Season 9 Episodes Talk

[Danielg342]

I was about ready to write this one off...until I saw that final scene with the UnSub. Bruce Baumgartner, the guy who played William Harding really sold how despondent he was that fate had short-circuited the chance for him to live his dream life in Greece, not just once, but twice. I really felt for the guy, even though his ends don't justify the means.

 

Having said all that...this episode was pretty wonky. I felt the story was there but the execution wasn't. Until that final scene, Baumgartner was way too stiff, and a lot of the mechanics of the story just didn't seem to make much sense. For one, I wonder- is it really that easy to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and get someone's license plate? I imagine you can't just walk right in with a number and some clerk says "here you go". Secondly, I felt like many of the clues really didn't mean anything- Reid's geographic profile was off (and done without the fanfare we're accustomed to), Morgan didn't seem to add anything at all, Rossi spent more time whining about how he could have saved Janice than investigating (and he's usually level-headed about those things), JJ was a cipher, Blake provided a few hints but mostly just prattled, and Hotch gave his orders but little else. It was all just Garcia clicking away at her computer solving things, with Hotch annoyingly having to remind her how to do her job.

 

Also, thinking about it some more, this episode could have really benefited from "show, don't tell"- wouldn't that avalanche story have been so much better- and have so much more effect- if we had seen it, as opposed to simply hearing Harding talk about it? I also think having a scene at the hospital- where we at least hear a doctor tell Harding, "I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do"- would have worked so much better than simply learning from Garcia what happened.

 

As for career day...well, that was cute, the Case of the Missing Stapler. I wondered afterwards how Hotch concocted it, but since it wasn't a plot point, I let it go. That teacher though...I know the show probably doesn't want to pair Hotch with the teacher, but I sure hope I can convince them otherwise...she'd be so much better for Hotch than Beth is.

 

All in all, not bad...but not a classic.

[Wilowy]

Well, the stapler. That was pure OFFICE. So awesome. *homage*

 

And they DID show us. The twine, the film at the coffee shop, his Grecian fixation, the greenscreen... all of that was showing.

 

Garcia was hardly in it, and JJ? Well everyone's been complaining  ALL SEASON she's in it too much, then when they dial her back we get complaints of that? In my way of thinking, they all helped with the excellent, clean and deductive profiling.  

Detective: We don't have time for that.
Morgan: Reid, tell him what you did for breakfast this morning.
Reid: I read War and Peace, this time in the original Russian.
Morgan. Trust me Detective, we have time.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

[mstaken]

Oh, wow, I'm so happily surprised by how much I liked this one. It's easily one of my top favorites of the past couple of seasons. 

 

I thought Brian Baumgartner did a stellar job playing the UnSub. It was obviously a departure from The Office's Kevin, though perhaps not TOO much of one, as I always found Kevin a tad creepy. I did laugh a little when the AlmostVictim who'd deliberately made the Unsub miss his trip all those years ago was all "Um, you never figured that out?!" I guess he didn't watch The Office, 'cause he would have known that Kevin was always terribly slow on the uptake :)  

 

Fate, destiny, and general 'how your life would have been different if..."  themes are endlessly interesting ideas for me, so I was loving that aspect of this episode. As someone else said, even though we knew the Unsub's identity from the outset, this was a really engaging and even suspenseful episode for me with a couple of twists along the way. I loved that the shuttle he would have been on all those years ago was actually involved in a fatal crash---nice touch, show! 

 

And while I've been one to complain about the forced lightness inserted at the end of some episodes, ITA with those who felt Hotch profiling the stapler stealer was pure gold. I love when Thomas Gibson gets to show us the warmer, more (comparatively!) relaxed sides of Hotch, which may be why I don't dislike Beth like pretty much every other fan seems to! 

 

And I totally agree with Willowy about loving the few but enjoyable Morgan/Reid scenes. I don't always love their dynamic, but I did in this episode. I love how Morgan knew that Reid had reread Tolstoy over breakfast. 

 

Minor complaints: That first scene between Hotch and Rossi---"you're a good father!" Rossi clunkily reminds him again----felt forced to me, as the more 'personal' scenes with Rossi and Hotch often do. I love Hotch, I love Rossi, and I did love their lighter and more subtle scene at the end on the plane, but I just hate when the show makes Rossi so overly earnest and gushily sympathetic with Hotch; it never feels natural and in character somehow. 

 

JJ was flat and yawn-inducing for me, as per usual, but I was happy that there wasn't that much of her. 

 

Overall, I'd give it an A-/B+. It's one of the few S9 episodes that has the dubious honor of remaining on my TiFaux :) 

Edited May 1, 2014 by mstaken

[Danielg342]

And they DID show us. The twine, the film at the coffee shop, his Grecian fixation, the greenscreen... all of that was showing.

 

For the case itself, I'd agree. For Harding's story, we only learned what other characters explained, and I don't think that's enough for me to sympathize with an UnSub (as was meant to be the case here). I'm not asking for his life story, but it would have been nice to have seen some pivotal moment shown- we've seen more displayed with "lesser" UnSubs, I think Harding deserved a bit more.

 

Garcia was hardly in it, and JJ? Well everyone's been complaining  ALL SEASON she's in it too much, then when they dial her back we get complaints of that? In my way of thinking, they all helped with the excellent, clean and deductive profiling.

 

Garcia did provide the key clues- such as that he's a cancer patient, and the clue that narrowed things down to six potential suspects (I'm blanking on which one it was)- and was the one to piece it all together. I might admit much of this was flat acting and that Garcia was the only one who seemed to have any energy, which may explain why I only noticed her, though.

 

Detective: We don't have time for that.

Morgan: Reid, tell him what you did this morning.

Reid: I read War and Peace, this time in the original Russian.

Morgan. Trust me Detective, we have time.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

 

LOL. Forgot about that...loved that scene.

[Wilowy]

ACK! Here's that horrible preview! REID!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faUer25hdSw#t=10

[Old Dog]

I enjoyed this episode - all the things we have been missing so much recently. Team and profiling. Even Garcia was better with the things she found on her magic computer more believable than usual. I liked that everyone had a part to play and especially that they showed Reid as he should be shown - not just as the human Google. And I especially liked that JJ was not prominent for once although I suspect she will end the JJ season in a blaze of glory by solving the case single handedly in Demons!

I liked the light touch with Hotch and Jack at the end - my goodness Jack has grown up! It was nicely done and not as sappy as they usually produce.

All in all, a very good episode with an interesting concept for the plot. I loved the twist that the airport shuttle crashed and he would have been killed 20 years ago.

Very good - but now we can really worry about Reid after seeing the promo!

[ForeverAlone]

Generally speaking, I really enjoyed this episode. I know it had the hated premise of showing the unsub before the credits, but on occasion, we even saw that in earlier episodes, and I am more willing to forgive it when I like the story.

 

I personally thought there was a fair amount of profiling, and it was interesting to see the entire team tease out what was going on, how the unsub was selecting victims, and why he chose the victims he did. I thought everyone had something valuable to do, and even though there was a fair amount of unsub, it didn't feel disproportionate.

 

Since the unsub seemingly selected his victims at random, I particularly liked how they (or should I say, Reid) discovered where the unsub found them, and likely how he tracked them down to kill them later. It was nice to see Reid use his brain, and his speed reading ability to good use, though I still disagree with the show turning Reid into a language expert, when he clearly wasn't in the early seasons. But that is more of a minor quibble.

 

I personally found the unsub's motive interesting and it was different than what we have seen in the past. It was interesting to see the team interact with potential victims, from Rossi talking to the woman who was subsequently murdered, to the woman who was an intended victim. Good on Hotch for deducing that the killer's focus likely shifted. And even though Penelope did find the unsub with her computer skills, it still required the team to profile the unsub to provide information for her to focus on.

 

There were some quibbles of course. Arsenic poisoning takes a lot longer to kill someone, though I guess a massive dose of arsenic could kill someone quicker. And while I found the twist of fate with the airport shuttle crash to be very fascinating and an interesting comment on the unsub's belief in fate, there is no way in hell the information about the shuttle bus attendance from 20 years ago would have been online for Penelope to find.

 

It was nice to see Hotch's gentle side with career day. It didn't actually feel cloying or annoying to me at all. And I had to love that little girl at the end who profiled that Jack's teacher was attracted to Hotch, and she was willing to say that in front of anyone. You have to love little kids and their lack of filter. This episode had some nice interaction between Hotch and Rossi, and that was a nice change of pace from the previous episodes this season.

 

Oh and I liked Reid's callback to season 3 "About Face" when referencing unsubs who forecast the victims' death. At least we know some of the writers have watched some of the earlier season. :)

 

So overall, I liked it, and the story kept me interested.

Edited May 1, 2014 by ForeverAlone

[normasm]

FA, Reid is a linguistics expert, and knows many languages, and, as we've seen since season 1, has frequently been tasked with building linguistic profiles.

[Wilowy]

Righto, that's why some were complaining at first when Blake was brought in, as it was perceived she'd steal some of Reid's thunder. Instead, we got an agent who collaborates as well as makes her own contributions, and who is liked by most everyone. 

ForeverAlone said:

 

 

Oh and I liked Reid's callback to season 3 "About Face" when referencing unsubs who forecast the victims' death. At least we know some of the writers have watched some of the earlier season. :)

This.

Despite his reputation in the fandom as a bad writer, Bruce is showing us here that he can write well. A mystery writer long before he came to CM, he's been (coincidentally, it turns out) on Harry's last three shows. He also wrote The Road Home this season, which I liked, but not to this degree. I still haven't forgiven him for Perennials, but Fatal went a long way in elevating his skill in my eyes.  

 

Did y'all know every writer gets a 'producer' credit? It's in their guild contracts. 

[ForeverAlone]

Reid has knowledge of psycho linguistics, so he can analyze language patterns, but he was not a master of speaking languages, which is a different skillset. Elle called him out for his Spanish, and he didn't know Russian in Honor Among Thieves. He didn't know Arabic in Lessons Learned. Emily was the one who could actually speak languages, not Reid. 

Edited May 1, 2014 by ForeverAlone

[Wilowy]

Right but he did know Russian well enough to invite Em to Solaris (in the original Russian), and he offered to 'whisper translate' Chinese for JJ.

 

I think the writers are all over the place on his skill level with this. If a Reid Ex Machina is needed, they aren't above using it. 

[Lebanna]

I definitely think that at first Reid was only an expert in the English language.

 

But Reid started mentioning having at least some passive skills in a few languages (being able to listen and read, but not speak much), watching Russian and French movies etc, in about season 5 (?).

 

This actually makes sense and is realistic, as he would be able to teach himself those skills quickly by listening to audio books (which we know he loves) in combination with versions of the same book in English and the other language. Add in some DVDs with subtitles to learn colloquial expressions and an exceptional memory, and this would be completely possible.

 

He possibly would only be able to say a couple of expressions in each language, as passive and active skills and often not anywhere near the same level even in your native language.

 

Don't get me started on speed reading War and Peace, though. Speed reading just doesn't work for novels if you are trying to enjoy them and not just look for information. 

Edited May 1, 2014 by Lebanna

[Wilowy]

Aaaand I was just typing something similar when you chimed in - hello Lebanna! 

 

It is totally believable to me that he's 'picked up' languages, or even made a concerted effort to learn them along the way.

[ForeverAlone]

Yeah, I'm just saying speaking languages was definitely not one of Reid's specialties at the start of the series. There was no real explanation of him making a concerted effort to learn languages along the way, because then that would be more understandable. It is a skill that just magically appeared, like the later writers (starting with season six) forgot that languages was not actually a Reid specialty, and wanted to really make him an expert at everything, even though he wasn't truly an expert at everything. And I find it rather unbelievable that Reid would make the effort to become fluent in Korean, but that is just me. 

[Wilowy]

Korean! Not Chinese... but maybe he knows that too by now. ;)

 

I dunno, the osmosis thing is possible I guess, but we aren't privy to what he reads when he goes home at night. 

[Lebanna]

Hi Willowy! 

 

I seriously doubt Reid would learn languages to chat to new people or because he has a burning passion to travel. I don't think he'd take a class. As I say, I don't even think he would learn 'speak' the language, as such. But being able to get his hands on books fresh off the press which won't be translated for months or indie/art house movies which may never even be subtitled in English? That seems reasonable.

 

Or just learning them to keep his brain busy, or because it used to be seen as part of a well rounded education.

 

It may have been a mistake on the part of the writers, but I just don't feel it was a particularly egregious one.

Edited May 1, 2014 by Lebanna

[JMO]

Even CM can't keep me awake some nights.  I haven't seen the episode yet, but chanced a peek here to get a sense of whether it would be worthwhile watching.  (Except for the Reid scenes.  I always watch them.) 

 

Anyway, I just wanted to comment on the language issue.  My guess is that, if Reid were a real person, he would have become expert at languages so he could read journal articles in their original context.  The science geek in him would have found it necessary, for the sake of precision.  That he would expand his use of the languages to cover literature and film would be a natural progression for our resident genius. 

 

As to whether he would read War and Peace in Russian while they were actively investigating a case....no. 

[ForeverAlone]

Speed reading War and Peace in the original Russian no less. I don't think so. :) :) :)

[Wilowy]

Ha ha! Agreed it seems improbable - but how do we know? Also Reid isn't a liar, so at least within the show's world, he did in fact do it. 

[IndependentMind]

They don't have Emily to translate and since fans have complained about JJ beung all Superwoman and some fans didn't react well to her speaking Spanish in Season 7, it had to be Reid who can speak or understand Korean.

Can you imagine the uproar if it was JJ?

[legaleagle53]

If I may get back to the episode (this is my first and only time watching the show, so I really couldn't care less about the history of Reid's alleged linguistic prowess, or the lack thereof), I do have a few questions.

 

First, let me see if I understand this.  The Serial Killer of the Week decides the Fates favored him because he survived a mountain-climbing incident (despite being unfairly laden with a boatload of survivor's guilt because he was blamed for the incident in the first place), so he's obviously the Chosen One of the Fates, and it was his destiny to live in Greece so he could commune with them. Then he somehow got screwed out of that opportunity 20 years ago (and by the way, I don't buy for a minute that that airport shuttle actually crashed -- even 20 years ago, that sort of incident would have been all over the media, so there's no way he wouldn't have known about it at the time) -- exactly how did he get screwed out of it?  I couldn't follow the conversation with his boss at all.

 

So fast forward to 2014.  He gets diagnosed with cancer (apparently because he worked in an asbestos factory for 20 years) and is told that he only has a few months to live.  So now the Fates have fucked him over again by denying him the opportunity to live out his life in Greece.  So as a "Fuck you!" to the Fates, he assigns himself their role and begins killing innocent strangers whom he just happens to see lined up in a coffee shop, simply because they're getting to go about their lives and make plans for the future, which he is now denied the ability to do (the lone exception to his victim list being his boss, who was the one who somehow screwed him over 20 years ago)? Is that it in a nutshell?

 

And then there were a few other gaps that I need to have filled in.  How were the cops able to get hold of his medical records online so easily?  HIPPAA regulations would have forbidden such easy, immediate access to them.  And how was he able to track down his victims and learn their identities and habits so easily?

 

Yeah, I tried this show, and it's not for me.  I just wish I could have an easier time making sense of the episode.

[normasm]

One can be a psycholinguistics expert without being able to speak any language but their native one. Psycholiguistics has to do with cognitive processes, sussing out how people use grammar and choose words, etc. to communicate. Blake and Reid psycholinguistically analyze messages in English, for the most part. It has nothing to do with knowing how to speak a foreign language.

[zannej]

They started saying that Reid could read other languages in season 5 when he said that he didn't read much in English-- I believe it was the episode with Gwen Stefani's husband... In that one he was just "off" and it was clear the writers didn't know how to write for him because he had a personality change and I think Matthew was still on painkillers at that time.

 

I agree that Reid probably started learning to read other languages to understand technical manuals as well to read some literature in the original language. 

 

He likely would not be able to learn to hear Mandarin or Cantonese because there are inflections in the languages that people lose the ability to even hear if they haven't been exposed to the language from a very young age. I also agree that its possible to be able to understand another language without being able to pronounce the words.

 

legaleagle53, in earlier seasons it used to be harder for them to get certain information on computer but at some point the writers gave up on that and they just started having Garcia hack the records all the time. A lot of doctor's offices are now keeping patient records on the internet. I'd love to see them try to access mine since they were lost multiple times. 

 

As far as I know, a person who is not in law enforcement can't just go in to the DMV and get someone's address based on their license plate number. I think even the police are not allowed to give that info to someone who is not in law enforcement. A cop can actually get in serious trouble for giving out that info.

 

I had to go to a funeral and was hanging out at a friend's house and was going to watch CM at her house, but it took longer at the pharmacy than I'd expected and my friend's wife couldn't find the station it was on until about 20 minutes in. Then I got called home because my mother was hungry and I had to go make her dinner. By the time that was done the episode was almost over.

 

I pretty much only saw the scene where Reid was watching a video in FF mode, JJ and Morgan apprehending the knownsub, and Hotch giving a profiling example to the kids.

 

The kid who plays Jack has vastly improved his line delivery now, but there is still something about him that bugs me and I can't quite put my finger on it. I liked that the teacher had a crush on Hotch and that he found it amusing.

 

Honestly, that was really how I imagined Hotch finding a girlfriend. I could see him hooking up with a teacher and I thought that teacher was pretty. If not a teacher, maybe a widowed or divorced soccer mom or something. Someone that could meet Hotch in a setting that makes sense.

 

I'm glad that the kids weren't overly cutesy and that it sounded more like stuff kids would say. 

[ForeverAlone]

They don't have Emily to translate and since fans have complained about JJ beung all Superwoman and some fans didn't react well to her speaking Spanish in Season 7, it had to be Reid who can speak or understand Korean.

Can you imagine the uproar if it was JJ?

Yeah, but Reid being fluent in Korean was not some plot point, but a throw away line at the end of The Road Home. It just made me look at them like ,"Seriously? Reid is fluent in Korean? Yeah right...." It stuck out at me, because now I am supposed to believe that a guy who wasn't proficient in languages at the start of the series now knows enough Korean to translate an entire movie?

Zannej, I don't consider almost anything that Reid said in "The Performer" to be canon since it completely contradicted canon Reid. That writer clearly had no idea what to write for Reid, and went with her own idea of eccentric genius.

[JMO]

I remember Reid struggling with Spanish early in the series, but it was his pronunciation that was giving him trouble, not his vocabulary.  That's what Elle corrected.  So, to speak with a witness or unsub, it's not surprising they'd draw upon the skills of someone experienced in using the language on an every day basis (someone like Emily, who lived in many countries around the world).  But I don't think that means he wasn't an expert in languages. 

 

I agree that the Korean line was a throwaway---for unknown and poorly exploited reasons---but it wouldn't be all that surprising. South Korea is a current leader in the world of science, which is Reid's home planet.

[Lebanna]

I just watched that episode last week (season 1, Machismo). Elle corrected his pronunciation, but also Reid didn't know the difference between casa and caseta, though he denied it. It was clear he hadn't learned more than basic Spanish. 

Edited May 1, 2014 by Lebanna

[Wilowy]

To quote skeevoid rat-bastard Wm Reid: "I stopped being surprised by Spencer's mind a long time ago."

 

I just don't find it out of the realm of possibility that he could learn even multiple languages in the span of eight years, or even four. Hell, some regular folks learn a language in a few months. 

[missmycat]

Here are the ratings for this episode.

 

2.2/6(demo) 

10.30(million viewers)

 

Another season low for CM, but to be fair it is not the only CBS drama or show in general that has seen season low ratings.

It was still Wednesday night's most watched show. And demo wise it is on track to become CBS's #2 drama of the week.

Edited May 1, 2014 by missmycat

[IndependentMind]

If Reid did indeed speak or understood Russian, why was it that in thst episode with Emily's mother, he couldn't translate what the mother was saying? And why did they need a translator to

come? Emily did admit she not all that good in Russia.

Then in Season 6, Reid invites Emily to watch a movie in Russian during the Doyle arc Hmmm.

I know there were some inconsistencies before with Ed but it was never this bad. It is like EM or her writers just come up with stuff out of their arses.

[Lebanna]

The episode with the Russians was in season 2 and the Russian movie was in season 6.

 

As Willowy said before, if they do their homework, a person of normal intelligence can learn to understand a Russian movie in four years or fewer. Yes, as character deveolpment, the writers probably pulled it out of an orifice. But it's just not actually inconsistent with what a person like Reid could do.

 

Personally, I'm just relieved that, language-wise this show has not reached the ridiculousness of something like NCIS:LA, where all the characters suposedly speak everything fluently, and they make the actors pretend to speak everything from Welsh to Pashto

on-screen and ear bleedingly badly. It could be worse!

Edited May 2, 2014 by Lebanna

[mstaken]

I know there were some inconsistencies before with Ed but it was never this bad.

 

I really don't see Reid knowing another language as a bad inconsistency at all. 

 

It's funny, because I find myself getting hung up on tiny nitpicks when I don't find the episode really engaging and enjoyable overall. There are a few things about last night's episodes that definitely require some handwaving and minor suspension of disbelief for me---mostly having to do NotKevin's original ill-fated trip to Greece---but on the whole I liked the episode too much to care. 

[zannej]

My father was a genius and he was able to learn some languages in a year or less. Some people just have an aptitude for it. Since Reid has an eidetic memory it is not inconceivable that he could read books about learning other languages and memorize the words and then visualize them and be able to understand the language when it was being spoken. Even though he already has numerous skills, I would love it if they made it so he could read lips as well (partially because one of my favorite comic book characters could read lips). It would make sense that he could memorize the movements if he concentrated and that he would be able to have an idea of what was being said.

 

I'm going to have to watch the whole episode later.

[Wilowy]

Review's up!

 

http://criminalmindsfans.com/review-criminal-minds-episode-9x22-fatal/

[IndependentMind]

I thought it was interesting that Jack's teacher has a crush on Hotch. She seems like a more interesting match than Beth. But she looks eerily like Beth.

[Wilowy]

She was new, too. Which makes sense because the teacher that Hotch had a conference with before was seasons ago and Jack has (hopefully) progressed in grade. 

 

Speaking of Jack, I wanted to say earlier that his slurred delivery never really bothered me because I remember Haley coming to Hotch's office when he'd missed Jack's doc appointment one time and Hotch says "I'm so sorry, how is he?" and Haley says "He has a condition, but he'll be fine."

 

I always took that to mean maybe he had a learning disability or a speech impediment. Still, it seems he's been working through it because he was fine in Fatal. 

[mstaken]

I actually didn't form a very strong impression of the teacher other than that she seemed pleasant, smiley and amiable. Much like the much-hated (though not hated by me!) Beth, in fact. 

ETA: Great review, Willowy! 

[Wilowy]

Muchas gracias, mi amiga. 

 

And agreed, she was reminiscent of Beth, though she seemed... younger? I wonder if they will go somewhere with that. Hotch isn't a philanderer, but neither is he married to Beth. 

 

Actually come to think of it, they probably will stay away from relationship issues with Aaron, considering Thomas's real-life difficulties in that area. 

[IndependentMind]

Be careful Willowy, there might be some rabid TG fans out there that ready to pounce because they are in denial about his personal problems:):):)

I hope that Beth stay non-existent.

Its weird how much praises BY get from her role in "Scandal" but on CM she is like a wallpaper. You really don't care about her.

Edited May 2, 2014 by IndependentMind

[zannej]

I saw clips of Bellamy Young on Scandal and thought she was absolutely awful.

 

Willowy, I never thought of the "condition" thing as having to do with any learning disability or speech impediment, so that is something to consider. Although the last teacher said the kid was doing great in school. Granted I haven't spent much time around children so I don't know what is considered "normal". The only kid I'm around on a regular basis is a 4-year-old with ADHD who is failing pre-school and he seems somewhat quicker than Jack. I think someone pointed out that the kid who plays Jack keeps looking off-camera as if to receive a cue or something. But, this time around he at least sounded more natural when he spoke.

 

I do feel badly for Thomas on some of the stuff that was going on in his personal life and then I heard someone on Twitter was threatening his family. Some people just have no boundaries.

 

I'm hoping that I'll be able to see this episode in full sometime this week.

[Wilowy]

Pounce, huh? Should I be skeered? ;)

 

Poor guy, I did feel sorry for him, and us. Whatever did go down caused him to leave social media entirely, and that's a loss for us. 

[IndependentMind]

I do think and I hope people don't take offense that he put himself in the situation by getting involved or communicating with fans. Having a personal communication with the woman. It also didnt help that prior to that he had a DUI where he ran over barricades when he was told the streets were closed. Celebrities should be careful.

Back to the episode it is so weird that the woman who could be a potential love interest if EM decides to break up Hotch and Beth is another brunette

Edited May 3, 2014 by IndependentMind

[Wilowy]

Think maybe we're jumping the gun a bit re: the teacher, though curious as to why a brunette is weird?

[IndependentMind]

Well they can't seem to get BY back on CM since she is too busy.

[legaleagle53]

Speaking of the topic -- er, I mean, the episode, I still haven't been able to get what it was that the UnSub was supposed to have figured out about the aborted trip to Greece 20 years ago (and no, I don't mean the alleged shuttle crash!).  Was anyone able to follow what his boss said to him?  I missed half of the dialogue in that scene because the actor spoke too softly, too fast, and not clearly enough for me to get it (one of my biggest pet peeves, incidentally!).

[zannej]

I believe the DUI actually happened AFTER the catphishing. IIRC, it was around the time that Thomas found out that he was being played. Some have speculated that the drinking may have had something to do with the stress from that situation. Also, according to some sources, Thomas didn't actually run over any barricades. What I heard on it was that one of the cops told him that he could drive through since his home was very near by and the marathon was technically supposed to be over at that hour-- but there was a miscommunication with the cops further in and he got pulled over. Not sure which version comes closer to the truth.

 

In the video he was clearly confused about why he was being arrested.

 

Willowy, I think they are saying that the woman was another brunette because Erica is a brunette and Beth has some strong similarities to Erica-- making it seem as if its a bit of wish fulfillment on Erica's part in some ways. It reminds me of in the comic books when Devin Grayson wrote a horrible Mary Sue character and the character was designed to look like Devin (only slimmer and prettier (but it was the same haircut, hair color, and eye color).

 

legaleagle53, I think that the guy felt it was his fate to go to Greece and someone said that he missed the flight because the boss got him drunk or something like that. I'm not sure what else... That part was rather fast.

[ForeverAlone]

The unsub was supposed to have figured out that his boss got him so drunk on purpose that he missed his shuttle ride. It wasn't an accident, but deliberate. Which is why the unsub switched focus and tried to kill him.

[legaleagle53]

Ah, thank you.  That was the missing piece of the puzzle.  Of course, that doesn't explain why it took the UnSub another 20 years to take a trip to Greece.  He couldn't have just booked another flight at some point between 1994 and 2014?

[legaleagle53]

On the other hand, if his boss was that big of a dick, I can understand the impulse to murder him.  If my own boss ever pulled a stunt like that, there would definitely be hell to pay!

[Wilowy]

A MURDER INVESTIGATION IN TEXAS WITH RELIGIOUS OVERTONES COULD PUT THE LIVES OF THE BAU IN DANGER, ON PART ONE OF THE TWO-PART NINTH SEASON FINALE OF “CRIMINAL MINDS,” WEDNESDAY, MAY 7.

 

Esai Morales Returns as BAU Section Chief Mateo Cruz

Guest Stars Include Michael Trucco as Owen McGregor and Brett Cullen as Preacher Mills

 

“Angels” – When the BAU is called to Texas to consult on the murders of prostitutes, evidence points to killings with religious overtones. But as they delve further into the investigation, the team could put their lives at risk, on part one of the two-part ninth season finale of CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, May 7 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. 

[JMO]

Finally got to watch the episode.  I agree that it was one of the best episodes of this season (I know, faint praise), and mostly because of the balance that others have noted.   I may have fallen in love with the Reid character first, but I fell in love with the show because it was one of the few in which I liked all of the characters, so I am always happy when each of them gets their moment.  I have sorely missed Reid and Morgan together, so was happy for their few scenes.  I do think they could have come up with a much more convincing 'breakfast activity' for Reid, but that's picky.  I love when he is earnest, and excited, and focused---and no one rolls their eyes about it.  And I liked the scene with JJ and Reid at the sports bar----not quite green screen, but very effective. 

 

The show portrays affection most effectively when it integrates it into the investigative story line, as it did here:  Morgan 'showing off' Reid to the cop; Hotch noting Rossi's upset at the death of the victim he'd been trying to save, and asking him if he was okay.  Far less heavy-handed than the 'family gatherings' we've seen in other episodes.  Some of those are done well, but some are cringeworthy. 

 

The last scene was cute.  TG plays well off kids, and it's nice to see the relaxed side of the character.

 

Ending on a shallow note----I do so love when Reid wears dark-on-dark.  For me, it's his best look.