Thursday, December 08, 2011

Spoiler Thread: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy


“Self-Fulfilling Prophecy” – The BAU team looks into the real reasons behind an apparent mass suicide of a small group of youths at a military academy. Also, Hotch and Morgan butt heads when a team member could be in jeopardy, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Dec. 7 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Talk about this episode in the comment...

Careful in case you haven't watched the episode yet... comments might contain ***SPOILERS***

46 comments:

Evil Matthew Gubler said...

first? uh ohhhhh GG's gonna be steaming

gubegirl said...

And who might you be, oh, Evil one? Not one who knows me well...it takes WAY more than missing being first for me to steam! Hah!

Nice to have a thread at the top so we don't have to scroll so....isn't life tough, guys??

Pardon me...I'm still laughing, oh, Evil one...LOL

sindee said...

hi there... just wanted to make sure you all noticed the extra link I put on the right side to enter the last episode discussion directly... hope that helps against all the scrolling... ;-)
CU sinee

gubegirl said...

Oh, one more thing: Our boy, MGG, could not be the least bit evil anymore than his lovable character, Reid, could...but in his defense, I might be able to work myself up abit and throw a little hissy-fit:) Be afraid...be very afraid...(she grins and heads back to finish organizing the after-Thanksgiving disorder in the kitchen pantry but only after gazing lovingly at the Star Wars figures her 20 y.o. son hung from the pot rack a number of years ago...)

Anonymous said...

so who is the team member in jeopardy?? I am about 5 episodes behind.

Liz said...

Ugh... WHO is it?! I wish someone would drop a teeny-tiny hint, like if it's a guy or girl who's in trouble, or if it's their life or their job that's in jeopardy. I think we can pretty much rule out Hotch and Morgan, but whoever it is, the fact that's it's such a big secret might mean it's a game changer. As long as TPTB have learned their lesson from last year and will leave the cast (especially MGG!) alone, it's all good.

Anonymous said...

I think it'll be Strauss

sf81387 said...

I don't think the person being in danger will be a game changer or that it will even be that big of a deal. I think they're going to use the situation as a catalyst for Morgan revealing his anger, hurt and trust issues with Hotch over the Prentiss ordeal. It think it's probably not going to focus so much on anyone being in real mortal danger, but more on Morgan's issues with Hotch's deception that he's kept bottled up.

Anonymous said...

Every one thinks it's gonna be Reid, but I'm actually betting on Prentiss--since it said that Hotch and Morgan will go at odds, this would be the most likely situation as Morgan will (hopefully) angrily confront Hotch over the fake death of Prentiss. Just my two cents.

Anonymous said...

I think it might be jj cos her Sister committed suicide so I reckon they will send her in as a sort of council person to talk to everyone and then it all goes tits up!! And i reckon Morgan will be annoyed because he doesn't want anyone else to get hurt!

Anonymous said...

7 marks the 09....self fulfilling prophecy.
SYN SEA 7 = PINK PANDA ST.
And interestingly enough, PM HARPER knows all about it.
He identified six already.
Criminal minds all think alike.

christyzachman said...

Yeah, another episode.

christyzachman said...

I think it will be a great episode for all the team and am just happy to see the great team at work.

Blimey Limey said...

sf - great minds think alike - I was wondering if it would involve Prentiss being in danger so Morgan sounds off at Hotch.

Let's hope that if we're correct it's handled well and isn't too melodramatic.

Hope folks are well?

gabby said...

maybe something with reid's mental health? I think they are addressing reid's possible schizophrenia this season... It cant be hotch or morgan. Emily's life was recently on the line in "Lauren" and garcia just had an episode focused on her. Rossie just had an episode about his wife and all... Strauss isn't exactly a "team member" more like a team leader... so either jj or reid. Yea i watch this show too much...

gubegirl said...

gabby: you could be right! It should not be JJ either because of the recent screen time she got with Henry's illness while she was away and Will was watching him, 'member? So, that leaves our boy, Reid! Whoo-hoo!

I hope you are right, I am ready for some Reid time, and I don't mean just ranting and rambling!

I love that expressive face and voice of his...MGG can EMOTE better than any of 'em and aside from his amazing geekiness, that's what I love the most about him.
Love you, Matthew! M-wah!

Sindee: THANK YOU so much for the prompts at the side so we are not scrolling like crazy! What a great idea and we appreciate it very much!

Liz said...

Amen, gubegirl! I used to be really annoyed with the writers for not letting Reid be more badass. But the truth is, he's a badass in his own way (as in Corazon, The Uncanny Valley, etc.), and besides, vulnerability is what the guy does best.

Velandra said...

Gubegirl: I completely agree w/ u ... I am SO ready for some quality Reid time.... Though I do also love when he rambles... so adorable (then again he could never be anything less!)

Anonymous said...

I love this episode. Poor Strauss though =(

zagi said...

Great episode!

TheEldersTKD said...

Terrific episode! Did not see that coming with Strauss. Very intense and lots of the great scenes with the team.

Pat said...

I must admit that, although there was very little Reid, that I did like this episode. He was stuck in the library like he used to be at the police station. They had been doing better this season at getting him out and about. Of course that didn't stop him from figuring out what was being done to the boys. I like that it was a bit of a mystery even though there wasn't really any profiling.

I don't think Hotch and Morgan really butted heads all that much and I would never consider Strauss a teammate. They did treat her with more respect and tact at the end than she ever would have done for them. Too bad it wasn't Reid who picked up on it. That would have made an interesting story, him knowing what an addiction is like.

Anonymous said...

Reid didn't interact with Strauss much, so that's why he didn't pick it up.

Strauss an alcoholic and her being the one in "jeopardy?" That I did not see coming at all! The best place for her rehab, Beltway Clean Cops (although she wasn't ever in the field).

That Massey is a real son-of-a-bitch--I thought he was going to do something like hold the team hostage.

Anonymous said...

For me, this was the best episode of the season. Just like the old CM: high suspense, high drama, lots of plot twists.

Agree there could always be more Reid [personal prejudice :)] but there was a great balance of roles for the whole team and the Strauss bit was quite poignant.

Well done, Erica and team! More eps like this one, please!

Pat said...

I was just wondering if this is what had been alluded to at the end of last season when Strauss needed some time away and Hotch had to pick up some of her duties. Then in It Takes a Village she was popping mints.

Yeah, she could go to BCC with Reid and John. They'll have a whole group going on there. It would actually be an interesting development if something like that happened. There's Reid, whose addiction she's unaware of, and John, who's a superior of hers likely. None of them would really be able to say anything to the others because what happens there, stays there. So even though some disciplinary action should likely be taken, since nothing goes beyond the meeting, it would kind of be a situation that couldn't be acted upon. Not likely to happen but would be interesting I think.

sf81387 said...

I'm pretty sure that Strauss's alcohol problems were meant to tie into why Hotch had to take over some of her duties for awhile last season.

I really liked this episode. I like it when they keep you guessing like they did in this one and I enjoyed all of the characters last night.

gubegirl said...

Missed at least a third of the show due to interruptions with phone calls I could not avoid, so did not get it all. That said, I loved what I did see. It seemed like episodes of long ago, when they were good, solid, suspenseful and held our interest, making us wonder what would happen next. Not wondering why the writers said or did that - because of inconsistencies, which we then start focusing on in our disappointment, rather than the episode itself, which may or may have been OK otherwise.

Sorry, I have not had my coffee yet so I am rambling plus I need to go back and re-watch to get the show in its' entirety.

Anxious to hear what more of you thought because I am hopeful.

Nanci said...

Agree with what most of you have to say about this episode. Loved it! I feel like the CM of other seasons (except for S6!) is back and that's a great thing!

Totally didn't see the Strauss situation coming. That presents as some great episodes in the future.

Thanks to all for putting together a great episode - loved it! Kept us guessing, all characters had good quality time and involvement and it was just all-around great episode!

Thank you! Keep 'em coming...!

Eleven said...

Wow wow wow - just absolutely loved this episode. From the shocking opening to the Morgan/Hotch/Strauss triad - bravo, all!

And i can't say enough on the Morgan/Hotch 'confrontation' - it was done so well - calm, definitive and true to the two wonderful guys who are, at some level, so very alike. More thoughts later b/c i'm going to watch it again....and again!

And also, so much dialogue it made me feel all gooey inside - i love it when the dialogue trumps the action.

Thank you for such a solid epi! I'll probs have more chewed-upon thoughts later once the adrenaline rush has gone.

Anonymous said...

MGG looking so goooooood was just icing on the cake. Great, great ep! My favorite for Season 7 too. Hope this is an upward trend for our beloved heroes.

Anonymous said...

Agree with you all! Loved the ep; always love the Garcia-Reid exchanges: "Oh, a joke..." For once a typical interaction between the characters didn't feel stale and forced, like too many of them have started to for me. Also really loved the less histrionic Garcia. She'd been getting on my nerves.

Teresa H. said...

Just watched the episode for the
2nd time and I really liked it.
So to list all of what I liked.
Really enjoyed the confrontation between Hotch and Morgan.
Well done with making Strauss the one in trouble and I thought they handled that really well also, loved when Morgan was reporting to Hotch and he said that she was saying things to the Supt. that he would have wanted to say. Did not see this whole scenario coming at all. I had assumed she was dealing with some family issues back last season. I just hope it does not mean the end of Strauss, I love that she's there to provide the tension she does.
Liked the partnering up that happened. The interactions just felt right between them all, true to the characters. And particularly fun to see Morgan confronting not just Hotch but Strauss too.
This was not a sicko unsub whom we didn't know, which is always my favourite way to tell the story but it was diffenent and I liked it. I think I really liked it because it let the team shine and be believable which trumps pretty much everything else for me.
I did have a couple of quibbles. Massey was too much of a stereotype, the bullying head of a miliitary academy for troubled boys who had limitless power and no redeeming features, I would have been very surprised if he hadn't been the one responsible. Josh just was too much of a setup from the beginning.
In the team discussion that took place outside of Massey's window, with them all practically whispering they just looked too chummy for it to have come after the Morgan/Strauss confrontation. It's almost as if they should have had that conversation and then those two go to interview Massey.
But really I liked everything else so much it did not take away from my enjoyment of the episode.
Thanks to everyone for a very entertaining show. Oh, those are the characters I've been missing so much lately.
sindee, thank you for making it easy to get to the comment thread.

Liz said...

Good episode, but I didn't like it quite as much as everyone else here. Reid the recovering addict should've been the one to figure Strauss out, and he would've if he wasn't stuck in the background AGAIN. Still, it was better than most of seasons 5 and 6, and MGG was as a-dork-able as ever in the few scenes he was in.

Winka said...

I really liked this episode. I'm going to watch it again, I had a few interuptions at home. I would have liked to see some more Reid, but I was VERY happy to see more of Morgan. IMO it didn't really matter who figured out what was wrong with that Strauss, and it doesn't take another addict to do it. She was with Morgan quite a bit, so of course he would see what was going on. He is a seasoned profiler, with a decent sense of smell! LOL!!

Eleven said...

This is the kind of character-centric episode i like very much - all the characters had their moment (oh The Rossi!!), although it was more Morgan/Strauss/Hotch. Thank god it wasn't somebody's uncle or granpa involved in some depraved, mysterious way. As always, something that hits close to home needn't be directly personal. M/H was very well handled indeed - brought back not only the Emily secret but also "No Way Out Part II", "Lo-Fi", "Penelope" and "Demonology", which showed so clearly the dilemma that any, good, leader is faced with. While i understand Morgan's side of the story, i don't disagree with Hotch's perspective - no one's wrong and there are no easy answers. But this time i thought somewhere Hotch "got" Morgan - there was no "take a walk....now" - maybe it was also because they were alone, not sure. And in so many good ways,the ambivalence of their responses and the ambiguity of the situations made the episode for me. With Strauss, too, we saw that sometimes it can be very lonely at the top.

I really liked the mystery - the opening sequence was haunting - i was hoping for absolutely no background music, but i guess that would have done deeper damage to my psyche. With Colonel Massey, my creepy-good scene was when i saw his facial muscles twitch when Josh and Tucker (dunno if i got the name right) were fighting - was that a SMILE?? And how lonely and broken was Bailey's father when he walked away with his son's things? Perhaps there is absolutely nothing left of that family - what a terrible waste....

BTW - sorry to be so clueless, but on what evidence were they able to arrest Massey finally?

I'm going to be greedy - i want an equally good episode next week. Uh, please? :-)

Pat said...

Eleven,

I think it was the fact that Massey sent the coordinates of where the campsite was to Bailey's father that made him complicit in the whole affair.

Eleven said...

But wasn't the co-ordinated texted to him via someone else, as Massey wouldn't use a mobile? Anyway, don't mind me :-) Maybe it was the last call to kill Josh that nailed him

Amazing said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Amazing said...

Who was the person that commented on the term insane Being thrown around in this episode?
was it Dr. Reid?

Pat said...

I watched it again Eleven and I think they said Massey texted Bailey's father with the coordinates. Garcia had found that the school did have a cell phone but it wasn't registered to Massey though, but to Tawes. So that's why Massey would be arrested as an accessory. I think!

robinotl said...

I thought this was a really well-written episode. At first you weren't sure why the boys were hanging in the trees, then they had you convinced that it was a suicide, then they had you convinced that it was Josh, then you really weren't sure... The writing for this episode was great! It's like we were in the minds of the profilers figuring it out along with them. Erica Messer - job well done!

zagi said...

robinotl, I could not agree more with you . The writing for the episode was great. I even thought it was one of the best written episodes in a long time.

The case, the profiling, the characters all very well written. The actor who played Josh was very good without even saying a word.

Each member of the team had good and in character screentime.

Strauss`s drinking problem was well handled and for me it did not come as a surprise. The writers built up that storyline already last season when Strauss told Hotch that she would be away for a while and then in "It takes a village" with her eating mints and with Rossi noticing that she was acting strange.

The Morgan/Hotch head butting scene was also really well done and as a Morgan fan I absolutely loved how Josh was somehow symbolizing Morgan or Morgan Josh. When the colonel and others talked about Josh I almost always thought they could be talking about Morgan. Both have trust issues, are protectors, feel responsible for the people in their team, have their own will, challenge authorities and cannot be broken by them and they hate injustices.

It was scary how the colonel and his second in command hated and feared Josh so much because they couldn`t break him, that they wanted him dead.

Brilliant episode.

Blue Sunflower said...

Liked the episode, but hated the Strauss ending. I'm sorry, but if the writers want to redo the Reid storyline, then no. All that final Hotch/Morgan scene did was remind me how badly they dropped the ball to begin with. Did Reid get such compassionate team tagging? Based on the way the story went at the time, it seems to me the poor kid was pretty much left to fend on his own.

Anonymous said...

Does someone know how I get a signature from the cast ? or al letter because they don't respond
@NishaOlie my twitter account

Teresa H. said...

Blue Sunflower, I remember being frustrated that nobody seemed to be doing anything when Reid was in the throes of his addiction. Perhaps they've learned from their mistakes? ;0
I honestly did not think of that while watching the episode because I was enjoying it and the conflict between Hotch and Morgan.

Blue Sunflower said...

Teresa H. said...

Perhaps they've learned from their mistakes? ;0

A simple line would go a long way for me in accepting the current Addiction Storyline Redux.