Wednesday, April 08, 2009

CRIMINAL MINDS SPOILER THREAD FOR "CONFLICTED"


Criminal Minds spoiler thread for "Conflicted" written by Criminal Minds writer Rick Dunkle, pictured above with Jackson Rathbone, Jason Alexander and Adam Browder (Substitute Script PA) on the set of "Conflicted", and starring Joe Mantegna, Thomas Gibson, Paget Brewster, Shemar Moore, A.J. Cook, Matthew Gray Gubler and Kirsten Vangsness.

**Beware! The comments will contain spoilers! **

**** Quote and song info will be posted after the episode airs. ****

139 comments:

Laura_G said...

I am really looking forward to Rick's first ep. It was such a joy meeting him in LA and he is so much like the fanatics...I'm sure it will be GREAT!

jazz said...

Can't Wait.

Anonymous said...

BAU1979

My little sister no doubt will want to watch this ep with me thanks to Jackson Rathbone. LOL.

Curious to see Mr. Alexander's vision of Our Favorite show!

MySentimentExactLee said...

Not gonna lie, totally freaking excited to see Jackson Rathbone opposite MGG. As everyone knows I'm one of the biggest MGG fans in the whole world, but my even geekier side comes out when you mention the word Twilight. Yeah, I'm a Twihard, Twimom, whatever you wanna call me.

This should be very interesting,
Lee :)

gubegirl said...

JA played such a sick b------ on Masterpiece - he should have a good feel for what it takes to make a great CM epi! I'm excited! Don't watch Twilight -is Jackson a geek too? Gotta love those geeks but he'd have to walk on water to beat out MGG in my book...

Love that name Jackson, tho'...

Anonymous said...

Ah Jackson, I love him but I love CM to, he's just a bonus haha.

Debbie said...

I can't wait for tonight's episode! Rick and MGG together - it just can't get any better than this. Fanatics, we are in for a treat!

Mnemosphere said...

Can't wait for that ep, I'm really excited to discover Rick's episode!!

Helen said...

Looks like it's going to be a great episode, I'm really excited for it. Especially because for one hour I'm going to sit down in front of the TV and forget all the anxiety I feel about what CBS has done/is doing/might do to this great show. Just one hour of relief, with all my favourite team members! All seven. *Hugs the team.* Spring break + Morgan is sure to be great! And probably Reid, as well. ;) 8:00 can't come soon enough.

Bri said...

ugh....not that good so far....CM meet CSI:Miami......

ohiocoolgirl said...

Does that woman have an adam's apple?

Kirsten said...

Given all the upheaval to our show I wish that I could be more positive, but tonight's epi was very uninspiring. On the plus side, it was nice to see more of Reid and I'm sure the Reid chicks will be happy about that. Garcia had a couple one-liners (yay!), and JJ and Hotch were fine although small parts. But Rossi was out of sorts (again) and Morgan's attempt at 'leadership' was brutal. Sorry gang, I'm a huge fan, but this one didn't do it for me at all.

Anonymous said...

Great eppy! After weeks of hardly any Reid, it was nice to have eppy with lots of Reid! It started and ended with him. :)

I wanted to reach through the TV and hug him. The similarities he saw between Adam/Amanda and Tobias were so strong. He wanted to help Adam, just like he wanted to help Tobias.

Rick did a really good job for his first eppy.

Anonymous said...

the song playing at the beginning at the college party is tres cool by jupiter rising, i'm pretty sure. just in case anyone is wondering. they're either a pretty fresh, or pretty underground band, or both because i had a heck of a time finding it :p great ep so far too. ~zeetz~

A Criminal Minds fan said...

Where do I begin...I really wanted to like this episode but that wasn't CM but a very flat version. The srat was very CSI:Miamish. Never thought I would have seen the day that would happen. Usually other shows copy CM never the other way around.

Jason Alexander should stay in front the camera, I really didn't like his flat direction. MGG tried to do something with the material that wasn't up to par with the usual CM. Lots of clichés and we did have the multiple personalities before and it was done better with a much more darker and on the edge of your seat type of story.

Good things, MGG, was good but that is a given, he always good. Thomas Gibson too, his character was the one with Reid that felt like the characters I know. Thomas Gibson was good in the interrogation of the girlfriend, Hotch forceful without being obvious making people talk without having to hammer them, I guess Rossi should take notes. Garcia too was good without any very funny lines. We had a plane¸scene, yay! Those are always welcomed.

JJ, Morgan and Prentiss where forgettable. And Rossi was out of character, again. Back to the Rossi of the first episodes in season 3. Since when does Morgan need Prentiss approval before doing something? She isn't the Unit Chief Hotch is, and Morgan should have asked Hotch permissions before going after Adam.

Jackson was good without being brillant, C.Thomas Howell in Omnivore was brilliant but then Howell had better material to work with.

all in all a very forgettable episode. With all the recent firing of witers I hope this isn't where CM is heading.

Sorry Rick, I hope your next one will be better.

Brigitte

lesley said...

I think Jackson Rathbone did a good job as Adam/Amanda. I had it figured out within the first 15 minutes but that's okay.

Anonymous said...

I liked the last scene with Reid and Morgan. Tobias being referenced was a nice touch. Reid feeling guilty and Morgan calling him kid and telling him to get over it. Reminding him that sometimes they don't win.

That Adam was the killer was obvious from the start although Julie being tied in made me wonder if I was wrong.

I have to say that I was not impressed with the camera work in this episode. Even the last scene, which I liked, could have used some depth to it.

Nagi said...

Freakin' A, but I loved that episode. First, special bonus points for using a Terry Pratchett quote. The man's a writing dynamo, and that was beautifully apropos. I love episodes that hint at Reid and the awful Hankel debacle, because Reid is my favorite and I want to hug him, and tonight he deserved hugs. Most of all, I love how this show brings out the best in actors. James Van Der Beek - I wasn't sure about him during all the Creek business, but he brought it in season 2, and tonight, Jackson Rathbone totally brought game. Granted, dissociative identity disorder is a beloved plot kink of mine, but an actor who can pull off that many divergent roles in one set is just genius. I'll admit, watching Mr. Rathbone wasn't all that inspiring about his acting skills, but tonight he proved he had game and he brought it in a big way. I can't wait to see who else brings up the heat on this show. Also, the cinematography and directing were pretty ace, so go Jason Alexander!

Ann said...

Hey Rick! I enjoyed your first episode! I'm a Twilight fan so it was fun seeing "Jasper" in another role :). Great twist with the multiple personality disorder!!! I liked the way it was revealed. The talk between Morgan & Reid at the end was wonderful, going over the similarities between Tobias & his father, & Adam & Amanda. Awesome Stephen King quote, too! And, I admit, I didn't catch that it was "Amanda" Reid had been talking to until the end. That was a great touch.

Again, good work for your first episode! I look forward to more.

- ImpyChick

Jyllynn said...

Maybe it was just me, but I had no idea what was going to happen. Overall, I liked it. Not at all what I was expecting. Which I thought was a good thing.

PoRM said...

I absolutely LOVED this episode!
Maybe as a Reid fan that's expected...
But, I rarely leave comments on the episode here, and the fact that I am now speaks volumes!

I could watch this one a million times and never get enough!

and Jackson and MGG together on screen was just gorgeous!

This episode just had me jumping up and down, over and over...

my heart is still pounding like mad, over an hour later!

And the flashback to 'Revelations'... Reid's emotional connection...
How can you go wrong?
You can't!
It's about time Reid was featured a little more... I'm so happy!

thank you for this fantastic episode!
Thank YOU!

-PoRM

Anonymous said...

It was different. Good different, bad different - not quite sure yet. But it was different!

Dark Justice Girl said...

Very good episode! But I was seriously depressed by it. It was too sad. Jackson Rathbone did pretty good!

I unfortunately had to do the math with my calculator.lol. Embarrassing I say..

Anonymous said...

this was an okay episode. it wasnt painful to watch, but it wasnt edge-or-your seat either. jackson rathbone's character was very predictable too, and was just way to similar to tobias henkle from the big game/revelations episodes. and, i dont mean to hate on reid, because i love him dearly, but the whiny pity-me-while-i-revisit-my-memories-of-being-held-hostage-by-a-deranged-psycho just doesnt do it for me. i mean, yeah being beaten and drugged and tortued by a serial killer would be enough to mess anyone up for a bit, but i just wish they would leave that storyline to rest. it's been two seasons, soon to be three since it happened. just let him heal and move on from it! but like i said, i love him. :) i love them all :)

meaghan said...

So I wonder if Reid will visit Amanda forever until Adam reappears. Maybe Rathbone will be back. He did a great job. Great actor. I hadn't seen him in anything before. I bet it is hard to play both a meek man and a hard ass woman in the same project.

reidfanatic said...

I enjoyed this episode immensely but then I was so happy to see some of Reid after such a long drought of episodes with barely any use of him.

Reid's flashback to the time with Tobias tells us that the scars still have not healed even though it was almost two years ago and I imagine it is that way with PTSD. I found the ambiguity of the ending with Reid looking in the mirror and the quote about monsters living inside us, rather eerie.

tia said...

MGG and Jackson were amazing tonight. That was a wild ride. Loved it. Go Vampires!

Anonymous said...

Hearing Reid call Tobias a victim was WOW. I never thought of him that way. Talk about PTSD! Reid is still not over Revelations. I liked the continuity of bringing that story back. It is part of Reid's mental story.

I knew it was a man dressed as a woman but watching it unfold was cool.

Very nice job by Rick.

Anonymous said...

Jackson Rathbone is hot!

Anonymous said...

Rick that ep was HOT! It was everything this CM fan wants to see. Kudos to you for the continuity with Reid's flashback to Tobias. DOUBLE kudos for "getting" the strong friendship between Morgan and Reid.

Any ep that starts and features Reid and an interesting UnSub has my complete attention! Congrats Rick, PLEASE write more!

tammy said...

The stare between Reid and Adam in the police station when Adam and Julie were leaving was telling. That is when I knew that there was more to Adam than what we'd seen so far. I liked the episode. It had lots of creep. Big brother Morgan is always great when he is talking Reid down from the edge. Reid has so much baggage.

MySentimentExactLee said...

Once in a while in life, the fates will collide and something extraordinary will happen. Tonight it was called Conflicted. MGG and Jackson Rathbone together were OUTSTANDING. Yes, as I said before I am a Twihard. Can't get enough of anything with any member of the Twilight cast. But also, I love Matthew and especially I love Reid. The dynamics between these characters were beyond inspiring.

This was a great episode. Rick Dunkle is really talented and pretty cool too since he admitted to being a fan of Firefly. I hope he gets to write a few more episodes.

Jackson was a pretty girl, very pretty actually. I won't lie, I was hoping to see a different side of him tonight and unfortunately just got the basic "Jasper" Edward Scissorhands creepiness but at least he plays it well.

Maybe he can get Matthew a job in the Volturi! That would be sweet.

Lee :)

Debbie said...

Interesting episode. Not quite what I expected, but a nice first effort, Rick.

I like the split personality angle (i know there's another technical name for it - not coming to mind right now). That always interests me. Jackson did a fantastic job...i got chills looking into his eyes.

There was a different feel to this ep...I can't quite pin it down. It didn't seem very much like CM, I guess. Not quite sure what it was...just very different.

Seeing Reid take such an active role made me think of the old days when he just hung back. I'm happy to see the character maturing.

Was it just me or did it seem that the other characters were barely there?

I did like the polygraph scene though...a different way to present that sort of thing.

I'm just luke warm on this one and I can't quite figure out why.

Anonymous said...

I'm amazed at how many people are upset with this episode; I feel as though this episode perfectly compliments the last several in developing a specific character (in this instance, Reid) without being overbearing and having a compelling case.

Despite what others might have suggested, this is not simply a rehash of Hankel/split personality, more a continuation on that storyline, which is refreshing to see given that television writers have a nasty habit of forgetting what they've already done in the past and neglecting continuity. If someone wants to complain about an unsub being redone, rewatch "Omnivore" and keep a look out for Frank.

The direction in this episode was good. It wasn't extraordinary, but the average television viewer shouldn't have any complaints. But the acting was phenomenal, particularly from Jackson Rathbone. I was shocked that he could pull off such a troubled character, and given that I'm not a Twilight fan, I'm not just speaking as a previous fan!

MGG was amazing, the writing was fantastic ... best episode we've had in weeks along with Demonology.

lauren said...

Outstanding performance by Jackson. Hope he is a reoccuring guest. They could show Reid continuing to visit him waiting and coaxing Adam to resurface.

Anonymous said...

Adam was beaten at a critical time in his development, made to dress as a woman as a child and watched his mom suffer beatings. I liked how the writer explained but did not exploit Adam's multiple personality disorder. It was handled perfectly. Nice job by all this evening.

Anonymous said...

does anyone know where it was really filmed? i live on south padre island and it definitly not filmed here. also when they head to corpus christi where the final climax was-it is 2.5 hours away not across a bridge

atircuit said...

I liked it. I didn't love it, but it entertained me for the time it was on. I'm used to the show sometimes flat out letting the audience know who the unsub is early, so being able to figure it out wasn't a big thing (and since I never figure it out, I felt a little proud of myself). As far as repeating types of unsubs, well, we've had more than one arsonist, more than one hero homicide, more than one unsub whose method is poison. So, this time there was a repeat of an unsub with another personality. But, it was different in that it wasn't about the team needing to save one of their own.

It was nice to see Reid remain professional, even after figuring things out - no repeat of Elephant's Memory.


Nothing particular stood out as especially great and it won't make my list of all time favorites, but I found it a decent showing.

Anonymous said...

The episode brings up some very interesting questions. Since Adam is mentally ill, does he belong in jail or in an institution? So do you send someone with this type of disorder to a mental hospital or to prison? His Amanda persona was guilty but his core being was an abused person. Interesting.

The profile they had in the beginning was interesting and turned out to be both wrong and right. I liked that.

Anonymous said...

With the usual compassion, sense of irony, and yet acceptance of reality, "Criminal Minds" tonight played out the plot line of how hurt people hurt. A brutally abused boy Adam grows up to become a murderer of alpha-type males.

The script is exotic. To protect himself from what he was going through as a child, the boy split into two personalities - the second one focused on protecting Adam. To lure his victims Adam takes on the persona of a sexy woman, then rapes and kills them as a male. After the murderer is caught, Adam goes away and the other personality stays out.

Dr. Spencer, the most wounded in the unit, has made it his mission to try to recover Adam. When he visits the female personality in the mental hospital he pleads with Adam to come out. That doesn't happen and you are left to wonder if we will see Adam again in a later episode.

Anonymous said...

Very good first episode by Rick.

Anonymous said...

I thought Jackson Rathbone was amazing in this episode. MGG was great, as usual. However, I was somewhat disappointed with the scene at the end between Adam/Amanda and Reid. It was almost like I was re-watching Reid and Owen in EM. I also did not like the beginning. It reminded me too much of "In Heat" and "52 Pick-Up". We have done the dancing thing, let's move on. I agree that a couple of the scenes were very CSI:Miami-ish.

I was intrigued by the story line. I had a fascination with Multiple Personality Disorder in college, so I did enjoy the story line.

The sound seemed to be up and down. One minute I could hear whoever was talking, then the next I couldn't...or if someone different was talking. Like the exchange between Roma Maffia and Paget. Paget was loud and clear.

I thought it was a good effort for a first time writer for the show and I'm sure Rick will improve as he writes more. It was just a little disjointed and the characters were not quite themselves, but it was a good ep.

I didn't have a problem with the Reid flashbacks. He identifies with the UnSub once again, and as Hotch has said, that makes him good at his job.

It was certainly not as dark as usual and I kind of missed that.

monica said...

Great episode. Congrats to Rick. Give us three more like this next season and we'll throw u a parade.

Walburga Benker said...

I´m so excited, can´t wait to see the ep too.

Anonymous said...

this one was so good. i really like it. i wanted to hug reid so bad. everyone was great. reid really wanted to help him. i will watch this one a few more times

sherlockette said...

This episode was not bad but not really what I watch CM for. The spring break setting was actually not necessary to the plot, and the scenario could have taken place at any resort. Good excuse for dancing but not much to move the story forward.

From a technical perspective I appreciated that it was said that when you go into a party room and pick up every piece of trash you just get a pile of DNA that is-well-trash. On the opposite side, a polygraph in general is boring. The questions all require “yes” and “no” answers, and are all asked by a qualified operator, not a detective. It would be reasonable to have the team do an interview, but not during the polygraph.

I liked the Reid moments, with him getting a little tougher with his questioning of the unsub than is usual for him. Jackson Rathbone did a fine job with the eye rolling. His character had less depth than Tobias and it would have been good to see a little more of the psychosis.

I will be watching again to see what I missed

BlueCurl said...

I'd rather see a "normal" episode than a failed special one.

With that said; Without the to much "dark" and OBVIOUS thing between Reid and Adam and all the naked girls, and I know it fits the theme but keep it real, please, it could have been a real awesome episode...

The whole angle on the mutliple personalities is an interesting thing.. just the story around it was CSI: Miami-ish! Which isn't a good thing anymore ;)

Lola said...

I loved this episode! Rathbone did amazing job and the storyline was totally fantastic! And finally Reid got to do something with his brain. Thank you Rick for this wonderful episode!

PAOLAFROMPARIS said...

I found this episode absolutely fabulous, and not only because it was a Reid episode. (but it helps, I admit)
Mr. Dunkle you are on the way to become one of my favorite writers.
All my compliments: you got exactly the spirit of our resident genius and moreover, the episode was weird, but coherent and accurate.
Mr. Gubler you are the best as always. Thank you both!
I was afraid Reid was slowly drifting away, but no, he is still there, still a genius and still....stillll.....
GAH, can't find the words.

Jenn said...

This was one of the creepiest episodes for me.

I haven't seen or read Twilight yet, and after seeing Jackson (as Adam) I may not!!

Rick... you outdid yourself!

Anonymous said...

Not bad for your first time out. Enjoyed it... A Reid episode never hurts. I do like it when writers refer to what has happened in past episodes so that it maintains the character development. Hope that makes since... not enough coffee yet!

Anyway, looking forward to your next.

Cudos to the writers, cast and crew.

A Graham

Shadow said...

Never thought the day would come that I’d say this, but this episode had - too much Reid. Or rather, not enough of the rest of the team. I’m fed up with all those episodes focusing on a single character and showing almost nothing of the rest of the team we’ve been having lately. For me CM has always been about the team - the whole of the team - and their interactions.

Adam was cute and pitiful, Amanda was slightly disturbing but all in all the unsub was not worthy of Criminal Minds, didn’t give me the slightest creep and was nothing compared to Tobias Hankel who had set the standards incredibly high. I have to admit though I liked the change in body language between Adam and Amanda, and it’s really fascinating how long Amanda’s hair grew in only seven days. ;-D I couldn’t help but wonder whether they keep her/him in a prison with male or female population though; I wish they had addressed that question on the show.

When Reid tried to talk down Adam that seemed like an identical copy of the scene when Reid tried to talk down Owen Savage; I believe the ‘I swear to God’ part was even the same wording. Could have done without that repeat.

The scene with Morgan and Reid in the end was really beautiful, and it shows how much Reid has matured these last two years which I like very much. Of course Tobias still haunts him, but that’s not surprising and in my opinion Morgan was wrong in that regard. It’s not that Reid has to let go of Tobias, it’s all about the fact that he’s able to cope with what happened back then and now. And he is, he didn’t loose it, though I believe Hotch should have talked to Reid about it as well. Reid couldn’t let go, he was still (or again?) there seven days later, my guess being that many more visits will follow.

Something that slightly disturbed me was the physical resemblance between Adam / Amanda and Reid. Reid should really cut his hair again, all the while part of me was waiting for the female alter ego of Reid to surface as well.

All in all, not one of my favorite episodes. I still love my Reid, but not so much as a loner than as a regular team member interacting with the others. And I think if CM needs to cut costs, maybe they should save money by not having big names as guest stars or guest directors but keep it with the crew who has done an outstanding job over four seasons in front of and behind the cameras.

Tom Bryant said...

Really spooky episode. We loved it.

Eleonor said...

I wish I could say I loved the episode but I can´t. Something was not right. I did not get the team feeling at all. Rossi was kind of different. Prentiss and JJ were barely there. Hotch was good doing the interrogation. I liked Reid´s concern for Adam but did not feel him visiting Adam/Amanda very realistic. Even though it was nice for Morgan to talk to Reid, the conversation did not seem to help him, Morgan did was not as effective as could have been Hotch or Rossi (in one of his good days).
All in all an ok episode but not one of my favorites by far. The guest actor was good but maybe as someone already said, they should hire less known guest actors and leave the cast and writers of CM do the great job they have been doing because it was kind of sad to watch the show and think that one of them maybe wont be there anymore.

Anonymous said...

Well done! I really liked it and I was surprised by how well Rathbone did. That was a difficult part and he was golden. Nice twists and turns in the it and a true CM format. A-


(Not enough Garcia and Hotch but I did get my Reid!)

babruin said...

Ahhhh,it was a very fascinating episode with a backdrop of dewy-eyed,beautiful youths with lovely flowing hair, and the women were looking pretty good,too! :)
It can serve as a cautionary tale for young college males to not get soooooo drunk as to:
A. make a pass at anyone walking by in a dress.
B. think it's a great idea to be tied up face down in bed.
C. have your spring break turn into the Crying Game.
I really liked this episode with its twists and great acting from Jackson and MGG!! I think it's a wonderful first script for Rick.There was enough for everyone on the team to contribute to the solving of the case. I like that there was continuity in referring to how Reid is still dealing with the aftermath of his ordeal and the guilt of not being able to save Tobias. I think Rick did a great job of capturing each team members' "voices" on his first script so two thumbs up from me and I hope to see many more from him.

mac said...

A great example of a very psychological episode! From start to finish, it really had a great twist to it. Spencer Reid did an excellent job at cracking the case and getting the unsub, without Reid the unsub would have never been caught, this episode is a great because it's the second time they had someone as a guest star have a multi personality disorder!! Thanks to Reid to eventually catching on to the signs of it, they were able to catch the unsub, and the unsub went to a mental institution and is living as the alternate personality Amanda. What a great and twisted episode, CM has done it again!!

Anonymous said...

Morgan was great. At the end when he was talking to Reid, he was just telling that they cannot save everyone almost like Rossi told Hotch in Omnivore.

Thank you to Jackson Rathbone for an outstanding performance.

Anonymous said...

Jackson deserves an Emmy for that performance last night. MGG was great. Loved him replaying the video of Adam over and over again. It was so Reid. So many throwbacks to past events in older seasons. Loved that. It didn't bother me at all that I figured out early in the episode that Adam was also the female perp. It was still fascinating to watch it play itself out.

Anonymous said...

all in all I really liked this episode. I am ready for full team participation though. We asked for individual development, and we are getting it in truckloads!

Anonymous said...

I thought the entire epi was great and everyone was good, no one was left out.

Loved seeing more of MGG - knew there had to be a Reid-centric epi soon and the writers did not disappoint! His insight, his profiling, his interrogation, his GETTING OUT IN THE FIELD and most of all that expressive face: OMG, Matthew you don't know how you make us feel with that face of yours; the inflections in your voice during dramatic moments, the way your eyes and lips twitch - so natural - so into whatever is happening as if you are truly experiencing what you are acting; you are truly an incredible actor and are getting better every day and I sincerely hope you are reading this!

As talented as you are at so many things, your acting is SUPERB and you are a natural and I hope you never give this up!

Jackson was wonderful - don't know him but with that make-up, he looked incredibly natural as a woman. Very good acting. Esp good interfacing with Matthew. 'Course, who wouldn't want to interface with Matthew?;)

We needed this, CM Fanatics, it was great and almost makes us forget about the recent occurences which are such downers.

Sigh.

RMF said...

Nice script. Too bad the director telegraphed the twist before the opening credits.

Alexander took such obvious pains to hide the unsub's face that it was pretty evident that there would be a big reveal once we actually saw her. The funny thing was, the actor who played the killer did such a good job of changing his posture and mannerisms between the two personalities that the audience might have been less likely to realize something was up had we seen a little more of the unsub. The spring-break orgy scenes were awfully cliched too, and yes, like something copied from Miami Vice/CSI: Miami. Overall the direction smacked of someone trying to mimic what others have done with CM rather than an original effort. The one scene I thought stood out was the interrogation between Reid and Adam, with Reid confronting the reverse cracked-mirror image of himself.

Speaking of Reid, it's good to once again have something to talk about besides his hair. We don't usually see the gentle Reid handling an interrogation, it's typically one of the more intimidating agents. It works nicely here, though, as he's probably the obvious person who could gain Adam's confidence. One wonders, though, wouldn't one of the others have stressed Amanda into existence more quickly? Gubler gives a wonderful performance -- he has to, really, with the camera at times six inches from his face -- and the succession of emotions as he begins to figure out Adam is affecting. Likewise his disappointment at the end that more couldn't be done for Adam. Morgan tells him that he's just going to have to accept that some people can't be saved, but that seems like a lesson that Reid isn't going to learn. And isn't that a nice thing about him? Not for him, of course, just about him.

There were nice touches throughout the episode, such as Garcia's squicked-out recap of the wealth of DNA left in the hotel room by past guests (and you thought all you had to worry about was bedbugs). I also liked that Julie turned out to be not such a bad egg after all, truly just concerned for the waifish Adam, and that Adam based his protector persona on her. I don't know as a question about geometric equations would actually be included in a polygraph test, but it was an interesting idea that the oddball question would be the one to stress the subject into a response. I also thought that although Reid was in the forefront, the ensemble contribution was pretty well handled. At one point, though, the script seemed to channel past episodes a little too much, when we found out how similar Adam was to Tobias. Coupled with the derivative direction, it did make the episode a little flat, because we knew we'd been here before. In the end, though, the writing choice made sense as a continuation of Reid's character arc. I would like to see Dunkel tackle an original unsub, however, to see what he can really do as a writer.

Anonymous said...

Jackson Rathbone acting was fantastic, seeing him transform to Amanda threw me off guard even though it was clearly hinted in the beginning. Despite that, this episode was a bit disappointing. Lack of team involvement, somewhat too much of Reid as much as I like him. Hopefully we'll get to see more of the others in the next eppie. Good job though Rick!

Psst... Hotch called Prentiss Emily :D Ahah... sorry, Hoth/Prentiss shipper ;)

sel said...

Sorry about the deleted post.
All in all, the episode was great, not awesome but still good. Jackson Rathbone is a great actor; Twilight failed to justify that but his acting as Amanda. Brilliant :D

Gigi said...

I really liked the story line, but was unhappy with the directing. It didn't quite flow as well as I thought it should. I do think it was a great effort for Rick with his first ep. I was impressed by Jackson Rathbone's performance and thought he did a great job. Rossi was very S3, not like he's been the past few eps. It was a good episode, but could have been so much better.

Anonymous said...

I thought that this was a great episode. I never heard of Jackson Rathbone before but I think he did a good job. MGG was very good as well, one of his best performances IMO. The last few episodes each member of the team seems to be going through some torment. Reid seems to have had more than his share of torment and I hope that will be the last for a while.

Anonymous said...

I make it a point never to suffer CSI:Miami, but I kept expecting David Caruso & his sunglasses of doom to make an appearance last night.

Adam started off promising but lost me at his transformation on the roof.

The showdown with the unsub felt like deja vu. And I can't tell if it's because the writing was unspectacular or because Gubler's just that good - which he is; in less capable hands, Reid would be barely tolerable - but I cringed a lot.

I'm not sure where the writers are headed with Reid. At present, he appears to be in the express lane to Gideonville - if he doesn't turn unsub first. Either way, kinda creepy.

As for the final scene between Reid & Morgan - set on a rooftop, at sunset, with bad music - I'm all for their bromance but this was a bit much. Morgan didn't seem quite himself.

Regarding the direction: I like Jason Alexander - in front of the camera.

All in all, it was a good first attempt, and not at all the worst episode - but it didn't feel much like CM.

Laura_G said...

Not sure what happened last night...it was good, but not great. I don't think it was the writing so much as the directing. I loved Jason Alexander in "Masterpiece", but not as a director for CM. I prefer my CM darker. Rathbone was impressive as he didn't have much of a role (or not as much as i expected) in "Twilight". I missed the element of surprise and all the little twists, cause I had it figured out from the beginning. But a good freshman effort on Rick's part.

Anonymous said...

It was... predictable.

AJ's looking good :)

Anonymous said...

This was great! More like it is fine with me. Loved the Reid time and conversation at the end with Morgan. Have missed that of late. Keep it up.

HardKOrr said...

Recap: CONFLICTED 4x20

Conflicted starts with a psychiatrist interviewing a patient in her office and recording it on video. The doctor is talking to her about a man named Adam who is missing and asking her if she will help find him. Also in the office, hiding in the shadows, is Dr. Spencer Reid. Reid also asks for the woman’s help in finding Adam. She tells him that just because they caught her doesn’t mean that they’ll find Adam, that they’re not that smart. Reid tells her that it’s not about being smart, but rather, it’s about doing the right thing. She tells Reid that she “did the right thing”.

Flashback to seven days earlier and we’re at Spring Break 2009 in South Padre Island, TX. We have fireworks, dance music, and lots of college-aged kids and twenty-something hedonists having a good time drinking and dancing half naked. It’s your typical Spring Break party atmosphere. We enter the Hudson Street Hotel where we meet 21-year old Dan Keller who is looking for a quick hook-up since his girlfriend isn’t around. He meets an apparently attractive (she is only seen from behind) young woman in the elevator and decides to take her to Room 319. We see Dan facedown on the bed, wrists tied to the bedposts, with the girl on top of him running her fingers through his hair. Looks like fun until we see he’s gagged and struggling. The girl puts a plastic bag around his head and suffocates him.

Adam Jackson, the janitor for the hotel is told by hotel manager, Julie Riley, that they have an early checkout in Room 319 and he needs to go clean it. While picking up the room, Adam notices that drawers still have clothes in them. He then goes to the closet to check there and finds where Dan has been left after meeting his untimely demise.

We then see our team sitting around the BAU table while JJ presents their latest case to them. JJ explains that Dan was the second victim to be found murdered there in the last three nights. Both he and the first victim, William Browder, were asphyxiated, sexually assaulted prior to death, and left in the fetal position at the same hotel. Morgan immediately wants to check out the employees of the Hudson Street Hotel believing that, if the unsub isn’t one of them, he’s probably at least interacted with him. The team knows that they are already running out of time because if the unsub is a vacationing student he could be gone by the time they get there or, if he’s a local, he could stop killing once his victim pool dries up.

While on the plane headed to South Padre Island, the team discusses the various ick factors the cesspool of fun Spring Break festers, whether the victims and/or the unsub could be gay, and that more often than not, males raping males is more about the power that it brings about rather than sexual preference. Hotch tells the team and he, Emily and JJ will go to the local police station while Rossi, Reid, and Morgan go to the crime scene.

While the team members at the hotel are checking out the crime scene, Hotch, Emily, and JJ meet the detective handling the case and prepare themselves to meet the father of the first victim and the girlfriend of the second. At the hotel, Rossi, Reid, and Morgan try to piece together the particulars of the crime. They come to the conclusion, based on the way the victim was tied to the bed, that either the sex was consensual or the unsub had a partner. They also decide they need to speak with the person that cleaned the room to find out if they saw anything important. Morgan and Reid find Adam Jackson on the roof and talk to him about finding Dan. Adam says he’d never seen him or Browder before but knows the type because he grew up in the area. Adam asks Reid how long it takes to stop seeing the bad things when you close your eyes. Reid replies that he’s afraid he still doesn’t know.

Rossi arrives at the police station where Hotch and Emily tell him that it doesn’t look like either of the victims was gay. Rossi has started to think that while there may be two unsubs, given that neither man put up a fight, one of the unsubs is probably a female. They theorize that she lures the men with sex and ties them up and then, once they are subdued, the male unsub rapes and murders them.

Victim number three is found at The Willard Beachside Resort. He is last seen in the company of a sexy brunette in a green dress. The theory is holding up. Rossi surmises that the unsubs changed location for this kill because they saw the BAU at the other hotel. Emily and Hotch give the profile to the locals. They are looking for a dominant/submissive team in their early 20’s. They explain that this form of male rape is about power and not sexual orientation. This team is targeting Alpha Males who think that women are their right.

After the profile, JJ tells Hotch and Emily that they might have a lead. Garcia has been looking at hotel footage in the days prior to the first murder and finds murder victim number one, William Browder hitting on and grabbing at hotel employee Madison Cooke by one of the swimming pools. After she rejects his advances, Adam Jackson arrives to rescue her. After Browder knocks Jackson to the ground, Jackson gets up and tackles Browder into the pool. They realize that Jackson is the one that found the second victim and that he lied about knowing either of them. Hotch asks Garcia to find everything she can on Adam Jackson and lets Rossi know they have a possible suspect.

Rossi confronts Madison Cooke about the fact that the day before he was murdered, she had an altercation with Nicolas Browder and that Jackson had intervened noting that Adam doesn’t exactly look like he would be the type to stand up to a bully. Madison tells Rossi Julie told her not to mention the altercation. Garcia meanwhile tells Hotch, Emily, and JJ that Jackson’s life read like a How to Make an Unsub Manual. Adam’s biological mother was beaten by his stepfather, Mark Harrison. She died suddenly when Adam was five, leaving him in his abusive stepfather’s custody until his was placed in foster care. Emily suggests that, if they could see Adam stepfather back then, that he would look a lot like their unsub’s victims.

Adam is on the roof grabbing at this head when Morgan and Reid find him. They take him to the precinct when Reid questions him since Adam seems less intimidated by Reid that Morgan. Adam doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong, doesn’t remember fighting with Browder, and just wants to speak with Julie Riley. JJ tells Hotch and Rossi that Adam not only works at the hotel but he also lives there and that Julie is his protector. Hotch and Rossi realize that Adam isn’t the dominant one, Julie is and they need to find her right away.

Julie is picked up by the team at a club before she can lure away victim number four and also brought in for questioning. They decide to administer a lie-detector test to both Adam and Julie. Emily questions Julie while Morgan questions Adam. Both of them pass the test with flying colors and are released. The only question Adam spiked on was a baseline question about a geometric equation. Reid surmises that perhaps Adam spiked on the question purposefully. That he thought that he wasn’t supposed to know the answer so intentionally got it wrong. Reid begins to think that Adam suffers from dissociative identity disorder because of the abuse he suffered as a child. The team profiled the duo accurately but the partner is an alter buried inside of Adam.

The team – including JJ for the first time since returning from maternity leave - dons the Kevlar to track down Adam. Meanwhile, Julie becomes suspicious of Adam and goes to his room where she discovers women’s clothing and rope. Julie confronts Adam on the roof – where his is suffering yet another headache – bringing along the green dress and the rope. When she threatens to go to the police with what she’s found, Adams alter appears in the form of Amanda who hurls Julie off of the roof as the team arrives.

Reid, flashing back to when his was held hostage by Tobias Henkel, realizes that Adam is now in the middle of a psychotic break and, as Amanda, will go after the man that these males victims represent, Adams stepfather, Mark Harrison. While Hotch and Emily stay with Julie, Rossi, JJ, Morgan, and Reid head to Mark Harrison’s house. They find Amanda holding a knife to Harrison’s neck, plastic bag around his head. Turns out Harrison used to dress Adam up in dresses, beat him and touched him. Adam was too weak to handle Harrison developed his alter ego Amanda to protect him. While the team has their guns drawn on Amanda, Reid pleads with her to let him get them the help that they need. Amanda releases Harrison and surrenders but Adam is nowhere to be found – he’s gone, buried somewhere down deep in Amanda’s psyche.

Reid is upset by the whole ordeal because they have taken the victim into custody and let the abuser, Harrison, go free and somewhere along the line they lost Adam too. Reid is especially upset because he didn’t see the signs even after what he went through with Tobias Henkel. He knows that Tobias didn’t hurt him, it was the alter persona of Tobias’ father that tortured him for two days and nearly killed him. Reid knows that Adam is somewhere inside of Amanda and will try to get him back. Reid promises Amanda in the psychiatrist’s office that he will continue to visit Amanda until he finds Adam so that Adam can have the life that belongs to him. Reid tells Amanda that he’s waiting for her to do the right thing but Amanda tells him that he’ll be waiting for a very long time.

Done

Helen said...

Overall, I honestly felt kind of blah about this episode. Didn't really care. I thought Jackson Rathbone did a great job, though as soon as Julie/a (?) found the dress, I put the DID and the female/male aspect together and figured it was Adam who was talking to Reid in the therapist's office.

But yeah, other than that I'm not sure why I didn't like it so much. I guess, like some people have said, I was expecting more of a team thing. I've come to the conclusion that when I say "team thing" I don't necessarily mean the whole team works on the case together. I mean, specifically, that I want the team to work together instead of be split up and I want them to have those two second one-liners to each other, and those looks they give each other (you know, like the, "are you serious?" or "ha, Reid is such a dork" looks). So to me, this didn't feel like a team-family episode at all. 'Cause they were just... there. It wasn't like there was any connection between them. Except for the end, and then as much as I loved that Morgan was being big-brother again, I kind of thought/hoped it would be Hotch.

Although I have to say, as much as there was a CSI: Miami (which I have to say, as much as I hate CSI: Miami, it's more to do with Horatio Caine than anything else, as I haven't seen anything about CSI: Miami except him!) feel to the episode, I envy you Reid fanatics that last scene, with the lighting! I am a sucker for a sunset like that, with just the bright yellow lighting. I'd give anything for Hotch to have been in that lighting! I am a sun-worshiper - not the tanning kind, but I never realize how depressed I get during the winter until the first really sunny day of spring, and suddenly I just feel elated. So, that last scene... loved the sun.

I think it was Bri who mentioned the camera work, I don't really notice stuff like that, but thinking about it after the fact, it could have been part of the reason I didn't like the episode that much. It felt flat, for sure. Though the one brilliant shot, actually my favourite part of the episode: when Julie/a turns to leave the dance floor and runs smack into Hotch and Rossi. Oh burn! ;D That could me just being a Hotch Sister though, and not really to do with the awesomeness of the shot... :P

And no, I didn't even clue in to that look between Morgan and Prentiss, but going back and looking at it again, yeah, I agree with the guys who say, uh, what?

So yeah, when it comes down to it, there's not a really specific thing that made me dislike the episode; I don't even really dislike it, I just don't... like it. Blah. Which makes me sad. Maybe better luck next time, Rick.

Helen

Liska said...

I don't know if the episode was planned this way in the script or if it was changed during editing, I just feel that something went wrong in this episode. The story was great, it had a potential to be a really good episode, but the retrospective was what made the story clearly predictable, so in the second half, there was no interest and curiosity how this will end left in me. It was like when a bookshop seller tells you while paying for a new book "Hey this is a great book, but don't fall for the character too much, he will die in the end." Why read the book then? I wonder why is that, because the other retrospective episode we had this season (Minimal Loss) was brilliant. IMHO the dramaturgy failed in this episode, which puts this on my "less favorite" list.
Other thing is Jackson Rathbone. He's a hondsome guy and he fitted the role exactly, no doubts, but I haven't seen Twilight and I don't know where else he starred, or if the way he played this part was because of the director, but he was overacting so much, that it lacks believability and made the predictability even bigger.
I'm sorry Rick, I can't say now, that you did a good job with this episode. I hope I will get some answers to my questions in today's chat (and I'm really looking forward to it :), thank you very much for coming), and maybe then reconsider.
But to say also something positive for the end - I love both quotes used, and not only because Terry Pratchett and Stephen King are my favorite authors, but because the quotes suited the story so much.
When I have read the Reaper Man, I never thought that I will hear Pratchett's words from MGG in such context :D

Liska , CZ

sara g. said...

Loved it. The script was really good. I agree that it would have been even better with a different director but okay.

Ok, I don't get why the unsub had all those mirrors only to cover them up. I think the other personality (Amanda) did not want to see herself because that would be proof that she was not real, so is that the reason Amanda never went away, because she saw her reflection in the mirror when they arrested her. Or was it like she said and she was protecting Adam and knew he was now in trouble and needed protection. If so doesn't she know that part of getting better is getting Adam back and in control or does the feeling of he will no longer need me trump anything else. Also I knew that it was Adam dressed as a woman from the 1st take, the way they showed the person, not fully showing them. It didn't take away from the story for me. Found it fascinating and the guest star was truly awesome. Poorest Reid now has more baggage but it was great to see him front and center in an episode again.

Anonymous said...

Serious KUDOS to the makeup department for making Jackson sooo pretty. The kid did a great job. His transformation into Amanda was wonderful.

lorriegirl said...

What a great episode! So much Reid-y goodness... :)

Jackson Rathbone did a great job, I hadn't seen much of his acting before this, but he did a really good job with some difficult material. I thought he looked pretty good as a girl, but am surprised the frat boys were fooled enough to hit on him. I guess we have suspend disbelief just a little on that one...

Overall, there was good team dynamics, an interesting case, and good profiling: everything an episode needs. Great job!!

-Lorrie

Anonymous said...

Really good episode!!I loved it!!

Judiebuk said...

Hi
Just from what I've heard about this episode....I am really looking forward to watching it.

I've tried not to read too much so as not to spoil it for myself but what I have read sounds very exicting and intriguing!

Well done yet again
Jx

Michaela said...

When I saw the promo for this episode, I wasn't too sure...but I must say, I LOVED IT! And I didn't see that outcome for a second! I loved every twist and turn! Amazing episode as usual! Michaela x

morticia_addams said...

wooooho!can't wait!

Beezie said...

Super looking forward to this in the UK! :D x

Anonymous said...

Faboulous episode!!well written and good actors!!

rosalioka

Rellaaaaa said...

I really loved this episode. I thought that Jackson Rathbone was really amazing as Adam/Amanda, and he really blown me away when he moved from being Adam to Amanda.

Matthew was again amazing as Reid. I loved how he said to Amanda that he will keep on searching for Adam.

Arianna Noel said...

i LOVEd conflicted. the makeup on jackson made me a little jealous he looked better than i do :P i loved MGG in this episode too!

Anonymous said...

I'm looking forward to seeing this episode. Can't wait!!

Lucía said...

I think this episode is in my Top 3 of Season 4.
I liked watching another Reid-centric episode, because it's been a while without them. Also, I think the script was really good.
The plot was interesting. I really like this kind of unsubs, the ones who really can't help it. And the references for "Revelation", along with the relation Reid had with Adam/Amanda, were pretty good. Seeing that Reid was the only one in the interrogation room it's not usual, so it makes me think he's getting better with team work/ interaction with suspects.
I don't really know about the other characters -they didn't have too much time on screen. But I like it when making the profile is not so easy.
Matthew and Jackson's performances were awesome. And btw, welcome Rick! I look forward to see more of his work.

tin het said...

What a fabulous episode!
Definitely one of my all time
favourites...
Great script and wonderful acting.

Anonymous said...

Go Rick! awesome episode. The connection between Adam and Reid was wonderful, MGG did a great job.

my favorite parts? Garcia's witty lines, Reid not giving up on finding how Adam was the UnSub, Jackson Rathbone's acting for the whole ep. I like how it still led back to the Tobias event, but didn't completely overwhelm Reid. he was right in the end, about it not being a real win.

And the Terry Pratchett quote? so completely awesome.

I look forward to the next ep from Rick.

-keren

Drusilla said...

This ep sounds fantastic. Can't wait to catch it.

Deirdre said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
elle said...

This was a good episode but as Kirsten said there were parts that din't do it for me but then there were. So I'll focus on what did do it for me. The fact that for once when someone in TV/movies was writing about multiple personality they didn't confuse it with schizophrenia...yes there is a difference which as a psychology major i am well aware of. This fact brought home to me the fact that the CM writers really do do thier research and not just write a script.
I also thought Matthew's acting was great.

Anonymous said...

Nice episode, I'm sure it'll keep growing on me. All the actors made an excellent job, and the plot was greatly twisted.

Anonymous said...

I seriously loved the episode, cause it was seriously an unexpected turn of advance. I liked the deeper meaning of the episode and Jackson Rathbone as Gueststar made my day. Seriously he is such an amazing actor and people should stop only referring him to Twilight, cause with his appearance there it has been shown how great an actor he is

ToonEy said...

I've said it elsewhere...but I'll say it here too. I loved loved love "Conflicted." Such a great episode, even though I kind of figured it out who or what was going on, it was still intense for me. Jackson Rathbone did an UHMAZING job as Adam/Amanda. I was so happy that the episode kind of became a Reid centric episode, even though the team was emphasized a bit. I don't know about anyone else but I sure hope we get to see Adam/Amanda again.

Coffee Cocktails said...

I thought the characterisation of Reid was wonderful. It drew together a number of threads of his past story, and it was awesome to get to see into his head a little more.

Unknown said...

That was a brilliant episode.For me it was hard to understand but I loved it.I really enjoyed again the entire Reid moments.He was so cute and clever and I wasn't surprised that he was so carrying about Adam.Poor Reid.The hair was good not one of my fave haircuts but okay.
And the scene in the end was also absolutely great where Morgan and Reid were talking cause they didn't do that for a long time...wonderful.

As usual everyone did an awesome job!

Love
Julia

Anonymous said...

ohhh, the episode is going to air next week in norway. can't wait!

- maja

doferrall said...

I thought this was a great episode. Some people have commented about how some characters had little screen time but I thought it was very balanced. Yes it was reid focused but that only really showed at the end. The rest of the cast all had their part. It was a good solid episode!! The only part I was disappointed was that we didn't see if the girl who was pushed off the roof survived or not!!

Jade R. said...

Great episode, in my opinion. :] Hopefully we can see more of Rick's work on the show.

Heather Rodriguez said...

I loved this episode. I liked how Spencer compared Adam/Amanda to Tobias. It would be interesting to see the dilauded make a reappearance for the fabulous Dr Reid.

Jackson Rathbone was excellent in this role... it was written brilliantly!

t_vo said...

My post seems to have disappeared into the ether. Forgive me if this is a double post.
What an amazing episode!! This season keeps getting better and better! I am nearly incoherent with love for everything about this ep- the acting, the casting, the writing. It was all wonderful!! CBS should be ashamed for messing with such a brillant and winning team. Thanks to all at the CM factory for another incredible show.

Kate said...

Congratulations, Rick Dunkle on your first episode! It was great! So many things made it full of wonderful, but the best part to me was the reference to Revelations. MGG's acting was superb, as always..... Thanks so much to everyone involved!

Kathryn said...

i am glad to see that season 4 just keeps getting better and better! the most quiet character in Twilight suddenly becomes an unsub...just amazing! This episode pretty much showed how Reid matured as a profiler and as a person...and at the same time, I can see how much Matthew has improved as an actor...he is more intense and expressive now that i am beginning to love him more and more as an actor!

The part where Amanda "killed" Adam was just hauntingly good. Jackson's face was really creepy looking at the mirror, it's priceless. The talk b/w Reid and Morgan was also poignant. Just goes to show how humane this show can be!

For more VERY GOOD episodes to come. Kudos and cheers to the CM family!

Walburga Benker said...

Congratulations on your first episode, Rick. You did a great job of creating an unsub who was frightening and yet we felt sorry for him. I'm looking forward to your next episode!

Joanna said...

I am very much looking forward to this...but we are a bit behind in Australia and there are holidays at the moment so we are getting repeats! Very excited to see Rick's first episode though when it airs here in a few weeks!

Anonymous said...

Thought this was a great ep! It really showed the acting abilities of Jackson Rathbone, and I thought there was an interesting way of explaining how/why Amanda was created.

I felt the episode started off slowly, then picked up steam and had a great ending. I'm looking forward to see how Reid deals with another victim that he wasn't able to save.

Megan21 said...

Absolutely LOVED this episode!
(Although, I may be biased, as I am something of a Reid fan =] )

Both MGG and Jackson excelled in any scene they were in, whether it was separate or together.

The second to last scene with Reid and Morgan was absolutely wonderful.
Loved it.
Loved the quotes.
Loved the whole episode in general!

Congrats and a big thank you to everyone involved with the episode, especially Rick, it being his first one and all. It was awesome.

Megan

Arianna Noel said...

thank you so much Rick & MGG. the chat was amazing and it was GREAT to hear your opinions and takes on the show.. !!!!

ToonEy said...

Wow just finished chatting with MGG and Rick Dunkle. Both were so nice and awesome. My life is now complete. Thank You to MGG and Rick for taking their time out and stopping by to answer our questions. We love you all the way.

0_mod_morticia_addams said...

matthew and rick!

thank you soooo much for the time to chat with you! it was so great!

have a nice easter weekend
greetings from germany

lilly

Lucía said...

That was an awesome chat.
Thank you, Rick and Matthew! for your time, your jokes and your answers. :)
This one was my first chat... I'll hope I'll be in another one SOON!
And congrats for the episode.

Jade R. said...

Thanks Matthew and Rick for taking the time to answer some of our questions! :] It was a blast.

And Rick, you've given me some insight on being a writer. Thanks mucho.

Hopefully you two can come chat it up again with us soon. ;]

Love ya guys and thanks!
Jade R.

P.S. Matthew, it's spelled "Merci beaucoup". Haha. Just thought I'd point that out. ;]

Farrah said...

Thank you Matthew and Rick. Conflicted was a great episode and the chat was really good...

Leanne said...

So many thanks to Rick and Matthew for the chat about this episode! It was fascinating to hear about how this episode came together - and the two of you are just the best for giving up your free time on a holiday weekend to spend time with us.

Blessed be,
Leanne

sherlockette said...

Thanks Matthew Gray Gubler and Rick Dunkle for joining us in chat! We had a blast. You guys are great guests.

Now we know why Matthew carries a revolver and why there were mirrors everywhere in the scenes of Conflicted. Sorry to those that missed it ;)

Anonymous said...

Hee! Just finished chatting with Rick and MGG, and it made my week! The two of them totally played off each other, and I think most of the participants were rolling on the floor by the end.

Thanks for the great chat, guys - hope to see you back soon!

Kate said...

THANKS SO MUCH, Rick and Matthew for giving up your free time to chat with us! It was a real thrill! You guys are awesome! And thanks to the moderators for never ceasing to amaze with these chats! I'm doing the happy dance b/c I had 2 questions chosen! And really GREAT responses! WOOHOO!!

Nate said...

Thank you Matthew and Rick for giving up your free time to come and chat with us. Especially thank you for making that chat european friendly!! You guys are really wonderful and totally loved by us.
Rick, your episode was amazing. I liked the multiple personality theme and Matthew did again a wonderful job playing Dr. Reid.
Can't wait for more from Rick and hope you two will chat with us again sometime.

Liska said...

Thank you Rick and Matthew for coming to chat! You were great! Thank you also all the mods that made this happen! Love you!

Walburga Benker said...

Rick and Matthew,

thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us. It was a great pleasure.

Wish a nice easter weekend.

Walburga
Germany

Anonymous said...

Thanks so very much to Matthew and Rick for joining us all in the chatroom and for giving up their free time to come and " chat " to us. It was lovely of both of you. You guys were so funny!!

Drusilla said...

Thanks so very much to Matthew and Rick for joining us all in the chatroom and for giving up their free time to come and " chat " to us. It was lovely of both of you. You guys were so funny!!

Joanna said...

Matthew and Rick-
That was so much fun! A very big thank you to you both for taking the time to share your thoughts and your insights with us- you made my day (or very early morning...!!) And thanks to the mods too!

babruin said...

Matthew and Rick,
thank you so much for taking the time to chat. Thank you for the great insights into how much work it is to put together a great episode like Conflicted.
Thanks for the laughs,too. I got a kick out of the comment that MGG thought Reid was the best shot in the team.:)Let's see, aimed for the leg and shot the head instead, yep, deadeye alright!!!
Again, thanks for sharing and looking forward to more fantastic stories from Rick!!!
Joanne

alicew said...

Matthew and Rick,

Thank you both for giving up some of your precious holiday weekend to come chat with us! You both had me laughing the whole time. An excellent episode, followed by a wonderful chat -- you've made my week!

alicew

P.S. - Matthew, I love Gublerland! Can't wait to see what other creatures will pop up there...

MySentimentExactLee said...

Matthew, always a pleasure. I'm thrilled you were able to give us an hour of your time. You are as always, my favorite.

Rick, you are my new best friend. You have admitted to being a Joss Whedon fan and also, you can "give it" to Matthew which I appreciate. Thank you! Can't wait to see new episodes written by you!

Lee :)

Shadow said...

Matthew and Rick, thank you sooo much for coming to chat with us fans, especially for sacrificing your precious spare time by deliberately choosing a time slot friendly to your European fans. It was an awesome experience!

Big thank you also to Jill, the other hosts and all the moderators for making all this possible and for the lot of work you put into the preparation and execution of this chat. I’m so grateful to all of you.

Happy Easter everyone!

Shadow

lorriegirl said...

Thanks so much Matthew and Rick for chatting with us this afternoon! We really appreciate your spending time with us...

-Lorrie

LoraLee said...

First and foremost, I want to thank Matthew and Rick for coming to chat with us this afternoon.

It was a wonderful session, guys. As always it’s an honor to “meet” people who are so skilled in what they do and who brighten our world a bit week after week (well, 20 to 24 weeks a year anyway :), plus reruns). And it’s amazing to get the little glances behind the scenes. And of course hearing that the people who make us happy enjoy making us happy -- well, that makes me REALLY HAPPY.


I will definitely be burning up the DVD on this one when it comes out. Everyone did an excellent job.

I did guess early on that the unsub was a male dressed as a female, but then they started talking partners and brought the hotel manager into the mix and I changed my mind.

I hit on the MPD during the interview when he basically described a blackout. I squeed when Reid said to Adam, "I'm afraid I still don't know," (of course us fans know this, but the show has never acknowledged it) and the flashback OMG, that he can still work in spite of still seeing that in his mind's eye??? It just proves how strong he is on the inside, no matter how much he's “not a fighter” on the outside.

I loved the way he was able to connect with Adam, pointing out that neither of them is exactly a tough guy, then later with Amanda (and note he had no trouble switching to her being Amanda, not Adam. That prior experience came in a bit handy there.)



I accept the two instances of MPD simply because they see so many cases, and the cases they see are the worst of the worst, not what a normal beat cop is going to see - therefore, meeting two individuals with such an extreme manifestation could happen (yeah, I live in a special world and I like it here).

And the reference to “never been proven cases of MPD” was in Extreme Aggressor in Gideon's book (maybe he'd written it years ago before he knew better????), that's bugged me since Revelations, especially since Gideon accepted it so quickly during The Big Game, but there again my special world likes MPD, so it was proven to exist after Gideon wrote that textbook.

Anonymous said...

Thanks to MGG and Rick Dunkle for giving up their day off to join us in the chat room this afternoon. Their witty back-and-forth conversation was hilarious, and their answers to all of our questions were really great.

Rick's episode had an intersting premise and I totally didn't figure it out (duh) until the end. It was a good first episode and I am looking forward to seeing more from Rick. (Plus, he is is such a sweetheart, you can't help but really like him).

One really interesting thing from the chat is that there was a question about the polygraph scene and Rick told us that the FBI experts were there and told about a new polygraph adminstrator they had and told how they administer polygraphs with the profilers in the room because they look for different "tells" than a normal administrator would, and that they do actually ask off-the-wall type questions to guage the reaction of the person. Very interesting and cool that they could portray the polygraph that way.

I enjoyed the Garcia bits, and Morgan had some good scenes, and he has been pretty quiet all season.

All in all, a pretty good episode, with some really great scenes. It will be interesting to see if Amanda/Adam are revisted.

Laura_G said...

Matthew and Rick,

Thank you both so much for your time in the chat room this afternoon.

Matthew - it is always a great time when you join us, you bring so much fun to the room!

Rick - you were wonderful with your complete and thoughtful answers to the many questions.

I thought it was fun for the fans the way the two of you played off of each other. It was a great chat and I hope we can see you both again very soon. Have a great weekend!

Laura

Lola said...

Thank you Rick and Matthew! Great episode got a wonderful "end" when you gave your time to chat with us.

Amelialor said...

Matthew and Rick,
Thank you so much for your time, for the insights and for the laughs. You were great!
I just love this cast and crew so much, I don’t think I have ever been prouder to be a fan of a show.
Come back soon.

And Rick, I loved the episode. These sorts of cases are my favorite. Sure, traumas can influence someone to kill, but sometimes, being the daughter of a psychologist just like you, I love when mental diseases are brought in. Great first episode and congratulations for now being part the writer’s staff. I’m glad we have you now full time.

Alana

Vali said...

Thank you, Rick & Matthew, for chatting with us on Friday. What a great treat having you both. One thing though I have to vehemently disagree with: Reid is NOT the best marksman on the team, but Hotch! That is such an obvious truth that you must have been joking. So ha,ha very funny!
Wow, interesting episode. Very different. Left me with a lot of questions. No, I can't emphasize with a killer, no matter how abused they were themselves. That never gives an excuse to torture and kill innocent victims. Wasn't convinced by the whole multiple personality thing either. Interesting topic though. Again, thanks for the chat! I had a great time.

PAOLAFROMPARIS said...

thanks it was amazing

Anonymous said...

I am not a Twilight fan and had no idea who Jason Rathbone was so I didn't have that bias when watching conflicted. In saying that however, I am a huge fan of MGG and especially his alter ego Reid which probably helped me enjoy this episode more then I actually would've cause I certainly had some issues.
Although it was an original take on the MPD idea it had already been done much better in Revelations. I get it they wanted to show Reids progress. Yes it was nice to see how altruistic he was about considering Tobias a victim and recognizing it in Adam. Nevertheless it was still Reid + unstable unsub + tortured past/mind which he identifies with + him pleading to save their life. So it also had a bit of elephants memory and sex,birth,death rehashed in there. Some scenes even seemed like exact repeats. Don't even get me started on using MPD. It is still undecided if it is a valid medical condition and its diagnosis is rare, plus hadn't they even mentioned on the show that MP is disproved!? I only ignored it in Revelation cause it was such an enigmatic and compelling story line. I just think it reflects badly on the talent and creativity of the writer/s cause to me they missed the mark with this one. The actors however did so well with what they were given.

Anonymous said...

I know someone who was diagnosed MPD (DID actually) after spending time at Mt Sinai hospital undergoing several tests. A DID individual doesn't introduce themselves as their "alter" - the whole purpose of DID is to protect the "host", not to attract the attention.

At any rate.... I still loved the epi. :)

Debbie said...

Matthew and Rick,

Thanks so much for coming to chat with us on Friday. You two are a hoot! And I loved the insight into the episode. It was a real pleasure to spend the hour with you. Thank you for giving up your personal time for us! We are so lucky to have you both on CM.

Anonymous said...

Vali said: Reid is NOT the best marksman on the team, but Hotch! That's such an obvious truth that you must have been joking. So ha, ha, very funny.

I don't know about Reid being the best marksman on the team but I can only recall him discharging his weapon twice in the line of duty and both those guys are pushing up daisies. He got Dowd right between the eyes and Tobias in the heart. So he can't be that bad of a marksman!