about basketball *now* to scam Morgan in the pool is just funny as hell. The case as a whole was really well done, a decent, solid job.
And given that this comment is turning out really long I'm going to have to split it in two. Sorry about that.
Now the not so good
Reid and JJ having that open, friendly conversation was awesome at the time, but now, thinking back, I may be having a fridge moment. Reid calling JJ a "mean girl"? Maybe it's not all forgiven there.
Reid getting involved with basketball in high school? Given that he attended between the ages of 10 and 13, and that we found out in 03:16 "Elephant's Memory" that he went through horrific levels of hazing in high school makes that highly improbable. I doubt they would have let him anywhere near the basketball team, and if the coach had he would have been on the receiving end of even more abuse for it.
Morgan giving over Reid's name and number to the press? Both highly unprofessional and funny as hell, I give you that. Hotch should have said something, especially after speaking out against Jordan Todd in 04:09 "52 Pickup". But in the moment I died laughing.
Reid having a freak out. Was it just me or did anyone else think "Oh my god, now what?" Hasn't the poor guy been through enough? I mean the abuse and the having people walk out on him over and over and getting himself clean and now the headaches, for a moment there I honestly thought he may have snapped on us. At that point it stopped being funny. If he had just looked over and calmly vowed to crush Morgan, now that would have been funny. But the way you did it, not so much.
The practical joke at the end. Would have been a lot more awesome if you had fact checked and pointed out that Reid went to CalTech, a school notorious for it's practical jokes, on par with, if not more so than MIT (in fact the two schools have been involved in an on and off practical joke war for decades now) His Alma Mater is stated clearly in a number of episodes, including 04:07 "Memorandum" where his father has articles on his computer stating "When I ask why he chose Cal Tech over MIT and Stanford, he quickly runs down a list of Professors he had a desire to study with. He makes no mention of the weather or girls." and where he says he can get Henry into CalTech with one phone call.
CheetoBreath. Wow, that hurt. That Reid was crying on JJ's couch and then JJ was turning around and playing online games with Emily just served to emphasize the lack of consideration there. It also calls bullsh__ on Emily's lecture to Reid about losing six friends and gaining an ulcer in 07:02 "Proof". He suffered another major loss in a string of major losses and that just made it quite obvious that no on on the team has even noticed, let alone bothers to give a sh__. She didn't lose a thing, she just spent the summer in Paris.
Maybe Reid's new harder edge to the team is deserved.
Will you all please, pretty please, give him a girl? I know a lot of the fans don't want romance, would rather concentrate on his intelligence, but the poor guy needs some support and it's becoming more and more clear that he's not getting it from inside the team. Last week in 07:03 "Dorado Falls" they mention that the UnSub might be suffering from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. At this point if Reid isn't I'll eat my shoe. Get him some help, some support, something, please. It's becoming painful to watch.
Note to the writers: See how I put in lots of details with references to the correct episodes? It's called fact checking the cannon, and you don't even have to go back over all the episodes and do it yourself. Look up Criminal Minds Wiki, your fans have put all the details together in one place for you. As a fan fiction writer I feel it's important to honor your creation by getting the characterization as close as possible and getting all the details spot on as best I can, it might be nice if you all would attempt to do the same. MIT vs CalTech was a particularly egregious slip, seriously.
That said, this entire season is turning out every so much better than the last. Thank you for it.
Thank you to the entire cast, crew, and writers for a terrific episode. I loved it. <3 :D
I really liked this episode.
Morgan was with Rossi when he gave out Reid's name and number to the press so if it was an issue Rossi being a senior officer should have stopped it and/or reported it to Hotch. Hotch didn't seem to know what was going on as far as what Morgan said to the press. I don't know, I think some people are stuck on how the characters were in previous seasons, like they pick at every little piece of an episode. Yes, things about characters/people remain intact throughout seasons/years, but some things change, sometimes in ways we can't imagine. This group of characters have been through a hell of a lot and that is bound to shift them in some ways. However, I do agree that there should be some effort made to keep things consistent about the characters background.
There is but so much time they have in an episode so sometimes, yes, it is going to feel rushed. But I think they struck a good balance in this episode and I especially liked that we didn't know who the unsub was straight out of the gate. I really hope they keep that up.
Also, why does support have to come in the form of a romance for Reid. I think Reid's harder edge is part of him growing up, coming more into himself, but why does that mean some sort of romance. That seems to be the cliche go to thing for characters. I'm not saying that this is something that should never be explored for him (although I personally wouldn't care for it), just that it would take a lot of time to flesh out and possibly drown out Reid the individual, not Reid the guy who now has some girlfriend. I think it is telling that not even the actor that plays Reid (MGG) particulary wants that sort of storyline for his character. Of course, he will most likely go along with what they flesh out for his character, but in speaking about his character, he always focuses on Reid's eccentric nature and brillance. Yes, Reid has gone through a lot, but I don't think he is at some nervous breakdown stage, at least I hope that is not where they are going with him. Last season was a largely a disaster because all of the main characters seemed to be so out of sync, and unfortunately they transformed Reid into some pained, sad guy instead of the Reid that we saw tonight; confident, sarcastic, funny, and brillant.
With regard to Emily, I think it was stated that more information on what Emily did in Paris will be revealed as the episodes go on, so I think it may be premature to say she spent the "summer in Paris," as if it were some vacation. As of now, we don't know all that she went through to say one way or the other.
Oh, and I didn't think Reid was snapping when he freaked over the phone calls. I think he was just frustrated over the volume of calls he was getting as anyone would be. That is annoyning, which is why I think Morgan chose to do that very thing because he knew it would especially crawl under Reid's skin, a controlled individual. Thinking that he was going to go through some melt down, I think, is largely an unfortunate byproduct of how the Reid character was portrayed last season.
The brotherly relationship that Reid and Morgan sometimes, like real brothers, leads to childish and crazy practical jokes that aren't designed to harm, but annoy the heck out of the recipent.
Fantastic episode!! Loved the lighter moments, loved Hotch and Hotch/Jack, plenty of suspense and good profiling. I think it was a brilliant episode. Watching TV for me is about being entertained, and this episode entertained. After 7 years we expect the characters to evolve. They are entitled to their lighter moments during their work - even if their work is grim. How many of us during our daily work don't have jokes with our colleagues and the occasional joke? It doesn't take from our work. Hotch was brilliant in this episode. Love TG. I think the "feel" of the old CM is back and little lapses in continuity don't bother me much.
Great episode - suspense, profiling, humour, Hotch/Jack. Great! Very entertaining. Little continuity problems.... so what? Not major problems. Way to go CM!!!
That episode left me with a really bad taste in my mouth. I don't think that writer dosed the humor in the right way. I too hoped Hotch would have something to say to Morgan about his actions.
Yes I remember those articles Reid's father collected. They said that Reid got his three PhDs at Caltech, so what was that reference about MIT ?
Now, don't get me wrong, I could see Reid going to MIT too, and I don't have a problem with that, but that would have to be after he went to Caltech.
Well, we know Reid keeps studying so maybe it was after he got in the FBI....
I wonder what degree he got at MIT - and if he's going to go to Massachusetts he might as well make the most of it. It would have made sense if he had gotten his PhD in Engineering there, but he got it at Caltech.
Maybe he got another degree in Engineering there (in another field of Engineering I mean).
That might be the more sensible answer to excuse that writer's mistake (and yes, come one, we all know it was a mistake here).
At least, it would make me slightly happy to know that Reid got a second PhD in engineering there (Aeronautics/Astronautics for example would be good).
Since it's now canon that Reid went to MIT I'll pretend that's what happened.
Yes, the Criminal Minds writers are horrible when it comes to continuity.
They either don't have a "character bible" for that, or they simply don't care enough about the fans who pay attention and like consistency.
No matter what, with his degrees, Reid could have come up with something much more clever than the yelling at the end.
Caltech students are know for their pranks, and they're much more elaborate and sophisticated than that. Same thing with MIT.
Come on, Reid has PhD in Mathematics, Chemistry and Engineering.
I would have preferred Breen Frazier to write a more subtle and much more clever "payback" from Reid.
And, last question : Reid graduated high school at 12, could he really coach basketball at that age ?
Unless that changed too (his age while he graduated high school), and I really hope not. Maybe he coached basketball in college (since he didn't specify it was in high school).
Love the relationship with Morgan and Reed, and especially with Jack and Hotch......MORE please with all cast.
Also AJCook needs voice lessons so she can stop talking from the back of her throat. It is annoying.
Hotch didn't know what Morgan had done so people really need to get over the fact that he didn't do anything about it.
I enjoyed the case and not being able to figure out who the unsub was. I had to chuckle at the unsub who would not stay down at the end though. It reminded me of one of those cheesy slasher flicks where the killer keeps getting back up. I was glad to see Hotch put him down for good with the second shot.
This show is changing and has been changing for years. It's becoming the FBI's version of NCIS. Whatever it takes to draw in that younger audience they want so badly and it's working so I suppose we either get used to the changes or turn the channel.
I'll keep watching, but the moment Hotch cuffs Morgan in the back of the head I'm done. ; )
I agree with sf81387 - I was thinking this morning almost the same thing - it's becoming more like NCIS.
CM is supposed to be (from the start) a dark drama. All this joking is starting to wear thin. If people didn't like Garcia getting too familiar and light-hearted, they certainly won't like all the internal jokes being written.
I was truly startled to see Morgan do what he did. He's never shown that side - it just seemed out of place. Now maybe he would have done something like that within the team, but never during an investigation and so publically. It was just 'off'...
I have really enjoyed the first eps this season, much more than last year. But...if they continue with this 'lighter' version of CM - I may be as put-off as I was last year. The team has never been light - they don't need to start now.
I know things change, but we know what happenend with 'change' last season. Please don't let the writers go off on a tangent trying to make the profilers seem like everyday folk. They are not - they see the worst of the worst and deal with people, 'everyday' folks couldn't imagine. I liked them the way they were.
OK, off the soapbox - I still love CM and am very happy to have the team back they way it should be.
I really don't get what people are so angry about. Is CM changing? Yes, it is, but as long as it doesn't go back to the nightmare that it was for me last season, I'm fine. This is not to say that I won't call out things like the excessive show of violence in recent episodes like "Proof" or the lack of character continuity such as that with Reid in this episode, but it is not like there hasn't been character inconistencies in the past, not saying that should continue, just saying it is not the "high crime" that some are making it out to be. I find the excessive show of violence in episodes like "Proof" to be far more disturbing than stating that Reid went to MIT (which in theory he could have done some post grad work there that has never been mentioned). As for Reid coaching, yes, he would have been young, and yes the idea of him coaching is funny considering who Reid is, but having him coach was a strategic decision for that team to win being that Reid knew how to stack the odds in favor of his team. I don't think they are now trying to paint Reid as some jock, just as a tool that his school used to win basketball games. If they had tried to paint him as a jock, that would have been wrong and I would have said something about it, but that is not what was going on here, so again, I don't get the "outrage," so to speak.
I agree that Hotch didn't know what was going on with Morgan and Reid so him getting involved would have made no sense. Also, I don't get what type of prank people were expecting Reid to pull on Morgan. Was he supposed to come up with some new invention or soemthing so over the top that it would have lost its humor? When it comes to fact spouting and any area of intelligence, I get that Reid will be over the top, as he should be, but this was a prank, so again, I don't get what people were expecting.
Criminal Minds is a dark show and I agree that this should remain the focal point of the show, the psychological edge. But I think it is no surprise that they are interjecting these pieces of humor into the show. It is something they have done in the past, and something they said they would do more of this season. Personally, as long as they don't venture into soap opera land, or give an inordinate amount of attention to hijinks rather than the focus of the show, then I am okay. I can't remember the name of the profiler guy who advises from time to time on the show, I think his first name is Jim, well, in a chat he said that as a profiler you see very dark things on an al too frequent basis, but to keep it together and not get sucked into that horror you have to make an effort to detach a bit from that, connecting with your coworkers, family, loved ones. I expect the darkness the team runs into to effect them, but I also don't want to see this constant drain of that darkness plaguing them in every episode.
All in all, I enjoyed the episode. Loved the suspense and the build up. I think the show is slowly building itself back up from last season.
Not my favorite episode of the season. The case and some of the profiling felt rushed.I somehow didn`t feel anything for any of the victims or the unsub.
The Morgan/Reid pranking was funny but it was way too long and distracting. I`m fine with it if it was only for one episode. I hope though they don`t turn Morgan and Reid in some McGee/Tony (or whatever their names are) clones from NCIS because that`s what it reminded me of. CM is a dark show and that is the reason why I watch it and what makes the show different and better than other crime shows IMO. I hope we never see any of this NCIS-like banter stuff again. There are other ways to show the brotherly relationship Morgan and Reid have and to add a LITTLE humor to the show.
The Hotch/Jack story was way over the top and also too long. The kid reads like a 4th grader? Sorry, but I don`t buy that. To me it seems he can hardly talk like a first grader. It was also unbelievable that Jack was inviting the kid who was mean to him home to solve their problems. The same with Jack not wanting to talk about his mommy because it makes daddy sad. Seriously, they make this child thinking and acting like a grown up but the character/actor comes over as a 4 year old child. He is cute though.
JJ and Prentiss have been in contact all the time Emily was in hiding and Hotch is fine with it? Why was the rest of the team not even allowed to know that Emily is alive when JJ and Prentiss endanger Prentiss and everybody else by risking that Doyle is finding out that she is alive. This also contradicts what was said in "It takes a village" that Hotch and JJ didn`t know any of Prentiss identities. If Doyle was really that dangerous and watching everything the team was doing he wouldn`t have a problem finding out with whom JJ was playing "On line scrabble". Also, why was Haley then portrayed as being stupid for contacting her mom when she and Jack were in hiding.
Overall only an average episode but since I liked the first three eps, I`m still optimistic about the season.
Wow Michelle!! I totally agree with your post. I really liked the episode.
I'm not the type to pick apart every little fact about the show or bring up every little thing from the past. That's just me. But I won't bash anyone else who does.
I really enjoyed this episode. I have decided not to read the comments this year because they are often too critical for me. It is perfectly okay, it just makes me feel a little sad, so I just don't read them anymore.
I knew Reid's MIT comment would cause an uproar (found that out through a twitter post) but they have explained Reid's 3 PHD's come from 3 different universities. That is how it is done. People persue their PHD at the university that is foremost in the field.
Bad, bad Morgan!!! Hotch should have read him the riot act!! Then dragged him outside and beat the crap out of him. He should be fired and cast out the country!!!
LMAO!!!!
Anonymous said,
I really enjoyed this episode. I have decided not to read the comments this year because they are often too critical for me. It is perfectly okay, it just makes me feel a little sad, so I just don't read them anymore.
I knew Reid's MIT comment would cause an uproar (found that out through a twitter post) but they have explained Reid's 3 PHD's come from 3 different universities. That is how it is done. People persue their PHD at the university that is foremost in the field.
I like and agree with this comment too!!
All of the Hull-a-ba-loo over the MIT reference is cracking me up. I don't remember such an uproar occuring when JJ's university changed from Pitt to Georgetown in "Zoe's Reprise".
The misunderstanding about Reid's basketball comment has also been amusing. I can totally see a high school basketball coach using a 12 year old genius's mind to give his team the edge. Just because he has recalled some bad memories from his school years, doesn't mean the entire experience was all bad.
I'm done with the show. I can't believe the network has allowed it to deteriorate the way they have. It's as if the writers are purposely trying to write badly. Enough is enough.
I actually enjoyed this episode. We were told before the season started that the writers wanted to show the audience more of the personal sides of the characters. The writers felt that was earned.
I found it fun to see more personal character interactions. I didn't find Reid or Morgan out of character with the pranks. These interactions were entertaining to me. I'm not really one to nitpik continuity errors. It's just not that imortant to me overall. I do understand for others that it can be annoying. I have more difficulty watching a show that is dark and dramatic every episode. I know this series will tend to try and balance that out by showing us more personal sides to the characters. As a long time watcher of Criminal Minds, I like and appreciate the effort being made to balance out some ligher more human moments with the dramatic side of this type of job.
I'm not really one to nitpik continuity errors.
I love to find them and point them out, but I don't typically get upset by them. I usually just point and laugh and move on.
I really didn't have a problem with Morgan's prank either. So he gave a group of reporters Reid's name and number. Is it really any worse than wrapping a whistle around his neck when he failed his gun qualification? They were reporters. Who doesn't want to have some fun with reporters?
I enjoyed the Hotch/Jack scene. Always enjoy those and I thought it was very well done.
I thought the Prentiss/Hotch scene was a little odd. Since when does Prentiss or anyone not named Rossi get that personal with Hotch? I guess the fact that he didn't shut her down is supposed to be showing some growth on his part? He has been a lot less grim this season. Oh well, I'm sure the scene thrilled the Hotch/Prentiss shippers.
I also loved how the mother of the boy stopped being protective and gave them permission to tear the boy's room apart.
I thought the episode was so so. I liked the unsub is kept secret until the end of the episode, unlike recent episodes. I really cannot see Reid coaching basketball in high school. He was such an outcast who was bullied and beaten regularly that his coaching the basketball team seems far too out there to even be believable. Like these guys would take orders from him.
The incongruities in the characters are getting so tiresome. Why bother having any kind of back story for them at all if you are going to constantly change it. The articles that William Reid collected even state that he received his three doctorates from Cal Tech and that he specifically chose Cal Tech over MIT:
When I ask why he chose Cal Tech over MIT and Stanford, he quickly runs down a list of Professors he had a desire to study with. He makes no mention of the weather or girls.
Indeed, with three doctorate degrees from Cal Tech already,
The practical joking was cute in that a lot of us engage in practical joking with our co-workers; I know I’ve been a part of many. However, giving your co-worker’s private number to the press is beyond a practical joke. Not only the press can see it but everyone who’s watching the news. Who knows who might have it in for Reid from a past case or something and would be able to find him through his cell? It bothered me that Reid got spoken to for the manner in which he answered the phone, but nothing whatsoever was said to Morgan regarding what he’d done which, in my opinion, was the far more egregious action. Reid’s response that he was going to crush Morgan followed by fiddling with his Ipod and cell were hardly in the level of crushing. More like something a moronic teenager would do.
It’s nice to know that while Reid was crying his eyes out at JJ’s that she was happily playing scrabble on line with Prentiss and swearing to Reid that she absolutely couldn’t tell him about Prentiss being alive. Wow JJ, that could never be tracked by someone with computer skills!
Just a quick 'un after getting in from work, watching the episode and heading back out...
Generally, I liked that the episode was a "whodunnit" and that there was plenty of profiling. Loved the scene with Hotch & Jack, although the scene on the jet between Hotch & Prentiss seemed rushed at the end when her time in Paris was mentioned.
I know Reid's a genius and all that, but to suddenly reckon on the disorder also known as congenital insensitivity to pain (there was a TV documentary about it on UK TV a couple of years ago - a horrific condition and certainly not advantageous - young kids can cause serious damage to themselves until they learn the consequences of behaviours such as biting their tongue, poking themselves in the eyes, etc) was, erm... impressive. Not sure that's the right word, but to recall an incredibly rare condition. I know of its existence but wouldn't have thought of it - but then I'm not an FBI profiler, or a genius. ;-))
I thought the joking between Morgan & Reid, while amusing, was a bit OTT. Nice to see a bit of banter, but during a case??
Finally, my pickiness! I don't know how American cell phone numbers are, in terms of which digits they start with, so... I recognised Morgan giving out a Las Vegas number (dialling code 702) after being there over the summer - do cell phones also use city/area specific dialling codes? In the UK geographical numbers start 01 or 02 (e.g. 01732 and 0161 were a couple of mine in the past) but our mobile phones always start 07... - I just wondered if how they said it on the show was correct. Although I suppose Reid could have put his home landline to divert to his cell phone?? Just pondering... I need to get out more!
p.s. Sindee - thanks for the message board "offer" - I'll email later.
p.p.s. Gubegirl!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah - missed our chats too! Hope to see you on the message board sharpish. ;-))
I enjoyed this episode... The Reid/Morgan pranks were funny.
I like the idea of JJ and Emily being in touch whilst she was in Paris... that was sweet.
Hope the show doesn't go too silly all the time... we need good cases... and a bit of the lovely team interactions... but not over the top
Overall, loved it though
Cerene said...
That episode was a disappointment compared to last week's.
The case wasn't bad, but I didn't find the Morgan/Reid pranks entertaining in the slightest. It annoyed me and made it difficult for me to try to enjoy that episode (which I didn't in the end).
To Zagi :
so, so glad to see I'm not the only one who rolled her eyes at Jack reading like a fourth grader. Soon they're going to tell us that he's a second Reid, only even better of course because he's going to be more intelligent, more coordinated and more sociable (anything less would be unacceptable for Hotch's son).
Hell, Jack will soon teach Reid some chess strategies and will take pity on Reid and let him win once in a while.
In my opinion, the important thing about humor in such a dark show is subtlety. And what we got last night was anything but subtle and it came out of the blue.
I would have been more than fine with a little teasing in the jet or in the bullpen, but it went way overboard and was simply stupid.
Even better, why can't the writers tell us what is wrong with Reid's mother ?
That would have been bonding between Morgan and Reid if they had briefly talked about it.
I guess the writers are not even sure if that storyline will really make it in the end. They'll wait and the whole thing might be dropped if they don't want to take time to show us an interesting Reid storyline. That's probably why Reid didn't say anything apart from a comment to JJ about having to deal with stuff concerning his mother during a weekend.
It has been three years since we saw Diana Reid, three years. I hope they'll do whatever they can to get her back at least one last time on the show.
I too am angry with the Caltech/MIT mess. Like someone else said, I'll simply think that Reid got his three PhDs at caltech and went to MIT to get another doctorate in another filed of engineering (yes, that would make two PhDs in engineering, but engineering is MIT specialty).
I am so sick of people hacking this show to pieces over such dumb little things that are part of a show about profilers who fly around in a private jet. Helloooo, this is a fiction show. Now, I get that even though it is a fiction show that it has tried to mantain some of the things that the FBI would, or at least the things that the show started on as a foundation which is why last season with the cadet was incredibly stupid. But people bringing up that it was over the top for Morgan to pull a joke during working hours and the area code thing, come on, this is just getting ridiculous. They haven't always been straight laced and serious in this show. Plus, having someone's phone number is no big deal nowadays as there are many more efficient ways to harm someone if you wanted to and this is something Morgan would know and I doubt he would put Reid in any harm for a prank.
On some level, they have inserted humor into what otherwise would be an extremely dark, dark show. Okay, I agree, it shouldn't be fun and games all of the times but the level that was presented in this episode was not so over the top like people are making out to be here. I liked this episode a lot and I appreciate the effort that Messer and the writers are making to shape stuff up. Do they always get it right in terms of keeping up with the characters back story, no, but it is not to the point where the characters are so far outside themselves to be unrecognizable (however that was starting to happen last season because of all of the dumb changes).
Looking forward to next week's episode.
I am so sick of people hacking this show to pieces over such dumb little things that are part of a show about profilers who fly around in a private jet. Helloooo, this is a fiction show. Now, I get that even though it is a fiction show that it has tried to mantain some of the things that the FBI would, or at least the things that the show started on as a foundation which is why last season with the cadet was incredibly stupid. But people bringing up that it was over the top for Morgan to pull a joke during working hours and the area code thing, come on, this is just getting ridiculous. They haven't always been straight laced and serious in this show. Plus, having someone's phone number is no big deal nowadays as there are many more efficient ways to harm someone if you wanted to and this is something Morgan would know and I doubt he would put Reid in any harm for a prank.
On some level, they have inserted humor into what otherwise would be an extremely dark, dark show. Okay, I agree, it shouldn't be fun and games all of the times but the level that was presented in this episode was not so over the top like people are making out to be here. I liked this episode a lot and I appreciate the effort that Messer and the writers are making to shape stuff up. Do they always get it right in terms of keeping up with the characters back story, no, but it is not to the point where the characters are so far outside themselves to be unrecognizable (however that was starting to happen last season because of all of the dumb changes).
Looking forward to next week's episode.
Sorry, don't know why my comment went through twice.
However, giving your co-worker’s private number to the press is beyond a practical joke. Not only the press can see it but everyone who’s watching the news.
I don't think the cameras were still rolling at that point if they were even rolling at any point. He gave the number to the reporters, not the entire viewing public, or at least that's how I interpreted it.
I recognised Morgan giving out a Las Vegas number (dialling code 702) after being there over the summer - do cell phones also use city/area specific dialling codes?
I'm not sure I really understand what you're asking here, but in the U.S. all phone numbers begin with a 3-digit area code that signifies a geographic location and if you are dialing out of that location you need to include it when you dial or the call won't go through. You also have to dial a "1" prior to 3-digit area code in order for the call to go through. It's called a long-distance phone call. I wasn't paying attention to the number Morgan rattled off, but I'm assuming the prefix was "555" since that is a prefix that isn't used any place in the U.S. and it's what they typically use on television.
My son could read at a 4th grade level when he was six. It didn't mean he was a future genius, it just meant he was bright and had a mother that took the time to read with him every night. Did anyone really expect that the child of Aaron Hotchner wouldn't be as bright as his father appears to be? I thought the boy was portrayed as a perfectly normal six year old and yes, they do tune into their parents grief and sadness regardless of how well a parent attempts to disguise it. I thought it was a very sweet scene.
As for the Reid/MIT thing. I've never missed an episode of this show since the beginning and I enjoy the character of Spencer Reid a lot, but I have to admit that while I immediately picked up on the discrepancy with Rossi's timeline, I never noticed the discrepancy with the college that Reid attended. Maybe because I've heard him mention MIT before or maybe because it's just such a minor detail in my eyes that it didn't matter to me, but I must say I have enjoyed the uproar over it. Poor Breen Frazier is probably not going to want to chat tonight. LOL
I really don't care whether or not we see anymore of Reid and his mommy issues. It's okay if we do, but if we don't I'll be okay too.
That goes for all of the characters. I enjoy the little 1 minute moments at the beginning or end of the episodes that gives us a glimpse into their personal lives, but I don't want or need to see that stuff excessively. I would much rather enjoy watching Morgan and Reid as co-workers pranking one another than watching Reid angsting over his mother.
To sf81387 :
To each is own, but Erica Messer is the one who said Reid would have a storyline and that Jane Lynch was involved.
The other writers also said that Reid was away for three months to deal with her.
Erica Messer and the writers shouldn't have created expectations with the fans if they didn't want that story to make it on screen.
I'm simply more cautious this time and I realize that even if Erica Messer and others promised us something on that front, they might not keep their word.
But I certainly would love to see more of Reid and his mother, even if it's the last time she appears on the show, rather than Reid and Morgan pranking each other.
The Hotch fans are entitled to enjoy the Hotch/Jack moments and we see a lot of that (and a crew member on twitter just said that we would soon see Jack again). The Reid fans should be allowed to enjoy some scenes and a story with him and his mother after not seeing Diana Reid for three years.
Reid was away for three months to deal with his mother, he's the one who took the sabbatical, and we don't even know what was wrong with his mother ....Do you think it's normal ?
Sf81387, I agree with many of your points. I just don't get all of this belly aching over inconsistencies and the like as if that hasn't happened on the show before. Of course I prefer there not be inconsistencies but just like any show they are going to be some and these are not such that the show has been damaged beyond repair.
I didn't mind the pranking between Morgabn and Reid and would like to see more of that in the future as long as it does not over run the show which it didn't last night. I think all of the characters got their fair shake and that the case was compelling. Not telling people how to feel or what opinion to form but I think some perspective is needed here, especially for a show in its 7th season.
Cerene, I too would like to see what is going on with Reid, but seriously, they have just aired 4 episodes so far out of probably a 22 episode season. They said Jane Lynch was going to guest star on the show and unless printed elsewhere that seems to remain the case. Jane Lynch has a schedule to be worked out to be on the show so when that gets cleared, unless she changes her mind, she will be on the show.
Cerene, patience. We're only 4 episodes in and we've already had one episode that dealt with Reid's issues with being lied to. He and his issues can't be the focal point of every episode. I read somewhere that there is a Reid-centric episode on the near horizon so you'll probably learn more about what's been going on with his mother then. There was no reason for Reid to be angsty last night. Seeing the lighter side of the guy is entertaining though...to me anyway.
I enjoyed the episode very much. Fast-paced and exciting, with great guest casting. I like the direction of ALL of the characters' development and thought all the of the team interactions were fun; very reminiscent of early seasons.
The Reid/MIT flub was a bit jarring and annoying (my only negative feedback); that Reid went to CalTech has been stated over and over in multiple episodes.
All in all, I feel CM is back on an upward trajectory and I am happy happy happy!
A great episode! For me the best so far this season. Yes Season 7 shaping up well! As I am not doing a thesis on CM, every detail of contintuity doesn't bother me! I think the writing in this episode was excellent - the pace was good, the balance was good, most focus on the case but little vignettes of humour and team moments. yes a great episode. Love Hotch!!
Everyone needs to take a deep breath! We asked Erica and the writers to give us more team interactions...and they did. We asked them to show us more of the team's home life...and they have. We asked them lighten up and show humor sometimes...and they have. If everyone keeps being overly critical, they're not going to listen to us fans anymore. What's the use? Season 7 is soooooooo much better than season 6. In fact, it is shaping up to be onne of my favorite seasons. Lets all sit back and enjoy it!!
Just my 2 cents ~ mom to 2
Mom to 2.. perfectly stated!!!
I agree Mom to 2! But with the Reid needs a romance thing does the team really have time for romance? Remember Hotch & Hailey?
My two cents on the writers not listening to the fans - and I include myself in here-; it might not be such a bad idea. I find these last 4 episodes to be not a whole lot different from S6 in that they are both very uneven. Now I know it's early into the season but I remember telling myself that last time round too.
Where I'm going with this is that maybe part of the problem is that the writers are trying too hard to please too many people. I love it but perhaps we just have too much access. In many ways I was a much happier camper before I knew any of this existed. I was a private critic then. Supposedly they read this blog, the writers and actors. I might be a good idea if they stopped.
However if the ratings continue to climb they're obviously pleasing someone or a lot of someones and I'm happy for them about that, just not so happy for myself at the moment.
Teresa, ultimately I think you are right. Although I did not have an issue with this last episode, it is event that there are some people that are stuck on issues like whether Reid ever went to MIT, which I quite frankly think is a waste of time. I'm not saying that it shouldn't be pointed out, just that I feel that the level that it has risen to is completely ridiculous.
Towards the end of last season, Erica Messer said that she sat down with the actors and asked them for their input as to where they'd like their characters to go. While it is unclear how much of that feedback is being used in the episodes, I think at least some of it is which means that if people are taking such an issue with the show this early in the season, well, I don't know what to say. Last season for me was different in terms of making a call this early because I knew that AJ wasn't going to be there, Paget was getting ready to leave, then the unpleasant "surprise" later on of the ridiculous new character. Someone here already said this, or something like it, but here it goes on my end. This show is in its 7th season which means things are inevitably going to evolve. For many people, that is a good thing, for many others it is a bad thing, some are just indifferent. Going into such banter over not getting the school that Reid attended correctly and harping on the fact that Morgan and Reid played pranks on one another during work hours seems so off the charts for me as the way that these things were incorporated in the show were not done in a way that they were hovering over bodies and throwing water ballons at one another.
I feel like they are trying to find their footing once again, at least that is what it seems like to me. But this footing IS going to be different and if people can't handle that, well, then I don't know. At the end of the day they have to produce shows that not only do they feel will appeal and entertain a great number of people, but they also have to produce something that they are proud of which seems to be the case so far. Criminal Minds is getting some of their best ratings, so to your point, they are appealing to some group and I suspect they will continue to do so.
I liked this episode. So far I've liked all the episodes for Season 7. Feels like we've got good energy with the cast and the shows so far have been pretty well written. I'm liking it!
Seems like we are getting a little bit more of everybody in this episode. It was nice to get some Hotch time, especially scenes with or concerning Jack. Another good epi.
So I missed something - how come Jill passed the torch and is not running the blog? She did such a great job.
OMG!!! morgan's prank was a little unsettling due to reid's anger, but i almost peed myself when he did his on morgan!!!!!!!!!!!!
as for the other stuff, definitely one of the best episodes they've done. it kept me hella guessing!
I think I know what reid was going to tell that reporter--"hi this is dr.spencer respeciaid i actualy can come to the phone right now with a very special message that your mother...is a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"
You can tell I'm a Monty Python geek.
First off, I loved Reid's 'son of a …your mother.....' it was WONDERFULLY wicked and unexpected. M and R were a hoot, although the phone number prank seemed a tad disruptive in their line of work. But I nitpick. The MIT thing didn't bother me; neither did the Rossi anachronism. Didn't think they were trying to portray Jack as the next Reid - his unusual sensitivity has been alluded to earlier, to which Rossi had said 'he is smart, like his dad'.
The main story started off with a bang and ended on a slightly weaker note, imo. The empathy and the tragic tone of the intro was partially lost by the point of resolution. The last scene with the students was predictable, but the cut to jack/hotch was well done. As I was saying to Teresa H, the little boy is astoundingly sensitive. I felt a lump in my throat when he said talking about mommy would make daddy sad - did not feel inconsistent at all. He has always asked rather grown-up qs that have seemed in-tune with his parents' emotional state - preferred it to the cookie/soccer scenes.
Prentiss/hotch/plane, though a bit abrupt, didn't feel too awkward, and I was glad to see them in the same frame. Playing scrabble while you're being hunted sounded a little frivolous to me, or maybe that was just Prentiss's way of compartmentalising, or, like hotch in Nameless, Faceless, refusing to talk about her trauma. I think they've lost a bit of an opportunity for quiet, introspective drama (I don't mean a long, drawn-out sob story - CM hasn't done that yet - recalling 'ride the lightning', 'ashes and dust', '100', etc), but it's just 4 episodes in - there's still plenty of time!
I'd probs need to watch this again to mull over the unsub story (which I quite enjoyed! I like the whodunits to the whydunits); overall, while the 'new' CM still seems far too rushed and loud for my liking, I think I'll be happier soon. One more personal little niggle - I don't see the need for comic relief in EVERY episode. The dark nature is what has always differentiated it from the dozen other cbs crime series; we don't need to sanitise it and in a way detract from its tragic undertone; it's dark because the subject/genre is, especially those that are not written in the tradition of the cosy English murder mystery. JMHO and to each her/his own.
I agree with Teresa H - stop listening to us about the stories, but bravo on the ratings :-)!
PS: Blimey, soooooooooooooo good to 'see' ya again!
I love everything about this season including this episode. I think the story lines are well thought out and well written. I love seeing the personable side and unpredictable scenes as with Reid/Morgan. Erica Messer did an incredible job turning the show around IMO. I am back to looking forward to wednesday nights!
LOVED this episode! Don't have an issue with Jack's reading... his dad spends lots of time with him reading and isn't exactly an idiot, so its believable. Give him a break.
Thomas was awesome as per usual and about time he got some material to work with. Welcome back, TG, missed you last year!
Good to see some light hearted banter and I appreciate the detail of the case enough to overlook continuity errors; if I got stuck on those I would have been done with CM years ago.
Go TG, can't wait for epi 10! :0)
Viviana said: Although I did not have an issue with this last episode, it is event that there are some people that are stuck on issues like whether Reid ever went to MIT, which I quite frankly think is a waste of time. I'm not saying that it shouldn't be pointed out, just that I feel that the level that it has risen to is completely ridiculous.
If this were the first such incident, I would totally agree with you, but it has been a constant thing through the whole series. One of the most consistent things about CM is its inconsistency if you will. I don’t know why they bother giving their characters any kind of a back story if they’re only going to change it later. First Garcia had four brothers who all wore tadpole shirts; then she was saying, “Granted I’m an only child.” JJ went to college in Pennsylvania we found out in North Mammon, but in Zoe’s Reprise suddenly it was Georgetown. Prentiss went to Yale in The Last Word, but in The Performer, the victim had an apartment like the one she’d had at college in Georgetown. Morgan and Hotch have done so many different things that it’s hard to keep track; cop in Chicago, undercover, bomb squad and years in the BAU for Morgan and who can keep track of all Hotch has supposedly done. And Reid’s eidetic memory seems to have shifted from remembering everything he’s read, to remembering everything. He couldn’t remember where the words in the poem were from in The Fisher King because he hadn’t read them; he’d had them read to him by his mother. Yet in 100 they asked Reid what the reaper had said and he reeled it off like some kind of robot. And who has any idea how old Reid is; it seems to change from season to season. They should have a book or something on each of their characters and each time a new fact comes to light it should be entered and then the writer could check. How long would it have taken to check and see that Reid went to Cal Tech instead of MIT? This really can’t even be blamed on a new writer since Breen has been there for a while. So, like I said, I would totally agree if it were one issue but it’s so many that keep piling up, it’s almost becoming humorous that the writers and editors are so lax and the fans seem to know more about the characters they're writing about than they do.
That being said, I’m finding this season phenomenally better than last season and it’s only four episodes in. One thing that really is bothering me is that I find myself disliking JJ now. I watched a rerun of “JJ” the other night and that kind compassionate woman seems gone now. I miss her.
Not a bad episode, but not one of my favorite either.
I get that the agents need to lighten up and I understand the "logic" behind the pranks. I just hope it's not a recurring thing as I'm still not a fan of these scenes.
The case was interesting, and it was an interesting and I enjoyed the whole 'not able to feel pain' angle taken by the writer.
The Hotch/Prentss shipper got their scene, good for them.
Apparently the same writer will have more scenes between these two in his next episode.
It's great if it pleases the shippers, but, please, could you remember that Hotch and Reid used to have a great relationship during the first three seasons ?
I hope to see more personal scenes between Hotch and Reid, I miss that terribly. Please ?
Why would you delete my post? Did you seriously delete it because I mentioned Breen Frazier's chat? I didn't mention where it was or how to get to it. Honestly, you need to post a list of what is and isn't allowed because I don't have a clue any longer.
@sf81387 - not sure what you are talking about... we haven't deleted any comments... if you're missing something please let me know & I try to find out... email: criminal-minds(at)sindee.de... THANKS !!
CU sindee
It was there and then 20 minutes later it was gone so one of us is crazy. If you deem it shall be me who is crazy that's fine. Not important anymore.
@sf81387... well it was important for me because I'd like this blog to work and if you find something is not working I'd like to know what it is so I can fix it... so please let me know when comments of you (or other) seem to disappear... THANKS A LOT !!
sf and sindee, it was probably a board glitch. Last time I tried to post something, there was a little "hop" after I clicked "Publish" but nothing happened. I tried again and my message was posted. And also, if you're posting on other boards, be sure to keep track where you posted. ;-)
Yes, I'm aware I posted on another board as well and the post was posted here because I came back over to check it for typos and stupidity and it was here. I came back 20 minutes later and it was gone. It's not the first time I've been censored for posting something that the owner wanted to post on the blog herself or for mentioning another site so I just assumed I'd been censored again for daring to mention that a chat took place. As I said, it doesn't matter so I'm not going dig it back out and repost it. It's not like the place is booming with discussion anyway.
I loved the episode. I like the way this season is shaping up.
I think that AJ Cook has a lovely voice. And really big, super pretty blue eyes. :)
Great episode! Absolutely the best since the beginning of season 6 (yes 6!).
Just the right balance of everything: a well developed and interesting case; nice interaction between the character, some on a lighter tone (Reid-Morgan, Reid-JJ) and some more intense (Hotch-Prentiss; Hotch-Jack). We finally got Morgan and Prentiss interact with someone different from eachother (it was growing dull and boring), and we finally had Hotch open up about Jack with someone different than Rossi (again dull and boring). We also got hints of more to come, like Prentiss in Paris. In the chat Breen said that there will be an entire episode dealing with the aftermath of Prentiss story.
Really really good job, from both writers and actors!!!!
So, I finally managed to see this episode and I have mixed feelings about it.
The good things :
Well written story and great case. I liked the fact that the unsub wasn't Randy Slade's partner from ten years ago. I also happened to find Randy's brother to be an interesting character. His scene with Rossi at the beginning was certainly abrupt but interesting ("You know how it is with fans. I mean you bang yours, mine kick my ass."). I guess his mother didn't need the attention that a search warrant would have brought, so her "no-nonsense" and not overprotective reaction made for a good scene in my opinion.
I loved Reid figuring out the unsub's medical condition (pain asymbolia).
The scene near the end with Hotch shooting the unsub had an extra edge because of that condition.
The last scene with Randy's brother calling out his name while lightening his candle was a nice scene, even if it wasn't unexpected.
Even if the MIT thing started as a mistake, they can't go back and erase what was said. It would be even more confusing for the fans if Reid now said that he had never attended MIT.
So CalTech + MIT it is, and I honestly think it's great !
On the not so positive side :
I found the unsub's motive a little weak in the end.
The sad thing is that they didn't need JJ to become a profiler to give her good scenes. The scene where she figures out the connection between the members of the 'top ten' makes sense not because she's a profiler but because she was the media liaison of the team. I'm sure that she would be more aware than the others of that kind of things (conference, interviews,...). Making her a profiler was an unnecessary move in my opinion.
The scene where Prentiss just had 'a feeling' about Jack ...where did that come from ? So, I saw that this writer apparently loves writing Hotch/Prentiss but that scene didn't make sense.
I wished they had let Reid give an advice to Hotch about Jack (and that they had found a more convincing way to sell it to the fans than what they did with Prentiss). Like others I miss the Hotch/Reid connection we used to see.
But more than that, I don't get how Prentiss could just know something was going on with Jack,....I'm sorry but even if Breen Frazier loves Hotch/Prentiss scenes, I don't think Prentiss is closer to or more in tune with Hotch than the others (and Hotch didn't let anything slip).
The Morgan/Reid pranks war. The idea is not bad, but Breen Frazier is totally right when he says that it's a question of tonality. I did find it distracting.
The prank Morgan pulled with Reid's phone number sort of bothered me, but not because it was unprofessional of him to present himself as Reid. It bothered me because it made Reid unable to concentrate at some moments and was counterproductive for Reid's work and efforts. Usually they are so focused on the case and they try to not waste any time.
That said, I don't have an issue with the idea of Morgan teasing or pulling a prank on Reid.
Reid is, by canon, the youngest team member and Morgan sees him as a little brother. I just wished the scenes had been more nuanced.
On a side note, JJ's comment about being on her campus ten years ago when the event happened made me wonder about her age.
Well, we know she's older than Reid of course, but they never told us how old she was.
I guess something like 33/34 ? Well, it's only a guess.
I loved this episode. Loved Reid and Morgan's pranks and loved all the characters being back in their regular spots. Thanks for bringing this CM family back together again.
The fact that Prentiss and Hotch talked more than two lines to each other made this episode fantastic in my eyes. Nuff said.
Hey fellow TZs ... I like Blimey checked on the off chance the blog was back or a thread to post on still alive .... I have had probs getting on the message board... I'm going to email Sindee and try to get it worked out. It's nice to see the blog is back up and running and everyone is still around. I missed posting and getting sf's great spoilers. Hope everyone us well.
Gubegirl: I finally found it! Hope cmfan11 finds his way back too ... Apple crisp ???? Yum!!!
Your all going to have to tell me how the ep. Ended as my son is getting his molars and NOT happy at all. Rossi's wife is def. Not how I pictured her. Though now thinking about it I'm not sure how I pictured her. And Rossi not a bacon and eggs w/ grease on the side guy !!!!! I've always seen him as a meat and potatoes kinda guy ... Still not lovin Reids hair but still love him. And there's no reason he couldn't have gone to M.I.T. also .... He is a gunieus after all and it's not so far fetched that he could have gotten one of his PHd's there. I loved how when J.J. introduced herself to the victims mother she reminded me more of the "old" J.J. not that there's anything wrong w/ her now. She just always struck me as the one who could identify w/ the families and make them feel like more than just another case. Well hope to chat w/ u guys later and pls someone fill me in on the last 10 min. :) also forgive me for rambling ... I've been trying to get everything in order before we go on vaca tom and am more than a wee bit tired ...
I watched the episode already (just in case someone hasn't seen and is reading this) and I expected a little more from Jack's bullying problem. Basically, Hotch found out a kid was being mean to him, Jack denied it, and Hotch let him solve it on his own. I thought, that since bullying is a big issue right now, that they would show him getting bullied or how Jack hopefully made it stop, or Hotch or any other team members talking to Jack about how to handle it.
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