Season 12 Spoilers, Speculation and Anticipation

[ReidFan]

only then :)  .  I don't recall Prentiss ever calling him anything but 'Reid' prior to her return as Unit Chief. Which is kinda odd actually since they were fellow Solaris nerds etc earlier on. I always had the impression their friendship was pretty close. The earliest recollection I have of Rossi calling him 'Spencer' is in season 8's "Alchemy" when he's giving him the Uncle Sol story (such a wonderful Rossi/Reid moment). Don't recall Hotch *ever* calling him anything but Reid, or Dr Reid when introducing him to someone.  Gideon called him Spencer. Don't recall Elle ever calling him anything but Reid. Ditto Callahan, Blake and Seaver. Don't recall Morgan ever calling him Spencer; although pet/nick names is just as--or more--affectionate than first names indicating a closer relationship. Which would explain Garcia's particular attachment to him as well 'Genius', 'Boy Wonder' etc. 

Rossi was 'Dave' to Hotch  (and Hotch was 'Aaron' to Rossi) all the time, but I attributed that to the fact that they were close in age and Hotch would perhaps have been acknowledging Rossi's status as senior and most experienced. OTOH, Gideon was always GIdeon, no one ever called him Jason except Frank Breitkopf that I recall. 

Either way, I enjoy the closer feel that the nick and/or first names fosters. Under Emily, a more familial and close environment. Under Hotch, a more stoic and serious (just like him! :) ) environment. And nothing wrong with that at all. Just different.

[Kara101]

Ugh. After watching the promos I don't know if I'm going to be able to watch the episode. I know many (or most) of the posters on here are going to disagree with me, and that it's "in" to paint prisoners as sympathetic/victims of society. I just don't buy it. I think a lot of times people in low/medium security prisons do deserve sympathy. They may be the people who " fell off the tracks," grew up in a bad home, etc. However, most of them are not in maximum security prisons. Most people in maximum security prisons have done an awful crime and/or have shown violence. When reid said something along the lines of "the hopelessness in here makes people do things they never otherwise would have..." I was like uh NO. They did awful things to end up here. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure not all have done violent crimes and just got caught up in the prison system making them eventually land themselves into maximum security. Maybe those are the people Reid was talking about. But that's the minority. Many people in maximum security prisons probably are sociopaths or psychopaths. 

I'm going to to chalk it up to that Reid needs a way to rationalize the violence he sees. Or maybe the people that attended the therapy session also happen to be more like him. I can't imagine the really violent ones wanting to attend. 

Edited March 29, 2017 by Haleysgalaxy

[normasm]

Yeah, R3volver, I do think, as Riff says, they have recently had many of the core team call him Spence and/or Spencer. Emily, just recently  called him Spence, and I do recall at least one time Blake called him Spencer. 

Recently, they had Reid call Emily, Prentiss, which sounded odd coming out of his mouth. But 2 or 3 episodes ago he called her Em. 

Haleysgalaxy, you don't have to hide spoilers in this thread, since it's all about spoilers. Enjoy, spoil away!

[Willowy]

1 hour ago, R3volver said:

Oh, I wasn't aware of the previous instances.  But I've only watched intermittently since season 7, so that's probably why.

It's not a huge deal, but it just felt awkward considering it was emphasized as a special nickname in season 1. 

I agree, it's always awkward to me when anyone other than JJ calls him "Spence". Maeve did it once too, and I didn't like that, either. ;)

[Kara101]

Wait-Reid is in a "maximum federal prison" right?

I don't think that exists. Federal prisons have 5 security levels- minimum security, low security medium security , high security, and administrative. State prisons are the ones that have the 3 different security levels of minimum, medium, and maximum security.

Prisoners also end up in federal prisons by committing a  federal crime. This includes things like white collar crime, bank robbing, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and terrorism. Murder and violent assaults are usually state crimes. I guess Reid is in a Federsl prison bc committed an international murder? But then why is Shaw in federal prison? Do all FBI agents automatically go to federal prison?

High security prisons also do not have dormitory style housing and there is  typically little time to interact with other inmates.

It doesn't seem like Reid is in with either white collar criminals or terrorists. I'm confused. Should I just stop trying to apply realism to this show/story arc?

I would have thought they would have brought in an expert prison consultant or something. Or do more than 2 seconds of research. They even have a freaking researcher whose only job is to research for the show!

 

Yup I just checked- the sign of the prison says " maximum security federal prison." That literally does not exist. Jim Clemente was an elite federal law enforcement agent and a prosecutor. He should have caught this.

This might seem nit-picky but it's really not. If the prison's a federal or state prison and what security status the prison js makes a world's a difference to what the prison is like inside. From what we've seen so far, with dormitories and inmates mingling about, it is not set up as a maximum security prison.

Edited March 29, 2017 by Haleysgalaxy

[Hotchgirl18]

3 hours ago, Haleysgalaxy said:

Ugh. After watching the promos I don't know if I'm going to be able to watch the episode. I know many (or most) of the posters on here are going to disagree with me, and that it's "in" to paint prisoners as sympathetic/victims of society. I just don't buy it. I think a lot of times people in low/medium security prisons do deserve sympathy. They may be the people who " fell off the tracks," grew up in a bad home, etc. However, most of them are not in maximum security prisons. Most people in maximum security prisons have done an awful crime and/or have shown violence. When reid said something along the lines of "the hopelessness in here makes people do things they never otherwise would have..." I was like uh NO. They did awful things to end up here. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure not all have done violent crimes and just got caught up in the prison system making them eventually land themselves into maximum security. Maybe those are the people Reid was talking about. But that's the minority. Many people in maximum security prisons probably are sociopaths or psychopaths. 

I'm going to to chalk it up to that Reid needs a way to rationalize the violence he sees. Or maybe the people that attended the therapy session also happen to be more like him. I can't imagine the really violent ones wanting to attend. 

Remember, Messer and her cronies want us to feel bad for these unsubs. It's why it's essentially become The Unsub Show. No longer is it about why people do bad things. It's now about rationalizing it. 

[JMO]

6 hours ago, Haleysgalaxy said:

Ugh. After watching the promos I don't know if I'm going to be able to watch the episode. I know many (or most) of the posters on here are going to disagree with me, and that it's "in" to paint prisoners as sympathetic/victims of society. I just don't buy it. I think a lot of times people in low/medium security prisons do deserve sympathy. They may be the people who " fell off the tracks," grew up in a bad home, etc. However, most of them are not in maximum security prisons. Most people in maximum security prisons have done an awful crime and/or have shown violence. When reid said something along the lines of "the hopelessness in here makes people do things they never otherwise would have..." I was like uh NO. They did awful things to end up here. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure not all have done violent crimes and just got caught up in the prison system making them eventually land themselves into maximum security. Maybe those are the people Reid was talking about. But that's the minority. Many people in maximum security prisons probably are sociopaths or psychopaths. 

I'm going to to chalk it up to that Reid needs a way to rationalize the violence he sees. Or maybe the people that attended the therapy session also happen to be more like him. I can't imagine the really violent ones wanting to attend. 

I don't know if it is 'in' to see prisoners as victims.  But I do know that it is the sum of their lives, and their life experiences, that results in some people doing desperate, violent and despicable things.  I work with children and families.  I have held newborns who grew up to be murdered, and I've held newborns who grew up to  be murderers.  They're all the same, at the beginning.  They all smile, and coo, and melt your heart.  They're all oppositional as toddlers (and teens) and funny as preschoolers.  Some are more intelllectually gifted, some less.   How that plays out depends on the others in their lives.  Some struggle with personal or family mental health issues, some don't.  Some are born into households rendered chaotic by addiction, some aren't.  Some have no functional family to speak of, so they create a family in a gang.  

When the cards are stacked in your favor, or even if you just have healthy adults who help you deal with an unfavorable hand, life usually progresses without crime and incarceration.  But, absent a guiding hand, and the gifts we so often take for granted, it's really not all that hard to get into trouble.  

It would be easier to dismiss the criminal as 'a bad seed' or just a sociopath, because then we could ignore them.  But they're not, and we can't.  Reid is too smart not to see that.  For the first eleven seasons, he's shown us that he's known it all along.  This season, he's learning it in a new way.  I truly hope we get to see how it affects his work in season 13.

[Kara101]

9 hours ago, JMO said:

I don't know if it is 'in' to see prisoners as victims.  But I do know that it is the sum of their lives, and their life experiences, that results in some people doing desperate, violent and despicable things.  I work with children and families.  I have held newborns who grew up to be murdered, and I've held newborns who grew up to  be murderers.  They're all the same, at the beginning.  They all smile, and coo, and melt your heart.  They're all oppositional as toddlers (and teens) and funny as preschoolers.  Some are more intelllectually gifted, some less.   How that plays out depends on the others in their lives.  Some struggle with personal or family mental health issues, some don't.  Some are born into households rendered chaotic by addiction, some aren't.  Some have no functional family to speak of, so they create a family in a gang.  

When the cards are stacked in your favor, or even if you just have healthy adults who help you deal with an unfavorable hand, life usually progresses without crime and incarceration.  But, absent a guiding hand, and the gifts we so often take for granted, it's really not all that hard to get into trouble.  

It would be easier to dismiss the criminal as 'a bad seed' or just a sociopath, because then we could ignore them.  But they're not, and we can't.  Reid is too smart not to see that.  For the first eleven seasons, he's shown us that he's known it all along.  This season, he's learning it in a new way.  I truly hope we get to see how it affects his work in season 13.

I  agree with you to an extent. I feel sympathy for some people who turn to a life of drugs or crime. Some are absolutely subjected to a life that many people would find difficult to make good choices if put into the same situation. I absolutely think upbringing can impact people's life and choice in an extremely meaningful way. I think the way the US justice system treats drug users is pretty despicable.

But I do not feel this excuses all behavior. People that serial rape children, murder people in sadistic ways, kill their pregnant girlfriend (Shaw), premeditatedly kill people...No, I do not view them as victims of their upbringing. I tend to be more in the nature+ personal choice camp when it comes to violence, obviously this is like the debate. I think nurture can have a huge effect on somebody. I do not think it causes people to torture and kill people who otherwise wouldn't have. There is a *limit* to what I think nurture can do. I don't think it can make a non-killer into a killer. I think it can make a person with a predisposition to violence go over the edge. 

I can even feel sympathy for people who commit a crime in an act of passion. I think most people have the capability to finally snap and commit violence. It's the people who plan it, enjoy it, or don't feel remorse about the harm/violence they cause to other people that I don't feel sympathy for and who I don't feel should be treated as victims,

Their upbringing is not holding a possessive force over them, forcing them to do their terrible actions. They have a choice. 

If every person that experienced abuse or a bad upbringing became a deranged criminal we would be in a lot of trouble. 

Also, if you trust what Jim Clemente says, there is no way of knowing the child abuse rate among serial killers. He said many of them actually lie about the abuse and that it is likely a good amount of them have never been abused. He also said its a fact that genetics contribute. However, we won't see that on the show bc it makes a bad show.

Honeslty, I do think it's totally feasible that an extremely, extremely, small percentag of the population is born physcopathic. When a person doesn't care or even enjoys causing harm to other people, I don't have many qualms about calling that or  them "bad." I don't think everybody is born good. Most people are, including most prisoners. But I definitely think it's a spectrum. A spectrum that contains ends. I also think the percentage of these people is probably much higher in a max prison. 

I also think that all prisoners deserve to be treated humanely in prison no matter their crime or their personal liability. Reportedly, this is something US prisons could get a lot better at. 

I also understand how must you have a first person perspective working with children and families. That must be such a heartbreaking job that not many people can do. But, it must get done, so thank you:) I'm sure that people like you really do make the world a better place

Edited March 30, 2017 by Haleysgalaxy

[senin]

17 hours ago, JMO said:

I don't know if it is 'in' to see prisoners as victims.  But I do know that it is the sum of their lives, and their life experiences, that results in some people doing desperate, violent and despicable things.  I work with children and families.  I have held newborns who grew up to be murdered, and I've held newborns who grew up to  be murderers.  They're all the same, at the beginning.  They all smile, and coo, and melt your heart.  They're all oppositional as toddlers (and teens) and funny as preschoolers.  Some are more intelllectually gifted, some less.   How that plays out depends on the others in their lives.  Some struggle with personal or family mental health issues, some don't.  Some are born into households rendered chaotic by addiction, some aren't.  Some have no functional family to speak of, so they create a family in a gang.  

When the cards are stacked in your favor, or even if you just have healthy adults who help you deal with an unfavorable hand, life usually progresses without crime and incarceration.  But, absent a guiding hand, and the gifts we so often take for granted, it's really not all that hard to get into trouble.  

It would be easier to dismiss the criminal as 'a bad seed' or just a sociopath, because then we could ignore them.  But they're not, and we can't.  Reid is too smart not to see that.  For the first eleven seasons, he's shown us that he's known it all along.  This season, he's learning it in a new way.  I truly hope we get to see how it affects his work in season 13.

Agree, agree, agree,..... about real life and about Reid. 

[Kara101]

The kind of deranged criminals we see on criminal minds are usually so deranged I don't think any situation would cause most people to do what they do. Facilitate it, sure. But not the sole cause. 

If we can not call people who choose to sadistically torture and kill people over and over again "bad" because it ignores their complexity then I think we've reached a point where we might as well stop using adjectives. 

Edited March 30, 2017 by Haleysgalaxy

[JMO]

2 hours ago, Haleysgalaxy said:

The kind of deranged criminals we see on criminal minds are usually so deranged I don't think any situation would cause most people to do what they do. Facilitate it, sure. But not the sole cause. 

If we can not call people who choose to sadistically torture and kill people over and over again "bad" because it ignores their complexity then I think we've reached a point where we might as well stop using adjectives. 

I don't know, there are lots of adjectives besides 'bad'.  I don't mean to say that there is something about a specific situation that makes someone prey upon someone else. I think it is cumulative, possibly the result of deliberate maltreatment (abuse) or just the absence of a nurturing environment (neglect).  Either has a direct effect on brain development in early childhood.  Compound that with ongoing stress, continued familial dysfunction, homelessness, exposure to violence, etc., any or all of which can contribute to emotional stunting and a lack of empathy, and you have the makings of a criminal.  The child welfare system is overloaded, under resourced, and lacking in good evidence about what constitutes an effective intervention.  

We watch these things unfold in the lives of young children, and we have sympathy for them.  But we don't have good solutions.   As they grow up in these circumstances, we're left to wonder, 'On which day of his life do we tell him that he's now responsible, that he should know better, though he's never been taught?'

Understanding where it comes from doesn't mean we don't still have to keep the greater society safe.  So, incarceration is still in order.  And then we would have to get a whole lot better, and a lot more creative, about our rehabilitation efforts.  

[normasm]

2 minutes ago, JMO said:

We watch these things unfold in the lives of young children, and we have sympathy for them.  But we don't have good solutions.   As they grow up in these circumstances, we're left to wonder, 'On which day of his life do we tell him that he's now responsible, that he should know better, though he's never been taught?'

This is so true. I think almost everyone knows someone in their lives or on the periphery who succumbed to the "Dark Side" but may have been relatable THE WHOLE WAY.

[Kara101]

1 minute ago, JMO said:

I don't know, there are lots of adjectives besides 'bad'.  I don't mean to say that there is something about a specific situation that makes someone prey upon someone else. I think it is cumulative, possibly the result of deliberate maltreatment (abuse) or just the absence of a nurturing environment (neglect).  Either has a direct effect on brain development in early childhood.  Compound that with ongoing stress, continued familial dysfunction, homelessness, exposure to violence, etc., any or all of which can contribute to emotional stunting and a lack of empathy, and you have the makings of a criminal.  The child welfare system is overloaded, under resourced, and lacking in good evidence about what constitutes an effective intervention.  

We watch these things unfold in the lives of young children, and we have sympathy for them.  But we don't have good solutions.   As they grow up in these circumstances, we're left to wonder, 'On which day of his life do we tell him that he's now responsible, that he should know better, though he's never been taught?'

Understanding where it comes from doesn't mean we don't still have to keep the greater society safe.  So, incarceration is still in order.  And then we would have to get a whole lot better, and a lot more creative, about our rehabilitation efforts.  

Since you have more expertise than me, do you think neglect can make someone into a sadistic serial killer? I fully agree that it can cause people to turn to crime, theft, even violence. But a pattern of sadistic killing?

I don't believe in the blank slate theory ( and I think most science supports me) but I also know that upbringing can have huge effects. But do you have to "teach a kid" for them not to desire to torture and kill people? I don't think you have to be taught that sadistic murdering and torturing is wrong. Drugs, theft, gang violence? Sure. But I don't think most children need to be taught to not enjoy someone else's agony. I also don't think that it's something thing that can be rehabilitated away. There is science that shows that genetics do come into play. But you can't blame someone for their genetics as much as you can't blame someone for their upbringing.

I hope I'm not coming across as argumentative. I'm writing this because I value your expertise:) I just have a hard time believing that environment can be the sole cause of sadistic people or people who don't care if they harm others. Most people never need to be taught that. There are also serial killers who never experienced abuse.

I'm sure that the sadistic people are probably still the minority in a maximum security prison. But there is still probably a decent amount. Even then, I regret painting the whole prison with a broad brush.

[autumnmountains]

4 hours ago, Haleysgalaxy said:

 

I think both of y'all are right. I wrote my response in the gabbing thread.

Edited March 30, 2017 by autumnmountains

[JMO]

Haleysgalaxy, I'm not expert at this, but I have a lot of experience interfacing with it, so I've made a point of learning more.   It's fascinating and frustrating simultaneously.

I like to think that all children are born capable of empathy, but it can be fleeting if it isn't reinforced, and especially if it is punished.  

Toxic stress, which is defined as prolonged activation of the stress response in the absence of protective relationships, doesn't have to mean abuse.  It can mean food insecurity or outright hunger, homelessness, exposure to violence or even chronic loud, angry arguing.  Poverty is a huge source of toxic stress.  TS been studied for quite a while, and there is convincing evidence that it negatively affects the whole process of brain development.  It can even negatively impact adults by literally changing their DNA, and making them more vulnerable to a variety of health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.  Between the DNA changes and the effects on brain development, it becomes something that can multiply its effects from generation to generation.  The current research is on finding interventions that work, usually targeted at the adults, so they will be better able to nurture the child.

I don't know that we can ever say anything as an absolute.  So maybe there are people who are sadistic 'just because'.  Whether that, or genetics, or environment, I agree that our attempts at rehabilitation haven't been very effective.  Better to invest in prevention programs, but they're always the first thing cut when the budget is tight.  Doesn't make fiscal sense to me, to spend hundreds of thousands to house people in prison instead of a few thousand to launch them well.  

[Kara101]

That is fascinating, thank you! Maybe I will read about it sometime. My opinion is always open to being changed, and it may very well:)

[Mislav]

Hm, Derek might make an appearance soon... that will almost certainly have something to do with Reid's arc...

 

But how about this for seeing Derek again... there is a string of family murders, resembling the M.O. of Billy Flynn, "The Prince of Darkness", so Derek, one of the team members who worked on that case, is called over to "participate" in the investigation (well, not really participate since he is retired, but you know what I mean). But it turns out that Ellie Spicer is the unsub this time. She'd be around 17-18 now, right? That is when most of the serial killers start killing (well, between the ages of 18 and 24).

 

She was around eleven at the time she was abducted by Billy, after witnessing her father getting murdered... that's around the time the puberty starts (more often for girls than for the boys), and experiencing such traumatic events at that age can lead to a development of certain pathology... psychosexual fixation? Certain urges/impules get crosswired in a developing brain. She also mentioned one of the boys from the foster home spying on her in the shower, and she must have had abandonment issues due to her mother. Remember Vincent Rowlings? And Reid's profile on Chester Hardwick.

 

OK, that would be too mean. But, for a change, it would be genuinely shocking and gritty. I keep waiting for one of the victims they saved to return as the unsub.

[Danielg342]

14 hours ago, Mislav said:

I keep waiting for one of the victims they saved to return as the unsub.

I agree. With all the messed up things that have been done to them, it's a surprise none has come back to haunt the BAU by now.

[autumnmountains]

First Sneak peak for True North is up:

 

Promo one: Tara PHD or M.D.?? ( lol, this self made title make sense upon viewing)

[autumnmountains]

Second Sneak Peak:

This has GOTTA be a red herring.

Reid any day now would be a very good time to get your true memory back . . .

[ReidFan]

*argh*

 

*rips hair out*

[autumnmountains]

2 minutes ago, ReidFan said:

*argh*

 

*rips hair out*

exactly! Hopefully Tara is able to convince him what he sees isn't the truth because there is NO way. . .

[Danielg342]

Better writers would make note of the fact that solving Reid's crime would need a Reid, because only Reid would know the intricacies of the chemicals inside the human brain and how drugs can change that and thus alter memories.

Perhaps that's what the writers are going for- that only Reid alone would be capable of exonerating himself. Of course, I don't really trust the writers to effectively convey that.

[normasm]

Oh, wow! That is a faulty recovered memory, no doubt, but poor Reid! Remember, Scratch can make people see things that aren't there, like Reid being shot in the head, etc.

[autumnmountains]

3 minutes ago, normasm said:

Oh, wow! That is a faulty recovered memory, no doubt, but poor Reid! Remember, Scratch can make people see things that aren't there, like Reid being shot in the head, etc.

Exactly, I thought of the first time the BAU had to deal with Mr. Scratch. I'm certain it's more of the same (or rather, slightly different as the first time was a present-day hallucination).

[ReidFan]

the current situation reminds me of another time Reid was endangered. 

"It's funny, I keep thinking... The one thing we need to crack this case is, uh, well, Reid"

[normasm]

Am I the only one who thought about Scratch when Reid made the chemical reaction in Hell's Kitchen? The little puff of smoke? It could be that, like the people with the sage making them suggestible, Reid was exposed to the chemical smell he made in the laundry by Scratch in the hotel room? Once he smelled it (remember, he was given a job in the laundry by Shaw, told the drugs were going to be pushed through there, and sure enough, here comes the drugs), he has a reaction that was planted by Scratch. And Reid, being a Chemistry PhD, would test to see what they were. They contained what Scratch orchestrated them to contain, and Reid is now roiling in false, planted memories which continues into this week.

[autumnmountains]

4 minutes ago, normasm said:

Am I the only one who thought about Scratch when Reid made the chemical reaction in Hell's Kitchen? The little puff of smoke? It could be that, like the people with the sage making them suggestible, Reid was exposed to the chemical smell he made in the laundry by Scratch in the hotel room? Once he smelled it (remember, he was given a job in the laundry by Shaw, told the drugs were going to be pushed through there, and sure enough, here comes the drugs), he has a reaction that was planted by Scratch. And Reid, being a Chemistry PhD, would test to see what they were. They contained what Scratch orchestrated them to contain, and Reid is now roiling in false, planted memories which continues into this week.

hmm, intriguing thought. :)

[MMC]

Wouldn't Reid's  so called eidetic memory play a part in helping him  gain back his true memory much faster than it appears to be. And now we have this totally false memory. I am with you reidfan in that I am liking this story line less and less.

[autumnmountains]

1 hour ago, MMC said:

Wouldn't Reid's  so called eidetic memory play a part in helping him  gain back his true memory much faster than it appears to be.

Not necessarily, MMC. Eidetic memory, from what I'm to understand, deals primarily with what ones reads, and, yes, sees. However, he was drugged with at least cocaine and heroin, and possibly something else that I can't recall the name of. It's doubtful, that between the drugging (whenever and however it occurred), the adrenaline and the likely terror  from the tragic turn of events, that he was on the top of his game enough to store it in a reachable part of his brain. It's probably there, just locked away, if you will. Also, I don't think many, if any at all, people could resist Scratch's trickery. Reid's a genius, but not infallible. *shrugs*

[ReidFan]

While I love that Matthew is getting a chance to shine so brightly as an excellent actor and that Reid is getting such an intense storyline focus, I'm not enthused over how long it's taking to exonerate him (they better!) and I'm afraid the payoff, the positive will not be nearly as extensive or as focused. Assuming we GET a positive outcome. I *want* to believe that they wouldn't destroy the character they've spent eleven years endearing to us but the journey, and the atmosphere and build up have all been so negative in nature. It's so discouraging, week after week --and now three weeks without!-- and no sign that things are gonna be resolved with the same kind of focus. I'll feel really cheated if he doesn't get some happiness after twelve years of angst and torture. 

[MMC]

11 minutes ago, ReidFan said:

While I love that Matthew is getting a chance to shine so brightly as an excellent actor and that Reid is getting such an intense storyline focus, I'm not enthused over how long it's taking to exonerate him (they better!) and I'm afraid the payoff, the positive will not be nearly as extensive or as focused. Assuming we GET a positive outcome. I *want* to believe that they wouldn't destroy the character they've spent eleven years endearing to us but the journey, and the atmosphere and build up have all been so negative in nature. It's so discouraging, week after week --and now three weeks without!-- and no sign that things are gonna be resolved with the same kind of focus. I'll feel really cheated if he doesn't get some happiness after twelve years of angst and torture. 

As do I. But like you I am now growing tired of how long they seem to be taking to exonerate him and now we have this so called horrible memory thrown into the mix. But for the life of me I do not understand why Erica and her writers appear to want to do irreparable damage to the only remaining original male character on the show. Yes of course I realize I am being a bit of alarmist and I am sure he will be completely exonerated(he damn well better be.) It is just that for better or worse where Reid is concerned I tend to have a different mindset when it comes to him verses other so called characters. Simply because no other character has ever capture my interest, my affection, my devotion, etc, etc, the way Reid has. And probably never will.

[Willowy]

Matthew told me himself, when I blurted out "IS REID GOING TO BE OKAY??" that "Don't worry, it's going to be great - YES (emphasis his)."

Whether he was speaking from an actor's challenge standpoint, or from his physical embodiment and emotional attachment to the character, I have no idea. 

I have to believe that neither the writers or the suits would ever assassinate this noble, brilliant character for the sake of some dumb UnSub plot. I do believe that they are quite capable of putting him, and us, through the ringer. I love all the discussion and theories here, what fun (and what torture)!

My theory is that Cat Adams is the murderer, and that she's working with Scratch to drug (taking his mind and his memory away), frame, and send Reid up the river, for revenge. 

[Hotchgirl18]

27 minutes ago, MMC said:

As do I. But like you I am now growing tired of how long they seem to be taking to exonerate him and now we have this so called horrible memory thrown into the mix. But for the life of me I do not understand why Erica and her writers appear to want to do irreparable damage to the only remaining original male character on the show. Yes of course I realize I am being a bit of alarmist and I am sure he will be completely exonerated(he damn well better be.) It is just that for better or worse where Reid is concerned I tend to have a different mindset when it comes to him verses other so called characters. Simply because no other character has ever capture my interest, my affection, my devotion, etc, etc, the way Reid has. And probably never will.

Oh I can tell why Erica wants to destroy the only original male character. PM if you wanna know why.

[Hotchgirl18]

So is this Scratch messing with his memories again?

[ReidGirl]

I really want Reid out of prison as soon as possible. I can not take this prison arc anymore as its destroying the character I love so much. And they better have some good explanation for all his actions and a bit of happiness for him in the end. I also hope the final 3 episodes are Reid centric with him finally catching Mr Scratch with only little help from Morgan. And I have to go to work so I will stop writing else I can go on and on and on about how I want something good for Reid for once.

Edited April 5, 2017 by ReidGirl

[JMO]

For all their failings, the writers aren't going to taint Reid's character, nor his nature.  I think it is safe to relax and go along for the ride. Whether or not it is an enjoyable ride will be a matter of taste. But I don't think we need to fear for Reid. 

[normasm]

Yeah, the only thing i'm really upset about is this 3 week desert stretching out after tonight.

[ReidGirl]

4 hours ago, JMO said:

For all their failings, the writers aren't going to taint Reid's character, nor his nature.  I think it is safe to relax and go along for the ride. Whether or not it is an enjoyable ride will be a matter of taste. But I don't think we need to fear for Reid. 

I hope so you are right about the writers and Reid's character :-). I just don't want them to ruin his character, nothing else. 

Edited April 5, 2017 by ReidGirl

[Danielg342]

Created the episode thread:

[ReidFan]

not that imdb is ever totally accurate or anything, but it was pointed out to me elsewhere that Jane Lynch is listed as a guest star in "Red Light" but not in the immediate predecessor "Green Light" although a stunt double for her is listed. Of utmost interest to me though was the listing in the full cast for "Red Light" of a woman credited as 'stunt double for Aubrey Plaza'........ I would *love* that, as long as Reid outsmarts her again. :) hoping imdb is right this time.

[Willowy]

Righto! While upthread a bit ago I posted my theory that Cat is the killer/framer, they've misled us before with a 'stunt double' listing for Lola Glaudini that never materialized.

Not saying it's not cause for speculation, because IT IS, just that maybe we should proceed with the knowledge that IMDB can be sketchy. :)

[senin]

21 hours ago, ReidFan said:

While I love that Matthew is getting a chance to shine so brightly as an excellent actor and that Reid is getting such an intense storyline focus, I'm not enthused over how long it's taking to exonerate him (they better!) and I'm afraid the payoff, the positive will not be nearly as extensive or as focused. Assuming we GET a positive outcome. I *want* to believe that they wouldn't destroy the character they've spent eleven years endearing to us but the journey, and the atmosphere and build up have all been so negative in nature. It's so discouraging, week after week --and now three weeks without!-- and no sign that things are gonna be resolved with the same kind of focus. I'll feel really cheated if he doesn't get some happiness after twelve years of angst and torture. 

I was going to see the promo and the sneak peek,but after reading your comments I have decided that watching the episode will be hard enough. 

I agree that MGG is doing an excellent job in these episodes, I only wish there was more of him. 

And,why are we going three weeks without a new episode ? I don't think I can wait that long!!

Edited April 5, 2017 by senin

[ReidFan]

8 minutes ago, senin said:

 

And,why are we going three weeks without a new episode ? I don't think I can't wait that long!!

short answer: because they wanna hang onto the last couple episodes for May sweeps.

[senin]

Thank for your answer. So it's not a traditional break, like the one at Christmas. Thay are just being mean to us!

[ReidFan]

this never used to happen back in the good old days when a season was like 30 episodes or so long. Back in the days before PVR or VCR, when you had to make sure you were home to see an episode unless you wanted to wait until June for summer reruns.....

[JMO]

Many schools are closed either one or the other of the next two weeks, which means many people will be traveling.  It's my guess that's why they're taking the break. It's fine with me. Either a long break now, or a longer one in the summer, assuming they're coming back at all. 

[ReidFan]

hmmm I just rewatched A Beautiful Disaster.....that lovely, emotional, touching, heartrending goodbye between Reid and Morgan. 

It would be absolutely criminal if they neglect to touch on this relationship in the episode in which Shemar is guest starring. It's absolutely imperative that he's there for *Reid*, first and foremost. Much more than the Baby Girl stuff with Garcia.

[autumnmountains]

1 minute ago, ReidFan said:

hmmm I just rewatched A Beautiful Disaster.....that lovely, emotional, touching, heartrending goodbye between Reid and Morgan. 

It would be absolutely criminal if they neglect to touch on this relationship in the episode in which Shemar is guest starring. It's absolutely imperative that he's there for *Reid*, first and foremost. Much more than the Baby Girl stuff with Garcia.

AMEN. I have to believe they will have a brother moment, anything less is tantamount to criminal in my opinion.

[ReidGirl]

21 minutes ago, ReidFan said:

hmmm I just rewatched A Beautiful Disaster.....that lovely, emotional, touching, heartrending goodbye between Reid and Morgan. 

It would be absolutely criminal if they neglect to touch on this relationship in the episode in which Shemar is guest starring. It's absolutely imperative that he's there for *Reid*, first and foremost. Much more than the Baby Girl stuff with Garcia.

 

18 minutes ago, autumnmountains said:

AMEN. I have to believe they will have a brother moment, anything less is tantamount to criminal in my opinion.

Yes I wish so much for this, a good gentle moment of friendship between Morgan and Reid and not so much of Morgan and Garcia.

One Morgan Reid moment is long overdue.