Aaron Hotchner: High and Tight

[Wilowy]

Come talk about the BAU's Badass Unit Chief here, no UnSubs allowed! 

[spinner33]

Oh for the days when Hotch was the badass unit chief!  The show runner has reduced him to being nothing more than Beth's boyfriend and JJ's boss. 

Aaron Hotchner was such an amazing, deep character.  Whatever happened to that guy who could command authority with just a stern look?   

[ForeverAlone]

Aaron Hotchner is a really amazing character when you really get down to it. He is the boss I wish I could have. Yes, he is a hard ass, and yes he will hand you your ass if you screw up. But really, he has the best interests of the team at heart. He wants you to succeed, and I think he inspires superior performance, because he just makes you want to go above and beyond for him. He is very loyal and he will have your back when you need it (no Elle, Hotch is not responsible for you getting shot, but I understand she was in a highly emotional state when she said it). I honestly think he was a better mentor to the team, but especially Reid, than Gideon was. Gideon was a more intuitive profiler than anyone on the team, but that just lead him to be unable to compartamentalize. He was too emotionally unstable. Hotch on the other hand was a master at compartamentilizing for the most part (his dealings with Foyet notwithstanding). He provided the cool, steady, capable hand of leadership. Seeing him mentor Reid in the early seasons was a joy. I'm not sure what the writers are going for in writing for Hotch these days, and I am not sure what is going on in Thomas's head when it comes to his performance. We see glimpses of the original Hotch, but not enough. 

[mstaken]

Seeing him mentor Reid in the early seasons was a joy.

It's really only after rewatching earlier seasons and comparing them sadly to the present day show that I realized how comparatively layered and awesome the Reid/Hotch dynamic used to be. Now the team members and their relationships with one another just seem so blandly interchangeable.  

I totally agree with everything you guys have written so far. Hotch really *was* a surprisingly compelling character. I saw him as harsh and severe yet with a gentle heart; fierce and intolerant of any nonsense yet polite and gentlemanly in a charmingly old-fashioned sort of way; tightly wound yet with an awesomely wry sense of humor; stoic on the surface yet a deep thinker and feeler underneath. *wistful sigh* There used to be the sense that there were tons of layers there to eventually peel back, but now he just comes off as dull.  

[Wilowy]

My favorite Aaron scene, and the moment there was no turning back for me on the Hotch-love. 

http://i.imgur.com/XRdyMyX.jpg

[mstaken]

Oh, Willowy, I absolutely love that scene! It's so quintessentially Hotch: quietly and stoically determined to do the right thing regardless of how unpleasant and difficult it may be, fierce in his mannerisms yet with a surprisingly kind heart. 

When and if I figure out how to post images, we can have a ridiculously fun time guessing which episode a given screencap was taken from. 

[Wilowy]

And here's the wonderful song that goes with that whole closing montage:

*sigh* I do miss the amazing music CM used to use.

[FormerMod-a1]

I was crawling the interwebs looking for pictures of Reid's hair and came across this good Hotch picture.

[spinner33]

Thanks for the eye candy.   That's a great picture of Hotch!

[zannej]

I remembered Thomas Gibson from Chicago Hope and Dharma and Greg and he was one of the reasons I started to watch the show in the first place. In some ways Hotch reminded me of my father (who was in federal law enforcement as the Officer In Charge- similar to Unit Chief but with more people to be in charge of). He would read people the riot act if they screwed up but he would not let other people treat his people like crap. He would stand up for them. Someone had to get through him to get to his people. He cared and was there to support them when they needed him, but he also stayed out of their personal business if they didn't come to him for advice. Unlike Hotch he was quite jovial, although people did fear pissing him off.

I like how Hotch was protective of his team members-- putting his jacket around Elle, walking into the room and telling a suspect to sit down when he was starting to threaten Reid, coaching Reid to improve his aim when shooting, lamenting how he hadn't taught Reid how to deal with things emotionally when he was taken hostage, washing the blood off of Elle's walls, and getting up in the face of some politician who nearly got his people killed in Minimal Loss. I also liked how he would take people aside to chew them out rather than do it publicly. And he mostly did it without shouting. I still remember in "Natural Born Killer" when some agent walked in and started yelling at him how he just stood up and said sternly "First of all, don't shout at me.." He was tough as nails but he had a softer side with Haley. He also made a few jokes-- teasing Reid a little bit, but not in a mean way. The "Did Elle teach you that?" line comes to mind (when Reid inadvertently shot the target in the crotch). He also showed some vulnerability-- like when he told the killer that some abused children grow up to catch killers. Also, the way he handled Strauss when she stepped on a victim's hair and how he handled the dying killer in "Pleasure Is My Business", showed a very gentle and nurturing side.

I admit that with Haley I often got the impression that he cared more about Jack than her because he was always asking to see Jack. But we saw so little of the personal life that it was hard to gauge. 

A few times when he acted out of character and got emotional, it was obvious to the other team members. Like Reid saying to Morgan "What's up with Hotch?" because Hotch was being cranky. Or when Reid offered to take lead on an interview when he realized Hotch was upset and distracted. Some of the more powerful moments of Hotch losing emotional control were when Abby killed himself (and the killer) in "Ashes and Dust" and when Kate Joiner was injured in "Mayhem". We could see that he was capable of freaking out.

I also liked a moment where Hotch had been choked by a killer and Gideon was trying to comfort him and was reaching for his tie while saying something about loosening his tie for once. Hotch let himself be taken care of a little bit then, even though it seems that he was usually a caretaker type.

One of my favorite scenes was when Hotch owned the defense attorney in "Tabula Rasa".

It's sad to think that my favorite Hotch moments are almost all in the first few seasons and that there aren't as many good scenes in the last few. He's been almost an emotionless robot for awhile or he's allowed other people to take over and he's just "there" or he's disappearing like Reid did for a couple of seasons.

I wish the writers would go back and look at earlier seasons and try to revive Hotch some more.

[Wilowy]

Those are all really great Hotch moments, nice to revisit them again. 

One of my favorites recently were when he pushed Reid out of the room in Zugzwang, getting to the bottom of it in the hallway. That whole interaction with Spencer as he tried to go around him to get back in the room and Hotch was having none of it. It wasn't just about catching the killer, it was about getting it done clean, and doing it for Reid. He wanted to make sure everything stuck because he knew they were close to the right track, and he didn't want Reid recklessly messing it up so the guy would walk. 

I also loved his interrogation of Camryn Manheim in The Inspired. Primo acting by both seasoned actors, and clever, tricky, circumspect Hotchiness on full display.

[ForeverAlone]

See, I love the Reid/Hotch hallway scene as well, but for different reasons. I am a fanfiction Reid/Hotch shipper, and I love the occasional moments on the show that can feed that ship in my head. And Hotch manhandling Reid is certainly one of them. :) 

[Old Dog]

Ditto!

[zannej]

I sadly don't remember Hotch interviewing Camryn Manheim's character. I did like how Hotch opened up to Reid in "Damaged" after Reid stepped in to stop him from having to fight Chester Hardwick. I also liked in Exit Wounds when Hotch told the father to "sit down and shut up" and then promised the wife that the guy would never hit her again.

I do like when they remember that Hotch likes to do things the legal way-- which is why it bugs me so much when they have him knowingly letting his team go rogue or break the rules.

I really love it when they remember that he was a lawyer/prosecutor and he gets to bring in that experience. I'd love to see him just argue with someone and win because he can run circles around them with legal knowledge.

I admit that sometimes I wish we could see at least some of the stuff he did as Greg on Dharma and Greg. One episode in particular had Dharma's ex-boyfriend who was feeding her all sorts of bull and he was in the next room making noises of disapproval-- sort of like a very loud "GAAAAH!" because he couldn't believe how stupid Dharma and her friend were being. I would love to see Hotch give someone that "Are you fucking kidding me?" look.

[SSAHotchner]

Hotch is my favorite (in case you couldn't tell) and I hate what they've reduced him to these days. Although, he was a strong leader in Gabby. The scene with Hotch washing the blood off of Elle's wall at the end of The Fisher King is my absolute favorite CM moment. Love the song, too. I have it on my ipod and listen to it almost every day. I love how much more relaxed his character was in Extreme Aggressor. Perhaps he needed to be that way since Gideon was so uptight. One thing I really wish they would address more is the line he has at the end of Natural Born Killer when Vincent Perotta says, "You said some people grow up to be killers." and Hotch replies, "Some people grow up to catch them." You know there was some kind of abuse in his life and I have always wanted them to explore that further.

[Wilowy]

Happy, Happy Birthday to the man born to be Unit Chief of the BAU - Thomas Gibson! 

 

 

 

 

[SSAHotchner]

I miss him.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

The scene with Hotch washing the blood off of Elle's wall at the end of The Fisher King is my absolute favorite CM moment.

 

They're showing some of the Foyet arc on A & E, and I notice that, much like Elle, Hotch returns to the field almost immediately after being attacked in his own home. Sean Patrick Flannery plays the unsub, and Hotch is extremely on edge, both with the team and with witnesses to the crimes. Considering his previous concerns about Elle being hyper-vigilant in the aftermath after her shooting  of William Lee, I'm surprised he didn't take his own advice and take some more time off from work.

[Wilowy]

Hotch is great at giving advice and then never taking it himself. He is harder on himself that he ever is on anyone else, poor darling.

[zannej]

I think with Hotch, sitting around at home when there were bad guys to catch probably stressed him out more than being out in the field. He strikes me as a bit of a workaholic-- which reminds me of my father. My brother coined the phrase "work off" instead of "jack off" because my father's solution to just about everything was to work. 

 

In season 5, since Haley left him and took Jack with him, he probably really felt lonely in his apartment all alone. He probably didn't feel very safe there because it was where he was attacked. So back at work he could distract himself and feel safer. So Hotch going back to work so soon made sense for the character at least emotionally. Physically I think he recovered far too quickly. It was especially obvious in comparison to Reid on crutches and cane.

[TigerLynx]

I saw an old episode last night.  It had some good Hotch moments.

 

"You just had to shoot someone."

 

Hotch, "I saved your life."

 

"Captain America shot the fifth one."

 

Hotch, "One of them has several knife cuts.  He may not make it."

 

"At least, I didn't shoot him."

 

Derek, "I think I would have rather been shot."

[Wilowy]

Ha, The Tribe! Blackwolf is really popular in the fandom and I don't think there's anyone that wouldn't like to see him make another appearance. 

[zannej]

I still loved the line from Hotch "Just so you know, you sound like a fortune cookie."

[Wilowy]

Hotch has some of my favorite lines/scenes in the series. Like the whole 'profiling the team' speech he gives Strauss, his scene with the dying Megan Kane, and the one where he is shedding tears and questioning his own methods when Foyet takes out that bus, "charcoal gray...", and when he's in the hall with Reid in Zugzwang. So many more, but those are the ones that are uppermost at the moment. And of course, the wonderful scene with Reid in Elephant's Memory on the jet at the end. 

[missmycat]

Willowy,What about that awesome scene between Hotch and Reid in LSDK when both of them were being held hostage by the unsub.Hotch was terrific, the way he dealt with that unsub. And I loved how Reid was able to discern Hotch's plan and carry thru with his part of it.

LOL Reid telling Hotch that he kicked like a 9 year old girl.

Edited August 13, 2014 by missmycat

[Wilowy]

SO much excellent Hotch and Reid in that episode! 

[zannej]

For some reason I just remembered an episode with a guy who made bombs and Hotch recognized some electroplating stuff and told Elle that he used to collect coins and that he was "a bit of a nerd". And when the guy tried to run over his own wife, Hotch said something like "He's a real peach". 

 

I also love how gentle and kind he was to the girl in "Pleasure is My Business". It was an interesting dynamic when she was all thinking he left his wife and then he told her that his wife left him and she saw what a nice guy he really was. I also liked how the one woman asked him if he was interested in real estate and he said "no" but she said "yes you are" and gave him the card. Still interesting that he sent Reid and Prentiss.

 

I like how he delegates and knows which team member to use for a particular task (most of the time). I still don't know why he gave the journal in "A Thousand Words" to Prentiss and Morgan-- unless he just knew they would give it to Reid. But why not just ask Reid in the first place?

 

The one time I thought he did something pretty stupid was when he told Anderson to take Elle home but didn't stipulate that he wanted Anderson to stay with her and guard her. And then he chewed Anderson out and I was thinking "Damn, he's acting like my Mom and expecting people to read his mind! WTF?"

Edited August 14, 2014 by zannej

[ForeverAlone]

I think Hotch's anger towards Anderson was more about him feeling guilty and angry at himself for not telling Anderson what expected. Because based on what Hotch told Anderson, I don't think he communicated his expectations fully. There was nothing explicitly stated or even well implied that he expected Anderson to provide Elle any sort of protection.

Hotch does very well with female unsubs and female victims. He is more apt to let his guard down and show his more sensitive, empathetic side in my opinion.

[zannej]

Oh, I get that Hotch was mad at himself and felt guilty, but it is totally something my mother would do (although she probably wouldn't feel guilty). Hotch also lashed out at Prentiss a bit when he was stressed out, which was unprofessional, but also interesting that she was the one who it got taken out on. I'm glad that he doesn't do that more often, but it was a sign that he's human and has flaws.

[SSAHotchner]

Zannej, I love Hotch in Pleasure is My Business. His tenderness with Megan just melts me every time. And when she says, "How could your wife have left someone like you?" I shout "YES!!!!!" at my TV.

[zannej]

Yeah, it really was a "How could she leave someone like him?" but then if you try to find ways to validate it, she was fine with him for however many years they were together because it was just the two of them and she probably had things to do to keep her occupied, but once she had Jack then she probably went through hormonal changes and she couldn't just go out and do stuff with friends without finding a sitter and she probably felt a bit overwhelmed. I've had friends that became depressed after having kids and that depression never fully went away. That depression can actually lead to divorce in some cases. I think for Hotch he didn't get why things had to change so much because he wasn't feeling the same things she was feeling. Plus, I think they just like to do the drama of having the divorces because they probably find it more interesting than finding ways to keep the couple together and happy.

[normasm]

Well, I would add that every couple who has kids changes, and not always for the better. Probably, in the early years of their relationship, Haley was very invested in his job, supporting what he did, etc. Once she had Jack, her whole world shifted. Most husbands, good or bad, have their worlds shifted, too, if only due to the change in their wives. In the real world, it wouldn't just be hormonal shifts that changed Haley from not-parent to mother, it is everyday reality, the bonding, the unmitigated romance of early motherhood.

Dads either feel that, too, to some extent, and go along for the ride, changing and growing, or they feel threatened by the maturation of their wives from sexy lover to mommy. I think the Aaron character felt that excitement along with Haley and later, when things got more and more complicated (life and the job ), things started pulling against one another.

Edited August 15, 2014 by normasm

[idiotwaltz]

Yeah, I agree that when a child comes into the picture, everything changes. While Haley, before having Jack, might've been able to cope with Hotch's constantly being away at moment's notice for god knows how long, when the baby came along she probably wanted a more stable home life for her child and more support from her husband. Plus, I can believe that before having Jack, Haley might've had a job of her own, but she seemed to be a full-time mom after she had the baby and that's a huge shift in lifestyle and mindset that causes a lot of post-partum stress for women. Jack also had a condition at one point, because Hotch missed an appointment and Haley chewed him out at the office, so I can see how things fell apart for the two of them. It's not like Hotch could exactly come home and talk to her about what went on at work either, so with less communication and unaired grievances, I don't blame Haley for wanting an out, though I hated how shrewish she came off in In Name and in Blood. 

[TigerLynx]

I hated that Hotch's job got Haley killed, and then Hotch suddenly had all sorts of time to spend with Jack, and be more involved which he couldn't manage to do when Haley was alive.

[missmycat]

I hated that Hotch's job got Haley killed, and then Hotch suddenly had all sorts of time to spend with Jack, and be more involved which he couldn't manage to do when Haley was alive.

To be fair though, Hotch did not have much choice in the matter,since he is now the only parent in the Jack's life. He also may have felt that he wasn't as good of a husband to Haley or father to Jack, as he could have been.Which is why Hotch made that promise to Haley that he'd try and do better by them.Unfortunately Haley's death forever closed the door on him being able to make it up to her,but he can still make it up to his son.And I believe that's what he is trying to do.

 

I do want to make it clear, I am not at all saying Hotch was a lousy husband and a lousy father.I am coming from the perspective that this is how Hotch probably saw himself.   

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Speaking of Haley, A & E showed 100 last night, and while it doesn't destroy me to Zugzwang levels, Hotch's devastation when he finds her body does kill me a little inside. Somehow I always forget that it's Morgan who picks up her wrist to take her pulse, as if he's got the hope for Aaron's sake that she survived, and before he retreats, he whispers, "Hotch, I am so sorry", which is probably one of the most heartfelt things Derek ever said.The careful way Hotch lifts Haley into his arms before he finally cries is a total contrast from his fury when he beat Foyet to death, as if he's hearing the door to ever really putting his family back together close with a deafening slam. Awesome acting from Thomas Gibson.

[zannej]

I actually think that before Haley left him, Hotch didn't think he was a bad husband or father but he knew he could be better. He wanted to give his family more but didn't really know how without quitting his job. And he was a bit blindsided by Haley leaving because she changed. I know Jessica gave him lip about his profiling abilities and not seeing what was going on with Haley-- but in that case he was too close to it to think objectively. 

 

I still think its a stretch that Hotch still has time to be out on cases and at the office as well as taking care of Jack AND going to visit Beth in NY. I actually wouldn't mind it if they let it slip that while things were nice with her, the long distance didn't work out for them and they moved on from each other-- but were still friends. Although really I don't see what Hotch saw in her from the way she was written.

[idiotwaltz]

 

I still think its a stretch that Hotch still has time to be out on cases and at the office as well as taking care of Jack AND going to visit Beth in NY.

 

I wonder how much time Hotch actually spends with Jack. It's not like his workload is any lighter than it was when he was married and he might be called out on a case that takes longer than expected. Does Jessica look after Jack full-time when Hotch is gone? Granted, he's in grade school now, so that frees up her day and she could work from home, but are we supposed to believe that if Hotch gets called out in the middle of the night (as was the case in Lessons Learned), Jessica is right next door to take over? What if she had plans or happened to be away? I suppose there would be a backup sitter of some sort. Now I'm just rambling.

 

It's not a big thing, but I've always been curious about the logistics of this long-term childcare arrangement.

[normasm]

idiotwaltz, I think about it, too. We don't know for sure that Jessica is single and childless. In Slave of Duty, Hotch or Rossi mentions Jack's cousins, but we're never told if they are Jessica's kids. We know his brother Sean doesn't have kids (!), so I don't know. Hotch would have to have an au pair, practically speaking, or have Jessica live-in as an au pair. To truly have his back when he has to wheels up in twenty...

[Cobalt Stargazer]

They don't call what happened to Hotch at his hands a knife-rape for nothing.

And actually, Foyet himself makes the observation when he stabs Hotch that profilers say the act of using a knife is a substitute for the sexual act, so the subtext was very close to being text.

 

I wonder how much time Hotch actually spends with Jack. It's not like his workload is any lighter than it was when he was married and he might be called out on a case that takes longer than expected. Does Jessica look after Jack full-time when Hotch is gone?

Re: Jessica - after Haley is murdered and Strauss offers Hotch full retirement, Jessica is the one who offers to look after Jack in his absence, saying that he doesn't have to quit his job. It's never made clear if that was a temporary solution or one that was for the duration, but initially she said she would assist in caring for Jack.

[zannej]

I wish they would explain more about what Hotch does to make sure Jack is being cared for while he's away. It would be interesting if he moved closer to Jessica or if Jessica had some kids of her own so Jack will have playmates and such. I imagine it would be easier if she had him around her own kids instead of feeling saddled with just her sister's kid.

 

We know Hotch called in at least once because of Jack.

[Wilowy]

Ruh-roh.

 

http://deadline.com/2014/08/criminal-minds-thomas-gibson-sued-manger-commissions-822234/#respond

[ForeverAlone]

Wow. That suit made for a juicy, if bitchy read. Fascinating. :) :) :)

[normasm]

FA, the language seems a little florid and hyperbolic for a serious legal document, verging on the hysterical, but maybe they do it that way in Hollywood.

[zannej]

The .pdf that ForeverAlone posted on another forum had even more dirt-- including some stuff about Shemar. Honestly, it reads more like something out of a divorce agreement and I get this "oh woe is me" whiney tone from the ex-manager. Even if the stuff is true, I think that it still comes off as unprofessional and douchey of the ex.

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/gibson-dorfman-lawsuit-wm-and-updated.pdf

 

I somehow smell BS or at least exaggeration because I think if there was bad blood like that on the set that it would have leaked out by now.

[normasm]

Jilted lover, or unrequited love is what it sounds like...

[zannej]

Was it you that said elsewhere that it was sort of like Mags from "Somebody's Watching" and how she felt like she "made" Lila? Like Lila was beholden to her because she did stuff to help her get jobs...

Its not like Thomas got his jobs from actually having talent. /sarcasm

[SSAHotchner]

I actually think that before Haley left him, Hotch didn't think he was a bad husband or father but he knew he could be better. He wanted to give his family more but didn't really know how without quitting his job. And he was a bit blindsided by Haley leaving because she changed. I know Jessica gave him lip about his profiling abilities and not seeing what was going on with Haley-- but in that case he was too close to it to think objectively. 

 

I still think its a stretch that Hotch still has time to be out on cases and at the office as well as taking care of Jack AND going to visit Beth in NY. I actually wouldn't mind it if they let it slip that while things were nice with her, the long distance didn't work out for them and they moved on from each other-- but were still friends. Although really I don't see what Hotch saw in her from the way she was written.

Yes, PLEASE. No more Beth. That would make me so happy and maybe I'd be a little more forgiving about the bad writing. Or maybe not. :p

[Wilowy]

Jilted lover, or unrequited love is what it sounds like...

 

I don't think it sounds like that. I think it sounds like someone with a gripe, legitimate or not, who is going about this the wrong way by choosing to make it public. I also think that where there's smoke there's fire and there quite possibly could be some truth to it.

 

That said, I'm choosing to be firmly on Team Gibson until things are proven one way or the other. Allegations are one thing, but this guy may very well be an asshole just looking to capitalize on Thomas's earlier difficulties. 

[normasm]

Willowy, I was being facetious. I think this guy is sour grapes, and yes there could be something to his grievance, but it sounds like a very overblown, self-aggrandizing publicity stunt, designed to damage TG as much as possible. I hope the thing will either be dismissed (unlikely), or part of the settlement will be an apology to TG.

Edited August 21, 2014 by normasm