S10.E04: The Itch

[formerlyfreedom]

The investigation into a series of mysterious deaths in Atlanta reveals the murders were likely committed by an UnSub with an obsessive skin disorder.

 

 

[Danielg342]

Why am I predicting more torture porn? Why?

Just when I thought we were turning things around...

[SSAHotchner]

This is the first time I don't think I'm going to watch. I've put up with a lot of gore and weirdness on CM, but I hate bugs (except for lady bugs and lightning bugs) and I just don't think I can watch this one.

[thewhiteowl]

This is the first time I don't think I'm going to watch. I've put up with a lot of gore and weirdness on CM, but I hate bugs (except for lady bugs and lightning bugs) and I just don't think I can watch this one.

 

 Totally with you on this, I won't be watching or recording this.

[zannej]

Its interesting how some people react to insects. I guess I was a bit desensitized by watching Creep Show back in the early 80s so seeing cockroaches on TV doesn't bother me. But I can't stand the sight of needles.

 

I saw the promo and the cockroaches and wasn't phased.

[normasm]

zannej, if they had been german cockroaches or those palmetto bugs, I would have been thoroughly squicked out!

 

But if someone had me in a confined spaced, immobilized, and put a bunch of sweet fuzzy kittens on me, I'd still freak out! It's the false imprisonment aspect that is horrifying, IMO. *shudders*

Edited October 19, 2014 by normasm

[zannej]

LOL. the confined space thing made me think of the Bob Newhart appearance as a shrink on Mad TV. "Stop it or I'll bury you alive in a box!" LOL.

[SSAHotchner]

I'm in SC and we have tons of Palmetto bugs. I've gotten more used to them after living here for over 19 years, but the camel crickets still freak me out. They look like huge jumping spiders.

 

 

[normasm]

I hate them things....

[Old Dog]

I don't like bugs and spiders really, really freak me out but that won't stop me watching. At the end of the day it's always the human part of the nasty that is the most disturbing for me.

[zannej]

Aww. That's a cute cricket. (Did I mention that my father took me to the Smithsoniam museums quite a bit when I was a kid and I got to hold some of the insects and see the creepy crawlies so I learned to not be afraid?)

[Watermelon]

Aww. That's a cute cricket. (Did I mention that my father took me to the Smithsoniam museums quite a bit when I was a kid and I got to hold some of the insects and see the creepy crawlies so I learned to not be afraid?)

Ha! I've taken my 2 nephews to that museum twice now and both times they've gently taken me by my and and moved me in the opposite direction.  They want NO PARTS!  There was a green armored caterpillar type thing I could have been convinced to hold but, oh well.

[normasm]

Readying myself for tonight's squick, and looking to see what sort of Reid story went to the back burner...

[missmycat]

Ouch! This episode will be going up against the World series tonight. I wonder what the ratings are going to look like tomorrow.

[Watermelon]

Well this wasn't anywhere near the level of bugs I anticipated.

 

I also greatly appreciated Garcia misunderstanding the word Reid used. A few times over the years I've heard them use names and never ask for spelling on things that clearly aren't names you'd see daily.

[normasm]

Well, that seriously bit.

[zannej]

I missed the first 15 minutes. I was wondering where Kate was because there was very little of her-- but JJ was all over the place. First she was with Reid and talking way more than she should have at the coroner's. Then she was with Rossi. I think she was walking somewhere with Hotch. I can't remember whether or not she was paired with Morgan, but I think she was. And the bit at the end when she was upset about the woman who was paranoid... I kept thinking there were numerous times when Reid would have been a better candidate to talk to people instead of JJ... I did like that Hotch got to show his perceptiveness and compassion when he was talking to Lisa. That was probably one of the highlights of the episode.

 

I admit that I am miffed that they nixxed whatever Reid angle they had so they could have JJ attempting to have some angst (but for some reason I didn't buy it). 

 

I could have done without a lot of the screentime for the unsub.

 

I did like Rossi figuring out how to get close to the guy and then he popped him in the face. LOL.

 

I think this one I could watch again so long as I FF through the JJ parts.

[normasm]

The "Rossi figuring it out" was obviously originally a Reid scene, but they copped out and cut him from anything more focused than digging the bug out of the guy's nose.

And what kind of psychology is this? Some wacko puts some spiders on you and you're cured of your delusion?

TOO MUCH JJ

[missmycat]

Totally pissed off. Now we know the really reason they dropped Reid's story line. It might have taken away from the Mary Sue's screen time.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I could have done without a lot of the screentime for the unsub.

 

I could have done without the bizarre "romance" the UnSub was having with that weird chick from the support group.

 

Ditto on too much JJ.

 

Kate's hair looked a lot better this week, though. She must have gotten a better conditioner or something.

[BooksRule]

Other than the establishing shot at the beginning, that was so not Atlanta, GA.  Not with all of those palm trees in the background and how dry-looking it was.

 

The roaches were icky, but viewable.  The spiders, on the other hand.....eeek!  (I did like how the woman was quietly--but urgently--saying 'get them off me, get them off me'.  I would have been trying to fall over in the chair hoping I would squoosh 'em--while screaming the whole time!)

Edited October 23, 2014 by BooksRule

[SSAHotchner]

I did watch, but looked away during any of the bugs or gross stuff. Still, I was itching all over throughout the episode.

 

The good: Reid was intelligent and had several lines. He looked pretty hot, too. A good bit of Hotch. Rossi got something to do. Limited Kate and Morgan.

 

The bad: BUGS!!!!!!!! Way too much JJ. And I didn't like the reaction that Reid had when he told of the woman that scratched through her scalp and into her brain. That glee didn't feel like Reid to me. It seemed more like an MGG reaction to icky/creepy stuff.

 

I will not watch this again to see anything I might have missed. Boy, is there ever a hubbub going on on FB because of them saying that morgellon's and fibromyalgia are not real physical illnesses but psychological. There's also still plenty of JLH hate even though she didn't have much to do in this ep.

[LexiconDevilOne]

NO, just no with this episode!

 

 

I'd have died the moment the bugs touched me...

[missmycat]

 

 

 

 There's also still plenty of JLH hate even though she didn't have much to do in this ep.

Bah! Those sycophants over at CM's official Facebook page were the same way about JT as they are about JLH now. From the way they carry on one would think that it had been the Alex Blake character and now the Kate Callahan character getting all this excessive amount of  screen time instead of it being the JJ character. 

Edited October 23, 2014 by missmycat

[candall]

What the hell. . .? 

 

Is it too late to catch up on Black-ish?

Edited October 23, 2014 by candall

[Knittzu]

I hate bugs, but they didn't bother me nearly as much as JJ being in almost every damn scene and doing everything once again. Why in god's name was she giving the information about the effects of withdrawal from narcotics instead of Reid, who was standing right there?? Are the lines just assigned randomly, with the stipulation that JJ gets the majority?

 

*deep breaths*

 

I did enjoy seeing more of Hotch/Reid/Rossi than we usually do. And the Hotch interview scene was really nice. It was fun to see someone with actual skills interviewing a witness.

 

What was the deal with Suri during the first scene? Suri doesn't do that. It might get a word or two wrong, but it doesn't turn "I'll be there in five minutes" into "have you started your period yet hur hur hur." Was was the point of that? The lulz?

 

I don't understand why the support group leader went to five different drugs stores to buy her diaper cream. There's no reason she couldn't have just bought all she needed at the first place. It's not like she was buying cold medication or something that raises eyebrows and make her travel to multiple locations to hide what she's doing. It's diaper cream! And speaking of those drug stores, why on earth did Hotch send Reid to check them out? Was there anything to be gained there, or were they just finding an excuse to send Reid off-camera?

 

I also don't understand why Kate and JJ were being so smug and nasty to the mentally ill woman they were interviewing. She was clearly mentally unwell and she wasn't a killer. Their whole attitude and tone seemed off to me.

[missmycat]

I hate bugs, but they didn't bother me nearly as much as JJ being in almost every damn scene and doing everything once again. Why in god's name was she giving the information about the effects of withdrawal from narcotics instead of Reid, who was standing right there?? Are the lines just assigned randomly, with the stipulation that JJ gets the majority?

 

*deep breaths*

 

I did enjoy seeing more of Hotch/Reid/Rossi than we usually do. And the Hotch interview scene was really nice. It was fun to see someone with actual skills interviewing a witness.

 

What was the deal with Suri during the first scene? Suri doesn't do that. It might get a word or two wrong, but it doesn't turn "I'll be there in five minutes" into "have you started your period yet hur hur hur." Was was the point of that? The lulz?

 

I don't understand why the support group leader went to five different drugs stores to buy her diaper cream. There's no reason she couldn't have just bought all she needed at the first place. It's not like she was buying cold medication or something that raises eyebrows and make her travel to multiple locations to hide what she's doing. It's diaper cream! And speaking of those drug stores, why on earth did Hotch send Reid to check them out? Was there anything to be gained there, or were they just finding an excuse to send Reid off-camera?

 

I also don't understand why Kate and JJ were being so smug and nasty to the mentally ill woman they were interviewing. She was clearly mentally unwell and she wasn't a killer. Their whole attitude and tone seemed off to me.

Knittzu. Some of us feel that many of these writers tend to show favoritism towards JJ as a way of sucking up to their boss Erica Messer whom we all know happens to be quite enamored with JJ.

[idiotwaltz]

Ugh, I had to forward all the scenes with the bugs because I have a deathly fear of anything with more than four legs. 

 

Things I liked: Hotch interviewing the diaper-cream hoarder. He was compassionate, there was actual profiling!!!, it was just like the old days! (I didn't get the whole "Did she make it to her third birthday?" and the picture of the (healthy-looking) toddler at the end. I thought the baby died from complications of being premature and that's why her skin was all messed up towards the end.) 

 

I also liked Rossi talking down the UNSUB and getting the spiders off the woman. I love snarky!Rossi but I also love gentle!Rossi. Just give me more Rossi. 

 

I didn't care for the case and the UNSUB and Jane didn't make me feel sympathetic towards whatever phantom illness they have, but just made me really glad no one in my life, thus far, is that crazy. 

[Danielg342]

I'm not sure where to start, so maybe I'll go with what bugged me the most.

 

(Whether or not you take that as a pun is up to you...anyhow...)

 

People whine that procedurals like CM like to treat women as pawns, since a good many of them have absolutely no agency to the story other than as a victim. Well, the first two victims in this story had absolutely no agency in the story except as victims, and, I'm sorry, I got no respect for that. Those scenes could have easily been re-written to occur off-screen (but then I guess we wouldn't have had the torture porn! *sigh*), and I have no idea why Breen Frazier decided to make the first two victims men other than "we need to victimize some men". I get that misogyny on television is an issue, but this is ridiculous.

 

Hey, procedurals- when you have a victim, be it male or female, make them characters, don't make them simply pawns. Otherwise it sounds like you're trivializing human life, and there's no place for that. I'll give Morgan credit for showing the support group leader pictures of the victims and arguing that they matter, but that doesn't do nearly enough.

 

Reid...I'm of the opinion that the show doesn't use him nearly as well as they should. Tonight I think was a perfect example. Sure, we got quite a bit of exposition from him- but it sounded like Frazier was pulling things from his rear end and sticking them in Reid's mouth, as if it makes everything credible. No, Breen, that's not how it works. Stuff needs to be organic and none of that was organic (especially when you get the information on Morgellons wrong, but I'll get to that). Furthermore, outside of Hotch profiling the support group leader, I don't think anyone on the team really made any insights other than Reid...which makes me wonder why they were even there.

 

Too much UnSub with no reason to show him...sure, Jon Abrahams (Meet The Parents) did a wonderful turn, but his scenes were largely pointless. Methinks if we had less UnSub, we might have had a more cohesive case...one that didn't require the team to pull things out of their behinds to solve.

 

...and that really bugs me...

[Danielg342]

Decided to make this a seperate post because I think it merits special attention.

 

So I looked this disease up...okay, I looked it up on Wiki, but, come on...I'm not in school anymore :p. Anyhow, Morgellons is a pretty recent phenomenon, coined by a woman by the name of Mary Leitao who thought her two-year-old son was suffering from a skin condition caused by "fibers" irritating the skin, mimicing a bug infestation. She went to numerous doctors, but none found anything wrong with her son, despite her repeated assertions (and, as it turns out, the assertions of her husband, Edward), with those same doctors saying- surprise, surprise- that she was delusional.

 

Predictably, this wasn't enough, so Leitao founds the "Morgellons Research Foundation" just so she can continue finding whatever she could find to feed her delusions...and it worked. Eventually, the MRF turned into a large Internet support group where thousands got together, shared stories and basically self-diagnosed themselves, with everyone just feeding their own delusions. It got so prevalent that even singer Joni Mitchell claimed she had the disease. Because of its prevalence, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) looked into it, as did the Mayo Clinic, and neither found any proof that the disease existed anywhere except in the patients' heads. The MRF didn't give up hope, and now its research is being conducted by Oklahoma State University.

 

I do believe the episode tried to provide lip service to the idea that it's merely a delusion, but I really don't think it went far enough. The disease is a textbook example of the perils of the Internet, where all kinds of falsehoods and delusions run rampant because it's easier to find people who will agree with you, no matter how crazy you actually are. The people with Morgellons didn't care that there wasn't a doctor who believed them- they found someone else who had the disease, and that was enough. If nothing else, the experience should be a textbook reason why we need to teach critical thinking in our schools.

 

Of course, that's another debate, and one that's not for this forum. What I do think is that this episode could have been framed a lot better. I'm thinking this could have been like "Minimal Loss" where there's a cult of Morgellons followers who all got together to raise awareness of their condition. Maybe the cult takes CDC guys hostage and douses them in bugs before releasing them back into the world, just to convince them that their disease exists. Then the BAU comes in to rescue the next CDC guy who's targetted, and talks to a more benevolent Morgellons support group to better understand the cult. Then you can have the standoff, the dramatic rescue and the happy plane ride back home.

 

Or, this could be a "kidnapping" where the blonde girl goes missing because she ran off with Abrahams' character and the team has to find her, eventually enlisting their Morgellons buddies to help facilitate their release. Not only could it allow you to deconstruct Morgellons, you can also throw in Stockholm Syndrome, and make that a wrench in the plans.

 

In other words...this didn't gave to be "torture porn" and we didn't need to have the first two victims. This could have been crafted a lot better.

[Old Dog]

The bugs and spiders were pretty much wasted as there was a complete absence of suspense with them and in the episode in general. They could have done so much more. Far too much unsub yet again. And whatever they are building up to with JJ I don't care. At all.

The only good things I came away from this with were Reid and Hotch looking yummy, Rossi having a big part to play for once and they also showed a SWAT guy at the takedown for once.

All the JJ stuff left me with a dread for what is coming next - they spent Season 9 making her Superwoman, are they now going to make Season 10 the story of the angst- ridden heroine?

[zannej]

Since I missed the first 15 minutes or so, what happened to the first victims.. I'm also wondering whether or no cockroaches actually bite. I know some of the bodies supposedly had bug bites. Was it something other than the roaches that were put on them? I'm also wondering if the unsub had those spiders in his arsenal all along or if he somehow magically got ahold of them to torment Lisa.

 

The thing that made me even sadder is that I was watching a new program called "Forever" that has Ioan Gruffudd and it has more profiling than CM does now.

[alexvillage]

 

morgellon's and fibromyalgia are not real physical illnesses but psychological.

I don't know much about Morgellons to talk about it but I know about fibromyalgia and it is very real. 

I dread when TV shows pretend to know about mental/psychological/developmental illnesses because they usually, if not always, look for input from "experts" who are not part of the group they are writing about. These "experts" give them a list of "problems" and it looks like that's all the illness/condition/identity is. I cringe when I see this because of how my life is 24/7 with people who fit one or more of such groups. TV shows hardly ever get close to be right.

 

Apparently I will watch this episode a lot in FF. Don't like bugs, hate JJ. And if I have to choose, I will watch the bugs

Edited October 23, 2014 by alexvillage

[JMO]

Looks like I'm in the minority (of one!), but I didn't mind it. Didn't love it, didn't hate it, just didn't mind it. 

Thoughts:

• Unlike most, I thought it was a very well-balanced use of the team.  Plenty of classic Reid to keep me happy, and each of the others with their moments to shine. 
• I liked that Reid was able to show both his knowledge (of the conditions) and his insight (being certain it was a delusion), and that he used both to persuade the others.  He spoke with authority, which made them listen. 
• Still wanted to reach into my screen to comb his hair!
• For the most part, they got the medicine right.  The only glaring mistake was confusing chronic Lyme for recurrent Lyme.  I thought it was pretty obvious that Reid said they were 'controversial' conditions, and not fabricated ones, which is true, so I don't know why people would take offense (with the show, anyway).
• Just FYI---all of the things Reid mentioned are actively under study.  There is consensus, but no absolutes, on anything except that people really do have the symptoms.  One day, when medicine understands better what is causing the symptoms, there will be no need for conspiracy theories.  Right now, there are some who claim to 'know' the causes, and they create most of the anguish about how it's being addressed.
• I didn't mind seeing the unsub early, because the real 'unsub' was the disease, and they needed to expose us to it.  But, like others, I could have done without quite as much time spent on it, and the support group, etc.  
• I thought the guest stars were all quite good.  Liked seeing Alicia Coppola, remembering her from AW many, many years ago.
• Bet they didn't realize how timely an exterior of the CDC would be when they filmed this episode.
• Maybe future events will prove me wrong, but I thought that the final scene with JJ and the unsub's girlfriend was more about the disease than about JJ.  I thought it was to show us that the belief would persist despite any facts uncovered by the case.  It had to be either JJ or Kate in that conversation, because of their prior interrogation of her.  Of course, JJ was the more obnoxious in that interrogation and, at the end, was feeling the heat of it from the girlfriend.  If that were to give JJ pause (I know, it won't) and think about what she lost when she moved from liaison to profiler, then it's a good thing.  (I may be feeling a fanfic coming on...)

 

So, I'm drinking my morning coffee from a Christmas mug, to see if it will put me in the mindset to knock out some Christmas cards this afternoon.  December is just waayy too busy!

[Cobalt Stargazer]

The bad: BUGS!!!!!!!! Way too much JJ. And I didn't like the reaction that Reid had when he told of the woman that scratched through her scalp and into her brain. That glee didn't feel like Reid to me. It seemed more like an MGG reaction to icky/creepy stuff.

 

I will not watch this again to see anything I might have missed. Boy, is there ever a hubbub going on on FB because of them saying that morgellon's and fibromyalgia are not real physical illnesses but psychological. There's also still plenty of JLH hate even though she didn't have much to do in this ep.

 

I didn't mind the bugs as much as some people. I watched The Mummy and The Mummy Returns with the burrowing scarabs, so cockroaches and whatnot don't phase me. What I could have done without, again, was the UnSub having this "connection" with Jane. I barely have any interest in the team's romantic lives, at least the canon ones, why on earth would I get all gooshy over some killer falling in love? The show did that before in The Thirteenth Step, and while that put the fun in dysfunctional, I don't want to see it treated seriously.

 

Also, the thing about the woman scratching through her skull says to me that someone on the writing staff has been watching House, because that's where I first heard of it happening.

 

Andplusalsosomeone else, I can believe it about the backlash on Facebook. These are probably the same people who said that depression wasn't real after Robin Williams died.

 

I knew I'd seen Alicia Coppola before. I didn't enjoy Kate and JJ basically rolling their eyes out of their heads when they interviewed her character. How is condescension part of good profiling?

 

On the plus side, Reid got to be smart for the most part, and he didn't vanish into a wormhole. Every gray cloud has a silver lining, right?

[Old Dog]

Reid was sent to the drug store about half way through  Cobalt and obviously got lost as he didn't reappear until the very end!

[Cobalt Stargazer]

*grumps*

[normasm]

Well, he had to go to the "drugstore" so that Rossi could do his scene… he did a good job, but, really, now, Rossi doing the psychological switcheroo? At least JJ didn't do the scene.

[Droogie]

I hate bugs, but they didn't bother me nearly as much as JJ being in almost every damn scene and doing everything once again. Why in god's name was she giving the information about the effects of withdrawal from narcotics instead of Reid, who was standing right there?? Are the lines just assigned randomly, with the stipulation that JJ gets the majority?.

I knew I could find this today! Good freaking grief. JJ knows all! I can't even. Although it did seem like the camera lingered on his face for an extra beat in that scene.

Honestly I don't know why I still watch the show. I've been there since the beginning -- I keep hoping against hope that I'll see some vestige of the glory that used to be CM. Overall I have liked this season well enough so far... The bugs were too much for me in this episode, though (huge phobia for me) -- there has been more of the team dynamic that I have missed in the past couple of seasons, but I find myself tallying the others' screen time compared with JJ's and she pretty much wins every time. I don't want to hate that character, but I am starting to. I almost wish they had never created a character as lovely as Reid -- at least, I wouldn't be missing something I had never seen.

Was there supposed to be a Reid story in this ep that was shelved for who-knows-what reason? I hadn't heard that. *sigh*

[Old Dog]

I suspect they took out Reid's struggles after being shot in favour of setting up things for Super JJ to have her PTSD episode(s) which is what the tweens have been clamouring for.

[Knittzu]

I also greatly appreciated Garcia misunderstanding the word Reid used. A few times over the years I've heard them use names and never ask for spelling on things that clearly aren't names you'd see daily.

 

 

I liked that too. For a moment Garcia seemed like an actual human who doesn't know everything in the universe, including the spelling of obscure medical conditions.

 

I thought it was pretty obvious that Reid said they were 'controversial' conditions, and not fabricated ones, which is true, so I don't know why people would take offense (with the show, anyway).

 

 

I caught that too -- "controversial," not fabricated. And fibromyalgia IS a controversial condition, so I don't understand why people are tantruming over that. My mother has it, and several different real-life doctors have told her that it doesn't exist and it's all in her head.

 

On the plus side, Reid got to be smart for the most part, and he didn't vanish into a wormhole.

 

 

I'm not sure if I appreciate that we knew where he was after he vanished (doing god-knows-what at a drugstore... what, profiling the check-out clerk? Chemically analyzing the brands of diaper cream she bought?) or found it extra-annoying. It's clear that the writers aren't going to stop sending him off-screen, but have decided to thumb their noses at his fans by naming the irrelevant place he's been exiled to.

 

It didn't occur to me that that last scene with JJ is the beginning of another long boring JJ story simply because we just had an entire season dedicated to her. She really is the main character now, isn't she? *sigh* I was mostly kidding when I said in another thread that she's taken over as the lead, but it seems that season ten is picking up right where we left off on the JJ-front. 

Edited October 23, 2014 by Knittzu

[JMO]

Forgot to mention above that I agree with those who thought it was bizarre that Hotch sent Reid to the drugstore.  I also thought Hotch's profiling of the group leader was a significant reach, but then, so are most of the things on this show.  Hard to fit it into 45 minutes of screen time otherwise, I guess.

 

I don't think I'm as sensitized to JJ as many are, so I can say that, absent the dropping off the of the girlfriend, I really don't think she had anything more to do than most of the others in this episode.  I also wasn't offended by her statement regarding itching being a symptom of withdrawal, since it's a widely known thing and doesn't require a former addict to announce it.  I do always find it amusing when any member of the team feels a need to state the obvious, but then, I guess they are providing exposition for the viewing audience.

 

If that final set of scenes was a set up for JJ's PTSD experience (still not convinced), then it would be in keeping with some of the outcry that's gone before.  There have been many (myself included) who thought it inconceivable that she went through her torture last year without any fallout.  Just as many have preemptively complained that they believe the show will dump it all into a single episode this year.  If the end of this episode represents foreshadowing, then I think we have to entertain the idea that the writers have been paying attention.  We don't have to believe it, but if we've been calling BS on a sudden episode of PTSD, and they decide not to make it so sudden, then I think we have to be patient.  I know it feels better to complain, either way, but that's not the way the world works.

 

The premise of the team being called in when they were was, admittedly, thin. In the past, when they had a liaison, cases were vetted a bit more before the team was sent out. Even when others on the team questioned the wisdom of it, JJ usually had a ready answer, having already done her homework,usually in consultation with Hotch.  It would be interesting to learn how the cases are being vetted now, and by whom.  Regardless, I wouldn't worry too much about the cost of sending them out in the jet---because, really, there is no jet.  Just a bunch of overworked agents who travel, economy class, from time to time.

 

As to the Reid storyline we apparently didn't see:  I remember reading that it got bumped, not erased.  Which, to me, means that we got a substantial dose of Reid in this episode, and have an even more substantial dose to look forward.  I don't see the downside.

 

 

[normasm]

The premise of the team being called in when they were was, admittedly, thin. In the past, when they had a liaison, cases were vetted a bit more before the team was sent out. Even when others on the team questioned the wisdom of it, JJ usually had a ready answer, having already done her homework,usually in consultation with Hotch.  It would be interesting to learn how the cases are being vetted now, and by whom.  

Maybe the reason they are being called out on so many improbable cases lately is that Garcia really is doing the choosing of the cases, all while keeping her eyes closed and not listening to any unpleasant noises! She just gets a pile of cases and eeny-meeny-miney-moes it!! LOL

[alexvillage]

The bugs didn't bother me too much either.

Too many loopholes in this episode, not that we are not used to them by now, but I am growing more and more annoyed, so my snark is heightened by that.

A body is dumped and not sure how many hours after there is still a bug inside the guys nose. Wouldn't the thing try to crawl out and enjoy the garbage fest around? 

Hotch looks at the woman and because he is trained to read people he knows she had a daughter. Not a *child*. A *daughter*

If you ever do something wrong and the FBI comes and talks to you, I know how to evade them: do not go shopping! because Garcia can find out where you went by asking her magic computer to check your credit cards because, obviously, everybody goes shopping, everybody uses credit cards, and your shopping list is readily uploaded to the Universal Cloud Of Garcia's Magic Computer-Friend

JJ, you might not know, but you suck as a profiler: "if he was not bound with the duct tape it was not torture". Ooooookaaaaaay. Have you ever heard of Lovaas, the Pope of Behavior analysis? He did not have to bound any kids, first the boys he wanted to cure from homosexuality, then the Autistics that he wanted to force train so hard, that they would be "cured" just because they "practiced" all day, every day. They all have PTSD and they were, in reality, tortured.

the lack of empathy from JJ and JLH (what's her name?) is staggering! Someone who is mentally ill and hallucinates, if that's the case with the girlfriend, you don't reason with them. They are not rational! you don't shame people into tell you what you want to hear, but that's not a fail in profiling, this is a failing in humanity. That scene really got to me because it was disrespectful and my blood boils.

JJ's final question: how do we help these people? Not by doing what you are doing, bitch. Not by shaming them, telling them they are faking something or that their minds is creating that, not by yelling at them and then expecting them to thank you and be grateful you are in their lives. A real disease or a creation of the mind, the feelings are real and the pain and fear are too. So much lack of respect and empathy.

And yes, I know, it is just a show but, as I said, mental illness, and disabilities in general, when portrayed on TV and the media way too often cause real harm to people who live disabled every day. Real stories of copycat killings because disabled lives are not valued and because the media spins this idea. 

[normasm]

JJ, you might not know, but you suck as a profiler: "if he was not bound with the duct tape it was not torture". Ooooookaaaaaay. Have you ever heard of Lovaas, the Pope of Behavior analysis? He did not have to bound any kids, first the boys he wanted to cure from homosexuality, then the Autistics that he wanted to force train so hard, that they would be "cured" just because they "practiced" all day, every day. They all have PTSD and they were, in reality, tortured.

the lack of empathy from JJ and JLH (what's her name?) is staggering! Someone who is mentally ill and hallucinates, if that's the case with the girlfriend, you don't reason with them. They are not rational! you don't shame people into tell you what you want to hear, but that's not a fail in profiling, this is a failing in humanity. That scene really got to me because it was disrespectful and my blood boils.

JJ's final question: how do we help these people? Not by doing what you are doing, bitch. Not by shaming them, telling them they are faking something or that their minds is creating that, not by yelling at them and then expecting them to thank you and be grateful you are in their lives. A real disease or a creation of the mind, the feelings are real and the pain and fear are too. So much lack of respect and empathy.

 

This so, so much! Hell, I have PTSD from something that happened to my sister 200 miles away from me 20 years ago! I didn't catch her saying that line but, yeah, that sounds like something they'd have JJ say. And JJ and Kate just baiting that sick girl… disgusting.

[missmycat]

The bugs didn't bother me too much either.

Too many loopholes in this episode, not that we are not used to them by now, but I am growing more and more annoyed, so my snark is heightened by that.

A body is dumped and not sure how many hours after there is still a bug inside the guys nose. Wouldn't the thing try to crawl out and enjoy the garbage fest around? 

Hotch looks at the woman and because he is trained to read people he knows she had a daughter. Not a *child*. A *daughter*

If you ever do something wrong and the FBI comes and talks to you, I know how to evade them: do not go shopping! because Garcia can find out where you went by asking her magic computer to check your credit cards because, obviously, everybody goes shopping, everybody uses credit cards, and your shopping list is readily uploaded to the Universal Cloud Of Garcia's Magic Computer-Friend

JJ, you might not know, but you suck as a profiler: "if he was not bound with the duct tape it was not torture". Ooooookaaaaaay. Have you ever heard of Lovaas, the Pope of Behavior analysis? He did not have to bound any kids, first the boys he wanted to cure from homosexuality, then the Autistics that he wanted to force train so hard, that they would be "cured" just because they "practiced" all day, every day. They all have PTSD and they were, in reality, tortured.

the lack of empathy from JJ and JLH (what's her name?) is staggering! Someone who is mentally ill and hallucinates, if that's the case with the girlfriend, you don't reason with them. They are not rational! you don't shame people into tell you what you want to hear, but that's not a fail in profiling, this is a failing in humanity. That scene really got to me because it was disrespectful and my blood boils.

JJ's final question: how do we help these people? Not by doing what you are doing, bitch. Not by shaming them, telling them they are faking something or that their minds is creating that, not by yelling at them and then expecting them to thank you and be grateful you are in their lives. A real disease or a creation of the mind, the feelings are real and the pain and fear are too. So much lack of respect and empathy.

And yes, I know, it is just a show but, as I said, mental illness, and disabilities in general, when portrayed on TV and the media way too often cause real harm to people who live disabled every day. Real stories of copycat killings because disabled lives are not valued and because the media spins this idea. 

Now compare that to the way Reid handled the mental ill unsub Samantha in the episode " The Uncanny Valley". All I can say shame on Breen Frazier and shame on Erica Messer, but I guess in their eyes EM's "Golden Girl" can do no wrong.

[Knittzu]

JJ's final question: how do we help these people? Not by doing what you are doing, bitch. Not by shaming them, telling them they are faking something or that their minds is creating that, not by yelling at them and then expecting them to thank you and be grateful you are in their lives. A real disease or a creation of the mind, the feelings are real and the pain and fear are too. So much lack of respect and empathy.

 

 

A thousand times this. JJ and Kate's nasty interrogation of that poor woman was one of the most infuriating things I've seen on this show. JJ then turning around and throwing a pity-party for herself at the end was mind-boggling. 

[JMO]

 

the lack of empathy from JJ and JLH (what's her name?) is staggering! Someone who is mentally ill and hallucinates, if that's the case with the girlfriend, you don't reason with them. They are not rational! you don't shame people into tell you what you want to hear, but that's not a fail in profiling, this is a failing in humanity. That scene really got to me because it was disrespectful and my blood boils.

 

I didn't get the point of that approach, either.  In my own job, I often have to get people to tell me things they'd rather not tell.  I always read body language, but I don't challenge them about it.  I just act as though they've actually said 'yes', and move on to the next question.  I get what I need to know, and they don't have to feel bad about it.  I wondered if the writer was just trying to make the point for the uninitiated viewer----which would, for me, be emblematic of what I miss about this show.  It used to be that they didn't feel a need to spell it out for me.  They thought I was intelligent enough to get it, or that I'd bother to look it up.  Sometimes I wonder if this kind of thing is evidence of them purposely writing to a new demographic in their audience.

 

 

Now compare that to the way Reid handled the mental ill unsub Samantha in the episode " The Uncanny Valley". All I can say shame on Breen Frazier and shame on Erica Messer, but I guess in their eyes EM's "Golden Girl" can do no wrong.

 

 Well, JJ didn't actually 'do' anything, because she's not real, like BF and EM are.  But I get what you mean.  I don't condone the behavior, because I think there was a better way.  But I also recognize that Reid was talking to their actual unsub (in The Uncanny Valley), so there was no danger of her killing again while he was doing so. JJ and Kate, on the other hand, were trying to get the girlfriend to lead them to the unsub before he could kill again.  I guess, if I was the one tied to the chair, I might not have minded whatever approach they'd taken. 

 

Rossi was very Reid-like in his approach to the actual unsub in this case, which was kind of inspiring.  Maybe he's learned something from the young 'un along the way.  (feeling another attack of fanfic--resisting, resisting!)

[amensisterfriend]

[Rant about JJ taken to her thread!]

 

Unnecessarily heavy focus on JJ aside, I thought this episode was okay. It's not one I'm eager to rewatch, but nor was it one that forced me to question why the hell I bother to still watch this show, so that in and of itself elevates it above many episodes from these later seasons :) 

 

As others noted, seeing Hotch do some actual profiling in his stern yet sneakily compassionate Hotch-esque way was a treat, though I agree with whomever pointed out that his knowing with such certainty the group leader's child had died as a baby seemed a bit of a stretch.

 

I generally like Kate so far and want to keep on feeling that way, which apparently means that the writers need to put her in scenes with characters other than JJ, because that scene where she and JJ were so weirdly snotty and judgmental towards the mentally ill woman made me cringe and worry again about how this show writes its female characters. 

 

I can't even pretend this was a 'good' episode, but as is true of nearly every episode so far this season, I was mildly to moderately engaged. (This alone puts it above S8 and  S9 for me so far!) And I enjoyed getting to see Reid, Hotch and Rossi because...well, because I always enjoy getting to see Reid, Hotch and Rossi. Have I mentioned that my bar for recent seasons of this show has been set awfully low?! 

Rossi was very Reid-like in his approach to the actual unsub in this case, which was kind of inspiring.  Maybe he's learned something from the young 'un along the way.  (feeling another attack of fanfic--resisting, resisting!)

 

Can I beg you NOT to resist?! A fanfic centered around Reid and Rossi, albeit not in a romantic and 'shippy way, would pretty much make my entire month :) 

[BooksRule]

I also greatly appreciated Garcia misunderstanding the word Reid used. A few times over the years I've heard them use names and never ask for spelling on things that clearly aren't names you'd see daily.

 

I like this too.  It always bugged me when they would throw an uncommon name at Garcia and she wouldn't ask how to spell it (or even common names such as Steven vs. Stephen).  I remember the episode with the guy who had the disorder where he thought that his family had been replaced by impostors because he couldn't recognize their faces and turned to killing them.  I kept wondering what 'crabgrass syndrome' was and didn't know until I googled it that is was actually 'capgras syndrome'.