S10.E18: Rock Creek Park

[thewhiteowl]

 

When the wife of an up-and-coming congressman disappears, the BAU investigates his political enemies as possible suspects.

 

 

[Old Dog]

The sneak peek gives me hope that we will get some Reid and Hotch at last! Looking forward to it a lot - for once!

[normasm]

I know! I hope the episode lives up to the tease of the peek! It should be interesting. Fingers crossed and depending on Sharon

[Old Dog]

Sharon usually delivers! I'm still undecided on the new hair though.

[JMO]

The new hair doesn't look like it's met a comb, either, but at least the length makes it less wild. Still, I wonder why it happened. They didn't need a new Reid hairstyle to show the passage of time. JLH's showing would suffice.

[normasm]

Yeah, but if MGG wanted to cut his hair, that's a great time so it will emphasize passage of time.

[SSAHotchner]

I think Reid looks pretty good in the clips. I'm looking forward to this one. And Hotch was looking yummy as well. Okay, so I'm a little superficial. I'll still be let down if there's no decent profiling, but at least I'll have something good to look at tonight. 

[normasm]

Apologize not, O SSAHotchner, for thine superficiality! Sometimes that is all they give us, is something to look at, the tyrants!!

 

Yes, i'm looking forward to seeing what i hope will be Spencer deciding he likes a girl and the world won't end if he asks her out and she says no, or, more frightening, says YES!

[ForeverAlone]

Abduction cases can go either way for me, though I tend to enjoy more of them than I dislike. And since this was written by Sharon, I had even higher hopes for this one. 

 

This episode had plenty of team interaction and it was nice to see the episode play out entirely from the team's perspective and not seeing the unsubs. I liked seeing the team profile different kidnapping strategies and motivations for kidnapping Sophie. I also liked seeing the team profile all the different players involved in the case. It was fun to watch the team peel back all the onion layers over this crime and everyone involved. The team definitely employed a wide variety of psychological tactics to get the truth out, and that was refreshing to see. It was also nice to see the BAU employ a media strategy, though I wondered why Hotch didn't take the conference, since he is the team leader. It definitely enjoyed Hotch and Rossi work their somewhat snarky profiling magic on the mother. I saw the lightness and humor behind Hotch's eyes as he worked the mother over. It was masterful to watch, and we need more of it. And the promos were definitely right. The ending turned everything on its head, though I honestly wasn't surprised. I was just more surprised to find out that he wasn't in on it from the start.

 

I did like the fact that Reid had some good contributions to this episode. Poor, kind, sensitive Reid had to listen to the poor housekeeper being abused and not being able to do anything about it. He is definitely not cut out for this line of work (I mean surveillance), because it is not in Reid's nature to sit by and allow others to be hurt, particularly women. And nice to see Reid in on the rescue, even if we didn't see him do anything. He was at least there. 

 

It was nice to see him working with someone else, someone who didn't really understand him at first, but came around to him. It made for some interesting dynamics and I liked seeing Reid's social awkwardness at play and him make a genuine effort to be friendly with someone, particularly a woman. He has definitely matured in the social arena and the handshake at the end was a sign of that, along with his growing feelings for Dorian. I have no clue if we will ever see her again or anything further will develop (the odds are against it on this show), but if something did happen, I have no issue. At least it would be more plausible than when CBS was trolling desperate Reid fans over his 30 second interaction with Einstein. If anything romantic did develop between these two, at least it would come from a place where Reid and Dorian actually got to know each other and like each other, so it would feel like a real, organic relationship. One bit I found a TINY bit unconvincing is that considering the way Reid was written earlier in the series, I do have to give a bit of side eye at the idea that Reid is now fluent in so many different languages, particularly languages that are more obscure. I mean, I can see why he would learn Russian, but Nigerian?  But without Emily, I guess somebody had to be the language expert. And on a purely shallow end, I am so glad to see Matthew finally cut his hair. I remember that day joyfully when he posted it on his Twitter, and now I can go back to seeing Reid as a Sex God now that the ratty mess is no longer around. Even though his hair is still wild, I think it looks much better on him short and doesn't look like a rat's nest, but rather sexy model hair. 

 

I did have to giggle about some of the team's dress. Even when Reid gets called in the middle of the night, he comes in wearing a dress shirt, tie and cardigan. Does that poor boy not own any casual clothes? I want to see what he wears just for the hell of it. And what is up with Penelope coming with full makeup, hair accessories and an outrageous outfit in the middle of the night? Even Hotch was dressed down with just a casual polo shirt. :)

 

Overall, this episode is very much in the win category for me. This is how episodes should be written. The team should take center stage and the unsub should very much be off to the side. We learned everything as the team did, and that is the way it should be done. We need MORE of this type of writing. It is official: Sharon is definitely my number one favorite Criminal Minds writer. At least of the current crew, but I can't see anyone displacing Andrew Wilder as my overall favorite. But she stands head and shoulders above her coworkers these days, and no one writes as good of Reid as she does. I have forgiven her for the rather egregiously flippant attitude toward schizophrenia in "Persuasion" last year. 

[Droogie]

Bravo, CM! This was a great episode, overall.

My thoughts:

Good team interaction. I saw everyone, and I am happy about that. I guess we did see the UnSub early on, but I was flummoxed at the end. How creepy. I think the guy loved his wife, but ultimately he loved his political ambition more. Wow.

As an unapologetic Reid fan, I liked his interaction with Dorian. From his discomfort at having obviously stuck his foot in his mouth over having given away the gist of the book she was reading, to his complimenting her coffee, it became clear that he was sort of smitten. My difficulty was that I didn't see exactly what precipitated his interest. They both read books, speak Russian and drink coffee? Okaaayyyyy... what I liked: he was interested, it showed, and he asked her out. All by himself, with no prodding from anyone else. Essentially, this is the first woman (that we have seen) that he has actually asked out, on his own. I loved his little satisfied face after she said yes. I absolutely loved how eager she appeared in doing so. I loved their little handshake. On a shallow note, I have already seen fan reaction about how she is not stereotypically "beautiful." I want to say this: remember now Reid didn't want to see Maeve's picture, saying she was already the most beautiful girl in the world? I really think Reid looks with the eyes of his heart. And if I may, MGG has often been quoted as saying he wants "outsiders" to feel like they belong. I can sort of see him even lobbying for Reid to have a girlfriend that is just a normal, average woman. I was very pleased with the whole thing.

What I hope to see is Reid having an adult relationship that blossoms, and in which he is fulfilled, and loved. It's high time. I'm happier than I have been in a long time about Spencer Reid.

This was an excellent episode. I felt like there were political statements made, but I didn't mind. I loved it.

[Droogie]

Abduction cases can go either way for me, though I tend to enjoy more of them than I dislike. And since this was written by Sharon, I had even higher hopes for this one.

It was nice to see him working with someone else, someone who didn't really understand him at first, but came around to him. It made for some interesting dynamics and I liked seeing Reid's social awkwardness at play and him make a genuine effort to be friendly with someone, particularly a woman. He has definitely matured in the social arena and the handshake at the end was a sign of that, along with his growing feelings for Dorian. I have no clue if we will ever see her again or anything further will develop (the odds are against it on this show), but if something did happen, I have no issue. At least it would be more plausible than when CBS was trolling desperate Reid fans over his 30 second interaction with Einstein. If anything romantic did develop between these two, at least it would come from a place where Reid and Dorian actually got to know each other and like each other, so it would feel like a real, organic relationship. One bit I found a TINY bit unconvincing is that considering the way Reid was written earlier in the series, I do have to give a bit of side eye at the idea that Reid is now fluent in so many different languages, particularly languages that are more obscure. I mean, I can see why he would learn Russian, but Nigerian? But without Emily, I guess somebody had to be the language expert. And on a purely shallow end, I am so glad to see Matthew finally cut his hair. I remember that day joyfully when he posted it on his Twitter, and now I can go back to seeing Reid as a Sex God now that the ratty mess is no longer around. Even though his hair is still wild, I think it looks much better on him short and doesn't look like a rat's nest, but rather sexy model hair.

I did have to giggle about some of the team's dress. Even when Reid gets called in the middle of the night, he comes in wearing a dress shirt, tie and cardigan. Does that poor boy not own any casual clothes? I want to see what he wears just for the hell of it. And what is up with Penelope coming with full makeup, hair accessories and an outrageous outfit in the middle of the night? Even Hotch was dressed down with just a casual polo.

I think Reid really doesn't have any casual clothes. I think he has what he considers pajamas and what he wears to work. No middle ground.

I also think that he has at least a passing familiarity with many languages, and a fluency for a smaller number. I also think that he could spend a weekend learning a new one, from listening to conversations to gather nuances and from reading to gain familiarity and fluency.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Droogie

[ForeverAlone]

Reid's newfound Rosetta Stone language skills is a vast difference between how he was written in the early years when that boy didn't know much of any foreign language and didn't really display an aptitude for the skill, and it really isn't an aptitude one just magically develops as an adult. I have to accept this storytelling choice since it has been employed so often in the last few years, but I do think it is ridiculous he is supposed to be familiar with languages he wouldn't really have a cause to use in his line of work. Just because he is a genius doesn't mean he is perfect at everything, and the earlier seasons showed that there were things Reid wasn't good at. 

Edited March 26, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[zannej]

I know we didn't see on camera much of a reason for Reid to have developed an interest in Dorian, but there was a lot of time off-screen that he spent with her. She didn't insult him, she didn't roll her eyes at him, and she was able to enunciate her consonants. It could just be a friendship thing, but I guess Reid just wanted to spend more time with her. It's rare for him to find someone who doesn't treat him like a total freak.

 

I can actually see Reid learning some of the more obscure languages. If it was something from Nigeria it would make a lot of sense because there are a LOT of criminals coming from Nigeria. They are pretty much the kings of identity theft, money scams, and catphishing. Reid reads government reports and would know about various crimes. Maybe we can say that he had to learn because of another case where he was consulted.

 

It was good to see Agent Anderson again. Garcia wasn't too over the top. I wonder if Shemar was sick when they shot the round table scene, because he looked pretty awful (of course, he was supposed to be tired). I noticed he was sitting for like the first half of the episode.

 

I liked that we saw the unsub early on without knowing it was the unsub. I also liked the technique where they showed Reid visualizing what was happening in the other apartment as he listened in. The sort of ghostly figures thing was neat. It let them show the criminals involved without making it too obvious. Interesting twist at the end. I was a bit confused about the unsubs across from where Reid was watching. Were they the ones who actually kidnapped the woman? I don't think they kept her, but its not clear... Did they hand her off to someone else? Who had her? I don't recall them saying. I do wish Reid had kept in contact with the team throughout. I wanted to see him interact with the team more, although it was nice to see him contributing. I really enjoyed this one and it reminded me of the episodes from the earlier seasons. I'd say its better than Honor Among Thieves.

[Danielg342]

Manipulative mothers! Reid gets a coffee date! Lots and lots of action from the men...and hardly anything from the women! A congressman's wife is kidnapped and her ear is cut off! Russian mobsters! Including one with a Yoruba fetish! Smirking Hotch! Cool Rossi! Accusations of having an affair! A jealous brother! A slimey investigative reporter! A not-so-sly jab at Albertan oil! A reference to the movie they ripped off!

 

We've got it all! And more! On Criminal Minds!

 

Okay...serious tone now...I liked it in a strange way. This season's a bit like S8 where it started all weird, implausible and downright horrible before getting back to the basics and developing some winning episodes. Problem is, the "winners" just don't seem to be winning all that much, and they're not really winning the right way. In fact, it seems like CM is winning in spite of itself.

 

There were a lot of good character moments, lots of good twists and feints and misdirects. Great acting. Problem is...there was just about nothing in the story that really connected itself in any way...there were so many tangents that the episode felt like it was running all over the place without getting anywhere...and then it ended.

 

I wonder- did we need the Russian mob in this one? Did we need to have Sophie Troy's ear cut off? Did we need to have a gangster with a Yoruba fetish? Was the brother necessary? Was the intern needed? The gun purchase? The slimey reporter? Oil references?

 

I mean, you could probably have some of those things, and, who knows...with better editing, perhaps it could have all made sense. The way it was presented? Unless you were paying attention, there was a lot of stuff you'd miss.

 

Then ultimately, what was the payoff? The knowledge that the Congressman was in on all of this all along? Like no one saw that a mile away. Which makes me wonder about some of the choices made in this episode...I'm pretty sure if he was in on this that he'd have some kind of "assurance money" stashed somewhere to ensure his wife is safely rescued, and I doubt he'd consent to her ear being cut off. I also have a hard time believing that along the way his mother wouldn't put in a secret sign or something to reassure him that it's "their" plot and that he really shouldn't be worried.

 

He's also got to be the greatest actor in the world because he fooled the BAU into believing that he was genuinely believing he was concerned for his wife...c'mon guys, you're slipping. Badly.

 

(Oh, so that's why Reid was told to join the surveillance team at the house...because if Reid was around interviewing the Congressman and his associates, he would have figured it all out in about five seconds. Groan)

 

Granted, it wasn't all bad, but I think this one owed more to the actors and the director and everything except the writing...it was good, in spite of itself. Which I think is the ultimate disappointment. With a clearer vision and better planning, this could have been a bellwether episode that shows the rest how to get it done. Instead, it's just merely good. Oh well, I'll take what I can get.

 

(as well as hoping they actually make something of Reid's date and not have it go by the wayside...again)

[ennui]

I'm sorry to intrude here -- you all are much better followers of this series than I.

I want to say that I stopped watching this show years ago because all the serial killers were giving me nightmares. A co-worker also had nightmares, so it's not just me. This episode started and I didn't see anything else in the schedule, so I decided to watch. It seemed OK. I liked the Manchurian Candidate angle.

If I have nightmares, I'll quit (again), but I might give this series another chance.

[Watermelon]

I gotta say, I didn't like Dorian.  Not just because she's not who I envision Spencer with, either. When you tell someone, "Oh I just started reading such and such book" and they start rattling off a big spoiler, INTERRUPT woman!   I know it set up a cute little joke later about saving her hours of reading the book but still.

 

I'm petty that way.

[mertensia]

I figured out their twist. Not that twisty.

I foresee a "relapse" and then an "accidental overdose" for the brother down the line.

[zannej]

I think those were his usual pants but the lighting was odd, but its hard to tell.

 

Something I wondered about.. when the mother said something about the brother getting burned by a careless neighbor tossing oil out the window, I wondered if that really happened or if the mother did it to him because he wasn't behaving the way she wanted him to. There were quite a few questions left unanswered.

 

The situation with the mother and the politician son reminded me of the show Heroes and what happened with Nathan Petrelli (sp?) and how his mother was a really horrible bitch who manipulated things to get him in to power and keep him in power.

 

I think that the politician didn't actually know that his mother was behind it at first-- or at least he wasn't actively in on it. Maybe he suspected and didn't say anything, or maybe he didn't actually realize until the team found more evidence. But then maybe he realized that even though he didn't like that the wife nearly died, he realized he still needed his mother's advice to be successful. 

[normasm]

If you guys ever saw the Manchurian Candidate, Raymond, while a soldier, is brainwashed by people his mother controls, and he becomes, unbeknownst to him, her operative, whom she manipulates and points toward the White House. He isn't aware until a fellow soldier who was also brainwashed but who recovered his memory helps Raymond remember. Raymond ends up sacrificing himself to foil her plan. The point is, he didn't know, the monster was the mother. This psychopathy is very interesting, but they couldn't have explored it more or it would have spoiled the "surprise." I suspected that's what was happening, and knew for sure when Hotch said the phrase manchurian candidate. I knew Tess Harper was too high class an actor not to have something juicy to do, so, no surprise for me.

 

But the Reid parts were very nice. I liked that he liked this girl, didn't fall down drooling or anything, but liked her and wanted to take her out for coffee. That was well done, and she was perfectly "drawn" for the part. Somewhat attractive, capable, no-nonsense, and expecting competency from him. I can totally buy that Reid would find his voice, so to speak, when on his own, no Morgan nudging him, no Garcia squeeing over his attraction to someone, no JJ rolling her eyes. This was quite plausible. And that shot of him that filled the screen for like 13 whole seconds, just his face, my god, I just have to thank Mr. Alcala (sp?) for doing that.

Edited March 26, 2015 by normasm

[zannej]

I also liked the fact that Reid was aware of what he had done to annoy the woman and wanted to apologize-- but I also think he wanted to get to spend more time with her as well. It was really nice to see a woman appreciating Reid's abilities without treating him like a freak or rolling her eyes at him. Btw, did anyone else notice the odd directions in which JJ looked when they asked "Where's Reid?" I thought her looking around was a bit overdone, but it did make me chuckle.

 

When Morgan asked that, I said to myself "I've been asking that since season 5!!" I just hope that Garcia and JJ leave him alone and don't give him grief about having a girlfriend.

[Droogie]

I know we didn't see on camera much of a reason for Reid to have developed an interest in Dorian, but there was a lot of time off-screen that he spent with her. She didn't insult him, she didn't roll her eyes at him, and she was able to enunciate her consonants. It could just be a friendship thing, but I guess Reid just wanted to spend more time with her. It's rare for him to find someone who doesn't treat him like a total freak.

 It was good to see Agent Anderson again. Garcia wasn't too over the top. I wonder if Shemar was sick when they shot the round table scene, because he looked pretty awful (of course, he was supposed to be tired). I noticed he was sitting for like the first half of the episode.

You made me LOL. And I agree! And yes it was nice to see Anderson. Yay for continuity.

But the Reid parts were very nice. I liked that he liked this girl, didn't fall down drooling or anything, but liked her and wanted to take her out for coffee. That was well done, and she was perfectly "drawn" for the part. Somewhat attractive, capable, no-nonsense, and expecting competency from him. I can totally buy that Reid would find his voice, so to speak, when on his own, no Morgan nudging him, no Garcia squeeing over his attraction to someone, no JJ rolling her eyes. This was quite plausible. And that shot of him that filled the screen for like 13 whole seconds, just his face, my god, I just have to thank Mr. Alcala (sp?) for doing that.

Exactly -- I actually think he was more confident without his compadres. And he was beautifully shot throughout the entire episode. Me, I like the long hair, but that face works no matter what frames it.

I also liked the fact that Reid was aware of what he had done to annoy the woman and wanted to apologize-- but I also think he wanted to get to spend more time with her as well. It was really nice to see a woman appreciating Reid's abilities without treating him like a freak or rolling her eyes at him. Btw, did anyone else notice the odd directions in which JJ looked when they asked "Where's Reid?" I thought her looking around was a bit overdone, but it did make me chuckle.

 

When Morgan asked that, I said to myself "I've been asking that since season 5!!" I just hope that Garcia and JJ leave him alone and don't give him grief about having a girlfriend.

I saw that too -- Reid was just another person to her, and he seemed comfortable right off the bat, notwithstanding when he spoiled Great Expectations. I could tell she was sort of angling when she asked him to summarize Bleak House, and he saw his "in," and didn't hesitate. I love that he asked her in Russian, as if to hide his insecurity somewhat...

And if this becomes an actual relationship, I kind of think that he is manifesting a new kind of confidence, and that he won't be secretive about it with his teammates -- in a way, secrets cost him Maeve, and I don't think he will do that again.

I thought the actress was kind of lovely. Beautiful hair and eyes and skin. She really did sort of light up when he asked her for coffee and she stepped forward. Let me say again that I completely loved their little handshake and how he nodded to himself after.

[Danielg342]

Mileage varies, but it seemed to me like the Congressman was in on that plan, or at least knew about it, just from how he acted in that final scene. I guess I could infer brainwashing because the movie was referenced, but I find that spurious since there was nothing in the show to suggest that happened.

Which leaves me with either:

a) The Congressman and his mother had planned everything beforehand

b) The Congressman and his mother discussed the plan and the mother decided to go through with it anyway

c) The Congressman was in the dark about the plan but, seeing how well it worked, approved of it

If it's “a”, then the Congressman is the best actor in the world and the episode was horribly contrived to ensure that Reid wasn't there to snuff it out quickly. If it's “b”, the acting still applies, to an extent, and I wonder why the Congressman never clued in to what was happening. If it's “c”, then I have to wonder why the Congressman was never surprised to find out his mother devised the plan- sure, he called the actions “unforgivable” but he also asked his mother “what to do next” and never seemed to act like he didn't know what his mother was up to all along.

Of course, none of this explains the ear- sure, the mother hated the Congressman's wife but I'm sure she would respect him enough not to harm the wife. It also doesn't explain why nothing was made of the fact the Russians defied their orders and demanded more ransom money- you'd think it'd make the mother scramble or retaliate, but nothing doing.

I think this could have worked better if the wife and the mother were the ones who hatched the plan, and the “mob” were hired actors and not actual Russian mobsters. That made more sense to me than all the questions I got here.

[JMO]

So, I'll admit that this episode really didn't need a plot, since there was so much delicious Reid on my screen for so much time.  But I did  appreciate the plot, and the many attempts at misdirection.  I was struck by the sheer amount of evil portrayed among the different players involved, and gratified when their various evil machinations started to interfere with each other. 

 

The congressman was played well enough that I never could be quite sure if he was good or evil---including in the final scene.  I read it that he decided, after the fact, to accept what his mother had done for him, but had not been aware prior.

 

I still think of Tess Harper as Tasha Yar (and am troubled that her name came to me without effort---what vital piece of information did that displace in my brain?)--so I was (foolishly) shocked to see her older version on screen.  Same thing happens in the mirror every morning.

 

I liked all of the characterizations, and that everyone had a reasonable role to play.  Liked that Morgan and Garcia were given a moment of affection that didn't include any of their smarminess.  It was unnecessary to the plot, which made it just....nice.  And I mean that in a good way.  Loved the teaming of Hotch and Rossi with the candidate's mother.  They can grill like no two others can grill.

 

I did get a kick out of the others looking high and low for Reid at the end.  i actually expected them to start looking under desks.

 

Editing was a bit off---I usually don't notice it, which is how it should be.  But we had some scenes with people out of position from angle to angle, and we had the 'and action!' start to Dorian pulling Reid back from running out the door.

 

And then there's Reid.  I think Sharon Watson has his characterization down (except the handshake thing, since he's freely offered his hand on a number of episodes), and I love what MGG can do when the writer gets it right.  (And yes, I think he is completely hindered when the writer gets it wrong.)  He was the shy, intelligent, valiant genius I love to watch.  I don't know that I got any romantic vibes between him and Dorian, although I could see where something could grow down the road.  I just think he found someone interesting, who promised to be intellectually stimulating to him as well, via languages and literature---and he took a chance on making a friend.  I also don't think it was coincidence that he arranged their coffee date speaking Russian---I think using the foreign language served as a bit of a shield for him.

 

Regarding the languages, just because it's come up in some posts----we've seen Reid's knowledge of languages referenced several times, but not necessarily his fluency.  We knew he knows Spanish, but has a terrible accent (Elle corrected him).  We already knew he understood Russian (Emily, Solaris) and Korean (the episode before (the awful) 200), but he would have plenty of company if he could read a language, understand it when it was spoken to him, but have difficulty with pronunciation and accent.  So I thought it was a reasonable portrayal. 

 

Finally---yes----what a beautiful, sustained camera shot.  For that alone, it was a good episode.  Fortunately, this time, we got so much more than that.

 

[Old Dog]

I liked it a lot. I thought the congressman didn't know about his mother's plan but when it came to light and his ratings went through the roof he, being an opportunist like all politicians, decided to run with it as it could be the way to the White House for him. I liked the whole feel of the episode which was like early CM where the focus was on the team and the profiling rather than just the action. Hotch and Rossi were great, JJ and Kate were fine, Garcia was much more like she used to be. But all that aside, the whole episode was top notch for me just for Reid. That shot of him at the window on surveillance was just heart stoppingly beautiful. That may be shallow on my part but it quite took my breath away. And I approve of the girl who was exactly the sort that would be good for Reid. I doubt they will ever show her again but it was a good moment for Reid. I just wish Sharon Lee Watson would write more episodes - they could lose Dunkle and Harrison and giver her their episodes.

[Droogie]

I do hope we see her again! But if not, they could mention it, and that would be (almost) ok with me.

[ForeverAlone]

Tasha Yar from Star Trek: The Next Generation? That character was played by Denise Crosby, not Tess Harper.

I personally don't think the Congressman was in on it from the beginning, but when he found out his mother was behind it, I think he decided to capitalize on it and that was what the final conversation was about.He was seeking her guidance and she was smug about having that influence over him again. It's like Sophie's abduction brought him back under the sway of his mother.

[normasm]

Exactly -- I actually think he was more confident without his compadres. 

I saw that too -- Reid was just another person to her, and he seemed comfortable right off the bat, notwithstanding when he spoiled Great Expectations. I could tell she was sort of angling when she asked him to summarize Bleak House, and he saw his "in," and didn't hesitate. I love that he asked her in Russian, as if to hide his insecurity somewhat...

 

 

 That's what i was trying to say, he wouldn't have been comfortable if Morgan had been there.

 

 

I liked all of the characterizations, and that everyone had a reasonable role to play.  Liked that Morgan and Garcia were given a moment of affection that didn't include any of their smarminess.  It was unnecessary to the plot, which made it just....nice.  And I mean that in a good way.  Loved the teaming of Hotch and Rossi with the candidate's mother.  They can grill like no two others can grill.

 

I did get a kick out of the others looking high and low for Reid at the end.  i actually expected them to start looking under desks.

 

And then there's Reid.  I think Sharon Watson has his characterization down (except the handshake thing, since he's freely offered his hand on a number of episodes), and I love what MGG can do when the writer gets it right.  (And yes, I think he is completely hindered when the writer gets it wrong.)  He was the shy, intelligent, valiant genius I love to watch.  I don't know that I got any romantic vibes between him and Dorian, although I could see where something could grow down the road.  I just think he found someone interesting, who promised to be intellectually stimulating to him as well, via languages and literature---and he took a chance on making a friend.  I also don't think it was coincidence that he arranged their coffee date speaking Russian---I think using the foreign language served as a bit of a shield for him.

 

Regarding the languages, just because it's come up in some posts----we've seen Reid's knowledge of languages referenced several times, but not necessarily his fluency.  We knew he knows Spanish, but has a terrible accent (Elle corrected him).  We already knew he understood Russian (Emily, Solaris) and Korean (the episode before (the awful) 200), but he would have plenty of company if he could read a language, understand it when it was spoken to him, but have difficulty with pronunciation and accent.  So I thought it was a reasonable portrayal. 

 

Finally---yes----what a beautiful, sustained camera shot.  For that alone, it was a good episode.  Fortunately, this time, we got so much more than that.

 

Yes, this!!

[JMO]

 

Tasha Yar from Star Trek: The Next Generation? That character was played by Denise Crosby, not Tess Harper.

Aghh!  You're right, FA.  Now I know what the character's name displaced in my brain.

[secnarf]

I definitely didn't think the congressman was in on it from the beginning. To me, the ending seemed pretty clear that he had no idea, but seeing how it benefitted him, and as it's already done, he's more than willing to run with it to help further his career. Personally, I think that's even more creepy than him being in on it from the get go.
If the congressman has been groomed from a young age to value ambition over family, it's not all that surprising that he'd take this stance. It really would be interesting to have another episode down the road with whatever new scheme they've come up with, and have the BAU realize how messed up the congressman really is. The mother was a fantastic character, and it seems apparent that kidnapping the wife wasn't her end game.

[Droogie]

If they are trying to insinuate that Reid will find happiness should the series end with this season, I hope they don't drop it like it's hot if the show is renewed. THAT would annoy me to no end.

[Russet29]

I wonder if Dorian is meant to be a potentially recurring character or if she was just used to show Reid moving on from Maeve and wanting to date again. I think I'd be fine with either scenario. The big takeaway for me with regards to that storyline is that these writers (Watson) can write a love interest for Reid who is both believable and likable. I was afraid that the bar had been set too high with Maeve and anyone else would pale in comparison.

 

As for the rest of the episode, Sharon Lee Watson is now hands down my favorite writer. I didn't pick up on too much profiling but seeing as they pretty much stated it wouldn't normally be a BAU case I'm fine with that. I definitely thought the senator wasn't in on it. The feeling I got with the final scene was that though he didn't approve of it, he was ultimately grateful and realized he'd be lost without his mother to guide him.

 

I kind of enjoyed seeing the team (particularly Hotch) in casual clothing but like a previous poster said, what the hell was Garcia wearing? At 3 o'clock? In the morning? She also looked ridiculous in her final scene dressed so extravagantly next to Rossi, Morgan, and JJ who were all dressed like professionals. Speaking of, seeing Morgan in a button down and JJ in a pencil skirt makes me miss the days when they dressed like members of the FBI rather than members of NCIS: LA.

[Racbec]

I also do not think the Congressman was in on it. I think he's just so weak that now, faced with renewed popularity and public support, he automatically goes to the person he has always relied upon for direction--his mother.  

[TigerLynx]

I really enjoyed Reid in this episode.

 

The son not being in on his mother's plan for Sophie, but willing to use it to his advantage at the end, was chilling and realistic.

[zannej]

Some people mentioned something about Reid not being in casual clothes. I remember in an earlier episode when he got called in - I think "Mayhem" or "Lo-Fi" and he was wearing his work clothes sans tie and his shirt was untucked. The rest of them were in more casual clothes. But he also wore a black shortsleeved polo shirt when he went to visit his mother in "Fisher King I". Other than his PJs and the polo shirt, the only other time he had a casual shirt was at the stupid pasta party thing where he showed up in a striped shirt that looked like it was more Matthew's style than Reid's. But one could suppose that maybe Garcia got him a shirt for a gift at some point to make sure that he had something other than his work clothes.

[Droogie]

Some people mentioned something about Reid not being in casual clothes. I remember in an earlier episode when he got called in - I think "Mayhem" or "Lo-Fi" and he was wearing his work clothes sans tie and his shirt was untucked. The rest of them were in more casual clothes. But he also wore a black shortsleeved polo shirt when he went to visit his mother in "Fisher King I". Other than his PJs and the polo shirt, the only other time he had a casual shirt was at the stupid pasta party thing where he showed up in a striped shirt that looked like it was more Matthew's style than Reid's. But one could suppose that maybe Garcia got him a shirt for a gift at some point to make sure that he had something other than his work clothes.

This. Also, it's highly plausible that he goes straight home from work and gets involved in reading or writing and loses track of the time, so when the call came, he just rushed back in what he had been wearing.

I rewatched this episode. I was so tired last night after work that I missed some things. I don't want to hijack this and turn it into a thread about Reid and Loker, BUT: (did I mention I loved the handshake??) I loved how he avoided her handshake at the beginning, and so she just patted his hand, but then reached for her hand at the end, after he asked her for coffee. Then the way they looked at each other for a moment. That seems to indicate an interest, possibly beyond just a coffee date. He seemed to leap at the opportunity she threw out to discuss another book. Maybe he decided he has spent too much time thinking and not enough time doing, especially after Maeve.

:::sigh:::

Edited March 27, 2015 by Droogie

[Kelda Feegle]

I think those were his usual pants but the lighting was odd, but its hard to tell.

 

Something I wondered about.. when the mother said something about the brother getting burned by a careless neighbor tossing oil out the window, I wondered if that really happened or if the mother did it to him because he wasn't behaving the way she wanted him to. There were quite a few questions left unanswered.

 

The situation with the mother and the politician son reminded me of the show Heroes and what happened with Nathan Petrelli (sp?) and how his mother was a really horrible bitch who manipulated things to get him in to power and keep him in power.

 

I think that the politician didn't actually know that his mother was behind it at first-- or at least he wasn't actively in on it. Maybe he suspected and didn't say anything, or maybe he didn't actually realize until the team found more evidence. But then maybe he realized that even though he didn't like that the wife nearly died, he realized he still needed his mother's advice to be successful. 

Yes I also wondered about the other son being burned as a child and I expected that to come up again in the episode somewhere but it just disappeared. Fantastic episode however, it was like watching a Criminal Minds ep once again.

[SSAHotchner]

I think Reid really doesn't have any casual clothes. I think he has what he considers pajamas and what he wears to work. No middle ground.

I also think that he has at least a passing familiarity with many languages, and a fluency for a smaller number. I also think that he could spend a weekend learning a new one, from listening to conversations to gather nuances and from reading to gain familiarity and fluency.

Haven't read all of the comments yet, but I do remember in season 6 Reid asked Emily to go with him to a Russian film and said that they'd be the only ones from the team who would be able to understand it. I don't recall offhand if there were any other instances of him knowing any foreign languages.

[SSAHotchner]

If you guys ever saw the Manchurian Candidate, Raymond, while a soldier, is brainwashed by people his mother controls, and he becomes, unbeknownst to him, her operative, whom she manipulates and points toward the White House. He isn't aware until a fellow soldier who was also brainwashed but who recovered his memory helps Raymond remember. Raymond ends up sacrificing himself to foil her plan. The point is, he didn't know, the monster was the mother. This psychopathy is very interesting, but they couldn't have explored it more or it would have spoiled the "surprise." I suspected that's what was happening, and knew for sure when Hotch said the phrase manchurian candidate. I knew Tess Harper was too high class an actor not to have something juicy to do, so, no surprise for me.

 

But the Reid parts were very nice. I liked that he liked this girl, didn't fall down drooling or anything, but liked her and wanted to take her out for coffee. That was well done, and she was perfectly "drawn" for the part. Somewhat attractive, capable, no-nonsense, and expecting competency from him. I can totally buy that Reid would find his voice, so to speak, when on his own, no Morgan nudging him, no Garcia squeeing over his attraction to someone, no JJ rolling her eyes. This was quite plausible. And that shot of him that filled the screen for like 13 whole seconds, just his face, my god, I just have to thank Mr. Alcala (sp?) for doing that.

Yes to all of this. I didn't catch immediately that the mother was in on it. I suspected the husband, because, well it always turns out to be the spouse. But when it became clear that the mother was involved I had the same thought as you about Tess Harper. I should have known that she'd turn out to be the unsub since she was too big a star to be a minor character. 

 

I don't know if I see chemistry, especially lasting chemistry, between Reid and Dorian but I very much liked that she was a normal, average woman and not some super model. I really want for Reid to have somebody that respects and appreciates his intellect. I don't care if they date. I just want him to have someone he can talk to.

[SSAHotchner]

Regarding the handshake thing, yes, I know that Reid has shaken hands with folks in earlier episodes. This not wanting to shake hands is something the more recent writers came up with. It's not true. I understand why Sharon used it to show that he had warmed up to Loker by the end, but it wasn't necessary to be that obvious. She could have offered her hand to him as she did and he kind of shy away without coming right out and saying, "I don't shake hands." That makes him sound like a nut case. But I'm not going to make a big deal about it.

 

I did think that both the mother and son were in on this kidnapping. I don't thin that the husband was convincing as a distraught, panicked husband whose wife had been kidnapped. I still haven't watched the episode a second time, though, to catch what I missed the first time around. As for the change in the ransom amounts, I just felt that the Russians tried to get as much as they could under the circumstance. After all, the mother couldn't very well say, "that's not what I agreed to pay." 

 

I really liked the episode. I think when they give us lots of team and minimal unsub, I'm so happy that I'm more willing to let plot holes pass. When the writing absolutely sucks and the unsub is crammed down our throat along with a lot of gore and violence, then, no, I don't give the plot holes a pass. Hotch and Reid were gorgeous in this one. We had lots of both, good Rossi, and not an overload of JJ. Compared to what we get most of the time nowadays, this episode was a winner. 

[normasm]

I think the senator was letting his mother mastermind this ploy to regain attention and popularity. I just don't think he thought she would go so far as to harm his wife, and I'm sure he didn't know she was intending to kill her. That said, he sure got back with the program quickly and asked her "what's next?" IMO, there's no way he could come to her and say that without prior knowledge.

 

What bothers me is the implication that this crack BAU team was so deceived by him that they thought it was just the mom. I thought Rossi was reserved about the outcome, but Garcia gushing about his dreaminess was ridiculous.

Edited March 28, 2015 by normasm

[JMO]

Someone put the question to Sharon Lee Watson viaTwitter, whether Ben Troy was an accomplice, or whether he took advantage. She said he took advantage.

[Danielg342]

I wonder, at the end of the episode, did the Congressman tell his mother, “what you did was unforgivable...and it worked” or “what you did was unforgivable...but it worked”? The latter at least would confirm prior knowledge of the plot.

[secnarf]

I don't recall which it is, but I don't think either confirms prior knowledge.

[Watermelon]

Hotch did look massively more attractive this episode. Was it lighting, rest, or a talented doctor's visit? Either way he looked 5-7 years younger, easily.

[hazel0711]

I love this episode ! One of the best episodes in this season (together with Hero Worship) !!! ... Love it for all the reasons that you guys have already mentioned. :)

 

On a more technical side, anyone noticed that this episode's filming and editing style is a bit different than usual? Like the angles used, cuts and all.. makes the storytelling also a little different :)

[Droogie]

Hotch did look massively more attractive this episode. Was it lighting, rest, or a talented doctor's visit? Either way he looked 5-7 years younger, easily.

The whole thing was shot and lit beautifully.

[Danielg342]

I don't recall which it is, but I don't think either confirms prior knowledge.

Guess not...I don't know...I'm still not convinced that he didn't know about the plot, just from the acting alone. He may not have an active participant but his mother must have at least told him before.

*shrugs*

[normasm]

Yeah, Daniel, I think he complained to mommy that his numbers were down and she said, "I'll take care of it, darlin'" and proceeded to do just that. He may not have known what she was going to do or the extent she was going to go, but left it up to her so he would have deniable plausibility, hence being able to moan and cry when appropriate.

 

Remember also, he bought a gun illegally, and didn't explain to my satisfaction what he was going to do with it.

 

(Plausible deniability, for god's sake….)

Edited March 28, 2015 by normasm

[zannej]

SSAHotchner, other than the mention of Russian to Emily, in another episode Reid invited someone (I think JJ) to attend something in Korean and that he could whisper-translate in her ear for it. So we have Reid knowing some west african language passably, somewhat fluent in Russian, and decent in Korean. He might know Spanish. I will say that speaking a language and understanding it are very different things. I used to be able to understand some Russian, but my pronunciation is absolutely terrible. 

 

I wonder how many of the loose threads in this episode were left hanging because of cut scenes or how it was edited.

[Droogie]

I think Reid's genius (IQ higher than Einstein) affords him some leeway here. If one understands the precepts of the linguistics, the understanding of the language isn't very far off. Reid could intuit inflection, syntax and structure with a cursory listen -- the deciphering of the words would be the challenge, one I am sure he could meet. I have a BA in English lit (from my previous life, before I was a nurse). I had classes in Latin and Greek etymology and have little trouble deciphering the Romance languages. I don't speak them (except some rudimentary Spanish) and have some difficulty when hearing them, but I can read them just fine. And I am no genius. I don't think it is much of a stretch to assume Reid's proficiency, or at least a passing understanding -- of several languages. If I can do it, he certainly can.