S15.E01: Under The Skin/S15.E02: Awakenings

[Danielg342]

Via SpoilerTV:

Quote

THE BAU TEAM SEARCHES FOR “THE CHAMELEON,” ROSSI’S LATEST OBSESSION, ON BACK-TO-BACK EPISODES OF THE 15TH AND FINAL SEASON PREMIERE OF “CRIMINAL MINDS,” WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8

Jane Lynch Guest Stars as Dr. Reid’s Mother, Diana Reid

Michael Mosley Returns as Everett Lynch; Sharon Lawrence Returns as Roberta Lynch

“Under The Skin” – The BAU team investigates an UnSub with striking similarities to Rossi’s latest obsession, “The Chameleon,” a.k.a. Everett Lynch (Michael Mosley), who nearly killed him and then disappeared, on back-to-back episodes of the 15th and final season premiere of CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Jan. 8 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

“Awakenings” – With a member of the BAU in the hospital, the team searches for Everett Lynch (Michael Mosley), and his daughter, Grace (Alex Jennings). Also, Spencer has a meaningful visit with his mother, Diana Reid (Jane Lynch), while she’s experiencing a period of lucidity, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Jan. 8 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Original airdate: January 8, 2020.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

All I ask of this final season is that the Reid/JJ drama is dealt with quickly and moved on from.  Not only because a vast majority of viewers aren't in favor of the possibilities available, but also because I feel 99.999% sure the outcome I prefer will never happen.

But considering the past with this PTB and writing group, I foresee a dragging out of what will in the end be not even worth the time spent on it - a bad mishandling of how its all resolved - and this final run of episodes will be looked upon with derision and scorn by the longtime faithful of CM.  Which would be a shame for a show that was on TV for 15 seasons & years.

[The Wild Sow]

Spoiler

You don’t defibrillate through a BRA!!!  Particularly one with under wires 🙄

I don't know how to remove the spoiler tag -- if anyone can help, I'd appreciate it!

 

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by The Wild Sow

[Annber03]

At long last, welcome back, CM!

Very eerie to know somebody like Lynch is in the wind now, with the body count he's left behind. Damn. Everything with him and Grace was super creepy. Especially the way he seemed so impressed by how quickly she caught on to the killing game. I hope we do get to see Roberta doing her part to take him down, she seems like she could kick his ass if needed. 

The first hour's case was weird, and the connection to Lynch seemed rather tenuous, but I did like the back and forth debate it created among the team. It's always interesting to see these guys working together when there's some tension lurking between them. 

So, hopefully the resolution of the Reid/JJ situation works for everyone. It does for me-it doesn't deny the fact that there is something between them, a deeper love, all that good stuff, but it also respects their lives as they are now, and acknowledges JJ's love for her family as well. Which I'd always believed would be the case. I never once felt they'd destroy her marriage or anything like that, so this seemed the best way to try and make both the pro and anti-Reid/JJ camps happy. And now we have the opening for whatever happens next with Reid going forward. 

(As somebody rightly noted on another discussion thread elsewhere, though, um, Reid? JJ? Why, why, WHY would you two split up again when chasing an unsub? Haven't you learned by now that bad things happen when you do that?)

I also liked everything with Reid and his mom, and him having to confront the reality of losing her. Such a bittersweet reunion, but I like that he was able to see her during one of her more lucid moments, and that they could talk out a few things. I was briefly worried there that she would be in a really bad state and he really would lose her, so I'm relieved that didn't happen. I don't know if we'll get any further updates on what's up with his mom as the season goes on (not talking appearances or anything, just occasional mentions), but if we don't and they leave their story like this, that works for me, too. I can sit here and believe that in the future they are able to find a way to help his mom :). 

Eight episodes left to go. Look forward to seeing how the remainder of this season unfolds. 

[Danielg342]

1 hour ago, The Wild Sow said:

  Hide contents

You don’t defibrillate through a BRA!!!  Particularly one with under wires 🙄

 

I just chalk that up to network TV...they're not going to show AJ's bare breasts on screen (as much as I might have enjoyed that, I must admit), so while it's unrealistic how they did it, the show probably had no choice but to shoot the scene that way.

(Well, maybe they could have done it differently with different camera angles or a better designed "rip" of her clothes or something...*shrugs*)

[Danielg342]

I don't really think there is much I can say about this episode except that it was your standard "get the last story arc started" episode.

You knew Everett Lynch was going to get away. You knew he'd do it in such a way that would allow him to do that. You knew that the BAU's attempt to catch him would be futile and that Lynch would find a way to outsmart everyone, essentially turning everyone else into the Keystone Kops.

That said, there were a few twists I didn't see, like Grace getting killed, and the way that they wove the first case into the larger narrative was well done (by basically having Rossi be wrong and right at the same time).

I also think Matthew Gray Gubler is a special talent and I hope his next role will be one worthy of his talents. There's an Emmy or an Oscar in there in the right circumstances, and that's no hyperbole.

That's all I can really say about this episode...the story didn't engage me at all and I just can't wait for this season to be over. Sad to feel that way given what I used to feel about Criminal Minds, but such is the rut that CM has gotten itself into, as it has no other choice but to be put out of its misery.

So I'm going to close with some comments about JJ. Maybe this will be popular. Maybe it won't.

...but I'll say it anyway.

Maybe she should have actually died. Maybe that would have been the best way to close out this stupid "love story" she has with Reid.

At the very least, it would give her declaration of love to Reid at the end of S14 some actual meaning as opposed to the way the show actually handled it by metaphorically sweeping it under the rug after some false drama.

See, the thing is, the show made JJ's declaration a big deal. It was supposed to be this monumentous, "game-changing" moment, yet, what we got was essentially a "reset" with Reid realizing he has to "move on" from JJ- even though he'd already done that before and could have still done that here without the show needing the drama of JJ's brush with death.

So, if you're going to have a game-changing moment...then change the game.

Pull the trigger (read into that what you will).

Because JJ's death wouldn't just affect Reid it'd affect everyone else as well. The entire team would be mourning, and- more importantly- we as an audience would be mourning too, because JJ's someone we actually got to know.

I mean, with all due respect to Damon Gupton, it was hard to feel the impact of Stephen Walker's death because we hardly knew him.

With JJ, you would feel that impact- and this being the last season, it would definitely be a more "acceptable" time for her (or any regular) to go than if the show had more time left.

More importantly, though, is that Everett Lynch killing JJ would actually give S15 some actual stakes and, while I wouldn't like a season where Lynch kills off other members of the BAU like a bad horror movie plot, an agent dying in the premiere- especially a long-timer like JJ- opens up more storytelling possibilities and ensures the show isn't just doing this "slow burn" in the inevitable chase for Lynch.

I mean...if JJ can go, then anyone can go. Of course, the show would have to be careful with this- meaning only doing one or two more deaths, at the very least- but it at least adds tension and intrigue to a series of episodes that badly needs them.

Don't get me wrong- I'm not defending the decision of the show to have JJ declare her love in the first place, nor do I actually like the thought of the show killing off characters.

...but, for far too long, CM has relied on cheap drama where there are plenty of "shocking" moments only for those moments to have little actual impact as the series moves on. Part of that is the realization this is an episodic TV show, but part of that is the writers being too scared to really deliver on all the false "game-changers" they've subjected us to.

So, just once, I would have liked it if they had a moment that was not just shocking but also one that left an actual impact. Not one they just undo in the next episode or the next half hour.

Because if you're going to have a dramatic moment...it needs to have actual drama with actual meaning. That's the only way they work.

[Gramto6]

I was distracted by Lynch's face obviously had work done and too pulled and smooth she almost looks younger than Spencer! Fail!

[preeya]

I hope the Everett Lynch arc doesn't go on for the rest of the series. Someone please kill this SOB and quickly.

I totally agree with @Danielg342  The JJ/Reid "thing" should have been dealt with differently. I actually thought she was going to die and profess her "undying love" (pun intended) to Reid as she took her last breath and passed away in his arms.

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by preeya

[mynextmistake]

37 minutes ago, Danielg342 said:

I don't really think there is much I can say about this episode except that it was your standard "get the last story arc started" episode.

You knew Everett Lynch was going to get away. You knew he'd do it in such a way that would allow him to do that. You knew that the BAU's attempt to catch him would be futile and that Lynch would find a way to outsmart everyone, essentially turning everyone else into the Keystone Kops.

That said, there were a few twists I didn't see, like Grace getting killed, and the way that they wove the first case into the larger narrative was well done (by basically having Rossi be wrong and right at the same time).

I also think Matthew Gray Gubler is a special talent and I hope his next role will be one worthy of his talents. There's an Emmy or an Oscar in there in the right circumstances, and that's no hyperbole.

That's all I can really say about this episode...the story didn't engage me at all and I just can't wait for this season to be over. Sad to feel that way given what I used to feel about Criminal Minds, but such is the rut that CM has gotten itself into, as it has no other choice but to be put out of its misery.

So I'm going to close with some comments about JJ. Maybe this will be popular. Maybe it won't.

...but I'll say it anyway.

Maybe she should have actually died. Maybe that would have been the best way to close out this stupid "love story" she has with Reid.

At the very least, it would give her declaration of love to Reid at the end of S14 some actual meaning as opposed to the way the show actually handled it by metaphorically sweeping it under the rug after some false drama.

See, the thing is, the show made JJ's declaration a big deal. It was supposed to be this monumentous, "game-changing" moment, yet, what we got was essentially a "reset" with Reid realizing he has to "move on" from JJ- even though he'd already done that before and could have still done that here without the show needing the drama of JJ's brush with death.

So, if you're going to have a game-changing moment...then change the game.

Pull the trigger (read into that what you will).

Because JJ's death wouldn't just affect Reid it'd affect everyone else as well. The entire team would be mourning, and- more importantly- we as an audience would be mourning too, because JJ's someone we actually got to know.

I mean, with all due respect to Damon Gupton, it was hard to feel the impact of Stephen Walker's death because we hardly knew him.

With JJ, you would feel that impact- and this being the last season, it would definitely be a more "acceptable" time for her (or any regular) to go than if the show had more time left.

More importantly, though, is that Everett Lynch killing JJ would actually give S15 some actual stakes and, while I wouldn't like a season where Lynch kills off other members of the BAU like a bad horror movie plot, an agent dying in the premiere- especially a long-timer like JJ- opens up more storytelling possibilities and ensures the show isn't just doing this "slow burn" in the inevitable chase for Lynch.

I mean...if JJ can go, then anyone can go. Of course, the show would have to be careful with this- meaning only doing one or two more deaths, at the very least- but it at least adds tension and intrigue to a series of episodes that badly needs them.

Don't get me wrong- I'm not defending the decision of the show to have JJ declare her love in the first place, nor do I actually like the thought of the show killing off characters.

...but, for far too long, CM has relied on cheap drama where there are plenty of "shocking" moments only for those moments to have little actual impact as the series moves on. Part of that is the realization this is an episodic TV show, but part of that is the writers being too scared to really deliver on all the false "game-changers" they've subjected us to.

So, just once, I would have liked it if they had a moment that was not just shocking but also one that left an actual impact. Not one they just undo in the next episode or the next half hour.

Because if you're going to have a dramatic moment...it needs to have actual drama with actual meaning. That's the only way they work.

Yeah, I didn’t get the Reid/JJ arc at all. I mean, in the real world, it was obviously designed to drum up viewership for tonight’s premiere. But in the world of the show, what purpose did JJ’s confession serve? Nothing is going to change. She’s not leaving Will so she and Reid can ride off into the sunset. She’s going to stay married. She and Reid will stay friends. As for the idea that this confession will help Reid because it lets him move on, move on from what? He hasn’t been sitting at home knitting and pining for JJ. He’s had dates and relationships. 

The whole thing just seems pointless to me. 

[The Wild Sow]

5 hours ago, mynextmistake said:

6 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

I don't really think there is much I can say about this episode except that it was your standard "get the last story arc started" episode.

You knew Everett Lynch was going to get away. You knew he'd do it in such a way that would allow him to do that. You knew that the BAU's attempt to catch him would be futile and that Lynch would find a way to outsmart everyone, essentially turning everyone else into the Keystone Kops.

That said, there were a few twists I didn't see, like Grace getting killed, and the way that they wove the first case into the larger narrative was well done (by basically having Rossi be wrong and right at the same time).

I also think Matthew Gray Gubler is a special talent and I hope his next role will be one worthy of his talents. There's an Emmy or an Oscar in there in the right circumstances, and that's no hyperbole.

That's all I can really say about this episode...the story didn't engage me at all and I just can't wait for this season to be over. Sad to feel that way given what I used to feel about Criminal Minds, but such is the rut that CM has gotten itself into, as it has no other choice but to be put out of its misery.

So I'm going to close with some comments about JJ. Maybe this will be popular. Maybe it won't.

...but I'll say it anyway.

Maybe she should have actually died. Maybe that would have been the best way to close out this stupid "love story" she has with Reid.

At the very least, it would give her declaration of love to Reid at the end of S14 some actual meaning as opposed to the way the show actually handled it by metaphorically sweeping it under the rug after some false drama.

See, the thing is, the show made JJ's declaration a big deal. It was supposed to be this monumentous, "game-changing" moment, yet, what we got was essentially a "reset" with Reid realizing he has to "move on" from JJ- even though he'd already done that before and could have still done that here without the show needing the drama of JJ's brush with death.

So, if you're going to have a game-changing moment...then change the game.

Pull the trigger (read into that what you will).

Because JJ's death wouldn't just affect Reid it'd affect everyone else as well. The entire team would be mourning, and- more importantly- we as an audience would be mourning too, because JJ's someone we actually got to know.

I mean, with all due respect to Damon Gupton, it was hard to feel the impact of Stephen Walker's death because we hardly knew him.

With JJ, you would feel that impact- and this being the last season, it would definitely be a more "acceptable" time for her (or any regular) to go than if the show had more time left.

More importantly, though, is that Everett Lynch killing JJ would actually give S15 some actual stakes and, while I wouldn't like a season where Lynch kills off other members of the BAU like a bad horror movie plot, an agent dying in the premiere- especially a long-timer like JJ- opens up more storytelling possibilities and ensures the show isn't just doing this "slow burn" in the inevitable chase for Lynch.

I mean...if JJ can go, then anyone can go. Of course, the show would have to be careful with this- meaning only doing one or two more deaths, at the very least- but it at least adds tension and intrigue to a series of episodes that badly needs them.

Don't get me wrong- I'm not defending the decision of the show to have JJ declare her love in the first place, nor do I actually like the thought of the show killing off characters.

...but, for far too long, CM has relied on cheap drama where there are plenty of "shocking" moments only for those moments to have little actual impact as the series moves on. Part of that is the realization this is an episodic TV show, but part of that is the writers being too scared to really deliver on all the false "game-changers" they've subjected us to.

So, just once, I would have liked it if they had a moment that was not just shocking but also one that left an actual impact. Not one they just undo in the next episode or the next half hour.

Because if you're going to have a dramatic moment...it needs to have actual drama with actual meaning. That's the only way they work.

Read more  

Yeah, I didn’t get the Reid/JJ arc at all. I mean, in the real world, it was obviously designed to drum up viewership for tonight’s premiere. But in the world of the show, what purpose did JJ’s confession serve? Nothing is going to change. She’s not leaving Will so she and Reid can ride off into the sunset. She’s going to stay married. She and Reid will stay friends.

Yep.

Of course, they could always have Spencer go totally dark/psycho & shove Will into the path of a serial killer!   He'd probably get away with it too (unless some meddling kids show up.)

Just kidding (sort of!)

Oh, BTW, was this written by Thomas Harris?  "...what he covets..."??  Seriously?   Killer is disfigured, or believes he is disfigured?  Making a Guy Suit out of Real Guys?

[Chaos Theory]

A D really?  
 

I really enjoyed this but then watching this I figured there was going to be a lot of annoyed grunting at the JJ/Reid stuff even though I enjoyed it.  But then I don’t think JJ is worse then the worst serial killer the crew has ever chased.    I thought the show did a decent job (although it should have mentioned Maeve) bringing the JJ/Reid question to a close.   Yes they love each other and have for a very long time....but it’s not going to happen.   Both JJ and Reid are not going to ignore the fact that JJ is married with children just to hop into bed together and the show isn’t going to suddenly write Will as a guy who secretly abuses JJ.  So this episode was there to work through the feelings.    
 

As for Lynch i think he makes a good season long bad guy. He  is smart and the fact that he is basically a con man turned serial killer makes it believable that he could outwit the team at least when they aren’t thinking on all cylinders which they weren’t.   Now that they are back on track.   
 

Maybe not the best episode ever but for anyone who doesn’t think JJ is secretly a serial killer not a D.    But then she broke Reid’s heart.....which is probably worse then being a serial killer. 

Edited January 9, 2020 by Chaos Theory

[walnutqueen]

3 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

Maybe not the best episode ever but for anyone who doesn’t think JJ is secretly a serial killer not a D.    But then she broke Reid’s heart.....which is probably worse then being a serial killer. 

I don't hate JJ, and I don't love Reid (here come the pitchforks and torches), and I agree with the D grade.  Not a great opening for the final season; but then, I wasn't expecting much.

[Josette]

5 hours ago, The Wild Sow said:

Oh, BTW, was this written by Thomas Harris?  "...what he covets..."??  Seriously?   Killer is disfigured, or believes he is disfigured?  Making a Guy Suit out of Real Guys?

Well, as they said in the episode, the killer was similar to Ed Gein.  And Ed Gein is an inspiration for Harris' Buffalo Bill.

[BookWoman56]

I have very mixed feelings about this two-for-one episode. Right off the bat, the dialogue for the first 20-30 minutes was laughably bad, to the point I wondered how many takes it required for the actors to say their lines without either laughing or retching. 
 

Second, in what universe is Dave Rossi so obsessed about a case that he refuses to even admit for far too long that his bias might be leading him astray? Yes, he’s often been opinionated and convinced he’s right. But he would ordinarily have agreed that the team should consider other suspects/profiles, just to cover all the bases. 
 

Third, I have NEVER been a Reid/JJ shipper, until now. My conversion is not due to the scenes between Reid and JJ at the hospital, although they were convincing and showed two people who care about each other deeply. No, my conversion is due to the contrast between those scenes and the ones between JJ and Will, in which they showed all the enthusiasm about their commitment to each other that most people have about their auto insurance or cell phone plans. You don’t necessarily think the plan is great, but you’ve got auto pay set up, you’re used to the features and costs, and you think it would be a PITA to change. (I did wonder briefly if JJ getting shot is setting up conflict with Will, so that at some point down the road, the show goes full circle back to the Hotch/Hailey situation, only now with the husband being the one to reach the breaking point on a spouse being in a dangerous role.)

 

Finally, the scenes between Reid and his mother were beautifully poignant. Having just dealt with my own mother’s descent into dementia and then death, it was painful to watch but I found myself grateful that these fictional characters got to experience those days of clarity and meaningful conversation. 

[Danielg342]

For the record, I never liked the decision for JJ to declare her love for Reid, or at least have it be as big a moment the show made it out to be.

I also like JJ as a character, as she's vastly improved since her "ninja" days early in Erica Messer's run. AJ Cook may not be the greatest of actresses but she does do doubt and self-loathing well and once the show focused on those sides of JJ, she's been a joy to watch.

So, if you were to ask me, "do you really want JJ to die?" I'd say "no, I don't".

...but, following what the writers have given her, where they made a big deal about her declaration of love for Reid and followed that up with her getting shot, I feel there's no other direction for the character to go except to die.

You want Reid to really get pensive and start realizing he needs to move on? Drive that home by taking JJ away from him, so he can't go back.

Furthermore, JJ is more "acceptable" to die than Reid since she has her "happily married life" and Reid is still searching for his own happiness. Tragedy only works when you obliterate a "happy" situation, as that makes the tragedy more impactful.

More importantly, though, this being the final season, there's no better opportunity to drive home this "finality" and force Reid to focus on the rest of his life. If we had a few more seasons left, we could better explore the fallout from JJ's declaration (which keeping her alive would do), but since we have eight episodes left, we have no time for that so why not kill off JJ? What else will you do with the character?

Besides, as said before, JJ's death would affect not just Reid but the rest of the team too- and make Everett Lynch that much more lethal. Nothing says "dangerous" like taking out a "family" member.

So that's my take. I don't like the thought of JJ going, but I also think the writers wrote themselves into a corner and they didn't have any other choices.

[R3volver]

 

1 hour ago, Danielg342 said:

More importantly, though, this being the final season, there's no better opportunity to drive home this "finality" and force Reid to focus on the rest of his life. If we had a few more seasons left, we could better explore the fallout from JJ's declaration (which keeping her alive would do), but since we have eight episodes left, we have no time for that so why not kill off JJ? What else will you do with the character?

Besides, as said before, JJ's death would affect not just Reid but the rest of the team too- and make Everett Lynch that much more lethal. Nothing says "dangerous" like taking out a "family" member.

So that's my take. I don't like the thought of JJ going, but I also think the writers wrote themselves into a corner and they didn't have any other choices.

Except JJ is actually a main character on her own and doesn't need or deserve to be used as a plot device for other characters?

I really don't see what about Everett Lynch doesn't scream "lethal", especially after these opening episodes.  Killing JJ would raise the stakes, but it's also not at all necessary.

 

[Danielg342]

8 minutes ago, R3volver said:

Except JJ is actually a main character on her own and doesn't need or deserve to be used as a plot device for other characters?

I don't necessarily disagree. It's the writers who put her in that position. I merely think they should have finished the job.

12 minutes ago, R3volver said:

I really don't see what about Everett Lynch doesn't scream "lethal", especially after these opening episodes.  Killing JJ would raise the stakes, but it's also not at all necessary.

Right now, Lynch comes across as your typical garden variety "arc villain". I don't see anything special about him. While I don't disagree there's other ways for him to appear dangerous, CM as a show has teased putting team members in peril with them being targeted by UnSubs, but nothing happens except a scare.

(Ok, Walker did die...but while he was credited as a main character I hardly think anyone really sees him as anything more than a temporary character. We hardly got to know him, so his death meant little)

Last night was a chance to do something refreshingly different- and they whiffed, badly.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

5 hours ago, BookWoman56 said:

Third, I have NEVER been a Reid/JJ shipper, until now. My conversion is not due to the scenes between Reid and JJ at the hospital, although they were convincing and showed two people who care about each other deeply. No, my conversion is due to the contrast between those scenes and the ones between JJ and Will, in which they showed all the enthusiasm about their commitment to each other that most people have about their auto insurance or cell phone plans. You don’t necessarily think the plan is great, but you’ve got auto pay set up, you’re used to the features and costs, and you think it would be a PITA to change. (I did wonder briefly if JJ getting shot is setting up conflict with Will, so that at some point down the road, the show goes full circle back to the Hotch/Hailey situation, only now with the husband being the one to reach the breaking point on a spouse being in a dangerous role.)

Don't you do that.  Don't give me a reason to see the slightest flicker of hope where there is none to be had.  lol

Seriously though, as much as a Jeid shipper as I am when it comes to 'fanon', EM and the writers did the worst thing possible by having her declare her love for Reid at the end of last season and then taking it no further than affirming that nothing will change and status quo will stay the same, to start this one.  While I am content that it won't drag out for no reason, It has upset & displeased everyone - both Jeid and non-Jeid shippers.

Edited January 10, 2020 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[Danielg342]

16 minutes ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

While I am content that it won't drag out for no reason, It has upset & displeased everyone - both Jeid and non-Jeid shippers.

I think instead of JJ being shot and Reid being told by his mom to move on, JJ shouldn't have been shot and she should have been the one to tell Reid to move on. Furthermore, JJ could even set up Reid on a blind date, further cementing their friendship.

Maybe it's not as "dramatic" as what the show did, but it would be more satisfying- and give JJ some agency in this storyline.

[ams1001]

On 1/8/2020 at 10:14 PM, The Wild Sow said:

  Reveal spoiler

You don’t defibrillate through a BRA!!!  Particularly one with under wires 🙄

I don't know how to remove the spoiler tag -- if anyone can help, I'd appreciate it!

If you're on a computer, hover over the spoiler box and you'll see a little square with arrows inside it appear above the top left corner of the border. Just click once on that square and the whole border should get highlighted in blue (if you move your mouse off the box after clicking it's more obvious). Then just hit delete. (Same with regular quote boxes. If you click and drag on the little square you can move the whole thing up or down within your post.) 

Not sure about on a phone/tablet, though. Since the site never lets me log in on my tablet for some reason I've never commented from there.

Edited January 10, 2020 by ams1001

[ForeverAlone]

I preferred the first episode over the second one, even if the first one was a straightforward rip off of Silence of the Lambs. I didn't like that the first killer was connected to the second, for a couple of reasons. First off, I was perfectly good with Rossi being wrong on this one (I mean, he has LONG since passed the FBI's age for mandatory retirement for agents), because he was blinded in his pursuit for Lynch. That and to save me from Emily groveling before Rossi about how she should have just listened to him. Even if the first episode wasn't an original story, it still kept my attention, and I wasn't SHOCKED that Dr. Hearst was the unsub. That's why I wish this was its own episode, and the story could have been developed further.

I knew Lynch would get away, because he's the Season's Big Bad, so it lacked some drama, though I too was surprised he murdered his own daughter. I honestly don't care about the ending of this particularly arc, but I hope it doesn't take up too much time this season, since there are only eight episodes left. 

I can't say I was surprised at the resolution to the Reid/JJ saga, though I wonder what the writers were thinking going there in the first place. I have gotten over my hate for a Reid/JJ coupling, but I was also wasn't rooting for it either. 

[mythoughtis]

For what it’s worth.. there didn’t need to be a JJ and Reid at all.  Woman and men CAN and are friends without an underlying romantic love.  If JJ and Reid weren’t both such wooden asexual characters, JJ would actually show her love  for Will and Reid would actually have a girlfriend beyond that one that was justifiably afraid to leave her own home. 
Until this episode, I never saw JJs confession as a romantic type of love anyway.  Nor did I think she expected Reid to take it that way. So this episode sucked for me because they didn’t need to go there. 
What was up with the team that they couldn’t be bothered to go to the hospital for JJ while she was in surgery. Penelope got that treatment. 

Edited January 11, 2020 by mythoughtis

[mythoughtis]

Adding... they retconned the reason why Spencer’s dad left his mom.  His Dad told him it was because 1.  His Mom helped cover up the murder of a pedophile and 2.  He didn’t know how to be a Dad to a child of Spencer’s’ intellect. 
 

Show- please do not send Spencer back into Mexico looking for a cure for his Mom. Once was enough. 

Edited January 11, 2020 by mythoughtis

[tvfanatic13]

Lynch  and his daughter looked roughly the same age to me. 
Knew right away the ME guy was the unsub. 

[idiotwaltz]

I’m watching the later seasons (10+) completely out of order and I can see why fans watching the show live would’ve been irritated waiting week after week only to be given dreck, I find watching it in bits and pieces makes the terrible writing a lot more bearable. 

First episode: Dr Abbott from Everwood became a serial killer! I knew from the casting alone he had to be involved. Lynch is a boring mash-up of several UNSUBs past and I’ve never been into any storylines about season-long big bads. Is Grace supposed to be a teenager/early twenties? Because she looks like she’s 32. As someone said above, she looks the same age as Lynch.

Second episode: Sharon Lawrence was in an SVU episode 20-odd years ago, also called Chameleon. That was a better episode than this one. I don’t believe for a minute that Reid’s been envisioning a future with JJ for the last 15 years - have they forgotten Maeve? MGG and Jane Lynch were brilliant, their scenes made my heart ache.

On a random note, one of my friends used to have a snag-toothed Persian cat called Spencer, so to me Spencer will always be a cat’s name. He was a lovely cat, but now I cannot stand anyone calling Reid “Spence” or “Spencer” except his mother. Whenever JJ calls him Spence, I cringe. Don’t even get me started on Cat Adams’ “Spencie” which, to be fair, is intended to be cringeworthy.