S11.E05: The Night Watch

[thewhiteowl]

When the BAU investigates incidents of bodies being incorporated into macabre graffiti art in Detroit, they suspect an elusive-yet-notorious street artist could be the UnSub.  Also, Dr. Lewis struggles to balance her relationship with her fiancé and her work.

 

 

[paigow]

Can these guys take a hint from CSI and wrap the series for good? Kill some regulars, promote / transfer others. How many times have they done Devil's Night episodes?

[Danielg342]

I predict it's not going to be the street artist who did it.

[rapgodminho]

OH MY GOD THE UNSUB IS BANKSY /s

Edited October 25, 2015 by rapgodminho

[normasm]

Hmmmmm, after seeing the 3 promos, it looks like Reid gets to be an expert again, this time on cultural and arts expressions. Although, i'm holding my breath that they won't screw up the arts references, as Reid was talking about trying to track down whether the artist in question came out of any known art school or movement, as his work was reminiscent of deKooning. What I saw of the art wasn't anything like deKooning, but i'll hold judgment til i see it. DeKooning was part of the New York School in this country. 

Edited October 27, 2015 by normasm

[autumnmountains]

Hmmm, cool. I've only seen one promo so far, I'll have to catch the others.

[Bookish Jen]

OH MY GOD THE UNSUB IS BANKSY /s

Chokes on water.

[ForeverAlone]

Not surprisingly, Banksy is mentioned in one of the promos. :)

[Danielg342]

Just throwing this out there- this is Erica Messer's 100th episode in charge of the show.

[ForeverAlone]

This is probably the faintest of recommendations a critic could give to Criminal Minds.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/videos/life/tv/2015/10/27/74711572/

[Bookish Jen]

I am a horrible person, and I hope you can find a place in your hearts to forgive me. I will not be home tonight to view The Night Watch. Instead I will be at a local movie theater watching "My Fair Lady" on the big screen. Yes, I am feeling some latent Catholic guilt over this.

 

But don't worry I'll watch the episode on-line once I get a chance.

 

Hangs head in shame....

[ForeverAlone]

Hmmmm....Bruce's episode often have grandiose unsubs. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't mind an over the top unsub, since most of my fanfiction ideas in my head have some out there unsubs. And The Fisher King stands as among my favorite episodes with its codes, quests and allusions to Knights of the Round Table. So I can't fault Bruce for his big ideas. But on more than one occasion, he doesn't ground his fanciful ideas with credible unsubs and believable psychologies. It was the same for me last year with "If the Shoe Fits". I liked the idea of an unsub inspired by fairy tales but felt there were some definite gaps in logic and physics. It is the same for me with this episode. I love unsubs that bring art into their crime work, but this one just did not make sense to me in the slightest. Yeah okay, I can sort of see some of what drove the unsub, but I felt the baby abduction really didn't fit into the psychology at all. It was just too damn random, and I don't recall a good explanation on how he was able to abduct that particular baby in the first place, when the family was rich and should have had top notch home security. I thought the profiling was a bit out there, and I personally don't think the team could have made the sort of connections they did to this case, and yes, Penelope's magic computer had a starring role. I WANT to like these artistic unusb episodes more, because it blends my love of art and crime thrillers, but I think Bruce just fell short in crafting a logical unsub with sound psychological profiling.

 

On the main character front, I felt the team got plenty to do, even if I would have cut down on the unsub shown, because I didn't feel it enhanced the story. I usually like the way Bruce writes Reid, and it was no different here. The short Hotch smile at the end was adorable, and reminded me of his lighter persona in season one when his smile would light up his face and his eyes. I personally don't think the Tara opening scene with her fiance was necessary, unless we see some connection to a later episode (and we might). I mean, this is the first time we are seeing her fiance, so we have no emotional connection to him or their relationship. So to see it implode in the course of two minutes really didn't do anything for me. I felt the ending scene with Tara interviewing one the same criminal she seemed sort of obsessed with at the beginning, COULD be interesting if they follow up on it. That guy had a definite undercurrent of menace to him and his feelings for Tara were creepy. I actually did like the interplay, but if it is never brought up again, I will have to wonder just what the hell was the point of it. We have seen plenty of relationship drama on this show, and while it may be realistic to the real BAU, I like to see something different. Particularly since Tara was probably obsessed with work when she lived in San Francisco, so it's not like this all just came out of the blue.

 

Oh yeah, and Thomas directed this episode. I almost forgot. Not because his direction was bad, but I was more focused on trying to understand the story since it didn't make a lot of sense to me. But I did like Thomas's direction, which is pretty consistent, since I like most of Thomas's visual choices in his episodes (even if I have had issues with the actual story). As weird as it was, I did like the combination of visuals and music in the opening scene. And the final scene with the episode unsub had good visuals. And I did like how he framed and lit the scenes with Tara and the criminal she was interviewing.

 

I am not quite sure how to grade this. I would give a B- for story idea, C for case execution, and an overall B for team character development. And a B for directing visual. Soooooo...maybe overall B-/C+? Hard to call.

Edited October 29, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[normasm]

One thing I can say for damn sure after seeing this episode: here is proof positive that 5 profilers are plenty. With the focus on Tara, if they had had an additional 5 profilers to keep busy in the episode, someone would have suffered. As it was, everyone (including Reid!) had plenty to do, and the pace never lagged.

The plausibility of the story is probably for another post, if I think anyone needs to hear my thoughts (OK, don't all beg me at once!) but overall, it was decent. TG did a good job, as usual.

[ReidFan]

Reid got to be the smart one again! We see him doing the geographic profile. He's researching, reading, and he's seen deep in concentration, his attention to details breaks open the case and not once is he scorned or made fun of or have someone roll their eyes at him. SmartReid is back tonight! Let's keep it that way please.

 

And I still think the five of them is plenty. No need to keep recasting. Once JJ's back, let's just keep those five. Tara is superfluous IMHO

[SSAHotchner]

Interesting that they started with Mozart because I wanted to cry "too many notes" when it came to the unsub/plot. It just was all over the place. You're right, ForeverAlone, it was visually interesting. I actually loved the part with the mouse trap. Who didn't love a good game of Mouse Trap when they were a little? The slinky was also fun. But by the time they got to the baby abduction it just ticked me off. First of all, I can't stand to see a child hurt or in danger. But it was one too many elements. Okay, there's a famous, incognito graffiti artist, but now he's a murderer, and now he's a child abductor. These writers get these wild ideas and they just don't know how to mesh them together or edit them down so that the plot makes sense. And of course they think the viewers are too stupid to catch anything that doesn't work. We're just supposed to be enamored of their marvelous ideas and creepy unsubs. 

 

Reid was given lots of lines but he was doing the speed delivery a lot again and it felt rushed as if they didn't want us to pick up on what he was saying lest we could poke holes in the case. Garcia still annoys me and I'm still tired of the magic computer solving the case. Too much Dr. Lewis for my taste. Having her interview the guy in prison, and have problems at home, and interview the parents of the abducted baby and go solo with Hotch to find the unsub..... Give someone else something to do, please. I get that she's the only female in the field, but take a cue from how awful it was when Seaver was the only female at the end of season 6. It's painful when you overuse someone that way, which is what they tend to do with JJ these days. I would so much more appreciate Lewis, if she asked questions of the seasoned agents. She's not an expert on serial killers, but they still have her taking over during the profiling and with the local law enforcement. 
 

Hotch said "wheels up in 20" instead of 30. But he gave himself a smile at the end and I loved that. I also loved the sight of his hand on the computer keyboard. Yes, I'm a Hotch lover. 

 

I did like the art stuff, the giant baby mobile, not crazy about the coffin. Do we really think that nobody would notice that guy dragging a huge coffin around in broad daylight? And the end with them falling from the building, does anybody really think they would have landed that way so perfectly posed with roses? 

 

So, I'm giving the writing a C- and the directing a B+. Acting, sorry only a C but still much better than the episode Joe directed. But folks, this is not Criminal Minds. This is "let's just throw everything we can think of at a story board and see what sticks." So disheartening. I watch for just a glimpse of the former show and I rarely get it. But, as long as Hotch is there, I want to be there too. 

[secnarf]

Not a fan of the story, and too much Tara. It all feels like a waste of time for a temporary character. I can't force myself to be invested in her when I know she's going to be leaving.

[ForeverAlone]

Not a fan of the story, and too much Tara. It all feels like a waste of time for a temporary character. I can't force myself to be invested in her when I know she's going to be leaving.

Is she going to be leaving though? Yeah, next episode SHOULD be her last episode, because they set up her exit and she was only supposed to cover AJ's maternity leave. And yeah, she's not in the press release for episode seven. BUT, she is in episode eight, nine and 10 from what I have seen from the behind the scenes photos. So I have my doubts that she is going anywhere. 

Edited October 29, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[Cubbie]

I don't know why this bothered me so much, I mean I know this is a totally unrealistic show about FBI, which does not have a private plane for profilers etc.  But I am a federal employee who lives in Virginia, near the "prison" Tara visited.  Lorton Prison closed almost 15 years ago.  After which is was developed into housing and offices etc.  My dentist and pediatrician are located there!  Also, always gets on my nerves when they drink on the plane.  Alcohol cannot be bought by the federal government (with the exception of the State Dept. and a few other agnecies but not the FBI) and it certainly wouldn't be allowed on a federally owned plane.  I know it is stupid to focus on that with all the other totally improbable things that happen, but sometimes things just get under your skin.

[ReidFan]

it was gingerale O:-)  

[Saje]

Rossi's private stash.

[Starchild]

The crimes and criminals seem more unlikely and contrived than ever. And the acting more and more amateurish. Anyone else think it's time to wrap this show up?

[Saje]

No, I just think it's time to rehire Andrew Wilder.

[MrWhyt]

It don't think they're going to have a choice, with the episodes we've had so far I don't understand why anyone would renew the show.

Cause shows are renewed based on business decisions not artistic ones (for the most part)

[atir]

That was really convoluted. Just too much going on with the artist/kidnapper/murderer. What a meshugass of an episode.

[missmycat]

Andrew unfortunately is currently employed elsewhere plus I doubt MESSer would want to hire him. I'd love it if he could write for both shows since I believe it and CM are both produced by ABC Studios.BTW have you guys ever wonder how different it would have been had ABC opted to show CM on it's own network instead of licensing it out to CBS like they did.

[ForeverAlone]

Criminal Minds would not have fit in at ABC at all. It probably would not have lasted as long as it has. I completely understand why ABC licensed it out to CBS, where it is a much better fit. 

[Saje]

Andrew is only committed to Secrets and Lies through December. Now is the time to make noise if you want to see him on Criminal Minds again. So DO it. If not you all, who?

[rapgodminho]

Hotch has a this weird tan line in the middle of his forehead for the past few episodes. Anyone know what's up with that? 

 

I thought it was a weird Botoxy thing, he's looked....a little bit off in season 11.

 

As for the episode, I give it a 4/10. There was nothing that wrong with it other than the fact that it was a little washed-out looking, though Outlaw was worse in that aspect. Oh yeah, and it was really boring.

[The Wild Sow]

 

Oh yeah, and it was really boring.

Yeah, that was it!

[normasm]

I believe they are concentrating on Tara so much, because they plan to send her away when JJ comes back, and ask her back when Morgan leaves.

[arjumand]

Lord, I hate the missing baby episodes. There is no narrative tension whatsoever, because all that's going through my head is "like you would ever kill a baby, show." No way, nohow.

 

Even though we've just had an episode (of many) featuring several vibrant teenage girls being brutally raped and murdered, and their rapist(s) and murderers being given the Bonnie and Clyde exit, babies are clearly off limits. So fucking stop trying to make us think there's any danger, and stop writing them into episodes. For fuck's sake.

 

That was strike 1.

 

Strike 2: Spouse / S.O. of cop: "Your job is more important to you than meeeeee! Waaah!" Spouse / S.O. exits stage left.

 

Strike 3: Sympathy for the serial killer. Again.

 

Oh, and strewn throughout the episode was even more bullshit. The unsub said they would never harm a child - must be a woman, because god knows women have never killed children ever. And when they find the baby, why does Hotch, who's a father, go upstairs, while Tara picks up the baby? Oh, I guess it's because she has lady parts.

 

Fine, I know it's because Hotch is the star of the show, but seriously, divorced from the meta reasons, that didn't make a lick of sense, unless the reason is that our lady organs make us magically suited to take care of a baby.

 

Oh show. I thought the worst this season was going to be the murderous fat girl storyline (not the first time they've gone to that well, either).

[karasmom]

This is driving me crazy -- so maybe someone with a better memory can help.  The baby -- I've seen this baby before on another show but I can't remember which show.  She has a very distinct face that I remember well.  Help?

[Bookish Jen]

Well, I saw this episode is now on CBS's website. I'll watch later this week when I get the chance. Sounds like The Night Watch is a hodge-podge of good and bad.

[secnarf]

 

Oh, and strewn throughout the episode was even more bullshit. The unsub said they would never harm a child - must be a woman, because god knows women have never killed children ever.

The unsub was not a woman, and the unsub did not say that he would never harm a child. The woman artist, who was not the unsub, said that she would never harm a child. She also said that she didn't believe the (male) unsub would harm a child, but it wasn't the unsub himself who said this. I don't think whether or not either of them would or would not harm a child relates to gender, I think it was more because they've both lost a child.

[Danielg342]

So...all that...all that...just so the UnSub could get what he wanted and kill Morpheus and die a tragic death? No comeuppance at all. Why did we even bother with an episode this week? Everyone was just a pawn in the UnSub's game, even the police...pathetic, absolutely pathetic.

 

I hate it when the BAU get played like this, because this is a case where they really ought to know better.

 

(I also wonder why no one outside noticed that big "RIP Morpheus" sign at the bottom of the building...doesn't the SWAT team come to these things anymore?)

 

I groaned at seeing the baby get kidnapped, because we all know the baby makes it. I'll give Bruce Zimmerman this in that he put a novel twist on the usual missing baby story, but that's about it.

 

Morgan was right about the killer not being Morpheus- come on, I've watched enough of these shows, that conclusion was obvious- I just wish it wouldn't have taken them as long as it did. I also have to wonder how fake Morpheus could be so good that he could copy Morpheus' signature entirely but pay so little attention to detail and still make mistakes. I also have a hard time believing a street artist could get away with murder when he's still got a live body to contend with. Sure, it's night time, but night time isn't infinite, and this is Detroit. Someone will pass through that back alley eventually.

 

I also gotta wonder- with someone as anonymous as Morpheus and someone as politically charged, wouldn't there be several people who'd mimic her work or try to frame her?

 

Colour me underwhelmed by the whole thing.

 

Overall, though, no one really caught my attention...this must have been the most boring set of actors I've seen this show assemble, and that's saying something since usually at least the casting works out. Of course, I don't really blame everyone for mailing it in- with a story this ridiculous, I could see why no one would take it seriously.

 

Other notes:

 

-Reid not getting Rossi's Yogi Berra joke was hilarious, and totally in character. Leave it to Reid to over-analyse something that should never be analysed to begin with.

-Yet another episode where Garcia's supercomputer saves the day, and Zimmerman didn't even hide it. Practically every lead was manufactured by that thing. How many times can the FBI let this go before they fire their useless agents?

-Speaking of the lead, why did no one think to find out where Corey Marlin was staying when they deduced he'd have a role in the plot? You'd think the police would show more urgency in rounding up their No. 1 suspect.

-Why did Tara Lewis go everywhere in this episode? Since when does she do takedown scenes? Not because she's a woman but because she's still pretty new to this game and (presumably) never had takedown experience before. I'd think she- and Hotch- would be more careful before throwing the newbie into the fire.

-Regarding the takedown, why did Hotch and Lewis instantly believe the person they were talking to had any relevant information? He could have been a troll looking to waste the FBI's time. Hotch also went in again with no backup.

 

Overall, just a bore from beginning to end.

[iscoffy]

Among many other things that didn't make sense to me in this over-labored plot, what the heck was this guy's end game with the baby?  I assume since he made one coffin, he wasn't planning to jump, he just made that decision when Hotch showed up (unfortunately for Morpheus, since it looked like she was getting through to him prior to Hotch banging through the door). So if everything had gone according to plan, he was going to... what? Force his ex off the roof and then take off with this random baby?

 

Even if he was planning to jump, he was just going to leave this baby in an abandoned building in Detroit?

 

This could have been an interesting story, there was just way too much going on, and the profilers made so many amazing jumps to reach their conclusions, and then, of course, there was Garcia's computer.  Seriously, what is she even querying?  The internet at large?  Does she just have access to everybody's phone and bank records, let alone news clippings from years ago and detailed arrest records, and have access to all of this at all times, and also has some amazing database querying system that can sort through it all?

[leisawoo]

The only going I liked was when the new person (sorry) said she went on a diet last night and lost 185 lbs cuz she broke up with her boyfriend. That's all I got, lol.

[Bookish Jen]

No, I just think it's time to rehire Andrew Wilder.

I think it was time to rehire dear Andrew several seasons ago.

[normasm]

One good writer, even a wonderful, amazing writer, could not make the difference, IMO, in a train so far off the rails as this one.

[Bookish Jen]

Okay, I just finished watching this and I'll probably be able to offer a more focused opinion once I let it sink in a bit.

 

For me, the episode seemed to last only 20 minutes; it just seemed to need more something and I don't mean an unneeded scene focused on Lewis's relationship issues with her fiancé. I'm just not invested in the character enough to give a flying whoop.

 

I did giggle over Spencer not getting Rossi's Yogi Berra joke. Ah, Spencer, so brilliant and clueless at the same time, just one of those things that makes him so adorkable.

 

Speaking of Dr. Adorkable, it was cool that we saw a lot of Spencer doing his thang-offering interesting insights on graffiti art, reading and researching, and geographically profiling like a boss.

 

Enough with Garcia and her computer magic that can unlock the secrets of the entire universe. I bet she could use her computer to find out what shade of lipstick I'm wearing. FYI-I'm currently wearing a shade called Honeyed Kiss.

 

Interesting that the crew brought up neighborhood gentrification and wanting to stay anonymous in an age of famewhores. I could write a thesis on both topics.

 

Not a great episode, but not as bad as "The Outlaw" or ""Til Death Do Us Part"-both of which hurt my feelings.

 

 

[preeya]

I'm thinking a possible Rossi\Lewis love connection. He's being very chummy and overly concerned about her "diet."

[normasm]

Preeya, I hope you're wrong, nothing personal. I just don't want intraoffice romance, especially not for the guy who's had 3 wives and countless lovers before/between/after. 

 

And Booky, it's starting to "hurt my feelings" that, although they are writing a lot for Reid, so far, it's pretty soulless. The only glimmer of Reid sweetness we've seen was the high-five with the 5-year-old.

[jaytee1812]

Reid being an art expert is only slightly less ridiculous than Reid being an expert on pcos.

Notice everyone else gets to work through relationship issues, Lewis gets dumped, and isn't allowed to show any real emotion about it. Messer needs some lessons from Shonda Rhimes in how to write women of colour.

[JMO]

Notice everyone else gets to work through relationship issues, Lewis gets dumped, and isn't allowed to show any real emotion about it. Messer needs some lessons from Shonda Rhimes in how to write women of colour.

 

She needs lessons on how to write for humans, period.

[ReidFan]

high fives JMO for that post :)

[normasm]

Reid as written in canon can become an art expert simply by being interested in art history and reading the scholarly and current sources on it. Although, whichever writer thought Morpheus' art looked like deKooning's work, early or late, was mistaken. They also had Reid looking at images such as Caravaggio's Medusa and some work of Leger's (or maybe Matisse). Neither were contemporaries of deKooning, especially Caravaggio, who was from the Baroque era. I guess those looked "arty" and especially the medusa looked like something a serial killer might choose.

 

Contrast that to the first time we saw Reid hold forth on art history, in Lucky, with the painting of Saturn Devouring his Son, by Goya. That was a well-conceived choice of art as Muse for a sicko.

[ForeverAlone]

That is one of the problems with some of the story research in recent years, and much of the research is Wikipedia deep, and can be easily undercut by audience members who know more about the actual subjects depicted. I can easily believe Reid would find art history very fascinating and learn more about it, especially the medieval to baroque period. I do give a bit of a side eye that he would know so much about current street art, just because it is a subject I don't see him being particularly interested in. But hey, at least he got to contribute in ways that were more interesting than normal. 

[JMO]

Didn’t get to watch until today (and fell asleep on it in the middle of the afternoon, if that’s any measure of how engaging it was).  My favorite part about this episode was the back-and-forth between Hotch and Reid in that one scene.  I love their relationship and would be happy to see more of it.  I also liked that Reid had a significant contribution, albeit it to a case that made no sense (not even ‘unsub sense’). 

 

One question---well, many, but I’ll pose only one:  Did no one in that city notice a big “RIP Morpheus” painting on the ground?  Was there no press coverage of the murders and the infant’s abduction?  Couldn’t just about anyone have figured out the location? (All right, that’s three questions.)

 

What I didn’t like was the Tara bookend, mostly because I have about as much investment in her and  her already-departed fiance as I have in Rossi’s (surprise!) daughter.  I expected there to be a focus on Tara in the first couple of episodes, by way of introduction.  But I’m over it.  Let’s move on now.

 

And, unfortunately (for me, apparently), I don’t like the character at all.  I find her flat, and I agree that she sucks the energy out of the room.  I’m not familiar with the actress, so I can’t tell if it’s the writing or the acting.  But I actually, physically, cringe when she comes on screen.  This will make for a long----or maybe a very short----season for me, depending how things go with her.

 

I am one of the few who does miss JJ, even if I don’t buy into her new-found prowess in nearly everything.  In contrast with Tara’s, JJ’s relationships with the others were earned----developed over time, based on shared history. 

 

Nearing the end of the show’s run, I’d much rather the focus be on those we know, and not those we don’t.

[JMO]

That is one of the problems with some of the story research in recent years, and much of the research is Wikipedia deep, and can be easily undercut by audience members who know more about the actual subjects depicted. I can easily believe Reid would find art history very fascinating and learn more about it, especially the medieval to baroque period. I do give a bit of a side eye that he would know so much about current street art, just because it is a subject I don't see him being particularly interested in. But hey, at least he got to contribute in ways that were more interesting than normal. 

 

FA, I think you are very generous in recognizing the research as 'Wikipedia deep', because there have certainly been plenty of times when a cursory glance at Wikipedia would have helped the plot.  I don't know if they don't look or if they can't digest it.

 

I agree with both you and Normasm that Reid could easily have absorbed quite a bit of art history in the course of his reading.  And, while it's probably just fanwanking on my part, I like to think that he's made it a point to acquire some knowledge of any and everything current, recognizing its possible relevance to his cases.  I'll bet he even spent ten minutes reading 'Twilight'!

[Droogie]

Nearing the end of the show’s run, I’d much rather the focus be on those we know, and not those we don’t.

Preach on, sister.