JMO

The Washington Post ran a short article on the reboot. One of the comments called it, "Criminal Minds: Nursing Home". Have only partially watched (due to the HLN West Wing marathon), will have to actually pay attention to it later this week. First impression is that it is verrryyyyyy dark, which may make it a no-go for me.

Echoing Daniel on some of the preposterousness of the premise. I will be interested to see how they make the case that a serial killer couldn't still operate during a pandemic, nor how they managed to find each other to create a network. Maybe we need Reid to come back and notice that the likely point of nexus was actually the BAU, and its unsolved case files.

Sorry to hear about your job, Bookie, but I'm in awe of your attitude! Here's hoping it's just a short pause (because it sounds like your boss loves you!) or maybe an opportunity in disguise, leading to something new and exciting.

Anna, Robert, Felicia, Scott, Lucy and now Holly are all currently back on the canvas, and there have even been a couple of recent Bobbie sightings. With Anna now in trouble, wouldn't it be good to add to the 80s revisit by bringing back the attorney who got her off the last time? Well, technically, Robert solved the crime, but Jake gave him the time. #BringBackJake

Congrats on the new nephew, Idiotwaltz!

So, I came back to 80s GH because there was a post on a GH message board that asked which pairings we'd always wanted to happen---and I remembered there was someone I'd always wanted to see interact more with Anna, albeit probably not in a romance. Couldn't remember anything about the character but the shape of his face, but IMDB helped with that. It was Jake Meyer, who played a lawyer and was married to Bobbie (her most realistic pairing, in my opinion). Jake was a great character--fun, compassionate, a heroic defender of the underdog, possessor of great integrity (minus a completely inexplicable event with Lucy Coe), co-owner (and originator of the idea) of the Brownstone. He worked both with and against Robert, Anna, and Frisco and there was much mutual affection among them, and with Felicia, Tony and Tania. He also helped Bobbie deliver BJ. The actor, Sam Behrens is still with us, still acting and still looks like Jake. I would love to see him back to work with Finola Hughes as Anna. If it's only as friends, fine. If something were to develop?---well, maybe it's time she actually had a good guy again. #BringBackJake

Have just rewatched some of the iconic scenes from the 90s----BJ's death, Robin telling Mac about her diagnosis, Stone's death. Those scenes are nearly 30 years old, and still people know exactly what you mean when you reference them. Do you think, thirty years hence, there will be people remembering "that time when Sonny took out his rival" or "when Jason (or Franco or Drew or whoever) realized he had someone else's memories" or "when Carly sabotaged ______ (insert name)"? Back in the 80s and 90s, GH was more cutting edge than most highly touted adult programs are now---and more effective, because the stories evolved over time, with characters we felt we knew, and cared about. They were brave enough to allow a character to die and remain dead, thus bringing true emotional impact. I have been only loosely attached to GH (heavy on the FF button) for a long time now, because there is nothing to hold me. Can't even imagine how a new viewer would even become engaged. The attempts to remain societally current are usually heavy-handed, and presented as exposition (eg, 'we're having a fundraiser to support thus and such') instead of actually exploring the issues in question by having the characters directly affected by them. Instead, we get scene after scene of privileged characters interacting around a rooftop pool in a high end hotel. Sheesh.

You'll have to keep us informed, Annber. You always did provide excellently detailed reviews.

Disappointed at no MGG. Would have been fun to have something to look forward to, and to enjoy speculating. Reid-less episodes of the original series told me what to expect. On the plus side, it leaves money in my pocket.

Just recently rediscovered 80s GH and am greatly enjoying the characters, the storylines and the settings. Some of the long term characters (eg Laura, Scott, Bobbie, Anna, Robert) hadn’t been through quite as many crazy things back then so they were more believable. Settings were also believable (human activity, ringing phones and overhead pages at GH—-it’s so sterile and dead inside now that it looks like it’s about to close—-are extras really that prohibitively expensive?). People interacted via natural employment situations and living arrangements (the Brownstone idea was genius). And, most importantly, there was deep character development that allowed even minor plot devices to be inserted into the storyline, with each character reacting naturally to the situation, rather than completely plot-driven stories. That’s what kept it interesting even when it was about the process of becoming a nurse, or a doctor, or a cop. Or a spy. (Although the spy adventures marked the beginning of an end for me. I found both Anna and Robert far more interesting in their police roles.). The characters came from different social and economic backgrounds, seemed to like each other, and were able to have clashes and disagreements that could be reconciled, without requiring malice or revenge. Many managed to be honorable without being boring, sometimes with a fatal flaw, but both of those aspects served to make them relatable. And it’s kind of interesting to be reminded of when we were all so much less available to one another, when a landline could be ‘busy’, when you had to search out a pay phone in an emergency. And when certain things could only be researched on ‘Robert’s computer’, hidden in his secret computer room. How far we have come.

Congratulations on the new nephew coming, Idiotwaltz, and thanks for the laugh on the serial killer name list! I'm sure he will bring new honor to whichever name they choose. I feel for your SIL in making her decision about getting boosted, especially if her physician is discouraging her. If it helps to know, there have been multiple large studies now that show that there is no increased risk of miscarriage over baseline with the Covid vaccine. At least one study even showed the risk to be lower with the vaccine. At least she's had the first two doses. Though, if omicron is skyrocketing in that area, a booster will give her the best chance of avoiding it. It will also provide antibodies to the babe afterward.

What did you think of it? I liked it more than I expected to.

i would agree with you 100% if the JJ/Reid thing hadn't happened. Even though it's never bothered me to have Reid play the role of the tragic hero (and thereby I would be okay with his status remaining unresolved at the end), I think they're going to have to do something about the place this revelation has left him. Since I don't see them throwing away JJ's marriage, I think they'll have to either find someone for Reid or imply that he's headed in that direction. Before the last episode, I'd thought it was a toss up, whether we would ever know him to find love. Serial killers, yes. But love?

The elevation of JJ is pretty old news by now. I'm referencing the diatribes out in social media about her declaration of love to Reid. I think it's hard to be angry about it unless you believe she was truly using it as a manipulation, and not simply telling him, before they both died, that he'd been loved. I think we underestimate Reid when we think that JJ's revelation will consign him to a life of misery. What's to say it wouldn't inspire him to truly see himself as worthy of the love of a good woman, and become open to meeting someone new? Not powerless, but empowered.

Begging forgiveness for quoting out of context. I've been wondering where all the vitriol toward JJ has come from, and I think you've touched on it here. Some watched the scene and saw JJ using a shocking revelation to distract the unsub so she, Reid and the hostages could escape. I can see where that could be viewed as callous, gratuitous, unnecessary, hurtful to Reid and potentially disastrous to her marriage. Others, like me, saw JJ as someone wanting to tell someone she loved that she loved him, in the moments before they both died, when there was no risk of hurting anyone. We're back to the observer, and the observed. Just re: EM. While I don't agree with all of the choices she's made along the way, I have no reason to doubt her word when she says she ran this by both MGG and AJC. It was pretty radical, and I think, had she not run it by them beforehand, they would most certainly have expressed their opinions at the time of shooting the episode. I think we can safely believe that they agreed to go for it, without assuming the degree of buy-in by each of them.

I didn't see any pushing of a JJ/Reid romance in the episode, nor do I expect to see it next year. I saw a dying declaration of love, made to the object of it. Had Reid not had the audacity to save both of their lives, that would have been the end of it. But he did (because he does his best shooting from the floor), and here we are. Or, rather, here they are. I didn't see it coming and, believe it or not, I wasn't all that thrilled with the development. But I am intrigued. I think the tension of knowing it will inform their interactions next year. That has renewed my waning interest in the show, and the characters, What's really fascinating is the amount of discussion the episode has created, and how revealing our responses are about our own personal attitudes toward love, romance, commitment and responsibility.

Oh, my. Leading up to the episode, I found myself cringing because, no matter which way they went with whatever was happening between JJ and Reid, I didn’t trust them to leave Reid in a good place. More on that later. Not to forget the rest of the episode: Good news, everyone! All current and cold serial killer cases have been solved! So the team gets to play poker on government time. Or maybe that was their furlough. Also good news, the police played a visible (if unfortunate) role in the case, and the team followed SWAT in the door, harkening back to days of old. The wedding: why did they need that huge room if there were only going to be under 20 people there? I was surprised it wasn’t held at Rossi Manor. We didn’t get to hear vows. Alvez has rhythm, but the dancing was not pleasant to watch. And, really, Emily, you thought it was appropriate to mention the groom’s prior marriages during his wedding toast? Wow. Lastly, Johnny Mathis? I love his music, but it turns out the JJ/Reid thing wasn’t the only sudden, unexplained occurrence. I was kind of hoping the pregnancy announcement would get Simmons to realize he needs a safer job, but I think I’ve seen him in BTS pics for season 15 episodes. Will was the most articulate I’ve ever heard him. And then, JJ/Reid. So, as anyone who has read my fanfiction probably knows, they have a habit of coming together in my stories. But that happens after a fair amount of back story that tries to bridge the gap from what we see on screen, to the relationship they have in the story. (There are even two long, related stories spawned solely from a desire to explain JJ’s prior eyerolling!) So, while I don’t think it’s impossible to see them together, I also don’t think there’s been enough lead up to it. I do think there’s always been that ‘best friends plus’ to their relationship, and I think that’s been well-portrayed. I’ve seen a lot of negative opinion on it, here and elsewhere, complaining about the show going the direction of JJ/Reid. But, since we didn’t hear Reid return the sentiment, does that mean that the people complaining already believe he’s in love with JJ? Takes two to tango, and we were only given one, on screen. I kind of doubt they will ultimately go in this direction, but then, I also didn’t expect them to take it this far. Just an aside on the strength of the JJ/Will marriage. I’ve never seen the spark, and it’s always sounded like JJ hasn’t, either. He proposed four times, and she turned him down. She initiated the ‘final’ proposal in a period of emotional release after Will and Henry had been in danger, then was surprised by a wedding Rossi had arranged in his backyard. Not exactly true love level, but I can buy that, like many other couples, they’ve managed to make it work. I actually think they left it up in the air pretty well. JJ was definitely lying, but which time? Is Reid left to wonder, since he’d obviously missed her ‘tell’ in the poker game? (Or did he see it, and let her win?) AJ played the final scene well enough that I couldn’t be 100% positive which it was. I did love that Reid, seeing her discomfort, and not wanting to lose her friendship, tried to make it all right. We’ll see how successful he was next season. I think the show is crazy like a fox, for doing this. There have already been more episode-related posts here and elsewhere than I can remember seeing in a long time. Lots of people talking, probably lots of fanfiction to come (there’s already a very irate one out there). Since there’s an unknown period of time before season 15 begins, this might end up serving as a way to keep conversation going for much of the interim. The one major positive development I see is that I think it will be very, very hard for them to regress Reid to the immature, awkward version that seems to show up every few episodes. However he goes out, I think it will be as an adult.

We are far afield from the topic of this thread, unless the couple of suggestions about how the show might use the idea to create a new unsub count to bring us back on track. Suffice it to say that, as with other things (I think the last example was empathy) and now that I know what the initials stand for, I think that what makes for an SJW is, again, a function of both the observer and the observed. Are there people labeled SJW because they turn everything into a crusade, without cause? Or is it that those who complain are simply blind to the cause? Or are there those who would like to dismiss the cause, and the people pursuing it, because they are made so uncomfortable about the idea of a change to the status quo? My guess is that the answer to all three questions is "yes". Think I'm glad not to have a clue about tumblr. As to what I'd like to see----just quality, suspenseful episodes focusing on the remaining early team members (Reid, JJ, Emily, Rossi and early, snarky Garcia). I don't need to see anyone return, and I don't need to see the newbies. Plenty of mature, more socially adept Reid. No platitudes, just authentic interaction and dialogue. I think the idea of an arc is a good one, because the case-of-the-week material has been pretty shaky, at best. Re: Reid, without whom I don't watch----I don't need a romance, or a new job, or even a happy ending (because he's only in his thirties). But I do need to see him treated with respect, across the board. Not tolerance, or bemusement, unless it is heavily tinged with affection. I'd love to see more deeply into his friendships with Emily, JJ and Rossi. Still wouldn't mind him sharing some scenes with kids, preferably his godsons. If they do go for a significant fast forward, and we encounter Reid in a relationship, then I'd like to see him with his own child (who I think must be a daughter). And I want to know what happens with Diana.

Hotchgirl will have to answer that. I haven’t picked up on any fighting. I have seen people point out the unlikelihood of it happening, given the apparent legal circumstances. For it to change, it would have to be a pretty rapid turnaround, given that they have already started working on the episodes. My guess is that everything is already written, so no point in arguing about it now.

We’re all showing our various ages here. Those of us around for the sixties know that SJWs changed the world. I think we’re going to see it again. Must be frustrating to those who use it as a pejorative to hear that many accept it a compliment. Back on topic, I think CM could have an unsub who feels incited to violence by a ‘higher power’ who disapproves of a particular social justice issue. The idea sounds familiar, but now I’m not sure if it’s already been a CM plot, or if I’m confusing it with reality.

Thanks for that explanation, Annber. I was wondering the same thing. I’ve never heard that term before, but I like it. It’s a would-be aspersion that I would proudly accept, and proclaim.

I agree with you on their behavior in the episode, jls. They were both written as petulant, which seemed out of character for each. I would have welcomed a serious conversation, and one that involved Hotch as well.

I see it so much differently from you, SSAP. JJ didn't lie to Reid one time. In order to keep the information from him, JJ had to lie to Reid every single day, for seven months. While I can't quite see him crying on her shoulder weekly, I can accept that he sought out the comfort of his best friend, to help assuage what he thought was their mutual grief. To find out that she'd not been grieving Emily at all (but had, one can hope, been grieving the anticipated loss of her best friendship), yet had allowed him to suffer it, was the true betrayal, not the keeping secret of a single ( albeit monumental) fact. The second slap in the face, and it looked to me as though Morgan felt it too, was the implication that those team members couldn't be trusted to keep the knowledge of Emily's status a secret. Where's the proof that says it was necessary to keep it from the team, in order to assure Emily's safety? It seems to me that JJ lost Reid's trust because she'd first demonstrated her lack of trust in him. Even if it came as an order from above, it infiltrated their relationship, and only JJ had knowledge, and thereby control, of that. Of all of them, I think Emily is the only innocent. She was severely injured at the time the plan was hatched, and had no part in making it. For all we know, she might have been in the dark about whether her other teammates were aware of her status, until the very end. It was nice that she reached out to Reid, but I think she was the least responsible for doing so. And then there was that infernal pasta party....

I agree with Kathyk24, that JJ has shown, and continues to show, empathy for victims and families. In the early years of the series, she usually functioned as the case's empathetic touchpoint, to the point of running interference for families. Once she became a profiler, her role in the case process changed, often requiring her to maintain more distance between herself and the families as she participated in the investigation of the case. But that hasn't precluded her continuing to bond with them when she's had the opportunity. We've even seen her empathetic towards the unsub at times, which doesn't seem to come as naturally to her as it does to Reid. I won't disagree that the character has suffered inconsistencies at the hands of the writing team. She has. They all have. But being able to see a trait such as empathy in a character is a function of both the observed and the observer. It depends on what we each bring to the encounter.

We don't know for certain if the show will return for a fifteenth season or not. But it is in elite enough company to have gone fourteen seasons, and over 300 episodes. Those who made it happen have the right to be proud of their work. As Annber said, it will end eventually, regardless. But it will end because of old age, not failure.