Mislav

Unfortunately, "Criminal Minds" simply can not have a truly satisfying, or even decent series finale. The best we can hope for is that nobody gets killed off. The writers pretty much screwed things up completely by coming up with the whole Chameleon arc, and making that guy the big bad of the final season, and the focus of the final episode(s). He is simply not interesting. At all. Not even his disguise angle is that intetesting or original, since there was already an unsub with that schtick back in season one (Mark Gregory from 1x20 "Charm and Harm"). Even the face removal aspect is nothing new, albeit gruesome: remember 3x6 "About Face"? (I'm surprised they haven't mentioned that... it was Rossi's first episode, after all...) He is not even threatening, because we know that they're not going to kill off any main characters at this point; if something like that happens (hopefully not), it will happen in the final episode, not in four episodes preceding it. Besides, over the last fifteen years, the BAU has taken out guys like Randall Garner, Frank Breitkopf, George Foyet, Billy Flynn, Ian Doyle, Peter Lewis... and now, sleazy conman with mommy issues is supposed to be that big foe? That is the problem. The Chameleon arc captures all the worst things about new Criminal Minds: borrowing things from older (and better) episodes, ridiculous story directions and plot devices, plot holes, making it personal somehow, trying so hard to make this unsub the biggest and the baddest and the most difficult to catch even though he clearly isn't... etc. But it's not just about the poor quality of the Chameleon storyline, or the choice to make him the show's final unsub. It goes a lot deeper than that. The show has gone on for way too long, there is pretty much nothing that we haven't seen by this point, so coming up with the new big bad fifteen years down the road and expecting him to maks for a satisfying multiple-episode arc and a series finale is tricky, to say the least. Of course, they failed completely. Making this Rossi's pet case doesn't help either, because we have already had three episodes about Rossi being haunted by the case from his past, and they were all more interesting than this. Lastly, two of the main cast members, that were on the show from the start and for over a decade (Hotch and Morgan), are not here anymore, and the members of the original cast that are still present have been reduced to caricatures of their former selves. Garcia probably got it the worst (able to pull up any information and access any database with few keystrokes while almost having a mental breakdown at the slightest mention of violence, despite having worked for the BAU for almost two decades by now and making presentations on all of the cases, while also being unable to have a phone conversation without sexual innuendos and snarky comebacks), followed by Spencer (pretty much only used for spouting quirky trivia and "character in a peril" plot device), then Emily. Rossi changed the least, but that doesn't change the fact that he had almost nothing to do over the last few seasons, unless you count soap-opera level of personal drama. Of course, it was Moore's choice to leave, and Gibson stepped way out of line and got fired. But that is the risk of having the show run for over a decade: things change, stuff happens, and you may end up losing some of the cast members that were part of the show from the beginning... and then what? Luke and Matt are just awful, I'm sorry. The writers' attempts to make them connect with them are laughable, because, once again, we've seen all of that done before, and done better (mostly with Hotch, and, to an extent, with Morgan; neither of which, to make this even more annoying, are on the show anymore). Their mere inclusion in the show felt like a desperate attempt to make up for the loss of original characters, it failed right away, and any further focus on them just disgusts me even more. I have nothing against the actors, and the characters themselves are not bad people by any means, but man... I can't stand them. Yes, it is not the showrunner's fault that Thomas Gibson and Shemar Moore left. I was OK with Emily replacing Hotch, since I liked her character and was glad to see her back, and if somebody had to be the unit chief, better it be Emily than a new character (or JJ). But there was really no need for Luke Alvez, or Matt Simmons, or Stephen Walker, even with Morgan being gone. Especially not for Walker or Simmons, because the team had always consisted of seven members (including Garcia) anyway. And it could have worked fine with six. I would have been OK with the team consisting of Emily, JJ, Rossi, Reid, Tara and Garcia. If they had to bring in someone new, it shouldn't have been an obvious stand-in for Morgan, let alone two of them. Tara is OK, I guess, but again, she hasn't had anything to do since season twelve or so. Not only are those new characters bland and uninteresting, but the team is now so bloated that each character barely gets a few lines per episode. Of course, the unsub taking up fifty percent of the episode doesn't help. I can't stress this enough (even though it is way too late): WE DON'T HAVE TO SEE THE UNSUB FROM THE BEGINNING AND FOLLOW HIM/HER THROUGHOUT THE EPISODE WHILE THE TEAM PLAYS CATCH-UP. Especially not every. Freaking. Episode. I actually think that some of the poorer and admittedly contrived later episodes would have worked much better if we didn't see the unsub from the beginning and the unsub's motivation wasn't clear right away. (13x6 "The Bunker" immediately comes to mind.) At least there would have been an element of mystery and suspense, even if the solution was completely ridiculous. They had so many opportunities to salvage this show and get it back on the track, instead they just kept digging a bigger hole. Good riddance.

I don't think Emily was ever written as a lesbian character, but she and Mendoza definitely have no chemistry. I'm almost impressed by how there is absolutely nothing there.

I'm genuinely shocked that they have never done an episode based on this case. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/01/nyregion/lives-tangle-in-park-s-hidden-world.html https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/01/nyregion/metro-briefing-new-york-manhattan-young-killer-denied-parole.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FAbdela%2C Daphne https://nypost.com/2004/01/21/butcher-free-kid-killer-sprung-after-serving-6-years-for-central-park-slay/

Well, it seems to have worked.

This is a real-life case that Luke and Rossi discussed in the intro. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/01/nyregion/lives-tangle-in-park-s-hidden-world.html Ironically, it sounds like a much better Criminal Minds case than the dreck that we got in this episode.

Unit chief, I assume.

Good for you, Spencer! Rachael's a babe! I just hope they don't ruin it with the whole JJ/Reid... whatever that is by this point.

Relevant: https://youtube.com/watch?v=WV2xY7ixwro

To be fair, the whole point of the term SJW is that it refers to person who greatly exaggerates or misinterprets certain issues currently present in society, and approaches the problem(s) the wrong way. It is also used to describe people who only "fight" for social justice in order to gain publicity/marketing/votes, rather than some genuine, moral reason/purpose. I doubt anyone uses it to describe people who fought the actual injustice and made positive changes. Well, racist assholes, sure; there are certainly people misusing the term/label, just like any other. But I personally never came across such case... yet. And the term SJW wasn't even in use in 60 or 70s, during the civil rights movement and second-wave feminism; it came to use in 2011, when most of the important changes were already made, long time ago. [Its first recorded use dates to early 90s, but it was in 2011 when it was first used negatively, mainly to describe those who engaged in social justice debates for self-serving or inauthentic reasons.] And though great changes were made in the 60s, several years later, in early to late 70s, there was also an explosion (no pun intended) of far-left extremism in the USA: Weather Underground, Symbionese Liberation Army, May 19th Communist Organization, Valerie Solanas, etc. (There are plenty of examples from Canada and Europe at the time too, not just the USA.) If someone were to apply the term SJW to someone from that time period, they would likely attribute it to those extremists, rather than genuine political activists and historical figures. But it is mostly a modern term/label all around, anyway. Interesting enough, Criminal Minds Wiki actually has quite an informative article about Symbionese Liberation Army (mainly because they were mentioned in 7x20 "The Company"). https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/The_Symbionese_Liberation_Army

In the final episode, Reid wakes up and we learn that everything that happened from season 10 onward was a coma-dream Reid had after being shot in the neck in season nine finale.

I shudder to think about the finale. I have a feeling my reaction will be something along the lines of: "I was prepared for the worst and I'm still devastated."

Geez, this sounds so lame. We already had three different episodes where Rossi was personally involved in a case (3x14 "Damaged", 6x3 "Remembrance of Things Passt", and 7x22 "Profiling 101"; four episodes if you include 12x9 "Profiling 202", a sequel to 7x22 "Profiling 101"). Why should the series finale-heck, the entire final season-be Rossi-centric, focusing on (mostly) him pursuing this one unsub? (The unsub who will presumably be a completely new character that hasn't even been mentioned for over a decade Rossi has been on the show, rather than some old adversary who has escaped from prison or something). I do like Rossi, but come on. He already has a daughter, grandson, son-in-law, a new wife, and has already closed three cold cases that literally haunted him for *decades*. Give me a fucking break. Writers and showrunners could at least focus on Reid finally finding happiness, getting a girlfriend or at least a good friend outside the BAU, now that the show is definitely coming to an end. Yes, that should still not be the main focus because "Criminal Minds" is a crime/mystery show, and something like that could still happen as a subplot, but given Erica Messer's tendency to focus on anyone but Reid, and now basing an entire series finale around Rossi's pursuit of this new, Joker-like villain... I'm not holding my breath. And I know Rossi is the only main (well, better to say "long-term") character that hasn't been abducted/tortured by the unsub so far (ironic considering that he has been in that job the longest) but I really have no desire to see "character in a peril" arc again, even if it is the first time for that character; writers have beaten that dead horse into fine powder. Long ago.

There was this at the beginning: And also the scene near the end where they talk after the cop's funeral, and the next scene on the jet where she gives him that book (or he gives it to her, I am not sure). Nothing major, of course, but enough to inspire certain... ideas, probably.

Prison arc from season 12 didn't mean much. It was an unoriginal and recycled storyline stretched out over the course of 10+ episodes. More than one recycled storyline, actually. Main character being framed for murder was done before and done better (in 2x12 "Profiler, Profiled" and in 11x22 "The Storm"), and Reid being tortured/miserable/in peril was also done before and done better (most notably in 2x15 "Revelations" and 11x11 "Entropy"). Lots of things simply didn't make sense (such as Reid being placed in prison rather than in jail, Reid not being fired from the FBI, and Derek not being informed about Reid's arrest and trial at all, not to mention an apparent lack of media interest in the case of the FBI agent accused of murder and drug trafficking; which, to tie in with the complaints #2 and #3, would have led to Reid being fired before the trial was over, and to Derek finding out even if nobody from the team informed him). Realistically, the case should have been solved within days, anyway, since Lindsey Vaughn left a fingerprint and DNA evidence on the crime scene. That was conveniently unknown up until the season finale. The only good thing about it waa the twist revealing that Cat Adams was behind it, not Peter Lewis... but by that point it was too little, too late. That arc revealed nothing new or interesting about Reid, and, if anything, they made him do dumb and reckless things he never would have done (such as going to Mexico and buying illegal drugs without even telling anyone from the team). Most of the fans were getting tired of recycled plots/story arcs and Reid being tortured/miserable way before season 12, and Reid's prison arc felt more like an insult, or, at worst, final nail in the coffin. It was a pathetic attempt to pull at heartstrings by (once again) torturing the youngest (and, arguably, most emotional) character, and also a cover so Erica Messer could say (if confronted with any complaints on that front): "See, we haven't forgotten about Reid after all, we still write storylines for him..." but everyone could see through her bs by that point.

Reid is hardly the writers' pet anymore. [On a different note, Merry Christmas, everyone! I wish you the best.]

Have you watched 2x16 "Fear and Loathing"?

I wouldn't. And if that was the case, most of the Reid fans would have probably been overjoyed by his prison arc in season 12. But it seems like most of them had exactly the opposite reaction. Please tell me what you enjoyed about "200"? I'm not saying one can't like it but saying that people only hate it because it's JJ-centric is a weak argument.

This is what Ice-T posted on Twitter following that notorious gamers episode.

I mean, it's not like the writers have been giving him much reason to stick around the entire season in the first place. And it's not like they have trouble basically reducing his character to a stand-in in the episodes that Matthew Gray Gubler is present in. In the first nine seasons, hardly any cast members (Gubler included) would miss out on an episode, let alone few of them, even if certain character didn't end up having much to do in particular episode(s). Other than the ones who chose to leave the show or were fired, of course (though some of them later returned, even if it that might not have been originally planned). That is also telling.

According to the recent news, season 14 of "Criminal Minds" isn't getting a backorder. https://popculture.com/tv-shows/2018/11/27/criminal-minds-season-14-misses-back-order-end-episode-15/ https://criminalmindshub.weebly.com/crim-minds-s14-no-more-episodes.html Well, it looks like this will probably be the last season of the show. And only 15 episodes long too. A lot to unpack here... I'm going to start with what bothers me the most. First of all, if this season does turn out to be the final one (and that seems quite likely by this point), the only characters [from the current cast] who will reach the series finale with any sort of satisfying conclusion/closure to them are Rossi and JJ. Now, that alone doesn't bother me that much. But what infuriates me is that both JJ and Rossi have reached that closure several seasons ago! Let's face it, JJ's character arc was pretty much complete once she got married to Will and had a child. And Rossi's personal storylines/character development pretty much reached a halt in the first half of season ten, when he found out that he had had a daughter and a grandson that whole time. The writers had 4-5 seasons to focus on other characters, develop them more, give them some new, interesting personal storylines and character arcs, to lead them to some sort of closure/conclusion by the time the show inevitably reached the end; and they didn't. Except with Derek, and they probably only put some effort into that because Shemar decided to leave the show. Yes, it is not like JJ and Rossi had nothing to do over the last 4-5 seasons. JJ had a second child by season 11. Rossi reconnected with his second ex-wife in season 11, they decided to just be friends in season 13, and he eventually reconnected with his third ex-wife, and, most recently, even got engaged to her. But none of those storylines held much weight. They weren't featured that prominently to become an important part of the show, they didn't lead to any major changes, the characters (JJ and Rossi) haven't changed or developed in any significant way, and IMO, none of those storylines have been interesting or written well. Had the show ended by season 10, 11, 12 or 13, most of the viewers would probably feel pretty much the same in regards to JJ and Rossi. The only interesting storylines involving Rossi and JJ (post season 9/10) have been Rossi's final showdown with Thomas Yates in 12x9 "Profiling 202", and finding out what led to Rosalyn Jerau's suicide in 14x4 "The Tall Man". And we didn't need four seasons of pandering and recycled arcs to get those two storylines. Of course, that isn't even a good justification. The writers could have focused on Rossi and JJ, as well as other characters. They had plenty of time, and opportunities. But still, with JJ and Rossi getting their closure at last, the writers had even more space to focus on other characters. And they didn't. The only arcs they gave them were recycled storylines that were done better before, mostly involving the character(s) and/or their loved ones being in a peril. (Kate's niece being abducted by human traffickers, Derek being abducted and tortured, Savannah getting shot, Tara's brother being abducted and brainwashed by Peter Lewis, Reid being framed for murder and then his mother getting abducted, Peter Lewis going after the whole team, a homicidal cult abducting Reid and Garcia...) Spencer Reid... I have no words. What a waste of such a great character. 14 years and almost nothing about him has changed... for the better. Pretty much all of his character arcs and personal storylines have reolved around him suffering, struggling, being miserable, or literally being tortured in some way. Only that, for 14 fucking seasons. As far as we know, he doesn't even have any friends outside the BAU (except for Ethan, who appeared once in season 2 and never again, and lives in New Orleans), let alone a girlfriend (and his only serious love interest was literally murdered in front of him). And now, the show is over. Just great. Garcia... in some ways, her character is similar to Reid's. She hasn't suffered nearly as much, but the way they have flanderized her over the years... it has been hard to watch. It pains me to think that the current version of Garcia is the one the show will end with. But I guess it is too late now. I honestly don't care enough about neither Matt and Luke to have any meaningful opinion about them, nor how they will end up by the series finale. The sad thing is, they will still probably get more focus than Reid. Emily... I don't hate her as the unit chief (although many do), but once again, for the unit chief, she really hasn't had much to do over the last two seasons. Her character development pretty much ended with her departure in season 7 (or her guest appearance in 11x19 "Tribute", depending on how you look at it). That whole romance storyline with Andrew Mendoza was pretty uninteresting to begin with, and it will now definitely lead nowhere (or be rushed af), and only take away from the much-needed build-up to the series finale. Tara Lewis could have been an interesting character; I definitely liked her more than Kate Callahan, though not as much as Alex Blake. Sadly, Tara's character development reached a halt in the first half of season 12, following the storyline with her brother. Ever since, she has simply been... there. I doubt she will have anything to do in the series finale either. There wasn't ever a strong chance that Thomas Gibson would make an appearance in a series finale, not even after Virgil Williams left the show, but considering how rushed the finale will undoubtebly be, I doubt Hotch will even be mentioned, let alone maybe get a flashback scene from a previous episode, showing him. Of course, all of this is nothing new. The show has been going downhill for years, and I've made my feelings perfectly clear multiple times. But, over the years, I still hold on to the faint hope that we will eventually get a great (or, at least, remotely good) final season, or at least a satisfying series finale... it was a weak, naive hope, but hope never the less. I guess that is pretty much gone now too. It doesn't seem to have much basis in reality anymore, anyway... And it is not like writers and producers have a strong motivation to put up a serious effort into the series finale anyway. That will literally be the final episode of the show, it is not like they have to worry about the low(er) ratings the next season. They might be worried about the syndication money, but they've probably made millions by this point anyway. [I do know that, after "Cold Case" was canceled, the fans started "Fictional season 8". They would write the episodes themselves (in the story form), and post them on the page called ColdCasePedia. I think the page has since been taken down, but it was definitely a thing until recently. (There might be records of it on webarchive.) Maybe we could try something like that? "Criminal Minds fictional season 15"? It wouldn't be officially canon, of course, but it would give za a voice and provide some sort of closure. If anyone is interested, feel free to pm me; but keep in mind, it is only the idea at this stage. Of course, it would Probably have to be posted on Fanfiction.net, because I doubt that the mods on Criminal Minds Wiki would allow it.] Lastly, I doubt they will even feature an interesting case in the series finale. I mean, by this point, the BAU has taken down serial killers who literally murdered hundreds of victims and/or targeted the BAU personally, human trafficking ring selling victims to serial killer on the dark web, a hitmen ring (also operating on the dark web), a cult literally responsible for hundreds of murders over the decades... what's left? Let me guess, the unsub(s) go after the someone from the team, or even the whole team, putting everyone in the peril. Or maybe Cat Adams goes after Reid again. So intense, so original... *rolleyes* Honestly, this is the only remotely interesting idea for "Criminal Minds" finale that I managed to come up with: The unsub starts murdering the unsubs that the BAU previously captured (or investigated). He starts with the ones that have been released from prison and mental institutions (or have been at large all along), then progresses to actually infiltrating prisons and mental institutions in order to murder the unsubs that are still incarcerated or institutionalized; sometimes resorting to assassinating them in elaborate ways or pulling off complex murders by proxy if he can't actually gain access to them. The BAU is called in to investigate, of course, but even they seem powerless to stop him. Still, they use [actual] profiling, and figure out that the unsubs is intentionally leaving clues for them, with every new murder. Those clues lead them to multiple unsolved homicide cases, spanning all over the USA, some dating back years. They realize that the unsub they are looking for has been killing for years, being what many profilers consider to be a myth: "Suspect-zero" type of serial killer. The serial killer who murders various different victims (of different sex, age, race etc.) in many different ways, in many different areas, for no typical serial killer motive (sexual sadism, revenge, thrill-kill, financial gain), using a varied M.O., without leaving any eyewitnesses or forensic evidence behind. (There is an interesting psychological thriller about that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspect_Zero) The unsub has been getting away with it for decades, and eventually got bored. But rather than turning himself in, he decided to to after "the most dangerous game"; other serial killers. Monster hunting down other monsters. Bonus points if the unsub is murdering other unsubs the same way they would murder their victims. The BAU has to put all the efforts possible in order to track down possibly the most brazen unsub they have ever faced. I think the series finale should be a two-parter, or even a three-parter. The title of the episode(s) should either be "Suspect Zero", or "Unsub", or "Criminal Mind". The unsubs that I would like to see featured as the victims or potential victims in the series finale: • Richard Slessman from 1x1 "Extreme Aggressor" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Richard_Slessman • The Footpath Killer (real name unrevealed) from 1x1 "Extreme Aggressor" and 1x2 "Compulsion" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/The_Footpath_Killer • Clara Hayes from 1x2 "Compulsion" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Clara_Hayes • Adrian Bale from 1x3 "Won't Get Fooled Again" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Adrian_Bale • Franklin Graney ("The Tommy Killer") from 1x4 "Plain Sight" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Franklin_Graney • Karl Arnold from 1x7 "The Fox" and 5x8 "Outfoxed" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Karl_Arnold • Vincent Perotta from 1x8 " Natural Born Killer" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Vincent_Perotta • Eddie Mays from 1x11 "Blood Hungry" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Eddie_Mays • Amber Canardo from 2x3 "The Perfect Storm" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Amber_Canardo • The Mill Creek Killer (real name unrevealed) from 2x9 "The Last Word" (that was the first episode Emily Prentiss appeared in) https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/The_Mill_Creek_Killer • Terrance Wakeland from 2x16 "Fear and Loathing" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Terrance_Wakeland • Sarah Danlin from 2x18 "Jones" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Sarah_Danlin • Gary (last name unrevealed) from 3x4 "Children of the Dark" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Gary • Susan & Richard Jacobs from 3x5 "Seven Seconds" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Susan_Jacobs https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Richard_Jacobs • Floyd Feylinn Ferell from 3x8 "Lucky" and 13x5 "Lucky Strikes" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Floyd_Feylinn_Ferell • Jonny McHale from 3x10 "True Night" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Jonny_McHale • Owen Savage from 3x16 "Elephant's Memory" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Owen_Savage • Norman Hill from 4x11 "Normal" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Norman_Hill • Tommy Wheeler from 4x19 "House on Fire" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Tommy_Wheeler • Adam Jackson from 4x20 "Conflicted" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Adam_Jackson • Danny Murphy from 4x21 "A Shade of Gray" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Danny_Murphy • Joe Belser from 5x10 "The Slave of Duty" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Joe_Belser • Samantha Malcolm from 5x12 "The Uncanny Valley" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Samantha_Malcolm • Robert Johnson from 5x23 "The Internet is Forever" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Robert_Johnson • Kaman Scott from 6x6 "Devil's Night" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Kaman_Scott • Shane Wyland from 6x9 "Into the Woods" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Shane_Wyland • Blake Wells from 6x23 "Big Sea" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Blake_Wells • Hamilton Bartholomew ("The Piano Man") from 7x12 "Unknown Subject" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Hamilton_Bartholomew • Malcolm Ford from 7x20 "The Company" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Malcolm_Ford • Izzy Rogers from 7x23 "Hit" and 7x24 "Run" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Izzy_Rogers • Darlene Beckett from 8x2 "The Pact" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Darlene_Beckett • Sera Morrison from 8x14 "All That Remains" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Sera_Morrison • Torry Champan from 8x19 "Pay It Forward" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Tory_Chapman • Wayne Gulino from 9x8 "The Return" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Wayne_Gulino • Charles Johnson from 9x9 "Strange Fruit" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Charles_Johnson • Sue Walsh from 9x16 "Gabby" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Sue_Walsh • Joe Bachner from 9x19 "The Edge of Winter" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Joe_Bachner • The Killer Woodsman (real name unrevealed) from 9x21 "Blood Relations" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/The_Killer_Woodsman • Mitchell Crossford from 11x2 "The Witness" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Mitchell_Crossford • Cat Adams from 11x11 "Entropy", 12x21 "Green Light" and 12x22 "Red Light" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Cat_Adams • Sharon Mayford ("The Bomber") from 11x11 "Entropy" (Cat Adams' accomplice) https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Sharon_Mayford • Lindsey Vaughn from 3x12 "3rd Life", 12x20 "Unforgettable", 12x21 "Green Light" and 12x22 "Red Light" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Lindsey_Vaughn • Antonia Slade from 11x21 "Devil's Backbone" and 11x22 "The Storm" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Antonia_Slade • Ethan Howard from 14x4 "The Tall Man" https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Ethan_Howard Of course, not all of them can be included in the episode(s) (and not all the actors and actresses would be available anyway), but those are all the suggestions I have. And yes, it is not like that would be the most realistic episode, but at least the writers and producers would have an excuse to do something big and different, as well as revisit the old cases; being a series finale and all... Revisiting those old cases could also provide them with an excuse to bring back some past characters: Derek Morgan (though he often makes guest appearances anyway), Alex Blake, Ashley Seaver, Kate Callahan, maybe even Elle Greenaway. But, of course, it's not like the writers will listen to me. But honestly, I wouldn't mind if the series finale ended with a reveal that everything post season 9 finale was a coma-dream Reid had after being shot in the neck. Lastly, I remember reading that one post on "Criminal Minds" IMDb messages boards; back in 2014 or 2015, during season 10, when the show really started going downhill, but most of is still had hope, and "the favorite team" was still there, intact (minus Emily). On that IMDb thread, the poster shared his/her idea for "Criminal Minds" finale. I don't remember all the specifics, but it was a pretty good idea and a satisfying conclusion, featuring all of the beloved characters who were still on the show back then, including Derek Morgan and Aaron Hotchner. And, at the end, the poster wrote something along the lines of "But, knowing CBS, they will probably continue to milk this show until half or more of the old cast is gone, replaced by bland new characters that nobody cares about". Sadly, he/she was right. Anyway, I still really enjoyed posting on this forum over the years, and I'd like to thank everyone for their collaboration and understanding. Especially BookishJen, Danielg342, mefein, secnarf, ReidFan, thewhiteowl, JMO, Hotchgirl18, normasm, Willowy, Annber03, illdoc and K42. I wish you the best.

Thank you for the information, TimetoShine and Lalaland. I really appreciate it. I will post my thoughts on those news in "Criminal Minds Analysis: Profile The Show" thread, because it would be off-topic to post it here.

So... has anyone watched the latest episode? Does anyone care anymore?

The recent backlash against Emily's character is a bit odd to me. I mean, yeah, the old Emily was better, because she was better written, but at least she is still a character. Pretty much all the new "characters" are basically walking cliches. I understand that opinions differ. But let's face it, the alternative to bringing Emily back was either a completely new character being introduced as the unit chief (and we've seen how well they write new characters as of season 10 onward), or JJ becoming a unit chief (I mean, they won't even give Reid a date, and Rossi's storylines have been pure soap opera for years, it is doubtful that either of them would have been promoted to the unit chief, at least with Erica Messer running the show). Does that sound like a better idea? But ultimately, it doesn't really matter anyway. If Hotch were still a unit chief by this episode, or if it were Reid or Rossi or JJ or a completely new character, they would have acted the same in the end, simply because the writers couldn't have come up with a better resolution/climax. These days, the writers just attach whatever storyline they can come up with to the characters, characterization and continuity be damned. Because they suck, and have a creativity of a potato.

The girl wasn't murdered. She was viciously assaulted, but fortunately, she survived. Just sayin'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender_Man_stabbing https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/US/slender-man-stabbing-survivors-mother-offers-message-hope/story%3fid=52795365

Seriously, how many people actually care about Luke and his background? The guy is a mixture of bland and cliche, the only one currently worse is Matt (another new character who also got his episode recently *eyeroll*). Sounds like such a pointless episode. I'm cringing so hard now.