S10.E06: If The Shoe Fits

[formerlyfreedom]

The BAU is stumped to find the common denominator among male victims in Montana, making in difficult to profile the UnSub. JJ confronts her feelings about her sister's tragic death.

 

 

[zannej]

Saw the promo vid.. Why oh why do they have to show the unsub in the promos? Can't they show shots without actually revealing who it is? *sigh*

 

I really want to find out which publicist person is responsible for putting these promos together so I can explain that to them... and maybe slap them upside the head with a trout... (anyone remember that from IRC?)

[ForeverAlone]

Yeah I know. I felt like I had practically seen the entire episode from the promo alone. :(

[idiotwaltz]

I didn't even bother looking for the promo; I'm dreading this episode based on the description alone. More JJ angst! More male victims! 

[spinner33]

This episode is an obvious ploy to garner sympathy for JJ.  It makes me sick.  Dredging up her sister's suicide, which happened roughly 25 or 30 years ago?  Who the hell cares?  No matter how many crocodile tears JJ weeps, it's not going to make that snotty, eye-rolling mean girl likable again.  It's much too late to try and make people sympathize with a character that isn't even human anymore.  

 

They've spent three years making JJ 2.0 the baddest bad-ass in the history of bad-assery.  Emphasizing that she's tough and mean and harder than hard.  Putting down the fans who don't like JJ 2.0, and putting down the character she was before as being too soft and a push-over?  We petitioned to bring back nice-JJ, and got bitch-JJ instead.  The talented half of the cast is invisible so AJ can be front and center all the time now?  How many posters on this board and others talk about how they fast-forward through JJ scenes?  Or put her on mute?  Or don't even watch the episode if it's centered around JJ? Or turn the channel when she comes on? 

 

Dude, seriously, there's no redeeming a character that makes people turn the channel, and there's really no redeeming someone who makes them stop watching the show altogether.   

[Danielg342]

I didn't even bother looking for the promo; I'm dreading this episode based on the description alone. More JJ angst! More male victims!

Yeah, but hooray for less misogyny on TV, right!...?

*groan*

I begin to wonder if that was a stipulation on Jennifer Love Hewitt's contract- the show “must not feature female victims week in week out” because I can't remember a string of cases quite like this. I also fear that it'll drag on to at least the New Year, based on the episode descriptions I've been reading.

*shudder*

Okay, CM, I get it...you've proven your point that you're inclusive by having disposable male victims, thinking that by making disposable victims the same gender as me that I'll understand how women feel about disposable female victims. Never mind that I hated it when the show used disposable female victims in the past. Never mind that, in virtually every case with omnivores there was only two cases- “Big Sea” and “A Real Rain”- where the “rescued victim” was a male, meaning the show only felt it was necessary to save females. Never mind that CM crafted- or had crafted- its males to be positive role models, never letting them fall into toxic stereotypes that derail other characterizations. Heck, never mind that, once before, there was a time when CM actually cared about the victims and didn't just use them to show how “depraved” the UnSub was.

Yeah...whatever happened to that show? You know, the one that was about profiling and getting to know the victims and understanding just why the UnSub picked the targets they picked, complete with nice social commentary about how males targetted females for a fake sense of superiority? Whatever happened to that show? Can the studio that's kidnapped the CM cast and badged its filth as CM please return the cast to their rightful studio so I can have the real show for once?

There may be one solace to all this- the ratings are in the tank, so I can't suspect CBS is at all happy about this. Hopefully the New Year will bring me victims- from either gender- that I'll care about, whose priorities are not imbalanced, though I may be asking for too much at this stage.

[idiotwaltz]

 

Dredging up her sister's suicide, which happened roughly 25 or 30 years ago?  Who the hell cares?

 

I would care more if they haven't already done 2 to 3 episodes on her sister's suicide ALREADY. How many more do we need?

 

 

I can't remember a string of cases quite like this.

 

I don't, either. The show has had male AND female victims in the past and we've already discussed to death that, yes, in reality most victims of serial killers are female, etc. etc.. What irritates me is that this case pattern is so obviously contrived for the sake of appearing "less misogynistic." Like the writers are patting themselves on the back. It's ridiculous.

[Knittzu]

Looks like the perfect storm of uuuurrrrrggghhh: Another female serial killer *sigh*, a female serial killer who is tiny yet able to physically overpower male victims *sigh*, the unsub's identiy revealed from the start... and on top of everything, it's JJ-centric? Do I at least get a bingo for that? Oh and no doubt the reason we already know who the unsub is is that she will be super-simple to catch, leaving lots of time for Mary Sue's angst-fest! 

 

I better restock the bourbon supply before this comes down the pipe.

[alexvillage]

I don't mind seeing the unsub early on, I do mind not having any actual profiling. 

 

So, we need a JJ deals with her sister death - again. The only reason we need that is because we need to be reminded that she actually is a human being, despite the superpowers. So we get to see her crying and "suffering". 

It will not work, because she will probably overpower everyone, find out who the unsub is and the reasons, capture the unsub and emerge stronger and better for the whole ordeal. Her light is going to shine on everyone and the world will be a better place because she, once again, will show how amazing she is.

 

Don't worry, we will be fine - unless we decide to play a drinking game of "JJ is on again!" then there will be a lot of alcoholic comas reported.

[zannej]

If they are going to have a female unsub, I'd rather the victims be female. There are some pretty catty girls out there and they often get mad at other women. Some of the cruelest acts from female perpetrators have been against other girls. Look at the case of Shanda Sharer (I think that is the right spelling). A group of teen girls kidnapped her, tortured her, drove around with her in the trunk of a car, and then burned her alive. 

 

And there have been other cases of teenage girls killing other girls-- some even get other friends to help.

 

Does this mean I want to see a whole string of teenage girls killing people? No. But I want it to at least make sense.

 

And I agree that the suicide sister angle is already played out for JJ. I can't think of what would trigger it again. 

[normasm]

Boy, howdy, zannej. You said a mouthful.

[SSAHotchner]

I would care more if they haven't already done 2 to 3 episodes on her sister's suicide ALREADY. How many more do we need?

 

 

I don't, either. The show has had male AND female victims in the past and we've already discussed to death that, yes, in reality most victims of serial killers are female, etc. etc.. What irritates me is that this case pattern is so obviously contrived for the sake of appearing "less misogynistic." Like the writers are patting themselves on the back. It's ridiculous.

These writers pat themselves on the back no matter what kind of crap they turn out. Then they get all P.O.d when the viewers point out the flaws.

[Old Dog]

I really hate that I am pre-judging tonight's episode but I am geared up to break open the Christmas Sloe Gin early to get me through it! I am so sick of the JJ overload. And if Reid goes missing part way through again I will probably need the whole bottle!

Edited November 5, 2014 by Old Dog

[normasm]

Don't think this qualifies as a spoiler since they released it, but if you don't want to be spoiled...

 

http://tvline.com/2014/11/05/criminal-minds-season-10-video-jjs-mother-sister-suicide/

[Old Dog]

Oh dear. Where's that bottle - I think I need to open it already. This looks like another trip into Days of Our Criminal Lives.

Edited November 5, 2014 by Old Dog

[alexvillage]

Hey, maybe they will make JJ so powerful she will be able to go back in time and save her sister, making it all better! 

 

I am full of snark/anger today

[zannej]

I'm calling it now! This will be one big public service announcement about the dangers of depression and how we should talk to our kids about depression. There will probably be a "CBS Cares" ad at the end of or during the episode with AJ Cook and/or Kirsten Vangsness talking about how depression is a serious issue and that if you are depressed, talk to someone and seek help.

 

The dialog will be ripped straight from an afterschool special to discuss it in such a stilted manner that it makes me think I'm watching one of those poorly done ads for term life insurance. Sometimes the writing gets such a "tone" that you can tell it is more "put on" or "showy" instead of sounding like legitimate conversation.

 

In the end, JJ will tell Henry about how his aunt was very sad and she died and that if he ever feels very sad that he can talk to her about it. Then she'll kiss him good night I will barf.

 

I'm sure there will be discussion on the tropes brought up with someone saying "there are always signs!" and other stuff that has been in the discussions lately. 

 

I wonder if the case will take a back seat to JJ's drama.

 

I also noticed from the promo that JJ figures out what the murder weapon was. I'm sure Reid will be suggesting ice pick or be made to look dumb.

 

*sigh*

 

Ok, I'm still going to give it a chance...

[normasm]

OK, I'll be the first to say I liked it, on the whole. JJ just didn't know everything (although I was screaming about Cinderella early on, and think Reid would have picked up the signs before JJ). Still, it was a plausible cautionary tale, from the profilers's POV. The unsub was ridiculous, but I loved the way Reid took her down(!)

All in all, if I thought this was JJ's only centric episode this season, I would be pleased with this one. Overall good balance, lots of (guesswork) profiling, nice bits for everyone and a good LEO.

And, as I've said before, it makes sense that JJ, at a vulnerable age when her sister died, would have internalized the trauma, and it is plausible to me that she would still feel it, and would still want to protect Henry from the pain.

[zannej]

OK. I was very wrong. I was somewhat pleasantly surprised, although I think there was too much unsub and the profiling was weak. It was all over the place and they had to rely on Garcia's magical computer. I didn't like how the team was all divided up instead of together brainstorming. JJ was still far too prominent for my tastes, but each team member had more to do. I like how Kate thought of the dry cleaner when she spilled coffee on her shirt. Sure, that was predictable, but it worked for me.

 

Seems like the theme was to not mislead children with fairy tales. I still think they could have delved much deeper into the psychology of what made the girl latch on to the fantasy world and what the initial stressor was. Why did she not date until then? 

 

I don't like how they had Reid play a bit dumber. I noticed when giving the profile he had very little to say. I wish he'd made more connections instead of JJ because his mother read to him and was a professor in literature. I think he might have seen some of the connections. I did like how Kate tricked the pre-law student. I noticed that she said "what if I told you that one of these girls was 2 months shy of 18" (or something like that). Now, she didn't say that actually *was* the case, but it was enough of a bluff to get the guy to spill. I thought the actor there did a good job of acting like he was going to puke, although I'm not clear on exactly why-- other than just fear. 

 

I liked how Reid did sort of the buzzkill about the fairy tales by telling her the real endings (I previously ruined things for some of my friends by telling them the same things). Like, the Little Mermaid didn't get the prince. She actually had her tongue cut out, he fell for another woman, and the mermaid turned to foam in the sea. But other than just telling facts, he had a point and he explained it to her.

 

I also liked how Reid was brought out at the end to lure the girl away with her shoe (funny thing is, those types of shoes with the clear heels are very common for hookers and strippers). I know it would have made them find the link sooner than the plot demanded, but shouldn't they have noticed that the stolen dresses were not new? Wouldn't they have had dry cleaning chemicals on them? And dry cleaning tags are different from store tags. I don't see how they missed that.

 

I also found it a bit odd that the girl had enough strength to puncture a guy so deeply with her heel without breaking the heel or leaving some sort of residue from the heel behind (like the rubber end or *something*). I know its not CSI, but they still do have some forensic evidence. They should have had fingerprints on the shoes. I'm also not clear how they knew about the stolen dresses. Did I miss something where they explained that? 

 

This one had some good and bad moments. It could have been worse, but it could have been better. I didn't hate it and I think I could watch it again. So, maybe a C+.

[ForeverAlone]

Hmmm…that’s my initial reaction. It’s sort of weird (and I’m not just talking about the psychopathology of the unsub). This was an episode with WAY too much unsub, but at the same time, I felt there was a ton of team doing the team stuff I like. I mean, the action was rather minimal, and there was a lot of talking among the team. Talking about the case, the unsub, wargaming possibilities. It was actually nice to see. For the most part, it didn’t feel like the team members were short changed (unlike in “Boxed In” when half the team disappeared halfway through the episode).

 

And while Bruce’s episodes are definitely hit or miss for me, I have to say that he is capable of writing good Reid. Last year, his “In the Blood” was one of the few episodes I really liked from season nine, and I really liked what he did with Reid then, and it’s the same in this episode. I liked his little bit of trivia during the round table, and I liked the fact that even though she was amused, Kate indulged Reid and didn’t roll her eyes at him or make fun of him or make any weird faces. I would like to see their friendship developed further. And while I could do with a big break from JJ (which of course this episode didn’t provide), I did like the conversation between Reid and JJ over fairy tales. It was nice that JJ was willing to open up to Reid (to a point, since she danced around the real reason for the tension with her mother), and didn’t tell him that he couldn’t possibly know because he doesn’t have children. And even though I call a little bit of BS at the ending (I mean, Claire just so willingly fell for Reid’s ruse), I will give it a pass, because if Reid (or hell, even Matthew) showed up suddenly and gave me the same speech, I’d probably run off with him as well. It was nice to see a non-violent takedown, and it was good to see Reid being effectively used for his gentle compassion. If you need to gently talk down a delusional unsub, he is the right (and frankly only on the team) man for the job.

 

I thought the team was well represented and all had something to contribute. I am glad to see Kate not waxing enthusiastic about beating down an unsub, because that is extremely tiresome and I hope it stops. I liked Morgan and Kate’s conversation that teased out the unsub’s likely history with her father. Morgan may have even been thinking of his own history, but he didn’t have to bring it specifically up. Rossi and Reid at the crime scene was good. Reid just seemed more in the game for this episode than the others we have seen so far. I do have to give some side eye to Penelope’s line about fitting snugly into Morgan’s arms because that is just damn unprofessional and ridiculous to say in front of a group (but what else is new), but since that was her only inappropriate line, I won’t dwell on it.

 

I have mixed feelings about the JJ subplot. I get where Bruce was going with this by showing that hiding the dark truth from children doesn’t really do them any good, so the subplot didn’t just feel tacked on like we have seen from other episodes. And AJ’s acting wasn’t overwrought or anything. It’s probably just because we have seen SO much of JJ this season, and it sounds like we will see much more, that I can’t really embrace it. But I’m not really going to hate on it either. Though I will say, I looked at bit askance at JJ saying that she finally realized that while she lost a sister, her parents lost a daughter. I have a hard time believing that JJ is so narcissistic that she never thought of that in the past.

 

Like I said, there was way too much unsub overall in this story, since we saw her with more than one victim (that was a hell of a quick devolution). But somehow it still felt like a team episode to me. It was definitely weird, with some possible stretches in realistic profiling, but I always applaud an episode where the team talks through the case more than actioning through the episode. Plus some good Reid.

Edited November 6, 2014 by ForeverAlone

[BooksRule]

I'm also not clear how they knew about the stolen dresses. Did I miss something where they explained that?

 

Okay, so it's not just me.  I re-watched the episode up to that point three times and couldn't figure out where they had photos of 'stolen dresses that still had the price tags on them'.  It jumped to that scene directly from the scene where the killer picked out the purple dress at the cleaners.  I guess they cut a scene, but that was kind of an important one to the plot.  Was she shoplifting as well as taking 'used' clothes from the cleaners?  The owner said that she had stolen at least three dresses, but in the 'stolen dress' scene, they said that the price tags were still there.  Then, later whats-her-name figured out that a dry cleaners would also be a place that 'tagged' clothes.  Weird--it seems they left out a really important scene.

 

Oh, and I think that JJ is letting her hair get too long.  It's beginning to look straggly (IMO).

[Danielg342]

I really don't know what to think. I mean, it was an absolute dreck, but I'm not really sure how to describe it...

 

Maybe I'll start with what I can describe:

 

-Reid made more appearances in this episode than I thought he would, and his expansive brain was necessary and onpoint. Liked how his explanation of fairy tales helped catch the UnSub and JJ in her predicament.

 

-Having said that...did it really need to take half the episode for the team to figure out the UnSub was trying to live a fairy tale? Pretty sure a slipper and midnight would be giveaways.

 

-One thing about Reid's scenes I did not dig was how he arrested the UnSub. I kept thinking about Maeve and that it seemed like Hotch was exploiting the feelings Reid had for her so he could use it against the UnSub, so it felt like a really, really low blow.

 

-I did think AJ Cook was actually good in this one. The writing didn't do her a lot of justice- I mean, Mama and Henry chanced upon that picture, what was Mama supposed to do? She was pretty emotive and put some life into the scenes...so this makes me wonder if 90% of the time Cook just coasts.

 

-So little Morgan, and the Morgan we did see didn't seem to gel with the one I know. Callahan delivers a low blow and Morgan applauds her for that? Given Callahan's prediliction for wanting to beat people up I'm not quite sure I like seeing that from Morgan, who used to be the guy who kept everything on the straight and narrow.

 

-Speaking of which, if it weren't for Jennifer Love Hewitt I'd hate Callahan by now. The writing for her is atrocious...she was pretty flippant with Reid and the callousness she displays towards perps is eye-rolling. I sure hope there's some hidden layer or something because I'm tired of yet another female agent that's "tough and won't back down!" and displays not a shred of actual empathy.

 

-I suppose the UnSub using the allure of sex might allow her to tempt all those guys and allow her to take enough control to be able to overpower them...I'm just not sure about her being able to do that as many times as she did. She was pretty tiny...certainly the guy who had her in the car could have overpowered her, easily. I also gotta wonder about bed guy...she's probably not that strong so the binds were not likely that strong either, so he could have gotten away too.

 

-Really didn't like Rossi blowing off Reid when he started yammering about the circadian rhythm...I know Rossi was annoyed by Reid in the past but I thought Rossi was past that by now.

 

So that's what I could explain...but, I have another point to explain, the one I've been talking about all week- CM and misogyny- and how this episode ties into all that. So here goes:

 

Well, given the current string of cases, yet another case with male victims makes no sense at this stage. I suppose I could let this pass if the victims actually meant something to the story, and, in a sense, they did. You couldn't change the gender of the victims without changing the story, but it still rang pretty hollow...the victims still served as instruments of the UnSub's depravity. There was no real connection for the victims, no deeper exploration about why those particular men were chosen...in fact, we knew so little about them except for the one guy who was gay. I also didn't believe the case itself was all that novel...I believe we've had "black widows" before ("Jones", if I'm not mistaken), although I think this was the first time we've had someone do that because dates she went on went south.

 

About those dates...the UnSub was spurred on by a sexual assault and thus the show seems to suggest that victims of sexual assault can be spurred on to murderous rampages. Nothing surprising given that the show loves its stressors, but given the climate of 2014, I gotta wonder if there's some sort of "meta" message here.

 

Is this about some kind of a warning to guys, telling them not to rape women or else she'll turn into a extremely delusional psychopath? Maybe it's just me but I can think of less drastic reasons not to rape someone, and I sure don't like the show thinking that I- and by extension the vast majority of men- need some kind of "convincing" just to have basic respect for a woman. I already know that disrespecting someone else's wishes is extremely wrong- I don't need to be hit over the head with it.

 

Could this be some kind of message about "the true nature of guys", telling girls that, no matter how you slice it, every guy's just after sex and he'll just power his way through just to get it. I probably shouldn't have to explain how revolting something like this is- we all know that the cads who catcall, grope and beat women (and, courtesy of GamerGate, send women death threats) are not numerous among the male population, so it's deeply troubling that the show would want to paint every guy with the same evil brush. It's the same tactic that radical feminists use, as they have the warped belief that men are the root of all of women's problems so therefore all men have to be neutralized. It's sickening, and detracts from real feminist causes by taking away the attention from them.

 

Or, lastly, could the UnSub's motivations be a message about how rape victims are "delicate little flowers" who, if they're not taken care of, will go ballistic? Look, I have nothing but the utmost amount of sympathy and respect for victims of rape and would like nothing more than rapists to go behind bars; and I respect and appreciate the fact that rape is an awfully sensitive topic. However, so much of the rhetoric these days when discussing rape focuses on preventing "triggers" and getting others to understand just how sensitive the victims are and, while not bad points in of itself, the overstating of this and the lack of anyone leading victims to get help leads to this never-ending cycle of victimization, where the victims never truly get past their events. Somehow, I can't see this as productive- since rape is all about dominance and control, allowing the rapist into your head means that he still "controls" you, meaning he won. I get that getting past a trauma is never easy and that, from time to time, it'll pop back up, but we need to start focusing our efforts on making sure that people get help and not on simply avoiding triggers.

 

Probably that's what bugs me the most, aside from the blatant misandry, is the show's handling of rape- it was such a "throwaway" that, in the year of Elliott Rodger, Jameis Winston, Ray Rice and Jian Ghomeshi, just doesn't seem right. At least if we're going to have a rape used as a part of the plot, give the event some meaning, not use it as a mere plot device.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Danielg342

[atir]

Someone needs to take scissors away from Henry. His "haircut" was atrocious.

[idiotwaltz]

I was prepared to hate this episode, so I was surprised when I ... didn't? 

 

 

I did like how Kate tricked the pre-law student. I noticed that she said "what if I told you that one of these girls was 2 months shy of 18" (or something like that). Now, she didn't say that actually *was* the case, but it was enough of a bluff to get the guy to spill.

 

That was my favorite bit, especially when Morgan says none of the college girls were underaged, and she was all IDGAF. It kind of reminds me of the good old days of SVU. 

 

Or maybe I just love smug pre-law/law school jagoffs getting their asses whooped. 

 

 

Someone needs to take scissors away from Henry. His "haircut" was atrocious.

 

I never thought I'd say this, but bring back the long hair! I can't get over how much Mehkai has grown. And I want to thank whoever only gave him minimal lines to say. 

 

 

Oh, and I think that JJ is letting her hair get too long.  It's beginning to look straggly (IMO).

 

It's also too dark. I prefer the lighter blonde she had in seasons 1 to 3. 

 

About the Rosalind thing, I can see where JJ was coming from --- as a parent, it's annoying when you have these rules set to raise your child and somebody breaks them. Now I think JJ should've probably TOLD HER MOM, "Hey, we're trying not to scare Henry about death and suicide and depression and global warming and food that contains gluten, so please don't tell him about his dead aunt until I think he's ready" but I understand her frustration and I do think her parenting decisions should be respected, had she bothered to tell her mother about them beforehand. 

 

My dad had an older sister who died before I was born, and I had no idea she existed until I overheard my mom offhandedly mentioning it to her sisters one day when I was about seven. Nobody in my family had ever talked about her before, so I was surprised and curious, but because I was also seven, I wasn't burning with questions or deeply traumatized about death or anything. I went back to my Polly Pockets. /random anecdote

 

The fairytale thing was ridiculous. I literally laughed out loud when they discovered the UNSUB used a Jimmy Choo as a weapon. And then I laughed again when JJ was cradling Henry and talking about how there were two sisters pretending they were living in a castle in the winter, because all I could was Do you want to build a snowman?

 

Snarky Rossi remains awesome as always. He looked particularly dapper this episode in his leather jacket. 

[Knittzu]

That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. For once, Reid didn't vanish and actually had an active role in bringing the case to a conclusion! How long has it been since that happened? I think that was the most lines he's had in a single episode in a very long time.

 

I also appreciated that they didn't kill the unsub at the end -- so points for that, too. (It's kinda sad that I have to award points to the heroes for not being murderers, but I suppose that's another topic for another time.)

 

Even though it was JJ-centric, the balance of various team members felt more even this week. I very much appreciate that we got to see another Hotch interview this week as opposed to JJ being everywhere and doing everything.

 

Buuuut I hated the JJ plot. Seriously, she flipped out because her mother told Henry her sister is "in a better place"? How much more euphemistic can you get? I'd say the mother did a perfectly fine job of answering his question without flat-out lying or whatever it was JJ wanted her to say . And "kind, empathetic" JJ just realized that while she lost a sister, her parents lost a daughter?? That thought had never occurred to her before? Good lord.

 

All in all, I think I would have enjoyed this episode a lot more if I hadn't know it was JJ-centric going in and if I hadn't watched the previews beforehand. So -- no more previews from here on out.

[zannej]

I don't think Reid would have had a problem with leading the unsub away like he did. Hotch knows that Reid could pull it off and that Reid would recognize that the girl was damaged and not mentally sound. I was slightly bothered that JJ didn't immediately run to the guy who was knocked down to see if he was ok. I sort of wonder how much time Reid spent washing his hands after touching her hand. I do think the kiss on the hand was a little over-the-top, but Reid knew what the girl expected. I also did find it a little hard to buy that she would fall for it in some ways. But on the other hand, I think she desperately wanted that fantasy to be true so she went for it. It was like some sort of roleplay thing.

 

One thing I did note was that they said it seemed she deliberately targeted two of the victims and tied them up. How would tying them up play in to the fantasy and why would she even think to do that? Was she tied up as a child or something? They never explained it. They also had no revelation on how she was able to drag the bodies. Are we to assume she killed them in her bed, somehow dragged them out to their cars, drove them out to some location, pulled them out, vandalized their cars, and then left on foot (leaving no type of blood trail or footprints or anything)?

 

On a shallow note, I agree that JJ's hair is getting too long and I don't like how it just hangs over her shoulders and all over the place. She could at least put it up so its not in the way. It looks frumpy. Granted my own hair is too long and has split ends and looks a mess, but I'm not representing the FBI and I put it up when its getting in the way.

 

I'm glad its not just me and that the dresses thing was NOT explained in the episode anywhere.

 

I didn't think that Rossi was being rude to Reid about the sleep cycle. He knew that Reid meant well, but Rossi didn't want to change his lifestyle.

 

I did think JJ's story went on too long. It could have been about two sisters and faded off.

 

I do agree that JJ should have talked to her mother beforehand to tell her the rules and that they didn't discuss her sister. Interesting that the mother said the family was good at "avoidance". I am almost interested in knowing more about that. Maybe JJ's other sibling (the one that is the parent of her niece) doesn't talk to either one of them. I think if it had been a stranger that said something to Henry, that JJ might have realized no harm was meant and not been angry, but because its her mother and family members tend to be less patient with one another, it set her off. I think JJ was just so bothered by thinking about her sister that she was not thinking rationally. I do wonder if she blamed her parents for the death. As for JJ being narcissistic enough to not think about the fact that her parents lost a daughter-- I actually believe that is possible. She does come off as rather inconsiderate of other people and more interested in her own feelings. Look at how she hounded Reid in "Proof" when he wanted her to just back off. 

 

I don't know that I ever felt that JJ was really "empathetic" even in the earlier seasons, but I do think she had sympathy for people. I think maybe losing her sister made it hard for her to get close to people and she would show sympathy and emotions, but didn't actually feel empathy per se. And whatever issues she had with her mother may have made it hard for her to empathize until she really thought about it.

 

I didn't mind Morgan approving of Callahan's interviewing techniques because it *is* an actual tactic that police use from time to time. I will say that there are different rules for the FBI than there are for cops. Cops can lie and claim they actually have evidence that they don't have (like DNA and fingerprints) but the FBI are NOT allowed to claim they actually have that evidence because people may believe that the FBI has the power to fabricate the evidence. However, they can still use tricks where they suggest something *might* be the case without stating that it actually *is* the case. I prefer Callahan's technique to Morgan literally twisting the suspect's arm in "JJ". That was probably one of the lowest points on the series for Morgan, IMO. At least what Callahan did was actually allowed. Btw, a guy with the last name Reid actually came up with various types of interview techniques and strategies. Some of which are not allowed to be used today because they are too coercive. 

 

I did roll my eyes at the stupid line from Garcia about belonging in Morgan's arms. I noticed Rossi sort of rolled his eyes and I think Morgan did too. At this point I think its just a running joke-- sort of like my brother joking that he and a male friend are going to get it on. They both like women, but they have fun with the joking.

 

I do really wish they would pull back on JJ a bit. She is still too prominent and is still figuring things out while making the other team members look dumb in a sense, but at least she is seeming a bit more human and not-so-perfect. 

 

On a funny side note, I actually noticed a couple of commercials during the show. One was for a Nissan or something and the hook was that it has Bose speakers so you can force everyone around to listen to what you're listening to. People were singing along and all happy. I couldn't help but think about how most of the time its more like people covering their ears and shouting "Your music SUCKS!"-- which my brother actually does when someone drives by with their music too loud.

 

Another commercial was this one: 

 

Note at the 18 second mark how the girl's legs fly into the air and her shoes fly off. For some reason that one slays me. And it made me think of Cinderella losing her slipper...

Edited November 6, 2014 by zannej

[auntiemel]

Wow, I just could not get over how much the UnSub reminded me of 90210-era Jennie Garth!

[Droogie]

First thoughts -- and I am going to watch it again, bc I spent the first half annoyed at 1) Reid spouting off an obscure fact at the round table and everyone visibly just tolerating it, 2) Too much JJ, 3) JJ being the one to think of Cinderella (should've been Reid) and 4) the fact that I felt like Rossi was being snarky to Reid when Reid was talking about Circadian rhythms. Oh, and the revelation of the Unsub so early.

But then I was pleasantly surprised and loooooved the ending. Plausible? Prolly not, but it was a great showcase for Reid's ability to connect with the unsubs and bring about a non-violent end. I sort of felt like he took all the things that didn't work when he was trying to talk down Diane in "Zugzwang" and perfect them. Plus, I just loved that he was more present in this episode (if it isn't obvious, Reid's my favorite and I feel like he is sooooo underused).

Now, could we see him woo a woman who ISN'T a psycho??

And why did Reid call JJ "Jennifer?"

*Edited because punctuation.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Droogie

[Old Dog]

I actually enjoyed the case mainly because we got so much Reid and Rossi for a change. Reid was great in this one and I liked the ending - it may have been implausible but showed Reid's empathy so well. Of course, far, far too much JJ but when I watch it again I can FF through most of it.

I did think that little unsub must have had some serious muscles the way she lugged bodies about - I know sometimes delusions can bring strength but it was a bit of a stretch as she was so tiny.

I also wondered about Reid calling JJ Jennifer - made me wonder if they ever recovered their friendship fully after the Emily saga. Rossi was good and snarky and Reid looked yummy. Hotch really needs to lose those sideburns. Very little Garcia which is always a plus. A bit too much unsub perhaps but the story flowed very well. But please, make them stop piling on JJ week in, week out. Enough is enough and it's gone way beyond that now.

 

A measure of how much I liked it is that I still have most of the Sloe Gin left to get me through the PTSD episode!

[BooksRule]

Wow, I just could not get over how much the UnSub reminded me of 90210-era Jennie Garth!

 

Thank you!  That kept bugging me.  I couldn't figure out who she reminded me of.  She even sounded like her and had the same mannerisms.

[Danielg342]

Two other points I want to make:

1) The events occurred in Missoula, Montana, presumably this week. Yesterday, the temperature hit 11C there, or 51F, yet everyone- including the UnSub and her dresses- was dressed for summer. I get that the show films in California, but the UnSub's attire was central to the plot and there's no way that she'd be wearing what she did if this happened in real life Missoula. So why not set it in Carolina or Texas (since Southern girls are already romanticized), or another warm place like Phoenix or Florida?

2) I might get piled on for this, but I gotta say it anyway- I might have appreciated the UnSub being shot and killed in this one. Heck, in fact, I may have preferred it. The reason for this stems from just how disposable the males seem this season- on top of the victims, three of the five male UnSubs were harmed by the BAU in some way (two of them killed), yet the UnSub here was allowed to be whisked away, harmlessly via a tactic, one never tried on the males. It's as if the show thinks the female criminal's life was worth sparing yet the men are not.

(Aside- I realize this also makes it seem like the female UnSub might not be as “dangerous” as her male counterparts, especially considering that Hotch thought he could send Reid with minimal support, which could be an indicator of sexism going the other way)

[alexvillage]

I thought it was a drag. The story was preposterous 

 

The JJ story was also unnecessary and I am convinced there is some sort of agreement, official or unofficial between AJ Cook and whoever decides who has the most visibility. And her kid looks just like her, all the way to the "I am bored" face. He is cute though. Her beauty doe snot attract me at all, but I guess she is standard plus beauty

 

Nitpick: this maybe happening more often than I realize, but it bugs me that BAU is also assault team and CSI. Since when does the FBI just come in and removes things from the body before the CSI team does it? They should be working with photos and information, and giving out information, not doing the work of all the investigators involved

 

Stretch: how in the world did JJ went from a puncture wound to stilettos? Shallow moment? 

 

Loved Reid and the reality of Fairy Tales. I never liked them and I read them in the original, so it was great to see him explaining it.

[spinner33]

Two quick notes:  I absolutely HATE that they used Reid as a ploy to get fans to watch a JJ-centric episode.  Just like when they used Prentiss as a ploy to get fans to watch 200, the most JJ-centric episode ever!   You bet your ass they'll crow about the inflated numbers, and use them as justification to do even more JJ-centric episodes, when more than half the reviewers have said they only watched for Reid's parts and couldn't care less about JJ.  What they should realize is that more people watched because there was more Reid, and use that as justification to do more Reid episodes.  

 

Also, I wish they would find a different reason for women to turn into unsubs other than child sexual abuse or rape.  Speaking bluntly, if every woman who was ever sexually assaulted, either as an adult or as a child, turned into a psychotic serial killer bent on revenge on the male gender, there wouldn't be a man left alive on this planet!  The FBI's own statistics say that 1 in 4 women is abused or assaulted before they turn 18.  Clearly there are a lot of women who went through this, and they are not all psycho-killers, or busty strippers with daddy issues, or wide-eyed, child-like, fragile waifs who float around living out fairy tales because they're just too damaged to cope.  It does a great disservice to all women for shows to keep repeating this inaccurate trope over and over again, as though A automatically leads to B and C.   A happens a lot, but it doesn't always lead to B and C.   

[normasm]

Yeah, Daniel, it bothered me overnight that the absolute lack of sympathy for the victims was so cavalierly justified. That snarky, chirpy little comment about "tall, dark and in their 20s" as Kate gleefully posts the victims pics on the board, I'm just really getting to hate her attitude, especially against males. However ridiculous the unsub plot was, these were victims of a serial killer. I do think Hotch gave her a sidelong glance. I just hope her attitude is dealt with soon; if it is, it will probably be because she goes "too far." Sheesh.

 

And i officially want Henry's haircut applied to JJ's head. That is all.

Edited November 6, 2014 by normasm

[Old Dog]

 

Stretch: how in the world did JJ went from a puncture wound to stilettos? Shallow moment? 

 

 

Didn't you know the perfect JJ can do anything - including amazing leaps of deduction that once only a genius could do! I think it must be written into her contract that not only does she get most screen time but she gets to upstage everyone as well!

And yes, there is no way Rossi should have taken that phone from the victim the way he did.

[JMO]

Adequate Reid, so I watched.  Decent episode, although I will probably only watch the Reid scenes again. 

 

Good use of the team and their varying areas of experience/expertise:  Morgan suspecting the childhood victimization/ JJ recognizing the fairy tale story / Garcia finding things with vaguely reasonable parameters / Hotch knowing to show compassion toward the unsub (love that Hotch!). 

 

I thought the unsub story was reasonably consistent within itself---by which I mean that, whether or not it was realistic, it didn't go in six different directions.  I wish we knew which episodes were based on real cases, and which not.  I doubt that our designation of 'preposterous' would hold up against some of the realities.  There have simply been too many times (only in my work life, thank God), when I've found myself saying, "You can't make this stuff up." 

 

Having said that, I was impressed that one could actually puncture the skin with a stiletto heel without breaking the shoe.  Which may have more to do with the fact that I've probably spent, cumulatively throughout my lifetime, less money on my own footwear than some spend on a single pair of shoes.

 

A nitpick:  How did the unsub glide so steadily across the cemetery lawn with one glass heel and one flat?  Are Reid's arms that powerful?

 

I'm not sure Reid's knowledge about fairy tales contributed anything to solving the case, but I enjoyed it, and thought it was spot on regarding JJ's dilemma.  I remember having a very dog-eared copy of the originals as a child, and remember being fascinated with how different they were from the Disney versions.  I remember being excited about seeing a film about the Brothers Grimm (not the Heath Ledger one), but remember nothing else about it. 

 

Regarding the bookends:  My guess is that the brief plot line was a set up for JJ's later episode, because of its suggestion that denial runs in their family.  It would provide a little bit of an arc, and a lead-up, that might help make the later episode make more sense.  So I, for one, thought it was a good idea.  I also thought 'Henry' delivered his lines well.  But he looked very sad, for a little guy sitting on his grandmother's lap.  I'm guessing he misses his godfather.  So I hope they can get together soon-----and then Reid can borrow Henry's comb.

 

 

 

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Trivia: Candy Clark is perhaps best known for playing Debbie Dunham in 1973's American Graffiti.

 

 

Didn't you know the perfect JJ can do anything - including amazing leaps of deduction that once only a genius could do! I think it must be written into her contract that not only does she get most screen time but she gets to upstage everyone as well!

 

It's really beyond obnoxious at this point. I'm all for gender equality and women being just as good as men, but this is really not the way to go about it. Between JJ practically solving the case by herself and Kate talking like she's an inch away from cuffing someone to a radiator and whaling on them, either the writers are smoking something or Erica is. With the possible exception of Elle, the team has never had a loose cannon, and even Elle had to have something really traumatic happen to her before she went that far. What's Kate's excuse?

 

With that said, I enjoyed Reid telling JJ the real endings of various fairy tales, and him dealing with the UnSub was kinda-sorta a callback to The Uncanny Valley. I guess it shows how easy it is to please me that I'm glad to see what little Reid I can anymore, what with this being The Age Of JJ and all. And there was some pretty good team stuff. We could use more of that rather than most of the characters stepping into a wormhole for most of the episode. What can I say, I'm not that hard to please.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Cobalt Stargazer

[Trichromatic]

- I don't like JJ (and how her her being a parent is shoved down our throas at every turn) but I had her back in the opening scene. Her mother has no business judging her parenting on something that sensitive. 

[normasm]

Having said that, I was impressed that one could actually puncture the skin with a stiletto heel without breaking the shoe.  Which may have more to do with the fact that I've probably spent, cumulatively throughout my lifetime, less money on my own footwear than some spend on a single pair of shoes.

 

A nitpick:  How did the unsub glide so steadily across the cemetery lawn with one glass heel and one flat?  Are Reid's arms that powerful?

 

'Henry' delivered his lines well.  But he looked very sad, for a little guy sitting on his grandmother's lap.  I'm guessing he misses his godfather.  So I hope they can get together soon-----and then Reid can borrow Henry's comb.

I think some of the Lucite stilettos could hold up to some stompin'. Or maybe I'm just channeling my inner Jennifer Jason Leigh...

 

Yes! Reid's arms are that powerful!! Plus, the kiss had her walking on air instead of shoes, anyway.

 

Henry did a good job, until he had to sit in momma's lap. Boy, that child is getting big!

[Knittzu]

I absolutely HATE that they used Reid as a ploy to get fans to watch a JJ-centric episode.  Just like when they used Prentiss as a ploy to get fans to watch 200, the most JJ-centric episode ever!   You bet your ass they'll crow about the inflated numbers, and use them as justification to do even more JJ-centric episodes, when more than half the reviewers have said they only watched for Reid's parts and couldn't care less about JJ.

 

 

You are so right. I'm back to thinking there are many behind-the-scenes shenanigans going on, with a subset of people fully aware that Reid is a far bigger audience draw than JJ.

 

And why did Reid call JJ "Jennifer?"

 

 

I found that jarring and out of place, as if Reid had been handed a script saying "This is a JJ-centric episode, react accordingly."

[JMO]

 

I absolutely HATE that they used Reid as a ploy to get fans to watch a JJ-centric episode.  Just like when they used Prentiss as a ploy to get fans to watch 200, the most JJ-centric episode ever!   You bet your ass they'll crow about the inflated numbers, and use them as justification to do even more JJ-centric episodes, when more than half the reviewers have said they only watched for Reid's parts and couldn't care less about JJ.

 

The logic simply doesn't hold.  There was no telegraphing that Reid would have much to do in this episode, neither in previews nor in spoilers.  So there was no way to use Reid as a 'draw'.  One had to watch the episode to know that he would be featured in a number of scenes.  No collusion there. 

 

For me, however, the comment does raise the question of what makes an episode 'centric'.  Having bookended scenes doesn't quite meet the criteria in my mind.  Instead, episodes like Revelations, Memoriam, 100, (the awful) 200, Profiler Profiled come to mind, where the entire storyline had to do with a specific character.  I don't think that happened here.

[Old Dog]

Maybe it's because we get these lengthy bookends these days that they make you think they make the episode character centric. I'm not sure when they evolved into big chunks at the start and end but it was around season 6/7. We used to get more natural short glimpses of life beyond the BAU - now Messer is changing the genre of the show into more of a character drama than a profiling crime show and the bookends lasting several minutes  are a big part of a 42 minute episode..

Edited November 6, 2014 by Old Dog

[missmycat]

So this episode got a 2.1(demo) and 9.63(million viewers) So far this is a season low. Now CM was up against the CMA awards last night. However I don't believe that is the sole reason for those ratings for last night episode.

 

These of course are not the finale ratings. CM's numbers could either adjust up or down or remain the same.

[normasm]

Could it be the potential audience knew this was JJ-extra-heavy, plus we already knew who the unsub was and how she killed? Seriously, if I wasn't dedicated to giving all these episodes a chance until MGG walks off into the Pumpkin Patch, I wouldn't have watched and would have missed some nice Reid scenes.

[missmycat]

Could it be the potential audience knew this was JJ-extra-heavy, plus we already knew who the unsub was and how she killed? Seriously, if I wasn't dedicated to giving all these episodes a chance until MGG walks off into the Pumpkin Patch, I wouldn't have watched and would have missed some nice Reid scenes.

It's possible plus Kate could be a factor too. I am actually hoping that the big JJ PTSD episode get similar ratings. EM and CO. have pretty much deluded themselves into believing everyone is as in love with JJ as they are. You had the season of JJ also being referred to as the season for the fans.

And now the MESS is promoting this so called JJ PTSD episode as a love letter to the fans.

[Mari]

So this episode got a 2.1(demo) and 9.63(million viewers) So far this is a season low. Now CM was up against the CMA awards last night. However I don't believe that is the sole reason for those ratings for last night episode.

 

These of course are not the finale ratings. CM's numbers could either adjust up or down or remain the same.

Delurking and handwave.

 

I can't speak for anyone else, but I read the blurb about JJ and her sister's suicide, and skipped it.  (Season 9 turned me from a regular viewer to a "read the blurb and if I don't have to watch much JJ maybe"  viewer.")

 

I figured I'd check the board to see if there were bits I should try and find on youtube later.

[normasm]

Hi, Mari. Sorry they've made you feel this way. Who or what is your reason for watching, or used to be?

Edited November 6, 2014 by normasm

[UncleChuck]

... I'm also not clear how they knew about the stolen dresses. Did I miss something where they explained that?

Like another earlier poster, I re-watched the first several scenes and I never did figure out when and how they learned about dresses.  The unsub left no dresses behind (tagged or untagged) as far as I could see, and we had just one glimpse of Claire checking out that dress at the dry cleaners when the BAU team was all into dresses with tags.  WTH!!! 

 

Personally, I would rather have JJ (or anyone for that matter)  look at the evidence and suddenly have an "omigod" moment when she sees things in a whole new light, as in remembering an old fairy tale, or Kate suddenly thinking of dry cleaning as any normal person might do.  It is much more reasonable to me than having mechanical, monotone-speaking, needs-a-haircut genius boy wonder miraculously pulling obscure facts out of his amazing brain as if no one else on the team has two brain cells to rub together. 

[missmycat]

Delurking and handwave.

 

I can't speak for anyone else, but I read the blurb about JJ and her sister's suicide, and skipped it.  (Season 9 turned me from a regular viewer to a "read the blurb and if I don't have to watch much JJ maybe"  viewer.")

 

I figured I'd check the board to see if there were bits I should try and find on youtube later.

That is exactly the reason why I opted not to watch last night. After enduring the season of JJ, I am beyond fed up with her. However I think I will probably check the episode out after all just to see Reid. I can always put the boring and overrated blonde that the MESS is so enamored with on mute.

Btw Mari if you have Time Warner Cable,Criminal Minds is now ON Demand. You can also watch the episode on the CBS website.

 

Oh and I need to make a correction Tvbythenumbers is calling this a series low. To be fair though CM was still Wednesday night's highest rated drama.And depending on the finale ratings it could also be Wednesday night's most watched show period.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Personally, I would rather have JJ (or anyone for that matter)  look at the evidence and suddenly have an "omigod" moment when she sees things in a whole new light, as in remembering an old fairy tale, or Kate suddenly thinking of dry cleaning as any normal person might do.  It is much more reasonable to me than having mechanical, monotone-speaking, needs-a-haircut genius boy wonder miraculously pulling obscure facts out of his amazing brain as if no one else on the team has two brain cells to rub together. 

 

*eyebrow*

 

When the show first started, no one implied that the other team members didn't have two brain cells to rub together, both in spite of Reid's intelligence and despite the fact that Steroid!JJ wasn't there to figure everything out for them. Everyone got to contribute, and they actually solved cases without a Wonder Woman clone around. If anything, the implication that the others, not just Reid but all of them (with the possible exception of Garcia since apparently she's a genius now too) are dumb in comparison to JJ is much more annoying to me. Particularly since she just said in this last episode that she's only now figuring out that while she might have lost a sister, her parents lost a daughter. So she's either not really that smart or she is really that self-centered.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Cobalt Stargazer