S12.E02: Sick Day

[thewhiteowl]

Quote

When JJ arrives home shaken after a rough case, she breaks down and tells her husband about the abduction of two children.

[thewhiteowl]

Good episode

[secnarf]

Well that was 100% not what I expected based on promos and everything I heard beforehand, but what a sucker punch. The ones with siblings really get to me. I felt for the brother. There were definitely a few lines that had me rolling my eyes, but I can't remember them right now, and I suppose it's a good thing if by the end I don't remember them. I don't think it's one I'd want to re-watch, though.

Unusual for them to kill a kid - even a teenager.

I continue to have this (?irrational) hate for Will, so it really takes away from their scenes together. AJ's kids are cute, though.

Really unfortunate that that was Hotch's last episode, but since it couldn't really be helped, I'm okay with that. I feel like he probably left sooner rather than later during the filming of that episode. He was in what, three scenes? And definitely popped up pretty randomly.

I really liked the lack of focus on the unsub. We didn't get team focus - instead we got JJ focus - but I'll take what I can get.

[zannej]

I'd heard that Thomas wasn't suspended until all of his scenes for this episode were filmed. So, they either cut some of his scenes or he was not in many to begin with.

This didn't seem like a CM episode to me. It seemed more like something you'd see on Lifetime channel. I actually liked Will in this one. I wish we'd had more of the team. There was no explanation of why JJ and Alvez were out in the field while the rest of the team stayed back at the station sitting on their thumbs. And I get that JJ is a mother and they wanted her to be reminded of Henry, but Reid is usually pretty good talking to young boys-- particularly ones interested in comic books. They could have had Reid there and have both him and JJ ask about the comics or have JJ say her boy read comics.

Hotch was just almost nonexistent. Rossi didn't get much. Even Tara didn't get too much.

It was incredibly odd to me that of all the team members, the new guy was the ONLY one to approach JJ on the plane and check on her. They didn't have any of the other characters emotionally invested except JJ. The writers have fallen in to a trap that when they want to focus on a particular character, they forget the emotions and experiences of other team members and they seem to feel that there isn't enough room for more than one member to have drama in an episode-- which I dislike. In earlier episodes we would see how multiple team members were affected by things, how they dealt with it, and saw them talk with one another about it.

When JJ was trying to free the boy, I kept thinking it would make more sense to free the ones next closer to the fire first. It also came out of nowhere that he had somehow kidnapped his own sister. Also, they never really explained why he felt compelled to burn his sister. She was just sort of there. They also never explained why he had not kidnapped the siblings before and why he suddenly kidnapped a set of siblings this time. It was like "Oh, this time he might take the brother" even though it was a slight change in m.o.

While they tried to make it a bit harder for Garcia to find things by having her wait for things to load, it still ended up being Garcia's magical computer solving the case.

The plot, profiling, and such were weak. It had good acting for the most part from all involved. I actually finally believed that JJ actually likes Will and they seemed more natural together. However, AJ seemed to keep forgetting that her hand was supposed to be injured. She was leaning on the counter with it, using it, resting her chin on it, etc. The director really should have caught that, IMO.

The end when they started playing some song sort of distracted me as well. I started rolling my eyes. I couldn't focus on the episode because the music was distracting.

I liked JJ's kitchen. I can't remember if we saw her kitchen before. Nice house.

This wasn't horrible. I didn't hate it. It did keep my attention mostly, but I didn't really feel overly entertained. I did wonder what was going to happen, so there was that, but I sort of guessed the girl was going to die. I did feel sorry for her with the way she died, and they did explain that JJ only rescued the boy first because he reminded her of Henry.

I do like Luke so far. He seems to be a nice guy. I just wish they'd had JJ have more screentime with other teammates as well.

I liked that we didn't find out who the unsub was until near the end, but we still got very little insight.

I think I give this one a C-

It just didn't have enough focus on the team as a whole and profiling / story were too weak.

[Willowy]

I liked it A LOT more than I thought I would. Not being a Willifer fan I was going into it side-eyed already, but AJ actually brought me to tears. 

@zannej, I too thought it was weird that Luke was the only one to approach her on the plane (I wanted it to be Reid), but as the ep unfolded it made more sense. They had been in it together.

Was really sad the sister didn't make it. What a waste of potential and a horrible end to that beautiful girl's life. 

[MMC]

I think I'll pass since a JJ episode is an automatic no watch for me. And the comments thus far tells me I am making the right decision for me personally. That having been said I hope it does fairly decent in the ratings. Because if it doesn't I can just hear the rhetoric from the #NHNW crowd. It won't matter a hill of beans to them that other CBS shows are down since their premiere episode. Heck NCIS latest episode got a 1.9/7 and that was after it adjusted up. Now that is still pretty good, but it's premiere episode got a 2. something.

[FormerMod-a1]

I liked it.  More than I thought I would.  I'm still not convinced JJ and Will are into each other.  I just don't buy them together.  But it is what it is.  I've accepted they're keeping that pairing, and it's not usually the focus of an episode.  

[ForeverAlone]

Questions about the profiling (it may be nit picky, but I don't feel bad, because this is Virgil's episode and the infamous kick episode)

1. Why would they presume the unsub was a white male in the first place, when not all the victims were white? And if the unsub was trying to find surrogates for him and his sister, why wouldn't they all be white kids?

2. They don't even pretend that juvenile records are sealed anymore?

3. This was a prime egregious example of Penelope's magic computer spitting out the correct unsub with a bunch of info that would not have produced the unsub.

4. Hotch is not a stupid man, so why would he ask Penelope to find all the boys in a certain radius with a particular hair color? Even if Penelope admitted that she would have to look through the parents' social media, that is still a ridiculous request to make in the first place (part of me wonders if that was the line that set Thomas off, or if they cut that line out of the episode entirely).

 

Where was the freaking fire department? The cops showed up, but no firefighters (until it was way too late)? 

At least Hotch made the right call about making JJ take leave. It probably was the last line he spoke in the show (weird to think about). But it was still so weird to not see the rest of the team on site, and then Hotch come up to JJ, say his line and then turn around and walk away. 

 

Putting aside the problems with the profile, it wasn't a horrible episode. The flashback framing worked fine for me. JJ didn't piss me off or make me roll my eyes. I figured the rest of the team would be light in the episode, but it made sense in this episode. 

Edited October 6, 2016 by ForeverAlone

[secnarf]

52 minutes ago, zannej said:

Hotch was just almost nonexistent. Rossi didn't get much. Even Tara didn't get too much.

It was incredibly odd to me that of all the team members, the new guy was the ONLY one to approach JJ on the plane and check on her. They didn't have any of the other characters emotionally invested except JJ. The writers have fallen in to a trap that when they want to focus on a particular character, they forget the emotions and experiences of other team members and they seem to feel that there isn't enough room for more than one member to have drama in an episode-- which I dislike. In earlier episodes we would see how multiple team members were affected by things, how they dealt with it, and saw them talk with one another about it.

When JJ was trying to free the boy, I kept thinking it would make more sense to free the ones next closer to the fire first. It also came out of nowhere that he had somehow kidnapped his own sister. Also, they never really explained why he felt compelled to burn his sister. She was just sort of there. They also never explained why he had not kidnapped the siblings before and why he suddenly kidnapped a set of siblings this time. It was like "Oh, this time he might take the brother" even though it was a slight change in m.o.

First - dammit, you're right about Tara. I'm back to forgetting that she exists, because I didn't even notice. I thought I had finally moved past that.

Second - I agree that it was odd and contrived that the new guy approached her. If nothing else, I would have expected Reid to. I suppose in retrospect it kind of made sense because the new guy was there with her, but still. I agree that they really struggle in spreading the focus around - it really tends to be either one-on-one interactions or that weird thing they do when they "give the profile" when each person says a line, and nobody has any distinct personality.

Third - I agree that it would have made sense to free the ones closer to the fire first. At least that was explained later on. The explanations were definitely rushed - it seems kind of a similar problem as unsub focus, where there is still so much focus on one character that the actual plot gets shoved aside. I'd rather focus on JJ than unsub, though.

I thought they implied the girl would die very early on - in one of the flashbacks they showed her tied up and JJ struggling to get to her, and then what looked like (to me) JJ leaving. We found out at the end that the new guy dragged her out, but I spent most of the episode thinking JJ's survival instincts kicked in and she made a quick escape when she realized the girl was surrounded by flames. Anyways, why would JJ be upset if the kids all survived?

I thought the promos said that this case would cause "painful memories to resurface" for JJ. I feel like that was a flat out lie. The memories we got were of the case, it wasn't the case bringing up memories. Maybe I just misunderstood the tweet, but that was kind of disappointing.

[quickjessie]

I loved this episode.  I am a fan of Will and have missed seeing him so this episode sucked me in immediately.  But the storyline was really good, I thought.  More profiling then we've had in quite awhile and I thought the acting and writing were very believable.  And emotional story all the way around and very well done.

[CrimeFan12]

I enjoyed the episode.  Yes it was JJ heavy, but it was the flawed JJ of old, not the superwoman version we have had for years.  I liked seeing the case from the eyes of one of the team and how it affected them, not the usual way we get it as a bookend at the end of the episode.  It wasn't Unsub heavy, thank god.  We didn't see who he was until over half the episode.  Luke checking up with her made sense to me since he was there, he saw what happened.  He just wasn't randomly popping up to check on her.  

My only dislike was the lack of the police when they went in, a continuing trend with the writers.  They said Garcia called the police and they seemed to take forever to get there.  Did they stop for some coffee on the way?  And when they do get there, do they go in and help?  Nope.  They give Luke the bolt cutters and stay outside.  

I generally don't pay too much attention to the previews. The scenes are just random and they can be interpreted in so many ways.  They can imply one thing and it turns out to exactly the opposite.  

It was a good episode for me.  It did what I want from it.  It entertained and kept me engaged from start to finish.  Other episodes in other seasons had me wandering off to do other things as I semi-watched it.  That didn't happen this time.  

I will miss Hotch.  Unfortunately we don't get any type of closure in this episode since it was already finished when all the shit hit the fan. The character helped to make the show what it is as did all the others characters, but the show will go on.  Ensemble shows can survive cast changes like this.  I wish TG the best of luck in any future endeavors. 

[zannej]

I do think the fire department should have gotten there sooner. Usually there are more fire stations spread around with volunteer fireman and such that can get to the fire quickly. This was happening in L.A. They should have a bunch of fire stations, satellite fire stations, volunteer firemen, etc that would have faster response time.

This was just a bit too contrived at points.

[Willowsmom]

In many areas of LA the fire stations are understaffed closed. It's possible that's true here.

[yuruhee]

I liked this episode because it raisees questions more than other recent episode's have. I liked that JJ feels guilty because she saves the boy who reminds of her sons, so she did not be objective as a "good FBI Agent" should of. And, JJ likes to be or wants to be, or sees herself as that ideal FBI Agent since 200th episode, so she won't be in that kind of position ever again. But if she can't be objective, can she be a good agent? In the end, did it matter that she saved the boy because personal reasons? This episode had those kinds of themes, which was interesting to me.

Or at least, that's what I understood from it. That probably didn't make any sense, right? I tried...lol

[Danielg342]

I don't have time to really write a lengthy review, but I loved it. One of my personal favourites. Seeing how the case truly affected JJ and seeing her be a complete wreck was an absolute joy, and I think AJ Cook did a fantastic job bringing it all out. It's rare to see how these cases truly affect our team so seeing that in action was riveting stuff.

Haunting that Hotch's final line was "this is not a request" and ordered JJ to have time off...seems fitting that the team stoic fulfills that duty one last time. I'll miss Hotch that's for sure.

Episode Grade: A+

[BooksRule]

Quote

3. This was a prime egregious example of Penelope's magic computer spitting out the correct unsub with a bunch of info that would not have produced the unsub.

When Hotch told her to narrow the search by occupations that would involve flames/fire, I thought that there was no way that could work (and, of course, it did).  There are the obvious ones (fireman, crematory, chef--like they mentioned), but what about worker at a landfill who has to burn trash?  Maybe he was a salesperson at Best Buy and volunteered to burn the shipping boxes or something?  And probably way too many others to mention that might have a passing connection with fire.

I didn't realize that this was Thomas's last episode.

[MMC]

As I have said I didn't watch this episode nor do I plan to, but from the reviews I have been getting from other who have watched it, I am happily noting something. And that is this episode does not appear to have been a revisit of that gawd awful 200 like so many of us feared it was going to be. Which means when Larry Teng tweeted "think 200" or something like that in reference to this episode, he must have been speaking style wise not story wise.

[ReidFan]

very likely MMC, there was no parallel, no flashback, no reference to the happenings of 200. I think you're right, it's just the manner of how the episode was presented, not its content. It was after the fact, as it were. JJ is relating the story of what happened on the case to Will, her memories. Just like 200 was.

And I thought this episode was one big meh. I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't watch this one again. Not even to do screencaptures.

[Willowy]

One of JJ's lines that really got to me was "...and then I had to go tell that mother what just happened."

And then it cut to her doing just that, but holding it together for the mother who you know just wanted to die of sheer agony right then.

AJ seriously did excellent work.

[amensisterfriend]

I don't have time to really write a lengthy review, but I loved it. One of my personal favourites. Seeing how the case truly affected JJ and seeing her be a complete wreck was an absolute joy, and I think AJ Cook did a fantastic job bringing it all out. It's rare to see how these cases truly affect our team so seeing that in action was riveting stuff.

Much to my own surprise, I really loved it too! My complaints about JJ have centered around still not feeling like I had any sense of who she was supposed to be, how/if she was really affected by things, her core personality traits, what makes her tick etc. Fortunately, this wasn't among the (too many!) CM episodes where a specific character gets a lot of screentime without revealing anything about him/her: I actually feel like I know JJ better after this episode and like and appreciate her more. This was also possibly the first episode where I really liked Will and her relationship with him. And as someone who's been very critical of AJ's acting over the years, I have to say that she did a phenomenal job here. 

I'm actually more hopeful about this season than I've been about any CM season for a long time. I like Luke so far, I'm liking the slight variations in storytelling and format, and I'm cautiously optimistic about the energy that Prentiss's return will add to the group dynamic and overall show! 

[normasm]

The JJ/Will story was nicely done, even if she kept forgetting her hand "hurt like hell." Will was very good in his role, sleep-deprived but determined that JJ won't cover this up until it festers. Their couple dynamic was convincing, and some of us fans have been asking to occasionally have this kind of character development for the show, the "take-home," as it were. I wish the show would do this for Reid, too, and perhaps they will, it will certainly be a different "take-home." (But, please, can Sharon come back and write it?)

The case was a bit of a mess, though, kinda all over the place with gaps in logic a mile wide. Garcia's computer was given impossible parameters to sift through, but still ding-dinged on the one person in the universe the Unsub could be. And the team, except for the invested Luke, were so detached from JJ, so absent from anything but the most basic dialogue, relegated to wordless exposition, Hotch pointing to a map, Reid and Lewis shaking their heads in defeat. No one but Luke interacted with JJ at all, in the field (except for one scene with Reid) or on the plane.

And the last shot of Hotch, ever. That upset me so. I don't know if the show will recover from the loss of him. Looking forward to Prentiss, but they should start tapering Luke back a bit. Prentiss will need focus for a while, and soon enough, we'll have yet another new character who will need to hog 3 or 4 episodes so we can get to know him. 

[MMC]

1.4/5 demo and 7.59(million) viewers.

Well now I am quite sure that those who are advocating for the demise of the show because of what happened to Thomas Gibson must be quite pleased with those ratings. Best case scenario is that it will either adjust up or remain the same. Worse case Scenario it will adjust down.

[Mysteyman]

Whenever it may be, I am with this show until the very end.

Great Episode!

[Droogie]

57 minutes ago, normasm said:

The JJ/Will story was nicely done, even if she kept forgetting her hand "hurt like hell." Will was very good in his role, sleep-deprived but determined that JJ won't cover this up until it festers. Their couple dynamic was convincing, and some of us fans have been asking to occasionally have this kind of character development for the show, the "take-home," as it were. I wish the show would do this for Reid, too, and perhaps they will, it will certainly be a different "take-home." (But, please, can Sharon come back and write it?)

The case was a bit of a mess, though, kinda all over the place with gaps in logic a mile wide. Garcia's computer was given impossible parameters to sift through, but still ding-dinged on the one person in the universe the Unsub could be. And the team, except for the invested Luke, were so detached from JJ, so absent from anything but the most basic dialogue, relegated to wordless exposition, Hotch pointing to a map, Reid and Lewis shaking their heads in defeat. No one but Luke interacted with JJ at all, in the field (except for one scene with Reid) or on the plane.

And the last shot of Hotch, ever. That upset me so. I don't know if the show will recover from the loss of him. Looking forward to Prentiss, but they should start tapering Luke back a bit. Prentiss will need focus for a while, and soon enough, we'll have yet another new character who will need to hog 3 or 4 episodes so we can get to know him. 

Except that I didn't watch it, everything you've said.

I am flummoxed as to how this show is so far removed from what it once was and yet is still called Criminal Minds.

[smoker]

1 hour ago, MMC said:

1.4/5 demo and 7.59(million) viewers.

Well now I am quite sure that those who are advocating for the demise of the show because of what happened to Thomas Gibson must be quite pleased with those ratings. Best case scenario is that it will either adjust up or remain the same. Worse case Scenario it will adjust down.

ratings won't be worse because of TG and won't be better because of PB. Even if there is a change due to audience's curiosity, it will be back to similar numbers. Of course, I can be wrong.  But checking ratings for special episodes (directed by..., special guest stars, ...) numbers are lower every year.

The future of the CM only depends on the profitability of the show. If next season there is nothing better to put money in and CM still makes money, the show will have another season. That's my impartial opinion. 

As a Hotch fan, @SSAHotchner wrote a comment which expressed wonderfully how I feel about this situation. Personally, I've only watched because of Hotch, only and excusively, since half of season 6. So to me, it doesn't make sense watching after his story is closed. It's pointless. I've never been interested in the new version of the show. There are better series/films out there to enjoy drama and action.

Edited October 6, 2016 by smoker

[MaliceMisel]

2 hours ago, MMC said:

1.4/5 demo and 7.59(million) viewers.

Well now I am quite sure that those who are advocating for the demise of the show because of what happened to Thomas Gibson must be quite pleased with those ratings. Best case scenario is that it will either adjust up or remain the same. Worse case Scenario it will adjust down.

I'm pleased with this LOWEST rating not because I miss Hotch, but because this shows that many real and silent viewers hate to watch whatever JJ heavy crappy episode and feel enough of AR's taking over the show.

The episode should have focused more on Hotch's exit, but all about JJ and the new muscle. And Reid was supposed to be the closest to JJ, but the muscle took over his place and there were almost no Reid/Rossi who are real viewers' favs...well, at least Reid is.

We love ORIGINAL Criminal Minds and ORIGINAL MEMBERS! That's why many people are now clearly saying, "we watch this ONLY for Reid, and if he leaves, the show is over".

But what CBS TPTB has done by far is All AGAINST FANS' DEMANDING.

1. Shove the newbie into our throats, like he is an only star on the show.

2. The official account of Twitter retweeted VW's tweets during episode2.  

3. Messer shove her pet AJC into our throats, AGAIN.

4. No Reid or even worse No Gubler in any "CM family" pics recently.

 

I'm done. Seriously, I'm done.

I won't watch even episode 11 and 12.

Go "No Hotch No Watch" people.

Criminal Minds should be canceled now.

And I'm PLEEAASED WITH the LOWEST RATING that was achieved mostly by the completely luck of star powers of AJC and AR!

Edited October 6, 2016 by MaliceMisel

[MrWhyt]

10 minutes ago, MaliceMisel said:

the episode should have focused more on Hotch's exit, but all about JJ and the new muscle.

it'd be kind of hard for this episode to focus on Hotch's exit given that TG wasn't fired until after it was shot.

[Willowy]

1 hour ago, MaliceMisel said:

2. The official account of Twitter retweeted VW's tweets during episode2.  

Virgil wrote the episode. 

[secnarf]

1 hour ago, MaliceMisel said:

But what CBS TPTB has done by far is All AGAINST FANS' DEMANDING.

1. Shove the newbie into our throats, like he is an only star on the show.

2. The official account of Twitter retweeted VW's tweets during episode2.  

3. Messer shove her pet AJC into our throats, AGAIN.

4. No Reid or even worse No Gubler in any "CM family" pics recently.

 

I'm done. Seriously, I'm done.

I won't watch even episode 11 and 12.

Go "No Hotch No Watch" people.

Criminal Minds should be canceled now.

And I'm PLEEAASED WITH the LOWEST RATING that was achieved mostly by the completely luck of star powers of AJC and AR!

 

Well, in all fairness, I don't think it's good for TPTB to take their direction solely from what fans are perceived to be "demanding", because then it's the squeaky wheel who gets the grease. This is dangerous to do, although TPTB also can't be tone-deaf. Balance is important.

I never disliked JJ like some people did, but this didn't strike me as super-JJ. This was a lot of focus on normal JJ. Every character gets episodes centred on them. JJ isn't even taking over other episodes like she used to - just look at the word count. She was dead last for word count last episode. It's a common criticism that JJ dominates the show, but I don't think it really applies anymore. It's mostly carried over from previous seasons, and in that case, I think it's more because of the viewer than the character - that's not meant as an insult, so I hope nobody takes it like that, but we all make decisions about how we view the show, and none of this is objective. For example, I really don't like Will. I really can't point to a single logical reason why except that he's there and he bothers me. Pretty much everything he does bothers me. That's my issue, not necessarily an issue with the character of Will.

I don't think the ratings have anything to do with it being a JJ-centred episode. The new guy wasn't brought in for "star power", that's not his job. The ratings are declining and have been steadily declining. It's not because of a certain episode or certain actors.

That said, nobody is forcing anyone to watch. If it makes you so angry, then by all means stop. You don't need to wait for it to be cancelled. I understand wanting it to be cancelled, since I kind of feel like that myself, but it's more just because I'm tired of watching it. I still enjoy some of the episodes and it doesn't make me nearly as upset as it seems to make you. It's okay to vote with your feet and bail on the show if it's no longer delivering anything you want to see.

 

I think AJC did a really good job in this episode. It's nice when she gets a chance to be a normal human being, and not super-JJ or an interchangeable robot. Then again, I could say that for any of the characters.

[smoker]

19 minutes ago, secnarf said:

Well, in all fairness, I don't think it's good for TPTB to take their direction solely from what fans are perceived to be "demanding", because then it's the squeaky wheel who gets the grease. This is dangerous to do, although TPTB also can't be tone-deaf. Balance is important.

we all make decisions about how we view the show, and none of this is objective. For example, I really don't like Will. I really can't point to a single logical reason why except that he's there and he bothers me. Pretty much everything he does bothers me. That's my issue, not necessarily an issue with the character of Will.

The ratings are declining and have been steadily declining. It's not because of a certain episode or certain actors.

That said, nobody is forcing anyone to watch. If it makes you so angry, then by all means stop. You don't need to wait for it to be cancelled. I understand wanting it to be cancelled, since I kind of feel like that myself, but it's more just because I'm tired of watching it. I still enjoy some of the episodes and it doesn't make me nearly as upset as it seems to make you. It's okay to vote with your feet and bail on the show if it's no longer delivering anything you want to see.

 

Agree

[smoker]

I've just finished the ep. I didn't say much about the premiere, but I am feeling more talkative this week.

• I did like the flashback structure centered in the aftermath of a case. It was interesting.
• Because of being centered in JJ, we didn't see much of other characters (Hotch, Reid, Rossi or Tara), but I think it was justified in this context.
• Another bonus. There wasn't a single glimpse of 200 anywhere.

Now, let's talk about the content of the episode.

• They were back to say nothing coherent and let Garcia resolve the case magically plus my lack of interest for The Jereaus domestic life. All these things bored me the whole episode.
• Someone has pointed out that AJ Cook forgot she had an injured hand. I read it before I watched the episode, but it wasn't a single scene where she forgot it for a moment. Even though she was wearing a huge bandage and it hurt a lot, A.J. used her right hand for everything all the time. That's not only a big acting mistake, but a big directing mistake too. Although, I guess nobody cares or they wouldn't let KV typewrite like Jerry Lee Lewis.
• About A.J. Cook's acting. She is better in breakdown and/or solemn scenes. When she is defensive and/or bitchy she always sounds fake. Sorry, I can't explain myself better, but I saw that in Emily Procter too. It's like they are lying instead of acting.
• I think the rescue was bad organized. It seems that it was an important part of the plot and the reason why JJ thinks she acted wrong. Well, she is right. She is biased. She has been biased since season 4. And all that reassuring hero talk sounded very condescending.
• Personally, the scene between JJ and Hotch is the one I'll remember. It's the last scene of Hotch ever and it was well acted by them. JJ and Hotch have had amazing scenes together in the past and this one has been a good reminder.

There is one last thing. For some reason, AJ's mannerism, especially her head, made me think of another actress and I couln't take her image out of my mind: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2694584/mediaviewer/rm3427658240

Edited October 7, 2016 by smoker

[JMO]

Had a chance to watch this evening. 

Random thoughts;

I liked the concept.  An episode that does more than just touch on, but really explores, how a case affects a team member at home, has been long overdue.  Since we know the most about JJ’s home life, it made sense that the episode should focus on her character. 

I’ve liked JJ right along, although I’ve always appreciated her softer side.  I like to think that she was always in there, she just lost herself for a while, after she became a profiler.  And now she’s finding that happy medium.  Very glad for that.

I thought AJ turned in a very good performance, and appreciated her use of restraint when showing JJ’s emotional side.  I understood the dramatic impact of JJ’s choices in the ‘rescue scene’, but I agreed with her judgment that it was foolish not to prioritize rescuing the kids over catching the unsub, and, like everyone else, I couldn’t imagine why she didn’t save the kid nearest the fire first.  If she really did release the wrong kid first because he reminded her of Henry, she needs more than a week off.  She needs to go back to therapy, because she shouldn’t be on the job if she can’t handle an emergency in a professional way.

Apart from his debut in the ‘Jones’ episode, I’ve never been able to enjoy the character of Will LaMontagne.  The lack of facial expression, my inability to understand most things he says, and a generally unhygienic look to his scruffiness all contribute to that.  Like the actor a lot, the character can take a hike, permanently.  That said, I thought the relationship between Will and JJ was realistically portrayed.  I just can’t figure out why they are in it, or what either of them see in the other. 

They got croup right!  Ironically enough, after their resident MD writer left the fold. 

But Michael is going to take a dive right out of that crib.  Please lower the mattress.

“Garcia, find me a list of men in fire-related industries.”  “Yes sir, here we go.”  No discussion of what ‘fire-related industries might include, not even a few seconds of hesitation for her to think about it.  So I Googled it.  86,200,000 results.  Garcia must be more of a speed reader than Reid.

Hotch.  What a terrible exit.  Nearly all of his lines were delivered with an angry tone and facial expression, and not his usual stern brow look.  And, to my eye, his face looked a little bloated.  Those lines to JJ at the end were just awkward, in and out of context.  Sad.  I truly do hope they honor the character with a good story line, no matter how the higher ups feel about the actor.

Failed the Reid-meter, but that was expected.  It was JJ’s turn to shine.  He did look very nice standing around, though.

I find it hard to get excited about the ratings.  The whole night was down, there were hurricane-related preemptions, and there was a one-and-done playoff between the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, significantly impacting those two markets.  Can’t see it as either a cause for alarm or for celebration (for those wishing for the show’s demise).  I think we’ll have to wait on future episodes to tell us if there is a trend.

On balance, a good episode and one that was better than I expected it to be. 

[Danielg342]

"Beyond Borders" got renewed with a 1.1 ratings average. So a 1.4 isn't bad.

About the inaccuracies about the case- I kind of wave them off because they're coming from JJ's memory, and we all know memory isn't always reliable. So who knows if Garcia really was more specific with her search terms- JJ perhaps didn't remember anything other than "fire-related career" as a search term.

I mean, it's not entirely inexcusable...but I'm going to fault it less than if this was a "straight up" episode where the portrayal  of the story is supposed to be "accurate".

Besides, the real focus of the episode was JJ's pain. Everything else was kind of extraneous.

[MMC]

1 hour ago, JMO said:

Had a chance to watch this evening. 

Random thoughts;

I liked the concept.  An episode that does more than just touch on, but really explores, how a case affects a team member at home, has been long overdue.  Since we know the most about JJ’s home life, it made sense that the episode should focus on her character. 

I’ve liked JJ right along, although I’ve always appreciated her softer side.  I like to think that she was always in there, she just lost herself for a while, after she became a profiler.  And now she’s finding that happy medium.  Very glad for that.

I thought AJ turned in a very good performance, and appreciated her use of restraint when showing JJ’s emotional side.  I understood the dramatic impact of JJ’s choices in the ‘rescue scene’, but I agreed with her judgment that it was foolish not to prioritize rescuing the kids over catching the unsub, and, like everyone else, I couldn’t imagine why she didn’t save the kid nearest the fire first.  If she really did release the wrong kid first because he reminded her of Henry, she needs more than a week off.  She needs to go back to therapy, because she shouldn’t be on the job if she can’t handle an emergency in a professional way.

Apart from his debut in the ‘Jones’ episode, I’ve never been able to enjoy the character of Will LaMontagne.  The lack of facial expression, my inability to understand most things he says, and a generally unhygienic look to his scruffiness all contribute to that.  Like the actor a lot, the character can take a hike, permanently.  That said, I thought the relationship between Will and JJ was realistically portrayed.  I just can’t figure out why they are in it, or what either of them see in the other. 

They got croup right!  Ironically enough, after their resident MD writer left the fold. 

But Michael is going to take a dive right out of that crib.  Please lower the mattress.

“Garcia, find me a list of men in fire-related industries.”  “Yes sir, here we go.”  No discussion of what ‘fire-related industries might include, not even a few seconds of hesitation for her to think about it.  So I Googled it.  86,200,000 results.  Garcia must be more of a speed reader than Reid.

Hotch.  What a terrible exit.  Nearly all of his lines were delivered with an angry tone and facial expression, and not his usual stern brow look.  And, to my eye, his face looked a little bloated.  Those lines to JJ at the end were just awkward, in and out of context.  Sad.  I truly do hope they honor the character with a good story line, no matter how the higher ups feel about the actor.

Failed the Reid-meter, but that was expected.  It was JJ’s turn to shine.  He did look very nice standing around, though.

I find it hard to get excited about the ratings.  The whole night was down, there were hurricane-related preemptions, and there was a one-and-done playoff between the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, significantly impacting those two markets.  Can’t see it as either a cause for alarm or for celebration (for those wishing for the show’s demise).  I think we’ll have to wait on future episodes to tell us if there is a trend.

On balance, a good episode and one that was better than I expected it to be. 

I bet this was due to his altercation with Virgil Williams. And I would just bet that those lines you are referring to are the ones he wanted to change. It is just too damn bad that he chose to get into an altercation with VW over it which ultimately lead to kickgate which ultimately lead to his firing. Sad that he didn't just opt to go to either Breen or Erica about it, because it is likely that he'd still be with the show today.

[Willowy]

Wow, that's a lot of speculation!

You should decide to watch the episode, MMC. You may be surprised at how well done it is.

[CrimeFan12]

This is probably a dumb question, but if TG didn't like some lines in this episode, shouldn't he have brought it up at the read through?  Isn't that what it is for?  To read through the script, see how the lines sound aloud and if they don't seem to work, discuss it so the writer can tweak it before going into production?

[ReidFan]

4 minutes ago, CrimeFan12 said:

This is probably a dumb question, but if TG didn't like some lines in this episode, shouldn't he have brought it up at the read through?  Isn't that what it is for?  To read through the script, see how the lines sound aloud and if they don't seem to work, discuss it so the writer can tweak it before going into production?

yep. I seem to recall one of the actors--I think it was Kirsten-- saying something along the lines of the table read being a chance to go through the script and making sure 'it worked' in terms of lines and actions etc.

 So,  maybe taking it up rationally with the boss (Erica, or Breen perhaps) if it's impossible to converse with Virgil would have been the route to go?

[CrimeFan12]

4 minutes ago, ReidFan said:

yep. I seem to recall one of the actors--I think it was Kirsten-- saying something along the lines of the table read being a chance to go through the script and making sure 'it worked' in terms of lines and actions etc.

 So,  maybe taking it up rationally with the boss (Erica, or Breen perhaps) if it's impossible to converse with Virgil would have been the route to go?

I would think so.  

[normasm]

All speculation. We don't know that Thomas didn't bring it up at table read, we also don't know that Virgil didn't change a line into something that didn't work after the table read. It's also possible Virgil changed something at the very last second, just before the actors were about to do the scene.

Folks, we just don't know. Speculation is futile. We will never know.

P. S. If you want to criticize a specific episode, I think you should at least watch it, but suit yourself. 

[Lostinthehouse]

An OK episode, mostly because I'm not a fan of AJ.  In fact, I kept wondering why she looked so different.  A nose job?  Other facial surgery??  I have no idea, but I pulled out an old DVD to check her photo on the cover, and in fact she looked the same.  Hmmmm. . . maybe demonstrating some acting chops made her look different than the cardboard cutout we usually get.

[MMC]

12 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

"Beyond Borders" got renewed with a 1.1 ratings average. So a 1.4 isn't bad.

About the inaccuracies about the case- I kind of wave them off because they're coming from JJ's memory, and we all know memory isn't always reliable. So who knows if Garcia really was more specific with her search terms- JJ perhaps didn't remember anything other than "fire-related career" as a search term.

I mean, it's not entirely inexcusable...but I'm going to fault it less than if this was a "straight up" episode where the portrayal  of the story is supposed to be "accurate".

Besides, the real focus of the episode was JJ's pain. Everything else was kind of extraneous.

No it isn't bad in comparison, but from what I heard apparently CM is going to need to maintain a demo of 1.8 for most of it's episodes or it's likely to be canceled.

[Bookish Jen]

6 hours ago, Lostinthehouse said:

An OK episode, mostly because I'm not a fan of AJ.  In fact, I kept wondering why she looked so different.  A nose job?  Other facial surgery??  I have no idea, but I pulled out an old DVD to check her photo on the cover, and in fact she looked the same.  Hmmmm. . . maybe demonstrating some acting chops made her look different than the cardboard cutout we usually get.

I thought she might have had a boob job, but maybe she's still nursing or wearing a more padded bra.

[smoker]

I am glad I am not the one who thinks AJ Cook looked different

[Bookish Jen]

While watching this episode all I could think of "I wish Spencer could go home and talk to a loving girlfriend or wife to tell him how a really bad case is affecting him. And if not a girlfriend or wife, a best friend, a kindly neighbor, an understanding therapist, a pet parakeet or maybe just writing down his feelings and mixed-up emotions in a journal of some sort."

[Danielg342]

7 hours ago, MMC said:

No it isn't bad in comparison, but from what I heard apparently CM is going to need to maintain a demo of 1.8 for most of it's episodes or it's likely to be canceled.

CSI wasn't in trouble until it started to get 1.2-1.4, and its 15th season debut scored a 1.3. As pointed out before, last night was Hurricane Gubler and Mets/Giants, so ratings were down everywhere. I wouldn't read into CM's slip, and I think 1.4 is still safe. Methinks they'd put it on a new night before cancelling if the ratings become anemic.

7 hours ago, normasm said:

All speculation. We don't know that Thomas didn't bring it up at table read, we also don't know that Virgil didn't change a line into something that didn't work after the table read. It's also possible Virgil changed something at the very last second, just before the actors were about to do the scene.

Folks, we just don't know. Speculation is futile. We will never know.

P. S. If you want to criticize a specific episode, I think you should at least watch it, but suit yourself. 

I'll add that sometimes what may appear to work during the table reading may not actually work once you actually get to the set, and sometimes we realize things after the fact.

[SSAHotchner]

23 hours ago, secnarf said:

Well, in all fairness, I don't think it's good for TPTB to take their direction solely from what fans are perceived to be "demanding", because then it's the squeaky wheel who gets the grease. This is dangerous to do, although TPTB also can't be tone-deaf. Balance is important.

I never disliked JJ like some people did, but this didn't strike me as super-JJ. This was a lot of focus on normal JJ. Every character gets episodes centred on them. JJ isn't even taking over other episodes like she used to - just look at the word count. She was dead last for word count last episode. It's a common criticism that JJ dominates the show, but I don't think it really applies anymore. It's mostly carried over from previous seasons, and in that case, I think it's more because of the viewer than the character - that's not meant as an insult, so I hope nobody takes it like that, but we all make decisions about how we view the show, and none of this is objective. For example, I really don't like Will. I really can't point to a single logical reason why except that he's there and he bothers me. Pretty much everything he does bothers me. That's my issue, not necessarily an issue with the character of Will.

I don't think the ratings have anything to do with it being a JJ-centred episode. The new guy wasn't brought in for "star power", that's not his job. The ratings are declining and have been steadily declining. It's not because of a certain episode or certain actors.

That said, nobody is forcing anyone to watch. If it makes you so angry, then by all means stop. You don't need to wait for it to be cancelled. I understand wanting it to be cancelled, since I kind of feel like that myself, but it's more just because I'm tired of watching it. I still enjoy some of the episodes and it doesn't make me nearly as upset as it seems to make you. It's okay to vote with your feet and bail on the show if it's no longer delivering anything you want to see.

 

I think AJC did a really good job in this episode. It's nice when she gets a chance to be a normal human being, and not super-JJ or an interchangeable robot. Then again, I could say that for any of the characters.

I loved JJ in the early seasons. I think you're right. I think a couple of seasons of bad writing and focus on ninja JJ really colored my (and perhaps others') opinion of the character. When I watch the early seasons I'm struck by how much I really like her, and it's that softer side that I like, the one that holds back unless really provoked. I'm also aware of how really beautiful AJ is, and that, too, is hard to remember when I watch her do things that are infuriating, like hunt for Bin Laden. 

[SSAHotchner]

18 hours ago, CrimeFan12 said:

This is probably a dumb question, but if TG didn't like some lines in this episode, shouldn't he have brought it up at the read through?  Isn't that what it is for?  To read through the script, see how the lines sound aloud and if they don't seem to work, discuss it so the writer can tweak it before going into production?

It has always amazed me at how much stuff gets through the table read. The only thing I can think of is that they're all just enjoying themselves, eating and drinking and joking, and are not really paying attention to the scripts. They have allowed so many character history inconsistencies and horribly implausible plot elements to get through that it really seems like nobody proofreads the scripts. Maybe the actors think they're not allowed to question the writing. I don't know. But as for the altercation between TG and VW, it's just a dirty shame that this was the outcome. 

[JMO]

Begging the question---does anyone know the actual purpose of the table read, if not to make sure there's some cohesion to the story?  I read somewhere that it only lasts about an hour, and is fit in between other activities on the same day.  Do they use it for timing?  Expression?  Consistency?  

Does anyone actually know, or are we all just guessing?

[MMC]

Unless it were a case of TG being perfectly fine with the line he read at the table read. But then when they started to film that scene Virgil Williams decided to change it at the least minute.

 

ETA: OOPSY! I see I missed seeing normasm's post where she pretty much had the same thought.

Edited October 7, 2016 by MMC

[normasm]

39 minutes ago, JMO said:

Begging the question---does anyone know the actual purpose of the table read, if not to make sure there's some cohesion to the story?  I read somewhere that it only lasts about an hour, and is fit in between other activities on the same day.  Do they use it for timing?  Expression?  Consistency?  

Does anyone actually know, or are we all just guessing?

It's for everyone to discuss what will happen, from the director saying, "In this scene, i want JJ to do a back flip over a moving car," to the production heads finding out they'll have to coordinate to make that happen. The actors see the guests they will be acting with, the writers say how they want it to come across, all those things. Basically, the bosses telling the employees what will happen.