Danielg342

I understand it's all a matter of opinion, but the only detective I liked was the one whom Sherlock called a "bell end". That particular one in "On The Line" came off to me as arrogant and childish, reacting as if he was personally offended when he was asked if Sherlock and Watson could take another look. I mean, that kind of stuff should happen all the time for the police, especially when in this case a new lead develops. I wouldn't look at it as a reflection of his skills- he did what he could with what he had, and something else came up...outside of his control. He should not have been offended (or, at the very least, not acted like a child). I agree that Sherlock didn't handle that exchange very well and Gregson or Watson should have told him "we've got a new lead, this isn't a reflection on you", but it doesn't change his reaction. Outside of him, the only other detectives we met was the one early in 2014 whom both Watson and Sherlock admonished for being stupid- in private- to Gregson, with the revelation that since Bell go transferred that there was no detective Watson or Sherlock enjoyed working for (which I think doubles as lazy writing since it came up when Lestrade came back since Watson used it as proof that Lestrade really was intelligent). Other than him, the only other detectives we met were the ones who thought drawing a comic of Watson and Sherlock peeing on a grave was a totally professional thing to do. I'm sitting here looking for sympathy and I can't find any...if I was Sherlock, I'd hold those guys in contempt too. As far as James Dillon (the man who shot Bell) is concerned, yes Sherlock's revelation cost him his job, but a few points: -It was total happenstance that when Dillon met Sherlock that Bell was there with him -Bell didn't have to jump in front of the shot, he could have pulled Sherlock away -Dillon, and only Dillon, made the decision to confront Sherlock with a loaded firearm -Dillon was only mad at Sherlock- he had no issues with Bell Marcus Bell's only mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it's not on Sherlock that James Dillon decided to confront him with intent to murder. I might concede that Sherlock's actions justifiably made Dillon angry and Sherlock should have known that...but when it comes to Bell, I fail to see how Sherlock's actions impacted him. The exchange between Sherlock and Dillon could have occurred at the brownstone or where Sherlock loves to get his morning coffee...the setting was immaterial, meaning Bell (from a narrative perspective) did not have to be there when the exchange happened. What happened to him was unfortunate, the kind of stuff that occurs in the line of duty, nothing more.

Numbers are pretty terrible, actually- that 7.37 is awful. I'm glad we're going into the third season, since, in U.S. television anyway, "a third season guarantees a fourth" (since four seasons give you enough episodes for syndication), so Elementary has time to recover from it. Now, I think there's a lot of factors at play with the poor number that serve to mitigate it's impact- our lead-in this year was poor (the fading Two and a Half Men vs. Person of Interest), plus the fact that it's a "quirky" show tends to relegate it to "niche" status as opposed to "broad appeal" status- but I do think a lot of decisions this year impacted the ratings. To wit: -Last year, we had a multitude of compelling storylines, from Irene Adler/Moriarty to Sherlock recovering from rehab to Watson learning how to be a detective, among others, with the subtext that there was always "more" on the horizon. This year? Apart from the Mycroft storyline and the "detective revolt" storyline, we didn't get much in terms of continual stories, really and I think that affected how likely someone was going to tune back in. This is a character-based show that lives and dies on its continual stories- it's not a "straight-up" procedural, so if you want to win a new audience every episode has to have some kind of sense that something deeper is at play, something the viewer will only learn about the more they tune in. -As for the storylines we did get, I believe both were botched: --For the detective revolt storyline, we didn't meet a single sympathetic detective, plus the show made up some convoluted series of events that tried- while failing- to paint Sherlock as the "reason" for Bell's life being put in danger. It was hard, as the show intended, for me to think in those circumstances that Sherlock "had to learn from his mistakes" and "become a better person" as a result, since in my mind, all I saw was Sherlock dealing with people who were immature and too quick to judge, which is hard for me to side with. What should have happened was we should have seen a more confident Sherlock accede to his arrogance and thus more actively antagonize the force, with detectives who provide actual, helpful clues on a case that Sherlock is too quick to dismiss. Then, perhaps, Sherlock's propensity to dismiss those other detectives could have led him to break into a house that leads to a shootout, harming or even killing a detective. Then the idea could have been planted in Sherlock's head that if he wants to succeed in life, he has to be more accepting of other people's ideas. --When it comes to Mycroft, I get that Rhys Ifans wouldn't likely be available for most of the year and that likely impacted the writing, but I still think it's a poor excuse. For a character so pivotal to a storyline, the show should have at least worked harder to make sure that Ifans could be available for the amount of episodes needed to tell his story. Not only that, but I don't think we needed Ifans in every episode in order to tell the story- some of the cases Sherlock and Watson could have worked on could have "built up" the mythology surrounded by Mycroft, plus Sherlock could have received E-Mails and texts from Mycroft or his father, removing the need for Ifans to actually be present. I think this could have easily been half a season's worth of a storyline, yet we only got a handful of shows with a smattering in the beginning with too much "infodumping" later. Furthermore, couldn't MI6 have helped Sherlock at some point during the season? I think there was a lot of wasted opportunity here. -Not enough "comedy" between Sherlock and Watson. I'm not saying we had to turn this into The Big Bang Theory or something, but I feel like this year they tried to make Sherlock and Watson more "dramatic" and dialed down their bantering, which is what drew me to the couple in the first place. -As a corollary to much of this, I don't think we got a lot of character development from Sherlock, which I think is a massive failure. This should have been the year where we witness what Sherlock would have been like after "kicking the habit"- I suspect a more confident but abrasive and arrogant personality, which would have provided a lot of fodder to snark with detectives, witnesses, Gregson, Bell, Watson, etc. Yet I don't think I saw much change from S1 Sherlock to S2 Sherlock, which is a shame, and I think it'll be even worse if Sherlock goes back to the drugs. -Too many "strange" crimes. I personally dug the creativity of the team with the cases this year, but even I would have to admit that sometimes they let their imagination run too wild. I think back to "The Man With The Twisted Lip" with all of the drones and the massive government conspiracy to cover up its murder and I can't help but think that surely someone who's new to the show might dismiss it out of hand believing the premise to be too "far-fetched". I'm not saying that we need to have more "straight up" crimes, but I do think we need to make sure that the cases are bit more optically grounded in reality. Fortunately I think S3 has the potential to get Elementary out of its rut, since Sherlock working for MI6 opens a lot of new doors. However, what I think needs to happen is that the show gets back to being more serial than procedural with more realistic (yet still creative) cases, develops Sherlock and finds a way to "liven" up the proceedings, with more strategically-placed comedy and less brooding. I trust the writers and I trust that they know what they're doing, but it doesn't change the fact that the payoff needs to be great next year, or else its long term future could be compromised and I'd hate for that to happen.

I thought the case, as it developed, seemed to go beyond realism, but I suppose that could be excused considering this was a case involving British intelligence. I thought Sherlock was needlessly cryptic with Gregson and Bell, people he should be able to trust by now. I'm also quite disappointed at the prospect that Mycroft might be gone for a while, but I hope I'm wrong. I will say that I am glad that Sherlock didn't touch the heroin he stole- I still think it's too early in the series to explore a relapse- and I'm glad to see that Sherlock is taking his new found independence in stride, even if it does scare him. I do wonder what the job with MI6 will be and how it'll change the series- does this mean Gregson and Bell will get nixed?- but I like the potential for growth for Sherlock, as well as the potential for growth for the newly independent Watson. Oh, and Mycroft hugging Sherlock made my heart melt. Just goes to show that nothing beats blood. :) The big thing about the finale is that we came here because Elementary is great at developing its characters. You see too many shows have t o resort to cliches just to get a "cliffhanger" (Criminal Minds comes to mind, since every cliffhanger involves putting a main character in physical peril), yet, because Watson and Sherlock are well developed, we can have a storyline where both seem to go their separate ways (Sherlock to MI6, Watson to her new apartment) because both have been properly setup...and it'll be a treat to watch.

1) Exactly...it becomes more realistic, especially considering some cases just won't give you everything right away. If you think about it, this could make a great season-ender one day (like what happened with "No Way Out", only without the "BAU agent as a target" subtext). I suppose the one thing that could scuttle an idea like this would be that people would watch the episode and be disappointed- but, I think at this stage of the show's run we've seen the team succeed more often than not that I think an occasional disappointment is acceptable. Also, a corollary to this is that I had an idea during The Replicator storyline that we could have a season long storyline that shows the "process" of the crime, right from the stressor to the actual murders themselves to the initial police investigation and then to the eventual BAU investigation and arrest. One thing I'd really like to see is the "why" part of a crime to be shown and developed, not glossed over as happens way too much right now- don't just tell me a guy's a monster: show me how it happened. 2) I think an episode or two in court would make sense for the show- in fact, it's surprising we haven't seen it that often on the show already. One of the jobs of a profiler- as Morgan mentioned in "The Edge of Winter"- is to prep cases for trial, and since Hotch already has an extensive history in a courtroom, the connection makes sense. We could even see the case unfold via flashbacks. Furthermore, with all the work that psychiatrists go through in courts these days- such as evaluating the plausibility of insanity pleas- there's a wealth of potential storylines for the BAU to follow. 3) I mentioned that, and, fair point, but I will point out a caveat or two. First of all, I could see how a Border Agent could get targeted- immigration is lucrative in of itself, so I'd imagine there would be incentive for a coyote or two to want to take down a Border Agent or two. When it comes to a FBI agent or just a regular police officer, I don't see a lot of scenarios where a random person would just want to take out an agent or two as "something to do", as is the case with the BAU sometimes. The only plausible scenario- outside of gang work, I would think- would be if a family member or a friend of someone the FBI captured struck at the FBI in retaliation- otherwise, I fail to see how the BAU should be the victim of "random" attacks. Attacking the FBI for no reason would be drawing attention to themselves, and I would think it's simply easier to find ways to avoid detection than to take out the investigators- after all, why would agents investigate a crime they didn't know was happening?

Just finished watching it. Here are my thoughts: -It *is* much better to see it once you already know Reid survives and Blake is the one with the secret. I figure if I had seen the episode live, I would have been distracted all episode wondering if Reid was going to make it, and I thought the nuances of the storytelling would have been lost. Knowing Reid makes it allowed me to really appreciate the figurines left for him, to see that Reid could see the danger beforehand and to see how wonderfully Kirsten Vangness played the scene where Garcia shot the paramedic- if I had shot a gun for the first time, I think I'd be going into hysterics too. I couldn't stop laughing at that moment (I must admit)- Garcia was just too funny. -Unpopular opinion alert, but I liked JJ in this one. I think she really displayed her own vulnerabilities in this one, especially when it came to Reid, and I liked how Hotch and Morgan needed to save her from time to time (like how she couldn't stand up to the corrupt deputy trying to interrogate Dinah). I also felt she really bonded with Dinah and brought the character to life. -Sad to see Blake go, especially considering this was Jeanne Tripplehorn's finest hour. Hearing about Ethan made my heart melt, especially how it made her think of Reid in that regard. All of a sudden, the bond between the two agents made a lot of sense, and it also makes sense that seeing Reid in peril would have been too much. The two of them should have hugged though- they had so much warmth and fuzzy feelings it's a shame they didn't release it. -Kind of wish it was Morgan beating up Owen MacGregor and not Hotch- still bugs me that Hotch seems to get the best fight scenes- but at least Morgan's shots hit their target this time. The Badass is back. -As much as I liked the "corrupt police department" storyline, I thought some things were a little off. I wondered how long the department could last being so corrupt for so long under the radar, and it boggles my mind why the department would call in the BAU in the first place. You'd think the last thing some corrupt cops would want are the feds coming in and potentially exposing them, as was the case here. -Overall, though, it was very action movie like and it was a fun ride for an hour. I'd say it's one of the best episodes I've seen- comparable to "Mayhem"- though I didn't exactly like the buildup towards it, plus how it frustratingly shows what CM could achieve if their writers actually tried, complete with a complex web of characters that each had their own role and not just the team and a bunch of ciphers. Maybe one day I'll watch "Angels/Demons" again and see how it holds up without the hoopla that surrounded the shows around original airtime- it'll make them easier to evaluate- but I still think this was a winner.

Yes! She deserves a chance after The Blacklist gave her the shaft. (Also because, even though it's a pipe dream, a Blacklist/CM crossover would be epic)

1) The writers' abilities is a good point, considering also that virtually every character that's not a main character or a villain (and sometimes not even that will do) has been a strawman. I just think it's a shame- when I'm watching Elementary even something as small as Sherlock's pet turtle Clyde adds so much to the proceedings. (Also, thinking about it, wouldn't Reid have some special pets too?) 2) I'm not talking about CM needing a villain like Red John or Laura Palmer's killer that hangs over the show like some ominous force...I agree, those storylines and villains are usually done terribly (mostly because they're poorly planned). I'm saying the show could use a "run of the mill" villain that *does* find a way to escape, with the team not going back to the case until weeks or even years later. It'd be nothing more than the show doing its usual two-parters only that they're not back to back- just like how "No Way Out" went. 3) I understand the objection about the FBI Director, and it's a salient point. However, it was merely just an idea for how a cliffhanger could be constructed without putting the team's lives in danger (like the show does way too much), which is my main point. I guess this goes to show that a great cliffhanger is hard to write...but after this season's debacle, I think it's time the show doesn't go back to that well in Season 10. OK...so, technically I'm not correct that the show hasn't had snow...but...but...I think we can agree it hasn't happened nearly as often as it should. We've had Wyoming in January ("Risky Business"), the team in Alaska ("Exit Wounds"), a winter fair ("Mosley Lane") and an episode in Baltimore in February where Rossi even remarks that the temperature was 20F...and in not one of those cases was there snow (and in the latter case, we even got rain). It's a little unbelievable, don't you think?

Shame. Just when I was starting to like Blake...hopefully it's just a ploy and she finds a way to return next year anyway. Or, at the very least, we get a female profiler (they're not just going to have only JJ as the female staff on the team) who'll have some medical experience and maybe is a young, eager whipper-snappper whose enthusiasm will rub off on the rest of the team and inject some life into their staid proceedings. Besides, someone who's younger than Reid would allow the "boy wonder" to become the man he ought to be right now and stop being the butt of all the jokes. (Of course, if it were up to me, Zoe Hawkes wouldn't be dead and she'd be on this team...a boy can dream, right?)

I missed this, on purpose, because I wanted to see if it'd be worth watching afterward. Is Alex gone? Did anyone leave? Is the Meaning of Life 43?

You know what else I find ironic about the finale? Joe Mantegna said before the season that "Season 9 will be a love letter to all the fans who have stuck with us for so long". Some love letter this turned out to be, especially if Reid is gone.

So Erica Messer's weak response to why she always puts the team in peril at "important points" is because the team has "dangerous jobs." Yes, this might actually be true but it misrepresents reality- in real life, though policemen get caught in crossfire all the time with deaths from time to time, virtually all cases are "spur of the moment", "wrong place, wrong time" deaths. No one goes out of their way to target law enforcement agents, especially considering that the training and resource gap between a criminal and a law enforcement operation basically renders such an endeavour a suicide mission for the criminal. Granted, I'll take a "criminal targeting an agent/the team" storyline every now and then, because when it's done well it's great drama and these guys can't live in "bubbles" all the time. However, to go to that well *every* time CM has an important episode? Unrealistic and ultimately tiring, because there's only so many times I can care about my team being in peril before I start wondering how competent these guys are if they keep on acquiring enemies. Not to mention the fact that this kind of repetition makes you wonder how creative the writers really are, and the amount of emotional torture the storylines put the audience through makes you wonder if the writers really care about the characters- and, by extension, us (which also leads to the irony of the writers making their characters' lives "cheap" on a show that decries how cheap the weekly killers make the lives of their victims). Considering that tonight is Game 7 between Boston and Montreal, I think I'll gladly watch "Demons" after I find out what happens to the team, because I'm sick of what the writers are doing to them.

The Alchemist. I'm certain, though, he held a Polaroid of her with "#79" on it, and since we haven't seen "#79" I'm assuming she's a target, at least. If I'm mistaken and someone else killed her or is trying to kill her, then it opens the door further for a Berlin-Red alliance, which I like the prospects for.

I for one disagree and think Matthew Gray Gubler can carry a show. First of all, I think, as a character, Reid is interesting enough on his own to be worthy of a show to himself, and his fanbase is further proof of that. Second of all, much of what makes Reid interesting as a character is how Gubler plays him, with his emotions, his charm and his impeccable comedic timing. Third of all, Gubler's still young by Hollywood standards, meaning he's got a lot more time to work with and grow as an actor than say Thomas Gibson (who's past 50) or Shemar Moore (who, as a "hunk", is getting up there in age at 43). Regardless, the way I think it would work for Season 11- unless Season 10 surprises us and Reid unequivocally becomes the show's star- is that CM would find another "name" to lead the show while Gubler and Jeanne Tripplehorn stay in support roles, just like how George Eads continues on in CSI despite the fact he's still just a support player behind a revolving door of stars (first Laurence Fishburne and then Ted Danson, although Danson looks like he might stay). Having said that, I doubt CM could reasonably continue past a cast shakeup of that magnitude- it'd be too much like a "new show" and I doubt CBS would take that risk. Then again, with all these spinoffs, I just never know these days.

Wow. I think I need to take a deep breath. That was some wild ride. First of all...Meera Malik, RIP. You were killed too soon. :'( Second of all, I was at first disappointed to know that the man they killed towards the end wasn't Berlin...but then I thought of the story of Berlin and his daughter- and the fact that the daughter is #79 on The Blacklist- and I realized that Berlin's a worthy adversary. He's sympathetic, and I love that. Furthermore, it plays into the "Keen is Red's daughter" storyline- Berlin is going after Keen for revenge on his own daughter, hence why Keen can't know who her real father is. I like how this is all played, and I'm looking forward to the twists this rivalry will bring- maybe they'll eventually learn to co-exist and go after the real enemy, Fitch? Loved Matt Lauer being there and giving news updates...that was a nice touch. Glad to see Cooper made it, but there was part of me that was curious how the show could be like with a Red/Keen/Ressler centre...I always felt there were too many "main" characters to give each of them adequate focus...streamlining them would have been beneficial. Regardless, I think I still need a few moments to collect myself and breathe...it was too great a ride. :) I may have a new favourite show.

http://www.iamrogue.com/news/interviews/item/9678-iar-exclusive-interview-shemar-moore-talks-the-bounce-back-crowdfunding-justice-league-war-and-crimanal-minds.html ^ Says it right there. I understand where he's coming from- I think 10 years as a character is a great run- although the show won't be the same. There's part of me that hopes that he'll continue on past Season 10, at least in a reduced role- say as the BAU Section Chief or as the head of the New York Field Office, where he'll only have to appear in a few episodes a season, at most- but you might be right: S10 could be it for CM just because most of the cast will have their deals expire, and CBS might think the costs are too high to continue. Of course, CBS could also use the opportunity to restructure the show around Reid and maybe Blake, bringing in a whole new cast for S11 (worked for CSI)...so we'll see.

Is Morgan really set to leave after next season? I haven't heard anything in that regard, and I'd be pretty disappointed if that were the case. Then again, if Morgan really were to leave, I'd rather want a lot of anticipation for it than to find out in the season finale. When it comes to my favourite character, I *definitely* don't want to be caught off guard. Maybe it's just me in that I'm a "it's the journey, not the destination" type (if nothing else because just about every "suspense trick" has been done to death in procedurals), but I'm feeling jerked around not knowing if anyone will survive. Characters on a TV show are like family to me and I hate to see them leave without some kind of warning at least, so that I can least appreciate what little time they have left. Yeah, I get that it removes the suspense if I find out beforehand that a character is leaving, and I get that, sometimes in life your friends depart suddenly. However, if there's anticipation, at least, it'll allow the show to allow the character to leave with dignity and lessens the blow of the inevitability somewhat. It'll still be sad but at least it'll feel like it wasn't in vain. To do it all of a sudden makes the character's life appear cheap, and is likely to induce anger than produce a sympathetic response- I think back to the boondoggle that was Maeve's death. Not only that, but CM has gone to this well far too often, giving the impression that they don't care about their fans and their feelings, in that just by so much just *threatening* the lives of our characters it implies their lives are too cheap to preserve. Think about it- would you like it if your friends were always in a constant state of peril? That's what CM does, and it stinks.

I gotta agree, Raymond "Red" Reddington may be James Spader's best role, and, given time, could very well become one of TV history's most iconic characters. I think Spader is just that good. Red is cool, he's a badass, not afraid to do whatever he needs to do to set things right (even if that means killing someone), can be either your worst enemy or your best friend, snarks with the best of them and isn't always upfront about things...yet he can also be the kindest, sweetest, most loyal person on the planet who will always have his heart in the right place. Harold Cooper's final lines in "The Cyprus Agency" where he noted how amoral Red is with just how noble his causes are couldn't be a better summation of Red's character...it's the perfect mixture that makes Red such an intriguing character, and undoubtedly my favourite character on TV right now, if not ever. (I'm even a fan of his Facebook page...) One thing I will say is that I worry the writers may be missing the boat on just how good Reddington can be. Perhaps they figured that Spader was so good an actor that they didn't have to do it, but I feel like the writing doesn't make Red as sympathetic as Spader is making him out to be. For example, when Red has to finally admit that he killed Liz's adoptive father, you had a wonderful shot of Spader showing just how concerned Red is for Liz, how much he empathizes with Liz over how she's feeling and how sick it makes Red feel to know that Liz feels the way she does...all because Spader curls his lips the right way. However, when we get to "Berlin", and it's set up so that Lizzie needs Red's help for a case, the writers don't take the opportunity for Red to show some actual remorse for what happened (as Spader portrayed)- all we get is Red playing games and proffering some convoluted statement about how "Liz and Red need each other". I hope future episodes will correct this and make Red the truly iconic character he can be, because I'd hate for a character with such potential to be deep-sixed by bad writing.

I get the sense that "Angels and Demons" would be a better pair of episodes to watch when one already knows what's going to happen, like "The Fisher King" would be now. The whole "who's going to make it?" vibe with the stress it induces is detracting from the storytelling, I find.

I think we call that a "wham" episode, no? I thought it was great to learn that, all along, despite being rather slimy about it, deep down inside, Mycroft actually does care about his brother. I thought the whole explanation and the way it was built up was perfect. Yet another example of how great this show is at characterization- writers can learn from this. I also thought it was wonderful that Sherlock, too, also loves his brother. He could have let Mycroft get arrested and have to fend for himself after the police deduced his "fingerprints" were on the gun, but as soon as Sherlock realized what happened he rushed to warn him. Maybe all along Sherlock's contempt for Mycroft has more to do with Mycroft not understanding his abilities and his intellect than Sherlock believing he is actually stupid. Regardless, this was also very well played. Only quibble I have is how Sherlock exactly deduced that Mycroft is being framed. I'm not sure I saw anywhere in the episode where Mycroft had a viable alibi for the night of Arthur West's murder, nor did Sherlock produce a reason why he believed the fingerprints were not genuine. Perhaps we'll get that answer in the next episode. As for "Joancroft": I object to it for the basic reason that I look at Joan and I look at Mycroft and I see a beautiful woman who's being paired up with a caveman. Mycroft without his shirt on was probably one of the ugliest things I'd ever seen...surely Joan can do better than that. As soon as they kissed I could picture a million TV viewers puking into their toilets...I mean, no offence to Rhys Ifans...I'm sure he's a nice man and that Anna Friel gets to see a much better side of him than I do, but Elementary staffers...if you're going to make Joan shack up with someone, how about pairing her up with someone who looks like they're actually aware a shower exists? Please? Other episode notes: -Was waiting all this time for Gregson and Bell to start wondering what Joan and Sherlock are being so secretive about. I know Gregson made a look, but that was it. I would have loved to have heard a line, at the very least. -Might have liked it better if Graeme de Soto was revealed to have been working with Mycroft all along- hence why he could have gotten away- but the alternate explanation wasn't too bad. -Even though I understood why Joan was mad at Sherlock for quickly dismissing her idea of moving out, it still surprised me. Joan's been with Sherlock long enough to know that he's never too quick to provide an explanation and has no tact in presenting it...she should have been more upset that Sherlock was too easily dismissive of the idea instead of being upset that he "turned it into a psychological cliche".

My first reaction was "wow, these people are taking things *way* too seriously." Then I thought, "if this isn't the best example of the perils of toying with your characters, then I don't know what is." CBS, you better have made the right call.

http://www.fashionnstyle.com/articles/19358/20140506/criminal-minds-season-9-finale-spoilers-matthew-gray-gubler-leaving.htm ^ According to this, it's only Matthew Gray Gubler whose contract is up- everyone else, including Jeanne Tripplehorn, is apparently signed. So what do we make of this?

So I guess it's confirmed that someone is leaving. Cheap, cheap storytelling, writers. Unless, as I hope, it's just a play on words (Q: “who is leaving FOREVER?” A: “No one”), which is what I hope. Although if one leaves my money is on JJ...the promo did talk about a “sad secret” coming out and the writers did talk about her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder coming out, so we'll see. Regardless, it's still shameful writing...one more reason why I turn to my fic writing, to do the episodes the CM guys won't give me.

Okay, so what did I just watch? That final scene was pretty good...and that scene at the coroner's office was pretty funny. Overall, though, I was less than impressed for a number of reasons: 1) Reid didn't have to go down for this to be an effective cliffhanger. Just the thought- or the realization- that the FBI is working against the Briscoe County police would have been good enough, because then the case gains the idea of "this is bigger than it seems". 2) Gunning down Reid is lazy writing for another reason. Not only has our poor boy genius been through enough- seriously, from "L.D.S.K." to "Revelations" to "Amplification" to the broken leg to the headaches to Maeve, hasn't he been through enough pain?- using the "team member in peril" is just cheap storytelling. It's the easiest way to unnerve the audience because you're threatening someone they care about, so if a writer wants to add "quick tension" to an episode, putting a main character in peril is the best way to do it. It's also why storylines like these need to be handled with care- putting a character through too much risks getting the audience angry because, let's face it, beating a guy too much is abuse. It's exploitative of the audience's emotions, and tells the audience you don't care how much they care about the character. Doesn't matter if Reid- as expected- makes it out in the end: by beating him time and again (lazily too), the writers have already told us what they think of him, and it's disgusting. 3) I rolled my eyes at the fact a "moral guardian" episode takes place in Texas. Seriously, show, could you not pick a more cliched place for something like that to happen? I grant there wouldn't be a lot of places where "preacher takes on prostitution" would be a shock, but putting the case in a cliched version of Texas is underscoring a bit much just how conservative that place is, isn't it? Plus, with the team down there to "make things right" the episode gains some political undertones, doesn't it? Also, as a corollary to this, having a preacher actually be a pimp has been done to death too much...it's no longer a shock. Especially when that preacher is a cliched Texan who grew up as a cliched Albertan. 4) Accents really bothered me. I've been to Amarillo (which is close to Briscoe County) and elsewhere in Texas (including the small towns)...that accent is pretty rare, yet they gave it to everyone. 5) Didn't dig Dinah...she was way too one-dimensional. Something tells me she's in on this whole plot, just to get back at the preacher. 6) Also didn't dig the overeager police officer...I guess they were trying to make her "cute" or something but I just found her enthusiasm annoying. 7) Finally, that scene where the blonde prostitute died...I knew as soon as they panned to her facing the window chanting "I am beautiful...I am beautiful" that she'd be shot before she could finish the third chant. The show does these scenes too much that they no longer have the power they once did. Besides...I actually thought the character was likeable. Waste of a talent, if you ask me. However, bottom line is that we got yet another emotionally exploitative, cliched cliffhanger. Sometimes I think CM is far better at crafting its cases than it is at writing stories, because their stories always seem to go through the same, lazy styles. In this case, why does a team member have to be in peril for the show to have a cliffhanger? Don't they know there are other ways to write one? I also don't get why Reid has to be the whipping boy all the time- I think it's about time he gets another, happier storyline. His fans have been through enough.

Glad you were entertained. :) I based that case on two real life cases- the story of the “Slane Girl” in Ireland and the story of Rehateh Parsons in my native Canada. Hope you check out the rest of them, though I understand I have a lot. I'm proud of all of them but I'd say the ones I go back to quite a bit (aside from “What Goes Around...”) are “Zoe's Redux” (a reimagining of “Zoe's Reprise”), “The Chessmaster” (a reimagining of “Zugzwang”) and “Reopening Old Wounds”.

I think what jarred me the most about this episode was how quickly Lizzie made an about face and started to care about Red's welfare right after learning about Berlin despite not adequately forgiving Red. I thought she was doing so well with the "get this case over with" vibe that she had no reason to have any concern for Red outside of work- meaning she shouldn't have cared if Red was in jail because then Red would be forced by the authorities to give some answers, especially if the interrogation would be as mean as the show said it would be. Harold Cooper also unsettled me here because he was so shady...no Harry, I don't buy for one second that you think Lizzie is strong enough for the task force. You're only saying that so that Lizzie stays on and your own behind gets spared. It was such a selfish act for a character that had more integrity, making the exchange pretty disappointing. To me, the episode would have worked much better if Lizzie had outright quit the FBI after dealing with the Kentucky Fried Doctor (how else can you describe the crazy Dr. *Sanders*?). By that point, she stopped believing- or caring- that any of this stuff was real or important (remember, after dealing with KFD, she accused Red of orchestrating the trip just so he could be alone with her), which I think would have been a nice moment for her to go incognito. Her position with the FBI would be compromised, but so what? She quit, and probably only Cooper would be upset that she's not there, with Ressler and Malik understanding why. What could have then happened was the rest of the team uncover the truth about Berlin and the shady doctor (the team has done far better with far less, sometimes comically so), with perhaps something uncovered that makes the team realize Berlin's coming after Lizzie as well and not just Red. Red could then be the one to court Lizzie to come back, with what could have been a nice character moment about why he couldn't be upfront with her about all this (since he didn't want her to panic), and, with Lizzie understanding the purpose, agrees to come back. At least this way Red as a character isn't compromised and Lizzie's vulnerabilities make sense, instead of what we have now as a convoluted mess of contrivances and coincidences. I only hope the conclusion is much better, and that the episodic writing improves- I think this show is great with its arcs but average to terrible in its individual episodes, with this one being a prime example of the latter.