JMO

If they dispense with Scratch (and I hope they do), logic would dictate that there should be a mention of Hotch, and what it means for him. I hope we will learn that Aaron is remarried, and his wife is due any day with their daughter. It can be done via phone call, or just a conversation at the round table. And Hotch can live happily ever after.

Happy Birthday, HotchGirl!

CM has committed a great many medical sins. It used to really take me out of the story. Now I just pretend those episodes are science fiction.

I watched Surface Tension on Netflix the other night. MGG and JL were sooo good in that episode. As much as I appreciated the Reid prison arc, I think I actually prefer this episode. Reid was made somewhat un-Reid-like by the circumstance of being in prison, and appropriately so. But Surface Tension gave us traditional Reid, at his intellectual and angsty best. Loved it.

That would definitely have been my preference, too. But MGG does it a lot, which is why I think it was his choice.

Wouldn't bother me at all, because it would inherently be about Reid, too.

I agree, MMC. But I've gathered, from various interviews over time, that directors like to give the actors leeway in their interpretations, because that is their art form, and it is what they have to bring to the table. But I agree that, if the actor's interpretation throws the whole story out of whack, it will be 'directed' elsewhere. In the case of this particular episode, it would be my guess that the director was more focused on the overall JJ storyline, and less on Reid's role in it. Given the pace at which the show is put together, it's likely a lot of less desirable things slip by, in every episode. Maybe in the context of a feature film, it could be different. Waiting for "Criminal Minds: The Movie".

By that line of reasoning, why hold any of the actors responsible for any of the choices they make?

I see JJ as the intensely private person she's said she is (In Heat), who doesn't let people get close to her very easily. I believe that is because of the suicide of her sister (Risky Business, and others) happening in her apparently gossip-prone small town (North Mammon). What others see as haughtiness, or coldness, I see as a very understandable reserve, and a classic defense mechanism. I think AJ plays this well. I take the show at its word re: her friendship with Reid. I think she initially found him to be a) not intimidating b) the closest to her age and c) in need of a friend. I hold the writers responsible for the fact that we didn't see the maturing and respect built into that relationship until the little glimmer we finally got this year. I do think JJ has a natural tendency toward nurturing, which we have seen in countless interactions with frightened and grieving victims and families, right into this past season. I think AJ plays all of this well, too. While I can see her getting frustrated with her best friend at times, and can thus overlook some of the reactions that incensed others, I do think the character suffered at the hands of the writers for several seasons. (The awful) 200 was bad, not because of JJ or AJ, but because the entire premise of the story was stupid. It would have been equally stupid if it had been written about any of the other characters as well. I'm about to get into 'unpopular opinion' territory here. I thought 'The Forever People' was okay. In contrast to probably everyone else, I hold MGG responsible for the painfulness of that scene between Reid and JJ. It was MGG who put the 'hurt puppy dog' look on Reid's face. He could have played it as strongly sympathetic and shocked, but he played it as helpless. That wasn't JJ giving it to Reid. That was Reid not standing strong for JJ. I think AJ is more than capable of bringing it, when she's given material to work with, and I enjoy her on screen.

No.

I think we've already seen Reid reject the darkness, in Red Light. He's not going to be embracing it any time soon. He was appalled at his own behavior, even if it happened in the preservation of his life. I think he'll struggle with emotional swings, and he'll wonder if he can trust his judgment. He'll want evidence that his intelligence is still intact, and useful. He'll wonder about his relationships, those he already has, and those yet to come. I think all of this will happen because he is, at his core, an honorable man, and he chooses to remain so. That's what mature people do, and I sincerely hope we continue to see mature Reid in the coming season. I hope we see an early insecurity, followed by a slow resolution of his internal conflict, leading him to a well-earned confidence and assertiveness (sans arrogance). Reid's response to his experience shouldn't be either/or and it shouldn't be overly dramatic. It should be nuanced, and slow, and integrated---three things MGG has shown himself to be expert at portraying.

The article cited is just that, an article, with a personal point of view. Viewing statistics are another thing entirely. Of course, if the article is actually based on viewing statistics, then the only thing that has happened with CM between February and June 2017 has been the denouement of season 12. Might the Reid arc have actually increased viewership on Netflix? I know it to be true of an 'n' of 2, but those two young ladies, while significant to me, are not statistically significant (as Reid would say).

Ugh. For both your daughter's sake and that of her cyber bully, I hope you have some success with the parents, Willowy. If not, it might be worth trying through the school. Most states have laws, although most schools have trouble knowing how to enforce them And, for the record, she's beautiful.

It used to be that I, too, could say 'I'm a fan of the show'. But it doesn't keep my attention any longer, and some of the characters (looking at you, PG) have begun to grate, rather than intrigue or charm. Maybe I tire too easily, or maybe the characters and writing haven't kept up. Don't know. I just know that I'm a character-driven viewer now. The point was driven home to me during the prison arc. Reid was in each episode, but his scenes were separate from those of the team. I watched each episode through, but can only remember the Reid scenes. If the rest had engaged me, I'd remember the whole thing, as I do with the episodes of early seasons. That's not something deliberate or purposeful. It's a behavioral response to a stimulus. For me, the stimulus has degraded over time.

Final installment of this post-ep to Red Light. Tried to stay relatively in canon, constricted by the cliffhanger. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12494822/4/Identity

The less MGG, the more it's like 'death by a thousand cuts'. No thanks.

Chapter 3 of Red Light post-ep, Identity, Morgan's POV. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12494822/3/Identity

I think you might have confused him with someone else. Aaron Hotchner is a character in a TV show. His only interaction with television writers is that he depends on them to bring him to life.

I haven't read anything that makes it seem likely Hotch will return, but I do think the writers have had plenty of time to come up with a proper tribute for the character.

I would be even more succinct, and bring it down to two words: Spencer Reid. If MGG was bringing anyone other than Spencer Reid to life, I don't know that I would be watching. For me, Spencer is, and has been, the most intriguing and engaging character on television in forever.

They are asking for that feedback in a form where no one else can see it. Hmm....

Thanks, Riff---off to a good start!

Wonder if they're telling their advertisers about their plans to diss what is arguably more than half their viewing demographic.

I like this idea. I don't know if I can see the FBI getting on board with Reid being in charge until after they've had a chance to chastise him for crossing the border without notifying them, but I can see him having to step up right away, officially or unofficially, to help save the day. It would go a long way toward bringing him back. Considering how much JJ has stood beside him through his ordeal, I wouldn't mind seeing him have to do the same for her. (After pushing Will out of the way, of course.) However, at the moment, Reid is about to have breakfast with Morgan and his mother, somewhere. If one of our old team members is injured, I hope they'll remember to mention Morgan's concern about them, and the fact that he wished he'd been able to stay and help.

As I think about the beginning of season 13, I wonder if the writing team has shot itself in the foot with that cliffhanger. EM has said they want Reid back with the team, and that she thinks his issues will be addressed in the first episode. With Morgan, and with Hotch before him, there was an off-screen period of presumed healing after their respective traumas. But, having ended season 12 with the other 157 team members' lives in jeopardy, they can't very well start season 13 six months later. So, unless they want to continue Reid in his own storyline apart from the team, I think they're going to have to bring him back right away, which will be too soon. I hope they realize that, and write to it.