Wilowy

Jim's own twitter feed provides many examples, millenium. While I don't have time to hunt down each one, you're of course free to look them up yourself. Here's an excerpt from one interview posted on CMRT: "While in town he came to Augusta to sit down with Brad Means on the set of “The Means Report.” Clemente shares his experience with child sex crimes – both on a personal and professional level. He also takes us behind the scenes of “Criminal Minds” to explain how true to life the show really is, and how real life stories have not only been turned into shows but have saved lives." And here's a link to the entire interview: http://criminalmindsroundtable.blogspot.com/2014/03/criminal-minds-season-9-jim-clementes.html He's also been on Larry King. Robin's communique will take longer to locate. I'll post it if I can find it again.

Thanks for that, Lebanna. Here's my favorite still from that challenge. Heh.

A head's up for any who might be interested: In a few days I'll be putting up a CM trivia quiz on my site, http://criminalmindsfans.com/ . There are nine questions, one for each aired season, plus a bonus. There's a cool prize for the winner - an awesome autographed item (that I actually haven't seen anywhere else) sent from Criminal Minds studio just for this contest - so if you're into it, feel free to show your trivia-fu! I'll post a link here when it's up. Good luck to all who enter! :)

That's adorable.

Yes, I got it. Just named him.

Rather than have two separate threads for each actor and their character, we've always just put stuff about both within the character threads, normasm. Jeff Baena (directed Life After Beth) is Aubrey's boyfriend. Or was, last I heard.

Here's Matt and Aubrey at CAA's emmy party Friday night.

millenium, Jim Clemente would disagree with your blue moon theory. According to him (an actual ex-FBI profiler), things like CM portrays, and even much, much worse actually, DO happen with alarming frequency. While I'm not defending the torture porn aspect (looking at YOU, "PROOF", and others), what they do show is actually watered-down. Robin Dreeke, who is the head of the real Behavior Analysis Program has said the same thing. Also, I take exception to your Big Mac analogy, so I'd like to opt out of your 'us' reference. I've loved the show for going on a decade, warts and all. And Homeland deals in genocide and terrorism. Serial killing on a much larger scale.

I saw a Charlie Rose with Patinkin the other day as I was flipping channels and against my better judgment I stayed on the channel to hear what he had to say. At first I was surprised because I almost choked up when I heard his voice. It made me realize that I do miss rude, self-involved Gideon more than I realized. Mandy was clean-shaven like Gideon, and talked so much with this hands, also like Gideon. However it took the scope of five minutes to become bored with his self-aggrandizing, his attribution of MUCH more depth than his show deserves, and his bragging and blatant praise in Homeland, of some of the very things he decried about CM. I do agree about the hypocrisy. I like JLH sometimes and I hope the things I like about her translate well into our show. Joe likes her, but then Joe likes everybody. :)

We have an UnSub thread here: http://forums.previously.tv/topic/4993-lets-talk-unsubs-the-villains-of-criminal-minds/#entry118595

Season 9 DVD release is this coming Tuesday!

Here's a cute pic of some of the cast at the Pageant of the Masters yesterday. There's a ton more pics here too. I so love seeing Paget out with them. She just belongs.

All of these below are sub-par episodes to me in one way or another. I could easily do without any of them: Perennials Through the Looking Glass The Good Earth Mr. and Mrs. Anderson What Happens in Mecklinburg Parasite The Performer Hit/Run 200 Compromising Positions Reflection of Desire The Bittersweet Science Snake Eyes Closing Time Strange Fruit ETA Ack, sorry I didn't stick with seasons 1-4. All the badness just kept popping into my head. :P

Easy, Elle. Because Elle.

I too want to see the team respect and appreciate him. I see them revisiting his addiction as a chance for some deeper team bonding, as this time they do NOT ignore it, but recognize and help him. So yeah he has to stumble a bit, but he'll come back even stronger. Even if I don't believe this is the strongest writing team, I do not believe they will assassinate Reid's character and re-infantalize him. I believe he'll push through and come out of it strong, even during.

Two joyous moments that pop to mind are when he's asked to be Henry's godfather (and even then he's so tentative with his happiness about it, like he just doesn't quite trust it), and the home run in The Apprenticeship. You're right too, in that those are just moments, not entire storylines. Though I'm not sure how 'Joyous Spencer' would be sustainable as an ongoing arc, as much as I want that for him. I like it when we get to see him take his moments, things that give him pleasure like playing chess in the park, which I'd love to see again... especially if they could get that same guy to play Eric. Interesting idea him meeting a girl in rehab. I can see this tatted, noseringed, hard-core girl, maybe a couple years younger than him. Underneath all her false fronts, he comes to see that she's very vulnerable, optimistic, and intelligent, and they begin spending time in conversation...

Beth was always supportive of Hotch, and understanding about his time away the job required. Some women are easier to laugh than others, her humor never bothered me. I think they went with the brunette thing because it was different from Haley, not a conceit from Erica. You have just as many people saying she's in love with Morgan, so... I dunno. I'm looking forward to Aaron being the awkward bachelor. A complete 180 from the serious, on-point Unit Chief he is at work.

You know Daniel, I think they might do that. I wouldn't be surprised if they liked planting that seed, and seeing all the positive reaction to it. I also think that they are going to revisit Reid's addiction. I know some think that it's cheap and lazy writing, but I do not. It often happens with real addicts and I am fine with them going there as long as he is ultimately victorious over it. I think it could mean some really emotional storytelling for and with our good doctor, and I am always up for that. For him to experience Maeve's murder and then feeling his own mortality from being gunshot with only a couple weeks of depression isn't really how he, a very sensitive person, would go through it. His superior intellect would not let it heal and scab over like ours would. He would have no choice but to revisit/relive these things every single day. I can totally see how the Dilaudid would numb that. And how he would know that it would.

Aaand for those Beth-haters out there, drumroll please: http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/08/22/spoiler-room-greys-anatomy-new-girl-once-upon-a-time-spoilers/

I don't think it sounds like that. I think it sounds like someone with a gripe, legitimate or not, who is going about this the wrong way by choosing to make it public. I also think that where there's smoke there's fire and there quite possibly could be some truth to it. That said, I'm choosing to be firmly on Team Gibson until things are proven one way or the other. Allegations are one thing, but this guy may very well be an asshole just looking to capitalize on Thomas's earlier difficulties.

In completely random order except for numero uno which will surprise no one: 1. Elephant's Memory - This makes every list of mine for everything everyone has said and more. I watched it three times in the past two days and I've seen it dozens of other times, as well. I never turn it off, I always reblog anything on tumblr about it, and I'll never tire of it. You learn more about Spencer Reid and see his many moods and mindframes more in this single episode than any other; Shy and unsure at the BCC, angry at Owen's school counselor and LLE, stubbornness with Hotch, bravery mixed with terror when facing down Owen... it's just a perfect showcase for Reid, and for MGG's undeniable talent as an actor. 2. Mayhem - Paired with Extreme Aggressor and 100, this is the actiony favorite that I always get peeps into the show with. I always feel like I'm on a zipline when watching this one, and even though that isn't why I mostly watch CM, I think it far superior to any of the "mini action movies" they've tried to claim like the boring Hit/Run and the lousy 200. Love desperate, damaged, still clever and caring Hotch, and Morgan's convincing superhero bravery. He runs his ass off in this one, and for once he's not getting it kicked! 3. 100 - I've said many times that I think this is the best episode of the series. I'm aware too that there's a backlash, so I don't expect agreement from everyone, but it absolutely destroys me every time. I think the pacing, the dialogue, the camera angles, even the lighting and the music are completely in balance. The horror of having a loved one murdered while you are racing to their side is brought fully home in Thomas Gibson's flawless performance, and his loss and devastation are forcefully powerful. I can't take my eyes off the screen when it's on. 4. Magnum Opus - Reid and JJ. Reid and JJ. Reid and JJ. <3 5. The Edge of Winter - I was flabbergasted when JSB won the award for the far inferior Strange Fruit instead of this incredible work. This episode stands alone in season 9 for me in that it could be an episode of any show. This was motion picture quality, and it was almost like a work of literature come to life. Hanelle Culpepper's direction was deep and deft and left me with such a sense of loss for the devastated and insane Daria. It was a real treat too, to see Morgan calm, collected, solidly professional, and determined to unlock the girl's blocked psyche. Criminal Minds, indeed. *applause* 6. Seven Seconds - Agree with all other's opinion on this stellar offering. Special shout-out to Paula Malcomson, Deadwood alum extraordinaire, who is one of the finest actors working in television today. 7. The Instincts/Memoriam - The whole concept of Reid "rediscovering" an old crime via his subconscious is a great thru-line in these two episodes. Diana was integral and it was incredible how Jane portrayed several sides of this ill and beloved woman's personality. We got a ton of backstory and even with the sniveling, rat-bastard fucker Wm. Reid, it was an excellently written mystery. Some great Morgan/Reid interaction here, too (and loved the Rossi back-up!). 8. Foundation - This one touched me on many levels, and it surprised me too, in that it didn't seem like there was a 'B' story. Everything meshed and worked together so well that it all felt like each side of the story was just as important as the other. The amazing sleuthing by Prentiss working in conjunction with the daughter (who was excellent) was actually really relentless, and the daughter's realization of what her father was was executed perfectly. Angel. That kid. He blew me away. I'd never seen the young actor before (or since, actually), but he was the perfect choice for this role. And I loved how Morgan immediately connected with him, and walked through dangerous and terrifying territory with the kid, helping to bring him towards being able to feel safe in the world again. JJ's compassion and soothing voice was nice to see, as was the pain in her eyes for the suffering boy. Jim Clemente's best work, imo. 9. Extreme Aggressor - Perfect series opener. If all shows had this flawless a debut, everything would be greenlit. A must-see for newbies, and a great 'return to' episode for all of us long-time fans. *BONUS* Hotch!Bangs! 10. Demonology - 'Emilyology', you could say. This was interesting not so much for the case alone (evil priest - yawn), but for Paget's winning performance. She's all things here; adorable, capable, sensitive, driven... and we really get a sense of who she was back then and how it still influences who she is today. Great episode, and I'm always happy to see it on. 11. Lucky - Creepy-ass Floyd Feylinn Farrell. The sickest, grossest, creeper that ever creeped. Ew, ew, ew, and oh yeah - ew. You can practically smell him. 12. Mosley Lane - Our boy's directing debut, and his finest. Tragic, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful. Not to mention a great turn from the sickos played by Beth Grant and Bud Cort (perfect casting). I'll never get over the bereaved father at the end, and will never forget the sentence he can barely get out as he realizes "He was alive yesterday?" Anne Cusack was perfect as the drunken mom that nobody believed in, but who never gave up on her son Charlie. Her happy vindication felt like ours, too. 13. The Uncanny Valley - Perfect Reid. Attuned in total to everyone he was dealing with, UnSub, coroner, abuser, chess buddy... everyone got exactly what they deserved from the good doctor. Every character in this ep got to see a different side of Spencer, and we got to see it all. Aside from what others have said about this episode (like the excellent Samantha, slimeball Riker, and determined victim), what does it for me is how they take great pains to not only tell the story, but to show us perfect snapshots of Reid while doing so. Matthew excels here, showing us yet again what he can do, given great material. 14. L.D.S.K. - Great team dynamic and extra-special Hotch/Reid stuff. Reid manages to look vulnerable while still being in command of his brainpower and ultimately saving the day by taking the shot, proving that practice at the gun range did in fact make a difference. I loved the line "I got your intent as soon as you moved the hostages out of the line of fire." Reid's no dummy, never has been, and I like that in 9 they began moving him back into savvy mode. Hopefully that will continue, and hopefully we'll see more interaction with Hotch like this, as well. 15. North Mammon - A truly honest look at small-town standards and how deviations from the narrow 'norm' are feared and disallowed. A scary juxtaposition of the girls turning on each other as the parents all do too, and a look at the different levels of morality, and how some will go to any lengths to justify their actions. The UnSub is horrible, yes, but he was once one of them, a normal guy. The cello music as the surviving girls are released and the brief image of them walking barefoot and blanketed down the alleyway is immensely powerful and hits me in the gut every time. Good grief I could totally keep going but I have to make dinner for the kiddos now. Shit. ;)

Ruh-roh. http://deadline.com/2014/08/criminal-minds-thomas-gibson-sued-manger-commissions-822234/#respond

Awesome responses, all! Even if I don't particularly care for a given ep, I like the way you all are describing why you like them! My list later, stupid "life" interfering...

Exactly, and the sensational headline. She didn't exactly 'slam' Patinkin, did she? I was hoping for a really juicy tidbit when I saw that. Ugh, clickbait. Also, from what I heard I'm surprised to hear her defending the show at all. *raises eyebrows*

Too wordy for a title, but there - you just said it! :)