JMO

I'd gotten the impression that it was the fact that she didn't have to carry the show that attracted JLH. She may have long hours when she's working, but there's a lot of down time between takes. If she brings her infant to the set, as I suspect she does, she gets plenty of time to interact. And she doesn't have to work every day. For a new mother, that's a sweet schedule. If the show lasts long enough, she may feel differently about things when her child is older. But I'd be surprised if she was clamoring for scads of screen time right now.

Only made it to 9:25 last night, so I've just watched it through now. Like most, I thought it was a good episode-----balanced, with all of the team contributing, each to their strengths. We even got Reid directing Garcia how to search for something on the internet. There was a bit less Morgan than usual, but not too little. There will always be more or less of someone. I can deal with that (except when it's too little Reid!) Random thoughts: I liked Kate's personality. I agree with those who think she injects life into a team that was becoming a bit too jaded and dour. When you do any kind of work with human suffering for long enough, it's almost impossible not to develop a hardened exterior. But when someone new comes along, and reminds you of who you used to be......it's a good thing, and offers good dramatic potential for all of the characters. I loved that she was already teasing Reid in the elevator. I thought it was amusing that Kate pointed out the difference between her undercover work resulting in an arrest only once every few months while the team put someone away every week. Were we really supposed to think that the BAU actually solved a new case each week?! They are actually letting Reid grow up. He has long since acquired some social skills, and we saw him put them to work in the elevator. He's able to be assertive with the others when he needs to, he's even able to have an ache or pain without it being a federal case (excuse the pun). Regarding the ache/pain. If it's just a throwaway nod to last year, then so be it. But I hope it's just a little subtle something (subtlety can never be overrated) that we'll be seeing from time to time, and that maybe we'll see something come of it. As to the others' comparing injuries at the end-----if, as someone wrote, it was their way to make Kate feel better about having fallen to the unsub on her first case, I guess the fact of it was okay, if not the subject matter. Because, since each of the things JJ and Morgan thought to cite were intimately wrapped up in actual personal tragedy, it didn't make any sense to me that they would be flippant about it. We all have personal tragedies, and we all have friends and co-workers with the same. Have you ever gotten into a pissing contest about them? My guess is that JJ's comment was thrown in to remind us of (the awful) '200', so we'll remember, when the PTSD hits her later in the season. On the other hand, I would have loved, as suggested by someone else, to see a cut-away shot to Reid, listening in on that conversation, and once again stroking his obviously still-painful scar. But I think it would have made the scene even more inappropriate if he had actually participated in that conversation. Someone thought Kate softened JJ, and I think that may be correct. JJ does seem to take on a bit of the personality of whomever she's paired with. I'm hoping that, seeing that Kate has managed to have a soft side (but, please, spare us the baby hippo and kitten photos!) while still putting away the bad guys, maybe JJ won't be so afraid of showing hers again. I like that the writers figured out how to be inclusive when part of the team is on a takedown. Having the field team communicate back with Morgan and Reid brought everyone back into focus. Last year...last two years, at least.....the focus was solely on the team in the field. Since that so infrequently included Reid, he often disappeared from our screens late in the episode. Glad they finally figured out how to do it. That wasn't so hard, was it? The one-armed victim running around for so long was preposterous. But it wouldn't be CM if they didn't get the medicine wrong. Count me among those worried about the young girl in Kate's care. Hopefully we'll find out she wasn't actually left on her own for two days. Kate's hair, since it's gotten some attention. I like to think that she and Reid are making room in their go-bags by not carrying combs or brushes. Overall, a good, promising start to the season. I'm not quite sure where they're going with the season-long unsub, but it looks interesting so far.

Saw this from Willowy on another thread. I thought Shemar looked thin in the full cast picture this year, and think this profile view confirms it. Hoping he's just overworked. Anybody else think so or am I seeing things? Hoping for the latter.

A pot pourri of thoughts about the various things brought up of late: As to the photo----I agree it's crowded, and it's not the most attractive image of most of them. But at least they got the groupings right! ;) As to MGG's comments about Reid-----I may have said this on here before, so I'm sorry if it's redundant----but I think MGG is pretty shrewd in how he handles interviews. He rarely gives anything away, but he is very good at playing to his audience----and he is aware that a vocal part of that audience wants Reid to be happy, so he's going along with them. Whether that's what he actually believes is the way to go, or whether he would choose to exert influence in that direction, is a different issue. As I recall, he did have input on the Maeve storyline, and he did influence the outcome. I happen to be among those who think it was a good dramatic choice. It's not something the show could or should do more than once, but I actually think it worked at the time. And it actually got a bit more screen-time fallout than most issues do on CM---I wonder if he influenced that. Of course, it wasn't enough for my taste, and I agree with all the various scenarios that could have been written, but weren't. I would love to have seen something between Reid and Hotch, which might have served as a better vehicle for Hotch to address his residual grief about Hayley than 'Route 66' did. Two birds with one stone. Having said all that, it would be lovely to see Reid share some happy relationship time with someone. While I share others' doubts about the abilities of the current writing team to handle it, I'm glad they will visit JJ's PTSD. Part of the criticism last year was that she didn't appear to be fazed by her ordeals----neither the one in the past, nor the one from '200'. If they are attempting to appease that criticism this year, I think we need to let them---and hope to be pleasantly surprised. Kate sounds interesting, and the background issue surrounding her niece's coming into her care is a good twist---lots of potential there. Sounds like they are mining some of it for one episode already. Looking forward to Wednesday! (Or, really, Thursday---because, no matter how good it is, I can't stay awake past 9 o'clock!)

There's something about sitting down that makes it hard for someone to look like a tough crimefighter. Hoping the real photo is significantly different from this one. And I'd still like to introduce MGG to a comb. I woke up with exactly the same hairdo as he's wearing in this shot----but I fixed it.

I don't know----two and a half years between chapters? Would that be some kind of record? ;)

This was my first attempt at fanfiction, so it's (way more than) a bit melodramatic, but---Reid had the test done. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7927554/1/The-Test

This discussion began in the thread about Reid, has now moved the the thread about JJ, and I'm about to bring up Emily and Hotch, so I have no idea where this should actually be! Regarding the secrecy----it was really all out-of-character writing for each of the characters. If I put on my fanfiction writer's hat, I can come up with a backstory where Emily was still in the CIA, and still working on something top secret, in which case orders may have come from above that she should 'die' and as few people as possible know. Absent that, this wasn't exactly a matter of state security, so there would have been no orders from above. Hotch himself took the blame in 'Proof', indicating that the orders started and ended with him. So, technically, JJ might have been said to be following orders--but only from Hotch. Said orders, and the resulting trauma to his team, would have been out-of-character for Hotch. He trusts his team, and he would not have put them through it. The reason there is so much controversy about the various characters' behaviors related to the whole story line is because they don't hold together. They don't make any sense in the context of who we've known these characters to be, what we've known them to value, and how we've known them to act. Which turns me looking back directly at the writers. At this point, I think I'd prefer to live with the inconsistencies because I fear that, if they tried to write a backstory to reconcile things, we'd be presented with another '200'. Just my opinion!

I didn't mind the season-long unsub either. I just didn't like that they forgot about him for whole episodes. 'Carbon Copy' wasn't a great episode overall, but the tension about trying to hunt down the person who was hunting the team was good. It's just that it dissipated afterward, inexplicably, and for multiple episodes......and then there was that over-full finale. I didn't mind the Strauss pieces-----I thought they were worthwhile and worthy. But everything else was just too crammed in. I didn't even mind the time and special effects expended for the helicopter crash, except that we didn't really get to see anyone worrying about those in the copter for more than a second, and then all those who'd been knocked unconscious were suddenly running toward the 'Replicator house' as though nothing had happened. It's the same lack of continuity that plagues the seasons, only now plaguing a single episode, all because of some severe editing necessitated by the poor decision to cram it all into one hour. If they decide to go with a season-long unsub this year, I hope there is a slow build, at least one dedicated episode during the season, a determination to keep the tension actively present in the background of all of the rest of the cases, and then a denouement that is given its requisite two or three episodes. Oh---and, plenty of Reid, of course!

Missmycat said: Are you perhaps thinking along the line as to how in the hell did JJ, in the short time she was away from the BAU,find time to take some profiling classes,as well as have Reid come over to her house 10 straight weeks(2 and 1/2 month) in a row crying about Emily.And yet somehow she manages the time to go on a super secret mission. DANG!Maybe JJ is a super woman afterall. I'd be so grateful if anyone could explain the timeline around 'It Takes A Village' to me, even before the dreadful '200'? Where was Reid supposed to have been? When? When did he decline to remain with the team, and, if he did so, why was he back there with them? I've done my best to write it into fanfic (before '200'), but I still don't get it. If I have to take '200' into account, then I really don't get it.

I love the Hotch/Reid half of that episode for all of the reasons mentioned above. I think it reflected what can happen when you put together pretty complex writing with excellent acting. My own take on the interaction with Chester was that, prior to this incident, the killer had never given any thought to why he did what he did. He just followed his compulsion. There was no remorse. And then this kid from the FBI ends up telling him all these things about his childhood, and how they'd affected him. And, in that moment, I think Chester reached back to his uncorrupted child-self and began to mourn, both about what he'd become and about what he'd done. As for Reid---also the child of a schizophrenic mother, absent the balancing influence of a father---I don't think he actually believed Chester was destined to be a killer. Reid knew, better than most, that there is always an element of choice. Mostly, I love the episode for the Hotch/Reid scene in the SUV, after it's all over. That scene shows something of the relationship that is unique between them. Reid feeling comfortable enough to tease his superior (can't quite see him ever doing that with Gideon), Hotch feeling comfortable enough to volunteer his situation with Haley. There's a level of trust and respect that I wish they would revisit. It showed itself in Zugzwang, but there have been a number of other missed opportunities since.

Normasm, I've read and watched a lot of interviews with MGG. The only one where I thought he was remotely revealing of anything (and not simply promoting whatever the interview was about) was in the podcast on Nerdist. He's too smart, and too savvy about publicity, to do anything else. I think it's why you can feel like you might know him, and yet not know him at all, at the same time. He's very good at wearing invisible armor. So, since he was promoting a particular project at the time of the interview in question, I didn't really give much credence to any of his other responses. Having said that, I don't disagree with anyone that he might be getting tired of playing Reid. There have been instances over the past couple of years where I think he's been guilty of phoning it in, and I think that says more than whatever we might read in an interview. I can't help but hope he's given some material to rejuvenate him this year, even if it's the final one. Finally, a random observation: I noticed the comment about having only 5 weeks to do other projects as well. But I"d seen another interview where he mentioned an 8 week hiatus, and it made me curious. So I went back and counted from when we were told they'd wrapped (April 24). From there to the second week of July, when the cast returned----14 weeks.

Since Reid is the reason I watch CM, (not MGG, but the character, Reid), there can never be too much of him. But I also recognize that it's how he relates to others that makes him interesting to me. So I wouldn't be happy if it was 'all Reid, all the time' either. I like the mix of personalities and situations. And I actually still like all of the characters, even if some aspects of them have worn a bit thin. The writers did seriously neglect Reid for a good long while. They had so much ground to make up that I was pleased with the attention the character got last year. But, like everyone else (on this thread, anyway), I want more, more, more this coming year! I haven't gone back to re-read the interview Zaneej mentioned, but the way I recall it is that the interviewer introduced the idea of MGG's not having opportunity to show his range on CM, and he didn't disagree---which he usually doesn't in such situations, apparently out of politeness. So I'm not sure I'd read anything into that, nor give it any weight. MGG has certainly has shown his ability to inject Reid with personality and emotion even when it isn't explicitly written into the dialogue, just through the use of facial expression or intonation. Those small things are a big part of what made me fall in love with the character. Since he's proven himself capable of it, I hope MGG continues to give us those nuances, no matter what the writers give him to work with.

I find most of their promos to be pretty short and bland, oft times misleading and uninformative. This one was pretty typical. I'm not surprised at the featuring of JLH in it, as she is the 'what's new' for this season. As to Reid's hair---not as bad as the beginning of last season (and the whole of season 8), but not good, either. I was actually hoping that MGG had had it written into his new contract that they provide him with a comb.

Oh, how I wish you weren't right about JJ's treatment of Reid, Normasm. But you are. In some of the older episodes there is a hint of friendship and indulgence (not just tolerance), but it evaporated as JJ's personality inexplicably hardened. I just like to fantasize that whatever it was that led her to make him Henry's godfather might rise to the surface again one day. Willowy's right, it was strongly hinted at in Magnum Opus and Gatekeeper, and I would love to see it developed. For me, it would give some much needed depth to the interactions among the team. And it would give JJ some much needed character development.

Josh Stewart seems like a genuinely good guy, and I wish him only the best---off the CM screen. The only episode in which I bought his relationship with JJ was 'Jones'. He played the grieving son well, and I thought JJ felt bad for him at the same time that she was flattered at his open flirtation. After that------nothing. Neither he nor AJ seemed to be able to bring life to the relationship, and neither seemed to put in much effort in that regard. The dreadful 'Hit' and 'Run' did nothing to change my opinion on that. Like you, Willowy, I thought JJ made an impulsive decision in the aftermath of a serious threat. Rossi overheard it, took initiative to move it forward and----voila!--a wedding. She didn't even have a chance to think it through, from a position of calm, before it was happening. I'd like to think she would have changed her mind if events hadn't started to move ahead beyond her control. While I do like JJ and Reid together in a romantic relationship----in fanfiction----, I'm glad the show didn't go that way with them, because I think they would have ended up written into a corner. (Not that Reid doesn't seem to be in the corner anyway). The character of Reid is, in my opinion, one of the best conceived on television, and I would have hated for him to be relegated to the role of 'one of the married agents'. There might have been related storyline for them as a couple, but I doubt it would have incorporated much of what makes Reid 'Reid'. I do wish they'd focused more on their friendship. They've implied it, maybe even stated it----but I'd so much rather be shown it. I wouldn't mind if there was an occasional hint at some degree of romantic interest----it would be understandable, and cute. But deep friendship is, in many ways, more vital to quality of life, and offers more dramatic range than romance. I'm still crossing my fingers that we'll see some of it this year.

I'm not surprised they're handling it this way, especially since it sounds like the new agent will already be joining the team (or has already joined) for the first episode. They won't give Alex's leaving much weight, since it will already be significantly in their past. Which doesn't keep me from hoping that the remark happens in the context of a larger discussion about what happened to Reid, and how he's recovering, and how Alex was traumatized by the experience. I would love for the others to have to wonder what Reid is thinking about as he recalls Alex telling him how he reminded her of her son. Since his mother was 'cured' and went on vacation without telling him, it's probably comforting to know that he might have another maternal figure out there.

I don't have room in my life for anything or anyone who is too high-maintenance, so I've not been a fan of MP in general. But I agree with mstaken. His character was sort of a psycho-profiler, a loose cannon, and you never knew what he would do next. It added a completely different layer to the tension of the episodes, and the relationships and interactions among the characters. As much as Gideon's antics would sometimes make me cringe, they also gave energy to the dynamics of the team, and I miss that. Hotch was a softer character then, with a trace of humor. In my opinion, his personality changed more when Gideon left, and he was left in charge, than it did when Haley left him, or even when she died. Reid had an anchor on the team, as unreliable as it might be. That unreliability itself was fascinating. Elle's relationship with Gideon, and her devolution that just vaguely resembled his, was intriguing. I don't know that the relationship between Gideon and Morgan, Emily or JJ made as much of an impression on me. I, too, find Rossi's character more likeable and JM's portrayal appealing in a low-key sort of way. And I suspect his character is much more alike to an actual profiler than was Gideon's.

I'm with you on this, mstaken. Writing an addiction storyline (or a PTSD storyline) requires patience and subtlety, and a commitment to accomplishing it over a long arc of time and episodes. As demonstrated back in season 2, the show 'forgot' to incorporate it in the episode following Revelations, and had to completely rewrite the closing scene on the plane in Fear and Loathing, as well as insert a couple of moments of Reid staring at himself in a mirror. It was a poorly integrated hodgepodge. And that was when the writing was strong! I don't think subtlety is either valued by, or part of the skill set of, the current writing team. If they can bring someone in who can do it well---maybe. But, otherwise, i think they should avoid it altogether. I'd rather see depth come to Reid's character through continued maturation, and maybe the demonstration of some true team leadership skills. Oddly, I think it's been pretty well demonstrated that Hotch has respect for Reid, but not so much the others. That's what I'd like to see change this year.

Great topic. Hotch / Reid For me, both Hotch and Reid have interesting dynamics with each of the other characters, if for different reasons. But I completely agree with you that the relationship between the two of them has had one of the richest (and most unrealized) potentials of the series. The tempering and then transition of Reid's mentoring (and loyalty) from Gideon to Hotch, the more recent similarities in losing the women they loved---all provided wonderful opportunity, only some of which was explored. I would love to see a return to nurturing this dynamic. Reid / Anybody else. MGG manages chemistry with anyone, and the character's lack of artifice makes for an endearing sincerity with each of the other characters. Hotch / Emily. She seemed to 'get' him in a way that no one else did. And, while she was almost always respectful, she was also able to challenge him in a way that seemed to leave him dumbfounded more often than not. I can't help but think that, had they met in another circumstance, they might have ended up in a relationship.

I'm so sorry for what you're dealing with, Willowy. I accompanied my own mother through cancer (as much as one can---it is a fairly solitary journey, I'm afraid), and now seem to constantly walk beside one friend or another doing the same. No matter the outcome, it makes for a very precious time of life, and makes all of the rest of life more precious as well. There's an immediacy, and an openness, that you will want to hold on to, even when your life returns to its own version of normal. I don't know whether or not you are a believer in prayer, or even in God---but I am. So I have already prayed for you and your family. If you come to a sense of peace---don't fight it! It's a gift. I completely agree with your sentiment. It's actually one of the reasons I'm pretty quiet on the site. I don't like carping, or unnecessary negativity (or even seemingly necessary negativity). Constructive criticism is just that----constructive. Criticism is, according, to the dictionary: "the analysis and judgment of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work", not name-calling or haranguing. No matter that it's a web site and not a conversation in person. In life, there are not separate codes of conduct for where and how exchanges take place. They all reflect on us. It's all reflective of one's respect for the fact that we're all frail human beings, all on this journey together, and alone.

'Day' picture is more my speed. 'Night' picture just makes me want to hand the boy a comb.

I thought it was interesting that, when they showed Reid undergoing surgery, it was in a completely different part of his body (just above the clavicle) from where his bandages ended up. So, not only did they do surgery without intubating him, they bandaged the wrong part of his body afterwards. Reid should sue. Amen, amen, amen. She's a member of his team and, if she's stressed, he would notice. In some ways, Morgan is too close to her to give adequate counsel. I totally agree that it is well past time they allowed Garcia to start acting like an adult. When she tried to step in after JJ was transferred, she showed us that she's capable of looking and acting mature, so obviously her persistent appearance and behavior are a conscious choice. It might be an interesting running back story to find out why she hides behind her appearances (unless they showed it in the 'Black Queen' episode, which I have yet to watch). As long as it was a back story, and not the theme of the episode, I would welcome it. As to her confiding in Reid---that would be fine, and it would make sense. And yet, for me, it always feels like they are marginalizing both characters when they put them together. Probably because those scenes seem to be designed to go for humor, at the expense of the dignity of the character---the Dr. Who thing, the fitness test. It didn't feel like that back when Garcia reached out to Reid during his distress over Nathan. That was a mature, solicitous interaction that made sense and deepened both characters as well as the relationship between them. Now, whenever I see them having a scene together, I get ready to cringe. Maybe the actors find it fun to bring some humor to the show, but I think it can be much more cleverly done, and not at the expense of the characters

I don't disagree with you, Normasm. I was thinking more along the lines of how Willowy described it. It might be interesting if Kate had trust issues because of her undercover history, and kept everything very superficial with the others. Reid would call her out on it, because he doesn't 'do' artifice. Even if the show didn't pursue it, Reid was the only member of the team to notice that there was anything going on with JJ before the dreadful '200'. So it's not like he wouldn't notice something going on with a new brunette profiler with an undercover history and trust issues-----oh, that's right----unless her name was Emily Prentiss. :)

Willowy wrote: I could definitely buy into that. And, if Reid were the one not fooled (although I don't think anyone can fool Hotch), it would make for an interesting interplay between him and the others, on the one hand, and he and Kate on the other. Great thought---now just see if you can instill it into the right mind!