S10.E12: Anonymous

[thewhiteowl]

 

The BAU searches Tallahassee for a serial killer who calls the authorities to report the crimes prior to committing murder. Also, as Rossi prepares for a weekend visit with his daughter, Joy, he receives startling news about the death of a comrade in Vietnam

 

 

 

[Danielg342]

So we're going to get a rehash of Tobias Hankel, coupled with more soap opera stuff from Rossi. Will JJ be at the forefront? I predict, unfortunately, that she will be, because she's “Super Mom”.

[SSAHotchner]

Why do we have to have more stuff about Rossi's daughter? Is this their idea of giving Joe more to do? Hey, how about writing a good script where Rossi actually uses his years of experience as one of the founding members of the BAU to solve the case? I'm really sick of all this personal crap. 

[missmycat]

Why do we have to have more stuff about Rossi's daughter? Is this their idea of giving Joe more to do? Hey, how about writing a good script where Rossi actually uses his years of experience as one of the founding members of the BAU to solve the case? I'm really sick of all this personal crap. 

Indeed.And why did we also have to have all that stupid spy drama with Prentiss. I'll tell you why. It's because we have a woman who at onetime worked for both a night time drama(The OC) as well as a spy drama(Alias). And who seems totally clueless to the fact that the show she is working on now(CM) is neither one of those genres.

[thewhiteowl]

 You all need to wait till the episode actually airs to begin trashing it.

[Danielg342]

You all need to wait till the episode actually airs to begin trashing it.

Pre-emptive strike. :-p Plus, maybe if we trash it before it airs it might be a good omen. :)

*wide toothy grin*

[ForeverAlone]

One word sums up this episode for me: BORING!!!!

 

I thought the entire unsub plot was boring and unengaging. I absolutely didn't care about him or his victims. I'll probably forget all about it by tomorrow. It seemed like a throwaway case, so as not to detract from the real point of this episode: Sgt Scott's funeral. It was nice, and Rossi was good with his daughter and Sgt Scott's son. But still...not sorry it is over with.

[Racbec]

Boring, predictable, seen it before...an altogether forgettable episode. Although maybe psychologists should take note, as we have witnessed the fastest and most effective cure for PSTD--just say "No"!

[SSAHotchner]

I found the case to be very trite and predictable. Not the worst script they've written, but not at all original. I was prepared to not like the personal stuff with Rossi, but I thought it was well done. What was up with the acting tonight? Many of the guest actors and even several of the team members seemed so wooden, especially JLH. I was glad that Hotch actually contributed something toward solving the case, but I almost wish it had been Reid. It was the kind of detail Reid might have picked up on in earlier seasons. Reid seemed off tonight to me, and I put it down to just lack of interest in the show. And for my biggest peeve (besides too much JJ), I am sooooooo sick of Garcia. Again with the kitty ears. What adult would wear such a thing to work? What credibility can she have when she dresses and acts so childishly? I'm beyond tired of her blabbing about how great she is, how difficult (or easy) it is for her to find the information they need, her feelings, puppies, kittens, etc., etc. instead of actually helping them by giving them the information they need in a professional and timely fashion. I'm sure there are those that find that endearing in her, but it just annoys the living daylights out of me.

 

So, overall, not a terrible episode, but not one I have any interest in watching again. Does anybody else imagine what JJ's lines would sound like if Prentiss were the one delivering them?

[zannej]

pasting this from another forum where I posted it.

I didn't take notes so I'm trying to remember my thoughts.

1. Where was Hotch at the round table meeting. Why wasn't he there?
2. I did notice Garcia's animal ears headband but didn't really think much of it.
3. For once JJ didn't have ALL of the answers-- although she was the one who talked about what is "impossible" to get-- nevermind that in another episode Garcia would have hacked that info in 3 seconds. So we have an inconsistency there-- but I'm glad Garcia didn't magically solve that.
4. I like that we got a bit more of Rossi-- the fishing thing with Morgan in the beginning was cute. 5. The funeral wasn't as painful as I'd expected. It was brief and had the right amount of poignancy--- although it did remind me that my own father (who was a veteran) didn't even get a flag or any sort of military send-off. I think we could still apply to get a flag though.
6. I couldn't help but notice that the picture didn't look the right color or thickness for the Vietnam era so I had to conclude that someone scanned it, touched up the color, and printed it on thinner paper.
7. I don't get why Scott had to trade cigarettes to get a purple heart for Rossi. All he would have needed was to submit the paperwork saying he was injured in the line of duty-- unless he meant that he expedited the arrival of the medal.
8. I don't dislike Joy, but when they had the Rossi/Joy scenes, it didn't feel like it was part of the same show.
9. I agree that the unsub was shown far too early and his motives were clear right away. I wish they had waited for the reveal. I couldn't bring myself to really care about his plight.
10. Where the fuck did Reid go? He just disappeared partway through and only showed up reading on the plane near the end.
11. I liked that Hotch actually got to contribute for a change, but I still wondered where Reid was. Why couldn't he be in there with Hotch while they figured things out together? There was something very disjointed about this one.
12. I don't begrudge Rossi getting some limelight since he got so little to do thus far this season, but I wish they would balance things out more with the team time. I think less of the unsub could have given us more team time.

13. I do think it was odd how Garcia couldn't get the records on who was on the organ recipient list but she was able to come up with just one specific person so quickly. I think that seemed a little too convenient, like they had to wrap up the case to get to the funeral. (I think the funeral was more meaningful to me because I knew it was to honor the actor as well).

This one wasn't awesome, but it wasn't terrible. It didn't have anything that majorly pissed me off. It just lacked the emotional impact I think they were going for. It was a little boring, but not the worst episode. At least the unsub's motivations made sense, although the victims just seemed like throwaways.

Edited January 22, 2015 by zannej

[walnutqueen]

Sorry, I was not at all moved by the "tribute" or Rossi's family story.  I'd rather see him profile a great unsub.

 

Garcia still pisses me off with her jejune attire and attitude.  Those kitty ears aren't even cute on Masterchef Junior.

 

The "killing for an organ" plot is as tired and jaded as I seem to be.

[Old Dog]

I didn't mind the tribute to Joe Mantegna's friend. I am not from the USA but I have a great respect for the military in all democratic countries so I thought it was quite nicely done, if a bit syrupy. Very American in how they did it - and I don't say this as a bad thing.

 

I'm with you on the kitten ears. I found them incredibly stupid. It is time that Garcia actually grew up a little. They seem determined to keep her as a cartoon character.

 

The case was incredibly boring and predictable. Zero suspense. I knew how it would pan out from the start and we have seen that scenario countless times before in many other shows. I did think that JJ looked every day of her nearly 40 years - was this just a bad look for AJC or were they being really, really subtle and indicating that she is actually struggling with her "more than PTSD"? Nah.... they can't do subtle!

[normasm]

Joe seems to favor split shows for his directoral stints. I liked it before, but this time the unsub story was poor, and the Rossi/daughter scenes were flat. I liked him with the son, though.

 

It was nice to see a lot more Hotch than usual, and i agree the Morgan scene was cute, but where was Reid? He's doing that tesseract thing again, i guess.

 

I don't understand those here who were yelling about too much JJ last week now complaining that she was not suffering her PTSD onscreen. I was glad she was (relatively) tame this time.

[Old Dog]

Joe seems to favor split shows for his directoral stints. I liked it before, but this time the unsub story was poor, and the Rossi/daughter scenes were flat. I liked him with the son, though.

 

It was nice to see a lot more Hotch than usual, and i agree the Morgan scene was cute, but where was Reid? He's doing that tesseract thing again, i guess.

 

I don't understand those here who were yelling about too much JJ last week now complaining that she was not suffering her PTSD onscreen. I was glad she was (relatively) tame this time.

Normasm it is not that I want more JJ on screen - Heaven forbid! It's just that after last week being all about her and her PTSD it just seems disjointed that it is all better now! Even Reid, the little we actually saw of him in this week's episode, seemed quite upbeat when you would expect him to be anxious about JJ. I don't want to see it at all but perversely I get annoyed when they can't ever follow through with a story. In earlier seasons they were very clever about seeding little glimpses through episodes just to keep some kind of flow. Now, they are incapable of doing that. I would be pleased for them to send JJ off for treatment completely - I just get annoyed at the lack of any continuity. And goodness know what kind of mad retconning we will get next week!

[JMO]

Just watched this AM.  It was ..... clunky, by which I mean that pretty much all of it felt heavy-handed. 

 

The case---they had Hotch, and later Morgan and JJ, asking the kinds of questions I would have expected the LEOs to have asked.  In another episode, this would have been the kind of information that was offered as exposition while they were on the plane, or when they arrived at the police station. It felt a little like they were trying to stretch thin material. 

 

Who else was screaming "the DMV!" at their TV?

 

My guess is that the local hospital doesn't have a very successful transplantation rate if they take their donors off life support before they recover their organs.

 

It's not just Reid (although I always miss him the most---and he's the least likely to show up again), but each of the characters disappears mysteriously these days.  In the past, it seemed like we always knew where everyone was, even if they weren't onscreen.  Now, they're just---gone.  It feels like lazy writing.  I have no idea why it's so irksome to me (except for Reid), but it is. 

 

To join the shallow---I didn't think JJ looked older, just softer.  The white sweater and side part did that for her.  On the other hand, the lighting did nothing for anyone.  Even TG didn't look quite himself.  Which was sad, since we actually had some scenes with him.

 

Rossi.  For me, the whole Meshach Taylor story arc, across several seasons, has been.....nice, but out of context.  It's nice that Joe wants to honor the military and that the show supports him in it.  And I say this as someone who comes from a family full of military types (and LEOs, and other service professions), and I have great respect and gratitude. But this story arc always feels disjointed to me.  It's like I'm learning something about Rossi's past, but it still doesn't inform his present.  What was it about his Vietnam experience that led him to the FBI?  To the BAU?  If he founded the profiling unit, tell me why and how.  That's the backstory I want to see for him. 

 

[whitespace]

Rossi.  For me, the whole Meshach Taylor story arc, across several seasons, has been.....nice, but out of context.  It's nice that Joe wants to honor the military and that the show supports him in it.  And I say this as someone who comes from a family full of military types (and LEOs, and other service professions), and I have great respect and gratitude. But this story arc always feels disjointed to me.  It's like I'm learning something about Rossi's past, but it still doesn't inform his present.  What was it about his Vietnam experience that led him to the FBI?  To the BAU?  If he founded the profiling unit, tell me why and how.  That's the backstory I want to see for him. 

I don't think that his daughter is doing any good for his character development eather. She's grown up with a 2 year old so it's not any different from any of his team members (exept that she can call him "Dad" or the boy "Grandpa").

 

A story about the founding of the BAU would be great though.

[Droogie]

Just watched this AM. It was ..... clunky, by which I mean that pretty much all of it felt heavy-handed.

The case---they had Hotch, and later Morgan and JJ, asking the kinds of questions I would have expected the LEOs to have asked. In another episode, this would have been the kind of information that was offered as exposition while they were on the plane, or when they arrived at the police station. It felt a little like they were trying to stretch thin material.

Who else was screaming "the DMV!" at their TV?

My guess is that the local hospital doesn't have a very successful transplantation rate if they take their donors off life support before they recover their organs.

It's not just Reid (although I always miss him the most---and he's the least likely to show up again), but each of the characters disappears mysteriously these days. In the past, it seemed like we always knew where everyone was, even if they weren't onscreen. Now, they're just---gone. It feels like lazy writing. I have no idea why it's so irksome to me (except for Reid), but it is.

To join the shallow---I didn't think JJ looked older, just softer. The white sweater and side part did that for her. On the other hand, the lighting did nothing for anyone. Even TG didn't look quite himself. Which was sad, since we actually had some scenes with him.

Rossi. For me, the whole Meshach Taylor story arc, across several seasons, has been.....nice, but out of context. It's nice that Joe wants to honor the military and that the show supports him in it. And I say this as someone who comes from a family full of military types (and LEOs, and other service professions), and I have great respect and gratitude. But this story arc always feels disjointed to me. It's like I'm learning something about Rossi's past, but it still doesn't inform his present. What was it about his Vietnam experience that led him to the FBI? To the BAU? If he founded the profiling unit, tell me why and how. That's the backstory I want to see for him.

I missed Reid too. But at least I didn't expect him, so I wasn't disappointed. Sadly, I don't expect him in the next two episodes either, -- his supposed "arc."

I was just sitting there dumbfounded too, like, Hellllloooooo! DMV, people. Reid should've known that instantly. The LEOs should've known that instantly.

I am a huge supporter of the military, and I totally agree: a tribute to Meshach Taylor was a really nice gesture, but... Um... Why, exactly? I didn't really get what his story had to do with anything when he was on prior, and I don't now. The funeral was really touching, but again, I don't see what it had to to do with anything related to the show. That, plus the somewhat hackneyed bits with the daughter made them compress their profiling even further, since we gotta have so many UnSub scenes.

Speaking of which: did any of the actors on CM ever make any noise about directing until Season 5, when Matthew directed his first episode? Surely it isn't a childish "well-if -HE-can-then-I-can" mentality. Could the producers just have said, "OK, who wants in?" Because not everyone can do it well. I agree the lighting was weird in this episode, and it was "clunky," as you put it. Thomas's episodes seem a little chopped together, for lack of a better term. Now I hear noise that AJC has "always" wanted to direct and hopes to direct episodes in the future. All those cooks in the kitchen, but MGG is actually great at it. I'm not just saying that as a die-hard fan, either. I watched some of his episodes prior to paying any attention that he had been the director and still thought there was something different and good about them.

Edited January 22, 2015 by Droogie

[Chaos Theory]

Add to the list of things I won't do. Check 'yes' on the organ donation box..,..or go to the DMV

[JMO]

 

Speaking of which: did any of the actors on CM ever make any noise about directing until Season 5, when Matthew directed his first episode? Surely it isn't a childish "well-if -HE-can-then-I-can" mentality. Could the producers just have said, "OK, who wants in?" Because not everyone can do it well. I agree the lighting was weird in this episode, and it was "clunky," as you put it. Thomas's episodes seem a little chopped together, for lack of a better term. Now I hear noise that AJC has "always" wanted to direct and hopes to direct episodes in the future. All those cooks in the kitchen, but MGG is actually great at it. I'm not just saying that as a die-hard fan, either. I watched some of his episodes prior to paying any attention that he had been the director and still thought there was something different and good about them.

 

I actually thought TG did a pretty good job directing.  I remember thinking that one of his episodes stood out over the others, but I honestly couldn't tell you which it was, right now.  Last night I was underwhelmed. 

 

MGG has real talent for it.  And, although he loves the oddball episodes, I actually think he's done a great job directing in the straightforward.  I thought 'Lauren' was excellently put together, loved,loved, loved the family/team scenes of 'Mosley Lane' (but not the unsub scenes), I loved most of 'Alchemy'.  'Heathcliff Manor'?---no.  But that may have had more to do with a bad storyline.  What's the saying?  You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

 

As to AJC and her having 'always' wanted to direct?  That was from an interview at the convention in Canada, which you can find on line.  If you see it in context, you can tell that directing is far from her mind.  She even said 'maybe in season 20'.  So, no worries there.

[Droogie]

I actually thought TG did a pretty good job directing.  I remember thinking that one of his episodes stood out over the others, but I honestly couldn't tell you which it was, right now.  Last night I was underwhelmed. 

 

MGG has real talent for it.  And, although he loves the oddball episodes, I actually think he's done a great job directing in the straightforward.  I thought 'Lauren' was excellently put together, loved,loved, loved the family/team scenes of 'Mosley Lane' (but not the unsub scenes), I loved most of 'Alchemy'.  'Heathcliff Manor'?---no.  But that may have had more to do with a bad storyline.  What's the saying?  You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

 

As to AJC and her having 'always' wanted to direct?  That was from an interview at the convention in Canada, which you can find on line.  If you see it in context, you can tell that directing is far from her mind.  She even said 'maybe in season 20'.  So, no worries there.

I am thinking of "Boxed In" as the example. I probably shouldn't have lumped in everything he has directed, but I didn't care for how that one was done.

Funnily enough, "Heathridge Manor" was one of the ones I saw without paying attention to who directed it. I definitely agree the writing was bad -- but I thought the lighting and the sets and the actors themselves were awesome. When I later saw that MGG was the director, I was like, of course. I definitely agree about "Lauren." I thought it was amazing. It's interesting to see how he channels his creativity when he has to reign in his eclecticism.

I don't remember where I read that AJC comment. It was recent, though -- I saw that convention you mention (ha -- I'm a poet) but this was different. She was asked if she'd like to write for the show (like KV) and she said something to the effect of definitely, that she would also like to produce some and that she was "itching" to direct some episodes also.

I promise I am not trying to argue! Reading my post before hitting the button, I'm afraid it seems that way.

[SSAHotchner]

I missed Reid too. But at least I didn't expect him, so I wasn't disappointed. Sadly, I don't expect him in the next two episodes either, -- his supposed "arc."

I was just sitting there dumbfounded too, like, Hellllloooooo! DMV, people. Reid should've known that instantly. The LEOs should've known that instantly.

I am a huge supporter of the military, and I totally agree: a tribute to Meshach Taylor was a really nice gesture, but... Um... Why, exactly? I didn't really get what his story had to do with anything when he was on prior, and I don't now. The funeral was really touching, but again, I don't see what it had to to do with anything related to the show. That, plus the somewhat hackneyed bits with the daughter made them compress their profiling even further, since we gotta have so many UnSub scenes.

Speaking of which: did any of the actors on CM ever make any noise about directing until Season 5, when Matthew directed his first episode? Surely it isn't a childish "well-if -HE-can-then-I-can" mentality. Could the producers just have said, "OK, who wants in?" Because not everyone can do it well. I agree the lighting was weird in this episode, and it was "clunky," as you put it. Thomas's episodes seem a little chopped together, for lack of a better term. Now I hear noise that AJC has "always" wanted to direct and hopes to direct episodes in the future. All those cooks in the kitchen, but MGG is actually great at it. I'm not just saying that as a die-hard fan, either. I watched some of his episodes prior to paying any attention that he had been the director and still thought there was something different and good about them.

I think Thomas has done very well on his episodes and he seems to get the best out of the actors. The acting in last night's episode was just off. Matthew does a great job visually, but I'm not always a fan of the scripts. Of course that's not his fault at all. Most of the scripts are pretty awful these days.

[Droogie]

I think Thomas has done very well on his episodes and he seems to get the best out of the actors. The acting in last night's episode was just off. Matthew does a great job visually, but I'm not always a fan of the scripts. Of course that's not his fault at all. Most of the scripts are pretty awful these days.

I'm sorry; I wasn't trying to overtly criticize TG; I'm actually a huge Hotch fan. I think TG does fine (although I didn't like "Boxed In," as I said -- I'd go back and edit my post but then subsequent comments wouldn't make sense).

I would take this over to the Bullpen but I don't know how. My thinking was with this episode at the forefront of my admittedly-lackluster short-term memory. Good writing or not, I didn't think this episode was put together well (and I love Rossi, too). I liked the funeral scene and the music choices, but otherwise it didn't work for me. Which led to me wondering if everyone was so gung-ho to direct all along, or did they feel like MGG was "showing them up" (terrible sentence structure there) or is that just what happens when a show has been on this long? I don't know.

[MrWhyt]

 

Speaking of which: did any of the actors on CM ever make any noise about directing until Season 5, when Matthew directed his first episode? Surely it isn't a childish "well-if -HE-can-then-I-can" mentality. Could the producers just have said, "OK, who wants in?"

It's a way to give the actors a pay bump without giving them an official raise. I suspect that they can pay one of the actors less as a director than they would have to pay an established TV director. So the production might save a bit of money, the actor gets a pay bump and also gets to spread their artistic/professional wings,

[SSAHotchner]

It's okay, Droogie. That's the way I feel about MGG. I think he does a great job directing and the episodes are always visually fantastic, but I don't care for the scripts of some of the episodes he's directed. I don't think Boxed In was a great episode, either, but I like what Thomas did with it, and I loved the scene with him and Madam Bouvier and the scene where he brings the costume to Jack. On the other hand, I think Gabby was one of the best episodes last season. It may have turned out that way whoever the director had been, but it happened to be Thomas.

 

But in this case, I don't think Joe did a good job on this episode. He may have been preoccupied with wanting to memorialize Meshach Taylor. It's also not a case of him ruining a good script. It was a poor script with a very predictable outcome. Still, I don't think directing is Joe's forte.

[thewhiteowl]

 

What adult would wear such a thing to work?

 

 I know this was referring to Garcia and I don't disagree but Garcia is not in the public eye, for the most part so I don't really care. It's my problem with Reid  and I don't mean to start any flame wars as I know he is beloved here but really, if production or MGG had any intent of moving the character forward into more of a "lead" I think he would be dressed and groomed far more appropriately. Not looking like a rumpled 12-year-old who slept in his clothes and can't be bothered to shower or use his big brain to figure out what a comb is for. It seems like he is there to be laughed at and not taken seriously by anyone including his team, usually.

It bothers me far more than Garcia because I see Reid as just as much of a cartoon "befuddled genius" character  and he could be more, she can't.

[ForeverAlone]

Oh I agree about Reid's styling. His long, wild hair is deeply unprofessional and it is not acceptable in an organization as rigid as the FBI.

I give some allowances for Penelope's work wear, because she is a recruited hacker. But yeah, I do have to draw the line at kitty ears at work. Again, it goes back to professionalism, but the writers seem to want to infantilize Reid and Penelope, even though they started the series as very capable and professional individuals, even though they were quirky in their own right. It was an acceptable level of quirky for an organization like the FBI.

[MCatry]

Regarding the episode, I just think it was pretty boring. More family stuff involving kids, and now, grandchildren, since being a parent seems to be the only way Messer and Co. think when 'relationships' come to their minds.

Regarding direction skills, Gubler attended to school to get a degree on filming, and hence we can infer he learnt quite a few techniques and his creativity combines with that. Both Mantegna and Gibson direct by using their former experiences, and that marks a difference between the styles of those three.

And about stylish decision regarding both Garcia and Reid, we all know they have been declared the joker and the butt of the joke respectively over four years ago, and hence they dress acorddly. Garcia looked great and professional in season one, and Reid used to comb his hair and keep it short, but both devolved slowly in what they are nowadays. I am aware that they have been ridiculous for more than Messer's administration, but it was a slow process that would take years to revert, and at this point, I doubt the producers would be willing to do it. (And I am also aware that Reid still looked like a twelve year old back in season one, despite the ties, the shirt and the neatly combed hair).

Still, one of the latest 'behind-the-scenes' pictures and a vine video show Gubler with shorter hair, so we may spot him wearing a new style in one of the future episodes (at least in the few seconds we may get to see him; advice: don't get up to make a quick trip to the kitchen to get anything or you will miss him)

[missmycat]

This episode got a 1.9/6 in the demo and 10.16(million viewers). That demo is a series low. I feel sorry for JM who wanted to pay tribute to his friend. I feel even worse because I had hoped something like this would happen.

Until somebody asked me if I wouldn't rather it happen to a JJ episode and I realize they were right. I just want something to get the attention of the CBS/CM people.

Because the fact is CM has stiffer competition than ever before and they are not giving people enough reason to tune in. I shudder to think what the ratings would've been had MF been new and not a rerun.

 

Now those are not the finale ratings. Hopefully the'll adjust up or at least remain the same rather than adjusting down.

 

 

ETA: Here are the finale ratings 2.0/6 demo and 10.29(million viewers)

Edited January 22, 2015 by missmycat

[normasm]

This episode got a 1.9/6 in the demo and 10.16(million viewers). That demo is a series low. I feel sorry for JM who wanted to pay tribute to his friend. I feel even worse because I had hoped something like this would happen.

Until somebody asked me if I wouldn't rather it happen to a JJ episode and I realize they were right. I just want something to get the attention of the CBS/CM people.

 

 

Don't feel bad, MMC. I was depressed about the stupid show, so I jumped on your comment.

 

I feel bad about the low being a JM-directed episode and about his late friend, too. The man wasn't using MGG/Reid to prop up his story, so people tuned out.

[Droogie]

This episode got a 1.9/6 in the demo and 10.16(million viewers). That demo is a series low. I feel sorry for JM who wanted to pay tribute to his friend. I feel even worse because I had hoped something like this would happen.

Until somebody asked me if I wouldn't rather it happen to a JJ episode and I realize they were right. I just want something to get the attention of the CBS/CM people.

Because the fact is CM has stiffer competition than ever before and they are not giving people enough reason to tune in. I shudder to think what the ratings would've been had MF been new and not a rerun.

 

Now those are not the finale ratings. Hopefully the'll adjust up or at least remain the same rather than adjusting down.

 

 

ETA: Here are the finale ratings 2.0/6 demo and 10.29(million viewers)

Really, wow -- a series low? I don't understand these things fully but yikes.

[Droogie]

I know this was referring to Garcia and I don't disagree but Garcia is not in the public eye, for the most part so I don't really care. It's my problem with Reid and I don't mean to start any flame wars as I know he is beloved here but really, if production or MGG had any intent of moving the character forward into more of a "lead" I think he would be dressed and groomed far more appropriately. Not looking like a rumpled 12-year-old who slept in his clothes and can't be bothered to shower or use his big brain to figure out what a comb is for. It seems like he is there to be laughed at and not taken seriously by anyone including his team, usually.

It bothers me far more than Garcia because I see Reid as just as much of a cartoon "befuddled genius" character and he could be more, she can't.

I once heard MGG say his vision for Reid was that of an unkempt, "esoteric" figure. I find him quite physically lovely so it's hard for me to criticize, but I think Reid's fashion sense and clothes choices have steadily improved over the years. He is usually far more put together than Morgan. Save the hair, true (which I also do like, though) -- I fanwank that it's because the BAU is so elite and Reid is so valuable, they let it slide (sort of like JJ's PTSD) and that he personally doesn't care enough about it to mess with it. ;-)

EDITED to add (because I found this topic pretty interesting, and because I am a world-class procrastinator who is supposed to be writing a paper): A little tour around Google said that at least as far as a regular Joe (or Jane) in the FBI, Reid's hair would definitely not fly. But neither would Rossi's or Morgan's goatee and JJ's hair would have to be above her shoulders. Dunno if that is 100% accurate but I thought it was cool info.

Edited January 23, 2015 by Droogie

[JMO]

 

I don't understand those here who were yelling about too much JJ last week now complaining that she was not suffering her PTSD onscreen. I was glad she was (relatively) tame this time.

 

I agree.  It's got to be one way, or the other.  I have no idea if anyone from the show bothers to look at sites like this.  If they don't, we can complain all we want, in both directions at the same time.  But, if there's any chance that they do, and if we hope to be taken seriously, there is a need to make sense.

[ForeverAlone]

I personally would rather have no JJ ever ever again. It's not like any of us who hated last week's episode wanted to see MORE of JJ. It's more of the fact that this show will introduce story arcs and then just drop them. It's more about the fact that no way would JJ have been all right after last week. There were no repercussions or anything for her reckless, emotional behavior, and she certainly didn't show any after effects from last week. It makes everything that happened even more unnecessary than it already was. The show made such a big deal about how emotional JJ was last week, and now she is the same as always. What was the point of that episode, except to show that JJ is so superhuman that she can single handedly solve the case, even though she is supposed to be in the grips of a major meltdown?

 

It would have been the same thing if the show hadn't addressed Maeve's death after "Zugzwang." And based on the writer chat after the episode, that was the original plan- to just have Reid show up at work like nothing had happened. Thankfully they realized that they couldn't very well murder Reid's girlfriend in front of him and have no repercussions, so they adjusted "Magnum Opus" accordingly.

 

Back in the day, the show was a bit better about showing the emotional after effects of traumatic events, and didn't just write this show in a vacuum. It was more about building credible character stories than just firing and forgetting. 

Edited January 23, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[Droogie]

Could the drop in numbers this week have at all been related to last week -- if folks thought they'd skip the PTSD aftermath (although where would they have put it? Oh, I know! Let's just skip absolutely all the profiling!), and then tune back in next week...

[JMO]

They did the same thing with 'Fear and Loathing' after Reid's trauma in Revelations. There was no plan to play out his addiction.  Hence the outtake on the DVD.

 

I think it would have been possible to write one of the scenes that included JJ in last night's episode such that it gave a nod to her PTSD, without placing undue emphasis on the character.  I just don't think it's possible to have 'no JJ' and 'consistent JJ' at the same time. 

 

For me, I will interpret her more subdued role last night as fallout from her PTSD.  That's my story, and I'm sticking with it.

 

Could the drop in numbers this week have at all been related to last week -- if folks thought they'd skip the PTSD aftermath (although where would they have put it? Oh, I know! Let's just skip absolutely all the profiling!), and then tune back in next week...

 

I can't seem to find it again, but I saw something that broke down the numbers with the usual 18-49 demo, and then a 25-49 demo.  From that, it seemed that the big drop was in the 18-25 group, which didn't surprise me, considering the advertised subject matter of the episode. Not that they shouldn't relate to it, but I don't think they do.

[ForeverAlone]

Fear and Loathing was a different story. Originally that episode was going to air earlier, but when they got the big post Super Bowl episode, they adjusted the episode order and Fear and Loathing was then going to air after Revelations. So to ensure continuity, they adjusted and reshot the Reid scenes to make his trauma apparent. Even though I wasn't a fan of the drug addiction angle, at least the writers made an effort to show Reid struggling in the aftermath of Tobias Hankel. 

Edited January 23, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[SSAHotchner]

Oh I agree about Reid's styling. His long, wild hair is deeply unprofessional and it is not acceptable in an organization as rigid as the FBI.

I give some allowances for Penelope's work wear, because she is a recruited hacker. But yeah, I do have to draw the line at kitty ears at work. Again, it goes back to professionalism, but the writers seem to want to infantilize Reid and Penelope, even though they started the series as very capable and professional individuals, even though they were quirky in their own right. It was an acceptable level of quirky for an organization like the FBI.

Yes, FA. For me it's another case of poor writers. They can't come up with lines to define the characters of Garcia and Reid so they need to do it with props and costumes. But it's a fail because they are turning them into cartoon characters rather than real people with quirks. My opinion is the complete opposite of yours, though. While I think that Garcia's childish hair ornaments and her cleavage hanging out more often than not is totally unprofessional, I do see Reid more as the genius whose grooming might be lacking. On the other hand, I personally hate his messy hair. But his wardrobe is much more sophisticated than it was in earlier seasons. He used to have a shirt tail hanging out or wear ill-fitting clothes that looked like his mother picked them out when he was an adolescent. Also,  whereas Reid is hardly given anything to do anymore and his lines tend to be factoids, Garcia is featured heavily and can't stop babbling. She used to offer useful suggestions as well as whatever facts and figures she was able to dig up on her computer. Now it's non-stop blah-blah-blah, I'm so clever, my job is so difficult but I'm so good at it, blah-blah-blah, ooh, I need to look at puppies and kittens. Blech!

[SSAHotchner]

This episode got a 1.9/6 in the demo and 10.16(million viewers). That demo is a series low. I feel sorry for JM who wanted to pay tribute to his friend. I feel even worse because I had hoped something like this would happen.

Until somebody asked me if I wouldn't rather it happen to a JJ episode and I realize they were right. I just want something to get the attention of the CBS/CM people.

Because the fact is CM has stiffer competition than ever before and they are not giving people enough reason to tune in. I shudder to think what the ratings would've been had MF been new and not a rerun.

 

Now those are not the finale ratings. Hopefully the'll adjust up or at least remain the same rather than adjusting down.

 

 

ETA: Here are the finale ratings 2.0/6 demo and 10.29(million viewers)

MMC, the episode didn't get a low rating because Joe was directing or the subject matter. I don't believe that that many viewers pick and choose which episodes they will watch based on the promos. What I think is more likely is that some viewers gave up after last week's fiasco with JJ, so perhaps you got your wish after all. Or maybe there are still a lot of folks tuning into American Idol. Still, I think that if every one of us on this forum gave up, there'd still be a ton of people watching based on all the moronic comments I read on FB. No matter how awful an episode is, whether it makes any sense at all, there will still be the easily satisfied (less discerning) viewers out there crying, "It was awesome!" That alone is enough to make one quit watching.

[Danielg342]

I just watched this...and I laboured through it, partly because iTunes was being highly annoying (I don't understand how people expect me to "do things legally" when the "legal method" sucks so much, but that's a debate for another forum). The other part was that this, while not frustrating, was pretty boring.

A word about the ratings- as some have already said, I think it has to do with the reaction to last week. That's usually how I rate episodes- by how the following one did. If people give up on a show or pick up on it because of an episode, the numbers get reflected the following week, not the week of, because people can't react to an episode they haven't seen. Thus I attribute the drop to a series low to the reaction to "The Forever People", although I'm cautious because ratings can be volatile. There's no way of knowing for sure if the numbers this week really were a reaction or just a blip- if episodes start getting "1.5/9" instead of "2.0/10" like it had been getting, then I can say for sure a lot of people dropped the show because of "The Forever People".

One thing is for sure though- the ratings have gone from 14 million in Season 7 to 9.5-10 million in Season 10. How no one is alarmed by that is beyond me, and makes me wonder why Erica Messer can keep her job when she keeps losing viewers. Maybe "The Forever People" will be the last straw.

Anyhow...the episode...and why I think people may continue to stay away:

1) The episode, overall, was too brooding and took itself *way* too seriously, which seems to be sadly common with CM these days. I miss the days when funny moments were sprinkled in the episodes, because- even if they were a bit contrived sometimes, they do at least "lighten the mood" and counter the intensity of the subject matter. Shows that can't see the lighter side of things can start to drag way too quickly.

2) I seem to be the only one who picked up on the weird sexual tension on display this week. The UnSub and the daughter seemed to bring out that eerie vibe, as did, believe it or not, Rossi and his daughter. Talk about squick...eww.

3) Felt like this episode *could* have worked, but didn't. A father killing people so that his daughter can get an organ? It's a nice idea, but it was poorly executed. This one would have worked better if the UnSub was revealed at the final moment, because then we wouldn't have "the UnSub's actual performance" on display to cloud our formulation of him. I also thought the attempt to humanize him was poor, since the writer just checked every "sympathy box" they could think of instead of formulating an actual story. Troubled kid seeking redemption? Check. Dead mother? Check. Family seeking to start a new life? Check. Deadly disease threatening this new life? Check. Dad who really cares and wants to help but doesn't really know how? Check. Daughter collapsing and nearly dying to ramp up tension at the end? Check. Oh, and the really big one- the decision to make the kid in need of the transplant a *daughter*, because apparently only women can be the vulnerable ones on TV these days. Did I miss anything?

4) Perhaps someone with better knowledge of medicine can fill me in, but wouldn't this case have made more sense with simply female victims? The UnSub had a daughter, so I don't understand why male organs were targeted since they wouldn't likely be candidates for his daughter anyway. Even if male organs could work in females, wouldn't it work better for the UnSub's thought process to kill women who were close to his daughter's age? It would make more sense if he felt that other women where the "rivals" of his daughter, rather than just deciding to target any potential organ donor, at least just for simplicity's sake. That way the "reveal" that the UnSub is looking for an organ for his daughter would make more sense.

(I'd say, as an aside, this killer could have been an omnivore to "cover his tracks" and fool the police, but that implies a depth of writing this show hasn't experienced since the days of Edward Allen Bernero and Jeff Davis)

5) Seems to me that, as a corollary to No. 3, the killer was made to be an omnivore just so CM can continue claiming "they're not misogynist". Yet I find it "amusing" that, despite littering the episode with a mixture of victims, the show resorts to one of the (arguably) most sexist cliches of them all- the damsel in distress (the final victim who he pointed a gun at but decided to shoot himself and not her). Don't get me wrong, I'm not against damsel in distress stories at all, and I think creatively they can be wonderful stories- but CM's showing its hypocrisy by trying not to be sexist and using a sexist trope.

6) Again, the team made a lot of observations the local police department could have made. In fact, we didn't even *meet* the detective assigned to this case- the BAU just flew right in and got to work. You know, if the characters knew any better, they'd start wondering why they're doing all the "normal" police work and ask themselves about "what happened to my old job?", because the contrast in past years where the team actually felt needed and now is staggering.

7) Last, but not least, the absence of any after effects experienced by JJ after last week. Strangely it didn't annoy me as much as I thought it would- perhaps because JJ wasn't "front and centre" this week- but it is still annoying. I suppose at this stage I can just "brush it off" because CM so desperately wants to stay episodic, although it's still incredibly jarring. I suppose I shouldn't expect any better. *sigh*

So for the things I did like:

1) It had an ending. :P

2) Thought Joe Mantegna was really touching in his scenes, both in acting and in directing, and I thought the show paid a nice tribute to Meschach Taylor. RIP buddy. I wished the writing could have made that the focus of the episode, instead of dividing the case, because Rossi's story was far more interesting, but I did like the little we got.

3) Thought the actor who played the UnSub was pretty good.

4) (ETA) Did like that Garcia gave Rossi a hug after learning of the death of Harrison Scott. Not that I wish the show to start making the characters overtly affectionate with each other, but I do think they're a little too "cool" to each other and it would be nice to see some genuine warmth.

So, not an F, but a "D".

Edited January 23, 2015 by Danielg342

[missmycat]

I just watched this...and I laboured through it, partly because iTunes was being highly annoying (I don't understand how people expect me to "do things legally" when the "legal method" sucks so much, but that's a debate for another forum). The other part was that this, while not frustrating, was pretty boring.

A word about the ratings- as some have already said, I think it has to do with the reaction to last week. That's usually how I rate episodes- by how the following one did. If people give up on a show or pick up on it because of an episode, the numbers get reflected the following week, not the week of, because people can't react to an episode they haven't seen. Thus I attribute the drop to a series low to the reaction to "The Forever People", although I'm cautious because ratings can be volatile. There's no way of knowing for sure if the numbers this week really were a reaction or just a blip- if episodes start getting "1.5/9" instead of "2.0/10" like it had been getting, then I can say for sure a lot of people dropped the show because of "The Forever People".

One thing is for sure though- the ratings have gone from 14 million in Season 7 to 9.5-10 million in Season 10. How no one is alarmed by that is beyond me, and makes me wonder why Erica Messer can keep her job when she keeps losing viewers. Maybe "The Forever People" will be the last straw.

Anyhow...the episode...and why I think people may continue to stay away:

1) The episode, overall, was too brooding and took itself *way* too seriously, which seems to be sadly common with CM these days. I miss the days when funny moments were sprinkled in the episodes, because- even if they were a bit contrived sometimes, they do at least "lighten the mood" and counter the intensity of the subject matter. Shows that can't see the lighter side of things can start to drag way too quickly.

2) I seem to be the only one who picked up on the weird sexual tension on display this week. The UnSub and the daughter seemed to bring out that eerie vibe, as did, believe it or not, Rossi and his daughter. Talk about squick...eww.

3) Felt like this episode *could* have worked, but didn't. A father killing people so that his daughter can get an organ? It's a nice idea, but it was poorly executed. This one would have worked better if the UnSub was revealed at the final moment, because then we wouldn't have "the UnSub's actual performance" on display to cloud our formulation of him. I also thought the attempt to humanize him was poor, since the writer just checked every "sympathy box" they could think of instead of formulating an actual story. Troubled kid seeking redemption? Check. Dead mother? Check. Family seeking to start a new life? Check. Deadly disease threatening this new life? Check. Dad who really cares and wants to help but doesn't really know how? Check. Daughter collapsing and nearly dying to ramp up tension at the end? Check. Oh, and the really big one- the decision to make the kid in need of the transplant a *daughter*, because apparently only women can be the vulnerable ones on TV these days. Did I miss anything?

4) Perhaps someone with better knowledge of medicine can fill me in, but wouldn't this case have made more sense with simply female victims? The UnSub had a daughter, so I don't understand why male organs were targeted since they wouldn't likely be candidates for his daughter anyway. Even if male organs could work in females, wouldn't it work better for the UnSub's thought process to kill women who were close to his daughter's age? It would make more sense if he felt that other women where the "rivals" of his daughter, rather than just deciding to target any potential organ donor, at least just for simplicity's sake. That way the "reveal" that the UnSub is looking for an organ for his daughter would make more sense.

(I'd say, as an aside, this killer could have been an omnivore to "cover his tracks" and fool the police, but that implies a depth of writing this show hasn't experienced since the days of Edward Allen Bernero and Jeff Davis)

5) Seems to me that, as a corollary to No. 3, the killer was made to be an omnivore just so CM can continue claiming "they're not misogynist". Yet I find it "amusing" that, despite littering the episode with a mixture of victims, the show resorts to one of the (arguably) most sexist cliches of them all- the damsel in distress (the final victim who he pointed a gun at but decided to shoot himself and not her). Don't get me wrong, I'm not against damsel in distress stories at all, and I think creatively they can be wonderful stories- but CM's showing its hypocrisy by trying not to be sexist and using a sexist trope.

6) Again, the team made a lot of observations the local police department could have made. In fact, we didn't even *meet* the detective assigned to this case- the BAU just flew right in and got to work. You know, if the characters knew any better, they'd start wondering why they're doing all the "normal" police work and ask themselves about "what happened to my old job?", because the contrast in past years where the team actually felt needed and now is staggering.

7) Last, but not least, the absence of any after effects experienced by JJ after last week. Strangely it didn't annoy me as much as I thought it would- perhaps because JJ wasn't "front and centre" this week- but it is still annoying. I suppose at this stage I can just "brush it off" because CM so desperately wants to stay episodic, although it's still incredibly jarring. I suppose I shouldn't expect any better. *sigh*

So for the things I did like:

1) It had an ending. :P

2) Thought Joe Mantegna was really touching in his scenes, both in acting and in directing, and I thought the show paid a nice tribute to Meschach Taylor. RIP buddy. I wished the writing could have made that the focus of the episode, instead of dividing the case, because Rossi's story was far more interesting, but I did like the little we got.

3) Thought the actor who played the UnSub was pretty good.

4) (ETA) Did like that Garcia gave Rossi a hug after learning of the death of Harrison Scott. Not that I wish the show to start making the characters overtly affectionate with each other, but I do think they're a little too "cool" to each other and it would be nice to see some genuine warmth.

So, not an F, but a "D".

While this is true about the live ratings and I am someone who would definitely love to see EM and the majority of these writers shown the door, I think probably what's in their favor is that CM is second to only TBBT when it comes to the dvring of the CBS shows.This fact is according to the criminalmindsroudtable blog.

Still I too am not happy about the drop in it's live ratings.I would rather it'd be doing good in both those ratings as well as it's dvr ratings.

[Danielg342]

While this is true about the live ratings and I am someone who would definitely love to see EM and the majority of these writers shown the door, I think probably what's in their favor is that CM is second to only TBBT when it comes to the dvring of the CBS shows.This fact is according to the criminalmindsroudtable blog.

Still I too am not happy about the drop in it's live ratings.I would rather it'd be doing good in both those ratings as well as it's dvr ratings.

I agree that it's all true and that the show is in no danger of being canceled. I'd also agree that if the show's ratings were to stabilize this year that CBS would likely not get worried. However, if it starts posting 9's instead of 10's, that'd be the third season in a row it's lost viewers, and at some point I'd think CBS would want the bleeding to stop.

I think the other part of it is that on Wednesday, CM wasn't the most watched show in its timeslot. Before, at least Erica Messer could say “We're No. 1 at 9PM” but this Wednesday, CM lost to Empire, and that may not be a one-off thing. Empire has garnered strong buzz and had a strong premiere, and if it starts to consistently beat CM, that should cause CBS to worry. It's one thing if it's Modern Family or SVU, but it's another thing if it can't keep up with a “hot new show” like Empire.

[spinner33]

Forever Alone said, "Yest. 8:21 pm  "I personally would rather have no JJ ever ever again. It's not like any of us who hated last week's episode wanted to see MORE of JJ. It's more of the fact that this show will introduce story arcs and then just drop them. It's more about the fact that no way would JJ have been all right after last week. There were no repercussions or anything for her reckless, emotional behavior, and she certainly didn't show any after effects from last week. It makes everything that happened even more unnecessary than it already was. The show made such a big deal about how emotional JJ was last week, and now she is the same as always. What was the point of that episode, except to show that JJ is so superhuman that she can single handedly solve the case, even though she is supposed to be in the grips of a major meltdown?"

 

This is exactly why people who hated last week's episode about JJ and her "way more than PTSD" OVERWHELMING TRAUMA episode complained that she didn't have much to do in this week's episode.  

 

The writers did not have to dedicate a whole other episode to JJ's OVERWHELMING TRAUMA!  They could have done small things like Hotch saying "JJ, are you going to therapy sessions to deal with your out of control behavior from our last case? Because I will be keeping my eye on you."

 

Or Miss Kitten Ears could have gently asked "You doing okay now, Hon?  Any way I can help? Because you know, I run a support group for crime victims and families, and maybe I might be a good listener, in theory." 

 

Just saying, this feels like they just couldn't be bothered to follow up, because JJ doesn't need time to heal.  JJ has moved on from her OVERWHELMING TRAUMA because she's too strong to therapy or a shoulder to cry on.   Only weak people need help, weak people like Reid.  JJ isn't weak.  JJ is Super Amazing JJ. 

[normasm]

4) Perhaps someone with better knowledge of medicine can fill me in, but wouldn't this case have made more sense with simply female victims? The UnSub had a daughter, so I don't understand why male organs were targeted since they wouldn't likely be candidates for his daughter anyway. Even if male organs could work in females, wouldn't it work better for the UnSub's thought process to kill women who were close to his daughter's age? It would make more sense if he felt that other women where the "rivals" of his daughter, rather than just deciding to target any potential organ donor, at least just for simplicity's sake. That way the "reveal" that the UnSub is looking for an organ for his daughter would make more sense.

 

 

Daniel, the sex of a potential liver donor doesn't matter, there's no such thing as a male or female liver. But, what does matter, and what the unsub would have to know in order to kill people who would donate to his daughter, is if they are a match in blood type, and him just killing random people made no sense. The only killing that kinda made sense was the boy who was higher on the transplant wait list, but he might have matched totally different donors than she anyway.

 

Another lamely vetted medical angle for this show. Sheesh.

[JMO]

 

Daniel, the sex of a potential liver donor doesn't matter, there's no such thing as a male or female liver. But, what does matter, and what the unsub would have to know in order to kill people who would donate to his daughter, is if they are a match in blood type, and him just killing random people made no sense. The only killing that kinda made sense was the boy who was higher on the transplant wait list, but he might have matched totally different donors than she anyway.

 

Another lamely vetted medical angle for this show. Sheesh.

 

         I had chalked it up to the father behaving irrationally.  But maybe it was just the writers.  :)

[normasm]

Yes, JMO, he obviously was trying to help that first woman, until he got to the hospital and saw her ID bracelet that she was an organ donor (do they really have bracelets like that? If they do, it would have to be backed up by a signed power of attorney and her proxy [her husband in her case]'s signature before anyone could take her organs). Then after that, it was just irrational behavior...

[ForeverAlone]

Considering how often this show screws up the medical side of their stories, I am not in any mood to give the writers the benefit of the doubt that they just wrote the unsub to be acting irrationally. You would think that anyone who had a loved one on the organ transplant list, that they would be very familiar with how the whole process works. Maybe if the team members had talked about why his MO didn't make any sense since it didn't support his apparent goals or something that made it obvious to a viewer who doesn't understand how the organ donation process works. But since Bruce has gotten more than one medical story wrong (he after all wrote "The Good Earth" that pissed off people who understand scleroderma), I am going to assume he just didn't know what he was talking about, or didn't care, and the other writers also didn't know or care enough to point it out.

Yes, JMO, he obviously was trying to help that first woman, until he got to the hospital and saw her ID bracelet that she was an organ donor (do they really have bracelets like that? If they do, it would have to be backed up by a signed power of attorney and her proxy [her husband in her case]'s signature before anyone could take her organs). Then after that, it was just irrational behavior...

And even then, why was he driving her to the hospital in the first place? I mean, if he had no intention of killing her until he discovered she was an organ donor, why didn't he call 911 to have paramedics come take care of her, since it sounded like the woman had a single car accident and it's not like he ran her off the road or something? Why leave her propped up by a tree, which seemed what he was originally going to do until he decided to kill her. Maybe I just missed his explanation, but it was very weird behavior in the opening scene. Edited January 23, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[JMO]

 

(do they really have bracelets like that? If they do, it would have to be backed up by a signed power of attorney and her proxy [her husband in her case]'s signature before anyone could take her organs). Then after that, it was just irrational behavior...

 

      I had the same question, so I googled it the other night.  Apparently, there are a few companies that make them, and anyone can order one.  But I've never seen anyone actually wearing one, and I've been at this a long time.  Apart from being asked when you are admitted to the hospital or ED (which is not exactly the time that most people want to announce that they're organ donors), the usual source of info is the driver's license.  I guess, if you didn't have one, you could make your wishes known with a bracelet. 

 

Or, if you were an unsub, and you worked for a blood bank, and you had an AB+ daughter who needed a liver transplant, you could find all the AB+ blood donors, kill them, and put bracelets on their arms. 

 

[Droogie]

I don't think those bracelets exist -- I eye rolled that one. But some states actually have first-person consent, wherein if a person has declared him/herself an organ donor, they don't have to request permission from the next of kin.

[normasm]

JMO, even if one had an organ donor bracelet on, and the designation on their driver's license, and a card in their wallet saying they wanted to be an organ donor, I believe in most states, a hospital would still have to have a signed power of attorney for health care designating a proxy to make those decisions (including when and if to turn off life support), and many would require a living will spelling out the wishes of the person on life support. I'm talking adults here, if a child was on life support, i believe the only thing needed would be the guardian's permission to end life support and donate organs. Or not.

 

I think people who are on a list for an organ transplant would really be angered at the cavalier way they portrayed this man killing people who check the organ donor box. Someone on another forum said,"OK, that's it, I won't check the donor box (or visit the DMV)." On that last part, good luck getting a driver's license if you don't go to the DMV….

[Racbec]

Did they ever explain why the father, who was obviously a match, couldn't do a partial liver donation?  Such transplants are done from live donors, typically relatives.  No killing necessary.