Alex Blake: Words Are Her Bag

[Wilowy]

Resident linguist at the BAU, works best with Gorgeous Gray Matter and Founding Father. Great hair.

[missmycat]

I like Alex Blake,but if they decided to get rid of her. I can't say I'd be to broken up about it. The fact is the show gave her a previous history/connection with Reid, but couldn't even be bother to expound upon it. it's as if they assumed that everyone had read the spoilers about it. Or that some how the viewers would realize it on their own.

Meanwhile JJ got an entire episode explaining in details her history/connection to Cruz,who isn't even a regular character like Blake is, And not just any episode, because that wouldn't have been good enough for Messer's golden girl, instead she got the milestone episode of "200".

The fact is the show has had ample opportunity to make it clear to the viewers that the Blake/Reid had a previous connection/history. The two most notable being, the time we met Blake's husband and the other when we met her father and brother. 

Edited March 27, 2014 by missmycat

[normasm]

The thing that bothers me about the Blake character (and I like JT, and like the character's backstory) is that the Replicator arc had such promise that they didn't develop, because, I guess, they lost courage in the face of the backlash of losing Paget, and not being willing to really give Reid the Maeve he deserved. (Do you realize that if they had just let Reid save Maeve, he could be slowly reconnecting with her and building a nice adult love relationship, without them having to show too much in the way of scenes and exposition??)

[mstaken]

I don't actively dislike Blake (talk about damning with faint praise!), but I still don't have any real sense of who she's supposed to be. Then again, JJ's been on the show for eight of its nine seasons, and I never got any sort of handle on her personality (or, er, lack thereof!) either. There's something about the way the CM writers write their female characters that doesn't quite connect with me---it's like they think that being a strong, competent professional means you have to be icily devoid of any personality or relatable human flaws, instead being dully perfect, totally undefined and just-there-ish. I definitely have that issue with JJ, and might have with Prentiss as well if she hadn't been played by an actress who, for me, added more layers and personality to the role than what was on the page.

I was pretty hopeful about Blake's potential: I like the actress, I liked that they were adding a woman with a little more age and experience to the team, and I liked that she's a linguist (I'm fascinated by that stuff!) Heck, I even like the character's name. While she doesn't outright annoy me, though, I've found myself disappointingly indifferent towards her. Honestly, some weeks I kind of even forget that she's on the show! 

[ForeverAlone]

Alex is a character I am very ambivalent about. On the one hand, I like that she is very intelligent and very cerebral. I can relate to a character like that. I adore her interactions with Reid, because she is the one person who really is his intellectual equal. But I can't say I ever grew to love her character, and if Jeanne elected to walk away after this season, or CBS elected not to renew her contract, I can't say I would be heartbroken. I think I have to chalk it partially up to the writing, because they never really developed her, but part of it is Jeanne's performance. Like I said in the Emily thread, Paget was able to elevate her standard, procedural dialogue and create a relatable, interesting character just based on her performance alone, and Jeanne just doesn't do that. While I like quiet, introverted, and intellectual in people, Jeanne's performance just doesn't draw me in, and is too much of a blank slate for me to love. Reid is also quiet, introverted, and intellectual and I adore his character above all others, and a good chunk of that rests on the quality of Matthew's performance. 

I wish the team would lose one of the main profilers (as long as it is not Reid or Hotch), because I think that would create a tighter group. Up until season seven, there were only five profilers, and now there are six, and there just isn't that much for all of them to do, not when the focus is so often on the unsub and what s/he is up to. I guess CBS just assumed they needed to replace Paget when she left, but I don't really think they did. I could easily see CBS letting Jeanne go, just because they are paying her $100,000 per episode (more than AJ), and she just doesn't have enough to do to justify that salary, nor is her character beloved enough to pay her that kind of money either, in my opinion. 

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Poor Alex, dead last. I got attached to her, and I like Tripplehorn, even if she was in Waterworld.

 

I said this before the TWoP forums winked out of existence, but IMO one of the things that hamstrung Blake's character was Messer's decision to kill off Strauss as part of the Replicator storyline. Her backstory with Reid was important too, but there were things that could have been mined with Erin as well. With Strauss dead, another piece of Blake's history went unexplored, and while I'm aware they didn't really know what to do with her, I'm ambivalent about her not coming back. Maybe if JJ wasn't the golden girl, Alex could have gotten some more attention.

[Wilowy]

JJ wasn't the reason Alex was written as poorly as she was. Hell, JJ was featured and still written poorly.

 

I think Alex was too much an amalgam of the other characters. She had almost the intellect and linguistic skills of Reid, the compassion of liaison JJ, the stoicism of Hotch, the soft humor of Rossi, yet there was this undercurrent of bitterness in her that I don't think the writers ever knew what to do with. It was evident whenever she had dealings with Strauss, and later, with her own family. 

 

I liked Alex, although Jeanne herself is reported to have been unhappy on the set. I am curious to see if they fill her position, or just focus on the remaining team, which is what I would prefer.

[missmycat]

 

 

I think Alex was too much an amalgam of the other characters. She had almost the intellect and linguistic skills of Reid, the compassion of liaison JJ, the stoicism of Hotch, the soft humor of Rossi, yet there was this undercurrent of bitterness in her that I don't think the writers ever knew what to do with. It was evident whenever she had dealings with Strauss, and later, with her own family. 

 

 

I couldn't agree more. EM pretty much set this character up to fail.First of all she lets it be known she really didn't want another character brought in after Paget left.Then she says that the new character wasn't going to be given any of Prentiss traits bc Prentiss is irreplaceable.But somehow in Erica's mind it was ok to give Blake similar traits to the characters who had remained on the show,thus pretty much making her irrelevant in the eyes of many fans.

[Saje]

If I'm not mistaken, Spencer took one of her classes, she was impressed with his acumen, and invited him to guest lecture after the fact. He accepted and they've known each other ever since. 

[ForeverAlone]

Reid and Alex occasionally taught forensics linguistics classes together prior to Alex getting assigned to the BAU, so that is how they knew each other beforehand. It was mentioned in a throwaway comment in "The Silencer", and I saw it in some pre season 8 spoilers, but it wasn't a connection that was pursued in great depth in an obvious manner. It was more inferred, because of the closeness of Reid and Alex and how well they worked together. 

Edited May 5, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[MCatry]

Both worked together at the University, a different environment in which they are far more valued than in the newest version of action-BAU.

Similar intellects, similar academic backgrounds, similar love for knowledge, books and words.

They could talk to each other. They couldn't with the others. Chatting superficially, yes, but truly talking, not really.

I think we all have a group of people to which we can connect at a deeper level, as in friendship, or in work environments, and there are other people to which we are just acquaintances. I think Reid and Blake had that connection, but was never really explored in the show.

[zannej]

I still miss Blake. I like Kate, but I wish they had given Blake a fair shake in terms of stories and contribution.

 

I think it was an incredibly big mistake for them to give her an expertise already attributed to Reid when said expertise had not even been used on the show in a long time.

[Guesswht]

They should bring her back. (no way! Asking JT to come back after firing her > ugh). +The hate she got from Paget fans was so overwhelming, she probably doesn't want to come back. :(

[MCatry]

I still miss Blake. I like Kate, but I wish they had given Blake a fair shake in terms of stories and contribution.

 

I think it was an incredibly big mistake for them to give her an expertise already attributed to Reid when said expertise had not even been used on the show in a long time.

To be fair, most abilities related with profiling have been MIA along these last seasons, for every single character.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Um. Heh! Um.

 

 

It takes way too little to amuse me.

Edited June 23, 2015 by Cobalt Stargazer

[Bookish Jen]

To be fair, most abilities related with profiling have been MIA along these last seasons, for every single character.

So much word to this post. It's as if the unique abilities and skills that each member of the BAU crew had has been regurgitated into an unappetizing glop of "Profiler Stew."

 

As for Alex Blake, I was discussing this with our lovely Co-Star via IMs and we both thought it was very interesting we didn't find out she lost a child, Ethan, until Spencer got shot in the neck! This scenario could have added an extra layer and dimension to a female character I really liked, but nope.

[normasm]

Booky, of course, they only came up with Ethan to help say bye-bye to Alex, just like they came up with Ian Doyle to say bye-bye to Emily. They did, from time to time, hint that Prentiss was much more than met the eye, but they didn't do much for Alex but give her a cute husband and an annoying father. Come to think of it, wouldn't the brother and dad have spoken about Ethan if he was (had been) real? 

 

Yeah, although, really, why does it have to be tragedy that gives these profilers compassion? I kind of think that Reid would have been just as compassionate as he is without half the tragedy he suffered as a child.

[secnarf]

Booky, of course, they only came up with Ethan to help say bye-bye to Alex, just like they came up with Ian Doyle to say bye-bye to Emily. They did, from time to time, hint that Prentiss was much more than met the eye, but they didn't do much for Alex but give her a cute husband and an annoying father. Come to think of it, wouldn't the brother and dad have spoken about Ethan if he was (had been) real?

They wouldn't necessarily have spoken about Ethan. My brother and sister died many years ago, and it's completely taboo to talk about either of them. There's no way any of my remaining siblings, parents, or any other family members would mention them, unless I specifically bring them up, and even then the topic is shut down pretty quickly.

 

I still feel there is much more to Prentiss than they ended up telling/showing us. But you could say that about most of the characters - I just think they hinted it more with Emily, and I suppose with Blake too near the end.

[Bookish Jen]

They wouldn't necessarily have spoken about Ethan. My brother and sister died many years ago, and it's completely taboo to talk about either of them. There's no way any of my remaining siblings, parents, or any other family members would mention them, unless I specifically bring them up, and even then the topic is shut down pretty quickly.

 

I still feel there is much more to Prentiss than they ended up telling/showing us. But you could say that about most of the characters - I just think they hinted it more with Emily, and I suppose with Blake too near the end.

First, I am so sorry about the deaths of your brother and sister. My father lost an older brother and I didn't find out about it until I was nearly out of my teens. I think we have so much TMI today because of social media, blogs, reality TV, talk shows, etc, that we forget there was once a time where you didn't talk about "certain things." In my family background, we have divorce, teen pregnancy, mental illness, addiction, adultery and countless other scandalous things. We even have a priest who impregnated one of his parishioners. I've also been told we have a saint in our family background, but take that with a grain of a communion wafer.

 

I can be a pretty private person myself. Granted, I have revealed some things here-being bullied as both a child and as an adult, being the victim of a brutal assault and my subsequent PTSD. Heck, I even revealed I once hung out with porn star Becca Blossoms at a slut walk (blushes demurely). But maybe I've revealed those things because there seems to be a bit of anonomity with the Internet. Plus, I haven't revealed my full name nor has anyone seen a photo of me.

 

That being said, let me get back to the lovely Alex Blake. Yep, losing Ethan just seemed like a lazy way to send-off Alex. Give Alex her very own personal  tragedy just like every other character gets a personal tragedy. Now, if we lived in a parallet world, Alex could have revealed losing a child to someone at the BAU, but only after she felt she could trust that person. Like a lot of introverts, Alex is self-contained and reserved. She's not a blabbermouth. I'm not surprised she mentioned Ethan to Spencer because he is sensitive, compassionate person. And yes, Normasm. I can imagine Spencer being compassionate even if he had an ideal childhood. It's just what he is.

Edited June 27, 2015 by Bookish Jen

[Danielg342]

When they brought up Ethan, it never really resonated with me, mostly because Alex Blake never even alluded to it, or any kind of tragedy, even. She was just always this smart but quiet woman, letting her work do the talking for her. There's a deeper character in there, but the show, for some reason, never explored that.

I also have to agree, after reading things here, that it is pretty lazy to simply insert a tragedy into a character's story. As we've seen with JJ, the tactic just doesn't work- it's not enough to give a character hardships if they have no payoff. We all have losses and hardships, so just because a character has them too doesn't make them special. The challenges those hardships induce in the character is what makes them special, a concept far too few writers seem to grasp. I don't care if your character has twenty lost grandmothers- if they don't mean anything, what's the point?

As for Ethan, this was something that should have been established right away, even if his name wasn't brought up at first. Correct me if I'm wrong, but during “The Call” Blake never showed any greater emotion over the death of the boy, which she should have shown if it had happened to her. They could have also had her- or the other profilers, who are supposed to be perceptive to this stuff- allude to her affection for Reid in this way. Ethan could have also been a victim of John Curtis (whose storyline with Blake, though still with its faults, was better done). There's a million different ways to have done it without a “tacked on” finale that was for nothing except “shock value”.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

As for Ethan, this was something that should have been established right away, even if his name wasn't brought up at first. Correct me if I'm wrong, but during “The Call” Blake never showed any greater emotion over the death of the boy, which she should have shown if it had happened to her. They could have also had her- or the other profilers, who are supposed to be perceptive to this stuff- allude to her affection for Reid in this way. Ethan could have also been a victim of John Curtis (whose storyline with Blake, though still with its faults, was better done). There's a million different ways to have done it without a “tacked on” finale that was for nothing except “shock value”.

 

Re the bolded part - The Lesson was on A & E last night, and ignoring the improbability of the case, it really struck me how supportive Alex was of Spencer when he told her that Maeve wanted to finally meet him. He tells her that he's not concerned with what she looks like because she's already the most beautiful girl in the world to him, but what if she doesn't like him? He's weird, he slouches, his hair's too long, etc. Alex tells him that he's probably excited but nervous, and that he should still go for it and not psyche himself out. Even knowing how it ends, it was a really nice scene, a precursor to her eventually telling him about Ethan. Had it come out then that she had a son who died, in the midst of their bonding, I'd have been less annoyed at the last-minute reveal. Particularly since Alex's quiet but heartfelt support is a direct contrast to Morgan and JJ's behavior, snarking behind Reid's back.

[Droogie]

I buy that it was a cheap and feeble attempt at drama between Reid and Blake. I can totally get behind the idea that Reid reminded Blake of her son, but to drop that bomb on us at the end of the season, when Blake was leaving? I hated that. And it left Reid saddled with more emotional turmoil, not that it was ever addressed in Season 10.

[ForeverAlone]

The whole Ethan thing was obviously not part of Alex's background when they first conceived the character and was likely tacked on at the end to give her some reason to walk away from the job. I personally thought it was lazy and unnecessary. First off, I never had the impression Alex was drawn to Reid, because he reminded her of Ethan, and making her friendship toward him to be more about recreating her relationship with Ethan in her head kind of put a dent in my view of their friendship. I liked to think that they bonded, because they are both introverted intellectual equals. Alex was probably the first friend Reid had (at least on the show) who consistently treated him with respect and supported him unconditionally. I loved their friendship and wish it had been explored more, but am glad for what we got. Secondly, I don't think Alex needed to be given some dead kid backstory at the last minute to explain why she wanted to walk away from the BAU. There were plenty of other reasons why she could legitimately have decided to change career paths. Just like there was no need to give JJ some miscarriage three years after the fact to make her more sympathetic to the audience (it didn't work for me). 

[normasm]

Yeah, FA, they thought that JT would catch on eventually, but she didn't (I liked her, but felt she was badly written 75% of the time). 

 

The fact that "Ethan" shows up and is explained 2.125 minutes before the end of the season is sort of the equivalent of the giant vaudeville hook that yanks the actor off the stage. It was just that artless. 

[Danielg342]

 

Re the bolded part - The Lesson was on A & E last night, and ignoring the improbability of the case, it really struck me how supportive Alex was of Spencer when he told her that Maeve wanted to finally meet him. He tells her that he's not concerned with what she looks like because she's already the most beautiful girl in the world to him, but what if she doesn't like him? He's weird, he slouches, his hair's too long, etc. Alex tells him that he's probably excited but nervous, and that he should still go for it and not psyche himself out. Even knowing how it ends, it was a really nice scene, a precursor to her eventually telling him about Ethan. Had it come out then that she had a son who died, in the midst of their bonding, I'd have been less annoyed at the last-minute reveal. Particularly since Alex's quiet but heartfelt support is a direct contrast to Morgan and JJ's behavior, snarking behind Reid's back.

 

Side point- I do think in the earlier seasons (especially in the Gideon days, before Reid was a punchline) Morgan actually was big brotherly towards him. I blame the writers for the shift, because it's their fault Reid is basically the butt of the BAU's jokes. If Morgan was characterized properly I doubt he'd be as mean as the writers depict him.

 

Just thought I'd share that- I'll take it to the Reid or Morgan thread if need be.

 

On to the topic...I suppose you could reinterpret the scene in "The Lesson" as an example of Blake projecting Ethan onto Reid. I just think something like that takes way too much interpretation and leaves too much room for error. I thought, then as now, that scene didn't really give off any kind of "motherly" vibe- it felt more like a "friendly confidant", with Blake only really being privy to that information because Reid asked her to drive him to a payphone. I sort of doubt that Reid would have told anyone if it wasn't for that. I also really felt that, early on, the writers tried a bit too hard making Blake and Reid "BFFs", with "Ethan" thrown in at the last moment to explain it all (when that wasn't necessary, as ForeverAlone pointed out).

The fact that "Ethan" shows up and is explained 2.125 minutes before the end of the season is sort of the equivalent of the giant vaudeville hook that yanks the actor off the stage. It was just that artless.

At least the vaudeville hook had comic value- what's CM's excuse?

[ForeverAlone]

I don't think we can retcon the scene from "The Lesson" to be Alex projecting her feelings about Ethan onto Reid. Because I would bet large sums of money that Ethan was not part of any original backstory they concocted for Alex, and that was something Erica dreamed up when she was writing "Demons." I bet when Janine was writing the scene in "The Lesson", and pretty much all Alex/Reid scenes up to "Demons", the intent was just to show they had a strong, equal, supportive friendship that preceded her arrival to the BAU. And it worked and it was very effective. Even though Alex was sadly underwritten in her two seasons, I do appreciate the fact that the writers decided to make Alex and Reid such good friends. That was a characterization they got really right and it was consistent through those two seasons. 

[missmycat]

The whole Ethan thing was obviously not part of Alex's background when they first conceived the character and was likely tacked on at the end to give her some reason to walk away from the job. I personally thought it was lazy and unnecessary. First off, I never had the impression Alex was drawn to Reid, because he reminded her of Ethan, and making her friendship toward him to be more about recreating her relationship with Ethan in her head kind of put a dent in my view of their friendship. I liked to think that they bonded, because they are both introverted intellectual equals. Alex was probably the first friend Reid had (at least on the show) who consistently treated him with respect and supported him unconditionally. I loved their friendship and wish it had been explored more, but am glad for what we got. Secondly, I don't think Alex needed to be given some dead kid backstory at the last minute to explain why she wanted to walk away from the BAU. There were plenty of other reasons why she could legitimately have decided to change career paths. Just like there was no need to give JJ some miscarriage three years after the fact to make her more sympathetic to the audience (it didn't work for me). 

Not only this, but what about the so called history between Alex and Reid, before she even joined the BAU. However if you were to read this one interview with Messer, shortly after that episode aired,it was as if that history between the two of them never even existed.

[MCatry]

Not only this, but what about the so called history between Alex and Reid, before she even joined the BAU. However if you were to read this one interview with Messer, shortly after that episode aired,it was as if that history between the two of them never even existed.

And that was just because she was too busy pushing unsubs, guest cast and her favourite characters towards the front line. Messer always had both Blake and Reid at the bottom of her priorities.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Not only this, but what about the so called history between Alex and Reid, before she even joined the BAU. However if you were to read this one interview with Messer, shortly after that episode aired,it was as if that history between the two of them never even existed.

 

It was also Messer's decision to kill of Erin Strauss as part of the Replicator storyline, truncating yet another piece of Alex's backstory.

[normasm]

Daniel, FWIW, I think the vaudeville hook was just the quickest way to get an ill-recieved act off the stage. It wasn't like the Gong Show, where it was designed to make everyone laugh. It was brutal. It was just, "YOU SUCK" and you're gone...

[Saje]

I don't remember anytime in the past two years where Spencer was the butt of anyone's joke.

Edited June 28, 2015 by thewhiteowl

[Guesswht]

i wish she could have stayed. But

E.M. wasn't interested in writing her decent storylines. All the bullying she got from Prentiss fans... She was neglected and unappreciated. She deserves better than this.

Edited June 28, 2015 by Guesswht

[Saje]

I think I'll have a spot of tea. Eh what, old chum?

[Old Dog]

I don't remember anytime in the past two years where Spencer was the butt of anyone's joke.

What about the ridiculously stupid B story in Rabid? One of the lowest points in a bad season.

 

I loved Alex's relationship with Reid - she treated him on an equal footing with respect. Such a shame that that was the only thing they got right in the writing for Alex. I found her really credible as a mature agent in the BAU and I still miss that calm that she brought. I liked Kate who brought different things to the table and they actually wrote Kate much better than Alex but I wish JT had stayed. I hope they have learned lessons when it comes to the new recurring character and I am looking forward to Season 11.

[Saje]

I didn't mind Rabid, and saw it more like trying to explain his new athleticism with the taking down unsubs and all. Almost a reference to the softball game and "I don't own shorts!" reply to Morgan. In rabid we not only see the shorts, but that he's trying to be more fit. I imagine they felt a need to address it somehow, due to the obvious bulking up Matthew did.

 

I know it's unpopular to like Garcia, but I thought their scenes were kind of cute. 

 

I miss Jeanne too, but I don't miss that sour, downturned face she always made.

[Droogie]

I didn't mind Rabid, and saw it more like trying to explain his new athleticism with the taking down unsubs and all. Almost a reference to the softball game and "I don't own shorts!" reply to Morgan. In rabid we not only see the shorts, but that he's trying to be more fit. I imagine they felt a need to address it somehow, due to the obvious bulking up Matthew did.

I know it's unpopular to like Garcia, but I thought their scenes were kind of cute.

I miss Jeanne too, but I don't miss that sour, downturned face she always made.

What I hated about Rabid is that it made Reid look less than and on par with Garcia as far as his status in the BAU. I realize he had told Seaver he received exemptions for parts of his training (and I hated that, too, and I despised her for her flip comment that she didn't care to listen to him talk -- he outranked her! How dare she speak to him that way?) -- that deviates from canon; there was never an indication that Reid didn't have to complete the same training as everyone else. When they intimated that he wasn't as capable, that made me angry. Reid is as capable as anyone else on the team. He is not a punch line. I know Morgan has more seniority, but Reid is as qualified as the rest of them in every aspect. When it is suggested that he is not, it takes away from his character.

If I thought his character was treated fairly, I wouldn't complain. Even if they don't give him story lines (another rant altogether), he should at least be afforded respect. He was disrespected less when he looked like a teenager in Season 1.

Edited June 28, 2015 by Droogie

[ForeverAlone]

The reason I hated the Reid subplot in Rabid is that it wasn't highlighting any new athleticism on his part. Instead it made his state of physical fitness into a joke. I mean, Reid ran slower than Penelope. Come on ! He is a tall, lean man and we are supposed to believe he runs slower than Penelope? And if so, that just showed how out of shape he was supposed to be, because he couldn't even handle running a mile in over nine minutes (very slow for a man of his body type who works in a career field that requires a certain amount of physical fitness). No, I think we are supposed to giggle at Reid's lack of fitness, and he even said himself that he doesn't work out. If the writers wanted to show off Reid's physical fitness (since Matthew is rather fit), they could easily have done that. But instead the scenes were designed to show us how out of shape he is supposed to be, and in my opinion, invite us to snicker at Reid since those scenes were played for laughs.

[Saje]

I see your point, though I guess since Reid has never been physically fit, they didn't make much of a stretch.

[Droogie]

The reason I hated the Reid subplot in Rabid is that it wasn't highlighting any new athleticism on his part. Instead it made his state of physical fitness into a joke. I mean, Reid ran slower than Penelope. Come on ! He is a tall, lean man and we are supposed to believe he runs slower than Penelope? And if so, that just showed how out of shape he was supposed to be, because he couldn't even handle running a mile in over nine minutes (very slow for a man of his body type who works in a career field that requires a certain amount of physical fitness). No, I think we are supposed to giggle at Reid's lack of fitness, and he even said himself that he doesn't work out. If the writers wanted to show off Reid's physical fitness (since Matthew is rather fit), they could easily have done that. But instead the scenes were designed to show us how out of shape he is supposed to be, and in my opinion, invite us to snicker at Reid since those scenes were played for laughs.

...and that is what I hate: snickering at Reid. The writers gave us a tragic backstory of a young man who had suffered at the hands of others, through bullying, etc., and now we are supposed to laugh at him? Pisses me off.

[Old Dog]

The whole premise of Rabid pissed me off. To even suggest that Reid didn't know the regulations for fitness requirements backwards and also how to get round them after so long in the FBI just made him look stupid. There was nothing cute about this substory - it was just extremely juvenile and yet again falling back on making Reid the butt of jokes. I've seen fanfic stories written by 12 year olds with a similar premise as this - and written better and more in character!

[Bookish Jen]

I didn't mind Rabid, and saw it more like trying to explain his new athleticism with the taking down unsubs and all. Almost a reference to the softball game and "I don't own shorts!" reply to Morgan. In rabid we not only see the shorts, but that he's trying to be more fit. I imagine they felt a need to address it somehow, due to the obvious bulking up Matthew did.

 

I know it's unpopular to like Garcia, but I thought their scenes were kind of cute. 

 

I miss Jeanne too, but I don't miss that sour, downturned face she always made.

Hey, don't go knocking a sour, downturned face.

 

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I miss Jeanne too, but I don't miss that sour, downturned face she always made.

 

Eh. If Jeanne looked sour, I don't blame her. I'd be sour too if I was showing up to work only to be given basically nothing to do. I prefer to think of it as irritated. . ;-)

Edited June 29, 2015 by Cobalt Stargazer

[normasm]

Oh, didn't Miss Vivienne have The Best Resting Bitch Face?? I mean, really.

Edited June 30, 2015 by normasm

[ForeverAlone]

I might be a bit irked if I was Jeanne and was given so little to do, but then I would think of the fact that CBS was paying me $100,000 an episode to show up and basically do nothing and then I would feel happy again. :) :) :) 

 

If anything, CBS should have the sour face, because they are paying their lead actors lots of money, when they are basically underused as wallpaper. CBS is definitely not getting bang for their buck with the salaries they pay. :) :) 

[smoker]

Eh. If Jeanne looked sour, I don't blame her. I'd be sour too if I was showing up to work only to be given basically nothing to do. I prefer to think of it as irritated. . ;-)

 

 

 

I might be a bit irked if I was Jeanne and was given so little to do, but then I would think of the fact that CBS was paying me $100,000 an episode to show up and basically do nothing and then I would feel happy again. :) :) :) 

 

If anything, CBS should have the sour face, because they are paying their lead actors lots of money, when they are basically underused as wallpaper. CBS is definitely not getting bang for their buck with the salaries they pay. :) :) 

 

 

both of you have a point, I know what it is spending some days without anything to do in my workplace, it's horrible, money matters but have a nice time while you do your job matters too

however, you should always act like a professional. And they are actors!! that should make things easier! xD

besides, she is not a bad actor but I don't think she is oozing charisma around and  if you add the bad introduction, the small attractive of her skill (plus repetitive), and the crappy writing not only for her character but the whole show. Well, there wasn't a lot to do for Blake

 

without any doubt actors are underused and the problem is Messer, she leads like a fanatic teen, CBS should focus on that and spending more money on good writers

 

there is this amazing book: "Save the cat" Blake Snyder, about writing scritps, Messer should read it some day... soon

[Saje]

Or, she could just hire Andrew Wilder back. 

[Danielg342]

I might be a bit irked if I was Jeanne and was given so little to do, but then I would think of the fact that CBS was paying me $100,000 an episode to show up and basically do nothing and then I would feel happy again. :) :) :) 

 

If anything, CBS should have the sour face, because they are paying their lead actors lots of money, when they are basically underused as wallpaper. CBS is definitely not getting bang for their buck with the salaries they pay. :) :) 

 

Depends. If I were on set one day and everyone else was on set all week, then I might be okay with given little to do. I might worry that my paycheque might make the network look at axing me if they want to cut costs, but that's just me.

 

However, if I were on set all week (and Blake appeared to) and the only lines they gave me were "let's deliver the profile", I'd be pretty upset. I credit Jeanne Tripplehorn for not bashing CBS after the fact (or during the fact), but I wouldn't blame her if she actually was upset.

[Bookish Jen]

I really liked Alex Blake. She had such a quiet dignity about her. She was professional, educated, very intelligent and highly skilled. I loved her relationship with Reid. She was empathetic without being patronizing or a mother-type. She actually treated him as a man (not a little boy who needed to be patted on the head), and respected the gifts he brought to the BAU. In the real world, she would be my ideal co-worker or boss. In my lifetime, I've dealt with a lot of JJ or Garcia (in their current individual incarnations) types and believe me, it isn't fun.

 

Off-topic: The episode Rabid has been mentioned. I had totally forgotten about the B plot, probably because Rabid mentions the name of the street on which I was mugged and beaten...but I digress. The B plot pissed me off because it stereotyped two body types as totally non-athletic and made them somewhat offensive comic fodder-Spencer as a skinny weakling and Garcia as the fat girl whose only exercise must be stuffing chocolate bon-bons into her mouth. Now maybe Spencer can't lift 350 lbs, but I can't imagine him not being able to run around the track. He's got a lean body like a lot of runners, not to mention those legs that go on for miles. As for Garcia, she may not be shaped like an athlete or be super skinny but she could easily be very flexible or well-coordinated.

 

I belly dance for exercise. I've taken classes and I have DVDs and often listen to belly dancing music. And Garcia, well, Kirsten, has the perfect figure for belly dancing. Curviness and a little extra weight makes belly dancing look so sexy and sensual. Now I'm imagining Garcia taking some belly dancing classes and showing off some hip shimmies to her BAU homies. Even Hotch might exclaim, "Hot damn, baby girl!"

Edited July 1, 2015 by Bookish Jen

[amensisterfriend]

I really liked Alex Blake. She had such a quiet dignity about her. She was professional, educated, very intelligent and highly skilled. I loved her relationship with Reid. She was empathetic without being patronizing or a mother-type

 

I agree with all of this. I rarely watch S8 and S9, but whenever I do I'm happily surprised all over again by how much I like this character. Like Paget Brewster did with Emily (IMO, obviously!), JT rose above the character's relative lack of definition and development (thanks, writers!) to somehow give the impression of a real, layered and compelling character. 

 

Actually, now that I think about it, Alex is the CM character to whom I'm most similar: an introvert with a snarky side, into linguistics/words in general, enjoying space and independence even when she's in a relationship, academically inclined, and very fond of Reid :) The bummer about falling in love with Alex is that now I'm reconsidering my vow never to buy seasons 8 and 9 on DVD! 

Edited July 2, 2015 by amensisterfriend

[ForeverAlone]

I think you will find that you love (in a platonic way, since you probably don't/won't ship them) Alex and Reid as much as you love Elle and Reid. I know I do! :) :) :)