Criminal Minds Analysis: Profile The Show

[normasm]

JMO, I think it's also finding people who see the same things you do, miss the same things you do. Just as when the show has been and occasionally is wonderful and we all go "did you see?" and "I couldn't believe," when it sucks, misery loves company.

Edited November 28, 2014 by normasm

[Droogie]

I read a comment on another board (just found it accidentally) and someone said, "If I had just started watching CM this season, I would have no idea that Reid is a genius and wouldn't have a clue what his purpose is." Such a sad fact.

[SSAHotchner]

I hear you. The internet has made a difference. I've done message boards on other shows, but CM is the one where I actually made many online friends. Some of us have a private Facebook page and keep in touch regularly there. I'm thankful for boards like this one where I can read others' opinions and engage in discourse. I was so bummed when CBS announced they were closing their message boards and turning them over to FB. If I were left with only the comments one reads on the CM FB page and the horrible writing we've been getting, I'd be long gone. But chatting with folks like you all keeps me engaged. There are still some voices of sanity out there. But you're right JMO, we really don't have any influence on the show runner or the writing staff.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

 But you're right JMO, the old school fans really don't have any influence on the show runner or the writing staff.

 

Fixed that for you, SSAHotchner.

 

Not to be a dilettante about it, because normally that's exactly the kind of thing I hate, but I think the people who post about the show on Tumblr and whatnot are the people who are either just starting to watch CM or haven't watched it for long enough to know that the show used to be a lot different. And better, IMO. The friend with the website I mentioned in the Small Talk thread turned out to want me to recap newer episodes while summing up the earlier seasons. Perhaps not coincidentally, this made me less excited about the project, because the stuff I really enjoyed about the "old days" (the profiling, Reid being brilliant, hell, Reid being present, etc) is hardly in evidence these days. I'm a stalwart fan of Alex Blake as well, but we see what became of Alex due to her not being a super ninja who could leap over the tallest building or some crap. And I think Erica does listen to the people online. I think perhaps she's listening to the wrong people online, though, which is most of the problem.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

-I would agree that the current writers have no clue how to write for Reid, since I don't believe we've really explored the man's mind and feelings since about Season 4 (save for the “headaches” of Season 6). I also think that, despite the fact he's had some focus since that time, S4 was the last time the show really wrote well for Morgan too. The show also dropped the ball on the closest, most organic friendship the show has had- the Morgan/Reid relationship- since that time as well. So I look at “The Reid Problem” in the same way I look at “The Morgan Problem”- the show hasn't delivered the character we've loved for some time (you could probably argue the same thing about Hotch (and JJ too in a roundabout way) and maybe to a lesser extent Rossi and Garcia). I've pretty much given up on waiting for the show to revive the “old” characters because I think at this stage, Messer's not changing her style of showrunning.

 

Here's the thing, at least for me.

 

As far as I can tell, the writers who did know how to write for Reid have either quit or been fired, and they haven't been replaced with people who do know how to write for him. While consistency has always been an issue on this show, it's never been this bad before. Characters didn't used to disappear into the ether halfway through the episode, whether it was Reid or Morgan or whoever. Meanwhile, Erica Messer is blithering about ice cream as if everyone is getting their equal share, and that just doesn't seem to be true to me.

 

Let me also say that I don't really mind the personal stories. I don't care if all of them are parents or none of them are parents or if they laid eggs in trees like frigging pterodactyls. In the early seasons, the balance between career and family was touched on largely with Hotch, although before Elle left she questioned Aaron about whether or not she could have an actual life outside of her job. Rossi's certainly old enough, and has been married enough times, to have more than one kid out there. I was annoyed by Alex telling Reid about her dead son primarily because of the suddenness of it. Not since "Is this because I'm a lesbian?" have I ever been asked to completely re-evaluate a character in the last five minutes I'm ever going to see her. It isn't that I minded her being a parent, it's that it seems to be part of Messer's fixation on the subject.

 

And then of course there's JJ, who told Rossi in Run that she was a mother before she was an agent. Which, fine. I know she loves Henry very much, and it's one of the few times I can believe that she isn't totally self-absorbed when she's in a scene with him. But then you get into the stuff about how JJ (and I guess Hotch) are the only ones who can empathize with the parents they meet in the course of their work, and I start to get annoyed. Maybe it's true that you don't really know kids unless you have them, but the insinuation that a non-parent couldn't possibly know what it feels like to love, or even lose, someone is just ridic. It's the execution that stinks, not the basic idea. And had they done better with Rossi's daughter suddenly showing up, including getting a better actress, it might have worked for me.

 

Back to Reid, it isn't just that he's not getting good writing, it's that he hasn't been getting any writing. I don't think that he should be always on or get more focus than everyone else, but he did use to be an integral part of the team. These days, we're lucky if we see him for five minutes before he wanders off to the bathroom or to a coffee shop or into a Tardis. It's either a writing problem or an Erica problem, because I don't think there are any stories about MGG being a troublemaker or shit-stirrer. This is one case where I'd be willing to hit Facebook or even Tumblr/Twitter to say "WTF is going on?" because it's beyond ridic at this point.

[vanarnd1]

I am in a little bit of a different position when comparing seasons as a newer viewer, I have seen almost all of the first 7 seasons but only small parts of 8 and 9. (BTW I have enjoyed the discussions here so I don't mind spoliers).

 

One of the big changes for me that has been mentioned is the focus on unsubs and torture/murder instead of profiling.  We see much more of unsubs killing in recent seasons than past ones. Also recently there is less focus on the actual victims which for me takes away from the impact crimes like these should have. I liked as well how in the past there would subtle moments when a member of the team was affected by a case, but I don't think those moments come across as much in recent seasons. I kind of feel like the show has lost some of its heart over time.

 

Also the team dynamic has changed a lot as well. Emily is one of my favorite characters, so not having her there leaves a void as well as to a certain extent with Gideon. And what I have noticed is a lot of the favorite moments from early seasons that I have seen people mention are sublte moments of caring and respect between two members of the team. Now I think they go for the big scenes at the end of episodes where the entire unit gathers together and I don't think those carry the same emotional weight.

 

One episode I did like from Season 9 that i watched recently was "The Final Shot". It seemed like a more traditional earlier season case that was about the mindset of the Unsub rather than about showing violence. It also had a nice twist at the end that I did not see coming. I would be curious to see it was a well-recieved episode and how people think it compares to the rest of Season 9.

Edited January 2, 2015 by vanarnd1

[Old Dog]

The Final Shot was one of the very few good episodes in Season 9. It was written by Sharon Lee Watson and she is just about the only one of the current writers who really gets what the heart of the show is. It was a cleverly laid out episode with plenty of suspense and a good spread of team. I wish there were more episodes like that these days.

Interesting that as a newer viewer you have highlighted one of my biggest gripes - the clunky, sappy unrelated bookends that detract from the show instead of those subtle personal moments woven into the stories that we used to have.

Edited January 2, 2015 by Old Dog

[normasm]

Old Dog, I was watching the marathon yesterday on ION, all season 8 episodes, and i think I saw where they really started with the bookending. The Apprenticeship. Although this had a Reid/Morgan teacher/student theme going throughout the episode, there were the bookends of the baseball game. Soon, I think, the writers were told to just do the bookends and don't bother with weaving the team relationship throughout the episode, save that extra time for unsub action. The Apprenticeship is also the start of the in-earnest turn to torture porn that vanarnd1 (welcome!) was talking about. Although it's not as awful as Proof from season 7, this unsub story was irredeemably salacious. My husband, who hates/avoids at all costs CM, was watching it with me, and said it was sick. 

 

There are many ways to portray these sick people and their deeds without licking your chops as you shovel it into the audience's face, then tack on some cutesyness on front and back for the fangirls.

 

Sorry, I must have woken up on the wrong side of the new year...

[Old Dog]

You and me both Normasm! Do you get a medal for watching all Season 8 in one go?

[normasm]

It went into the wee-smalls, so after Zugzwang and the front part of Magnum Opus (so I could see the scruff), I called it a night. Plus, hubs and I watched Deathly Hallows 2 in there somewhere...

[Old Dog]

Oh I love Magnum Opus for the scruff but also for the big woolly sweater, and the way he clutches his bag with the book in it always squeezes my heart! Best bit of Season 8. You watch as much TV as me! I confess to having watched Frozen 3 times over the hols - it was much better than I thought it would be and I have been pining for snow for years!

[Cobalt Stargazer]

The Apprenticeship is also the start of the in-earnest turn to torture porn that vanarnd1 (welcome!) was talking about. Although it's not as awful as Proof from season 7, this unsub story was irredeemably salacious. My husband, who hates/avoids at all costs CM, was watching it with me, and said it was sick.

 

I also watched the marathon yesterday. Alex's first appearance amuses me because Garcia actually slowed her roll for a few minutes, took a step back, then approached her like a relatively normal person at the end of The Silencer. And I enjoy the side bits of her and Reid. I know I've said it before, but they really should have expanded on her character more, not pushed her into the background.

 

The actor who played the older UnSub in The Apprenticeship is Matthew Lillard, who was the best thing about the remake of Thirteen Ghosts. With that said, I did not appreciate the funhouse version of Morgan and Reid's relationship. I didn't mind it in The Thirteenth Step because Syd and Ray were obviously not going to lead to anywhere good once they got together, and maybe I kinda-sorta felt the tiniest bit bad for Ray when he killed her, but the attempt at a father-son thing didn't work for me in The Apprenticeship. I can tolerate a little skeeve, but not a whole barrel full of it dumped over my head.

[normasm]

I thought Matthew Lillard was really good in the role he was playing, he made it believable and oh, so squicky! Trouble is, if all a show has to give me is squicky sickos, I won't watch it. This why I don't watch any other show like CM. This is why, as bad practices get more and more entrenched, I question the entertainment value of watching CM going forward.

 

Contrast that episode with the one from season 9 they showed last Wed, about the victim who was so badly mentally damaged she turned into an unsub herself. The psychology was interesting, plausible and well-presented. For once, I really loved Morgan in an episode. The writers still have the ability to break our hearts with a story, rather than jerk us around with an Alias clone, or nauseate us with torture porn.

[SSAHotchner]

I thought Matthew Lillard was really good in the role he was playing, he made it believable and oh, so squicky! Trouble is, if all a show has to give me is squicky sickos, I won't watch it. This why I don't watch any other show like CM. This is why, as bad practices get more and more entrenched, I question the entertainment value of watching CM going forward.

 

Contrast that episode with the one from season 9 they showed last Wed, about the victim who was so badly mentally damaged she turned into an unsub herself. The psychology was interesting, plausible and well-presented. For once, I really loved Morgan in an episode. The writers still have the ability to break our hearts with a story, rather than jerk us around with an Alias clone, or nauseate us with torture porn.

Yes! Season 9 had a few good episodes, whereas I hated season 8. I've resigned myself to the fact that it's never going to be good again, but every now and then we get a glimpse of what used to be a great show.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

So I don't know where to put this, but it is team-centric, so here it is.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljtApHZ_7ck

 

For those of you who recognize the song, it's Far From Home by Five Finger Death Punch, which played during the end of Seaver's first episode. Try not to let that color your perception of it. ;-)

Edited January 7, 2015 by Cobalt Stargazer

[JMO]

Watching 'Elephant's Memory' for the zillionth time this AM, and I'm struck by how much I really do love this episode. 

 

It's character-centric, but that centricity actually integrates Reid with the team ( several great scenes with Hotch and Morgan).  Nearly all of the character-centric episodes of recent years (Rossi's old friend, Morgan's Chicago issues, Hotch's Hayley dream, Garcia's hacker friends, JJ's inquisitors, Emily's spies) have mostly portrayed the character's interactions away from the team.  Come to think of it, most of Reid's character-centric episodes (Memoriam, Zugzwang) still keep most of his interactions within the team.  The only real exception I can think of (without my second cup of coffee) is Revelations.

 

We see a lot of the unsub, but it makes sense.  Reid is relating to him, so we need to relate to him too.

 

There is strife within the team, which is a somewhat welcome contrast to when they can (literally) finish each others' sentences.

 

Hotch gets to act like a boss and team leader, both in calling Reid out and in encouraging him.  There are times when Hotch looks a little lost as to what, exactly, he should do about Reid seemingly going off the rails.  I love seeing that kind of vulnerability in him, as a man who knows he has a job to do, but cares so much about the young man in his charge.

 

It portrays Reid's ongoing struggle with recovery in a way that is probably realistic but not over the top.  Loved the interaction with 'John' as well. 

 

Overall, a well-conceived, written and executed episode, proving that it can be done.

[LeonardoSpencer]

Oh my god. How am I just discovering this page NOW!?! I literally just read it cover to cover- so to speak! Is it still active?

[MCatry]

Yes, LeonardoSpencer.

We are still here. Quite a few of us are expatriated from TWoP and landed here after that website was closed.

I wonder if you checked the other threads already...?

[LeonardoSpencer]

No. I'm sorry. I'm not familiar with "TWoP" nor have I seen any other posts.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

No. I'm sorry. I'm not familiar with "TWoP" nor have I seen any other posts.

 

TWOP was Television Without Pity, the internet home for many of us here and in the other show forums as well. They shut down their forums in April of last year, but the recaps remain.

 

So yes, we are here, and the CM section is a fairly active corner of the boards. You should check out the other threads here to familiarize yourself, check things out, and get comfortable. If you continue to post in this section, you'll see my posts quite a bit. I'm kind of the resident crank, I guess, so you may take my ramblings with as much salt as you like. :-)

[normasm]

Welcome, LeonardoSpencer!

[zannej]

One of the interesting things that I wish they'd dealt with more in terms of Hotch and Reid is that Hotch broke the rules. I think its something he never thought he would do, but he developed an emotional attachment to Reid and he had compassion for his situation. I think there was also some guilt because he felt that he failed to give Reid the tools to deal with the job emotionally. He didn't want to see Reid lose his job over what Hotch may have perceived as his own failure to teach/prepare him. But also, I think there was the fact that he cares about Reid. I loved how he softly asked to speak with Reid in private. He did it in a polite way so it didn't seem like he was chewing him out in public and then he talked to him softly and let Reid rant at him a bit. If anything, he was exasperated and appealed to Reid's intellect. He didn't treat him like a child or demean him, he behaved logically.

 

I really miss those sorts of interactions. As much as they try to sell the "we're a family" thing now, it doesn't read as true. If anything, it seems like they are even less of a family than they were in earlier seasons. The only really personal interactions Hotch has now are with Rossi. I know that Reid is no longer the student and isn't looking to Hotch for guidance quite as much as he did in earlier seasons, but there was just something there-- a little bit of banter and such that is now missing. I think part of it is that they took away Reid's sassy side and replaced it with robotic fact spewing. And not even just with Reid, I miss when Hotch had interactions with other team members that were subtle. Like when JJ and Emily were talking about Will being the "last viable donor" and Hotch casually walks up and says "donor for what?". And you couldn't tell if he overheard and was messing with them or if he genuinely wanted to join in the conversation.

 

Now most of the interactions are hamfisted and lack subtlety.

[normasm]

Or when, in the Pact, Garcia says, "Philanthropy is sexy," and Hotch breezes in and hotchpans, "It is." Or when he got off the phone with Garcia and told the rest, "Remind me to have her drug-tested."

 

Truly, I don't see any "family" as they are forever harping about. There is much more true "family" dynamic in an episode like, say, Revelations, than there is in all of season 9, 3/4 of 8 and all of 10 so far.

Edited January 12, 2015 by normasm

[LeonardoSpencer]

Okey dokey. Thank you very much. My first question is am I to use the spoiler function when discussing episodes from a certain point in time onwards.

Edited January 12, 2015 by LeonardoSpencer

[MCatry]

For me, the old characterisation of the whole cast was miles better than the current one.

Before the personality transplants they were a bunch of regular people doing one of the most gruesome jobs in the world, overcoming their own fears and complementing each other flaws with their own virtues. They felt like real people.

Now, they have over-exaggerated stories, and they are the best of the best in the whole solar system. Best hacker, best shooter, black belts,... booooring. Gone is the family feeling, mostly because 'normal' interactions between the BAU members are now forced by cheesy dialogues. Just because they write girlfriends, boyfriends and kids for everyone (well, but Reid) doesn't mean they have a 'real family' nowadays.

[MCatry]

I would say that if you post it in the spoilers thread, you don't need to.

[LeonardoSpencer]

But for the purposes of this specific thread, is there a point past which I should use it? Possibly the start of the current season, the most recent episode, the first episode of the month, etc.

[thewhiteowl]

If the episode has been aired, no need to spoiler tag.

[LeonardoSpencer]

Ok, thank you very much.

[LeonardoSpencer]

What do you guys think were the best and most compelling cases of the series? The ones that most engaged you, surprised you, made you think and feel...etc. :) 

I think Empty Planet definitely moved me more than any other episode before it. Profiler, Profiled, The Second Part of Frank's saga, Damaged, Tabula Rasa are the ones that I can think of in the first three seasons. I have some questions, though. Do you prefer when the writers show the UnSub almost immediately and have the show play out something like Motive or when the episode leads up to a Whodunit? like conclusion. Also, would anybody care to rank the female characters in the show's history? Mine goes 1. Prentiss

2. Garcia

3. JJ

4. Seaver

5. Elle

6. Alex

7. Jordan Todd (barely remember her)

N/A. I have not yet seen an episode to feature Kate Callahan* 

*I am on 8x08: The Wheels on the Bus... as we speak on Netflix

[missmycat]

Well for me I'd say that Prentiss, Elle, and Alex have been my favorite CM females. LIkewise Garcia, Seaver, and JJ would be my least favorite CM females.

[LeonardoSpencer]

Can't say I like Blake but I've seen her only a few episodes and it feels like I'm the only one who disliked Elle. She just seemed very bitchy and condescending most of the time. Her temper is what got her kicked off the team and rightfully so. FBI agents should be better than that. Never would Reid, JJ, Hotch, or even Morgan even consider killing somebody in cold blood out of revenge. They are more professional and mature than that.

[MCatry]

I hate when we know who the unsub is from the very beginning of the episode, and it is even worst when the CBS announce it in the media when they let us know who they hired to play the part. Nevertheless, sometimes it worked in the past, because the important thing is to reveal the how and the why of the criminal behaviour.

Regarding female agents, I liked Blake and Prentiss; I used to like JJ, but as a liason and small doses. The new version if Jj just doesn't work for me. I liked Garcia only up to season four. Then she devolved into a self-centred whining woman that behaves like a pre-teen. So, I would say Blake, then Prentiss (she could have been number one, but that Doyle arc ruined her for me), the old Garcia, Elle, Kate, agent Todd, Seaver and the new JJ, from best to worst.

[LeonardoSpencer]

it is even worst when the CBS announce it in the media when they let us know who they hired to play the part.

Watching years of reruns past, this doesn't pose a problem for me, but yeah, I could see how that poses a problem. haha :)

 

Regarding female agents, I liked Blake and Prentiss; I used to like JJ, but as a liason and small doses. The new version if Jj just doesn't work for me. I liked Garcia only up to season four. Then she devolved into a self-centred whining woman that behaves like a pre-teen. So, I would say Blake, then Prentiss (she could have been number one, but that Doyle arc ruined her for me), the old Garcia, Elle, Kate, agent Todd, Seaver and the new JJ, from best to worst.

I don't like Blake because so far it appears she is attempting to steal Reid's thunder and that just cannot be. I agree that JJ post-Will is just a train wreck, though I do believe that Will alone could be a good asset to the show.  I completely agree with your analysis of Penelope. I do like the Doyle arc, which seems oft-complained about. Same with The Reaper arc. People seem to like one or the other, never both besides me. Also, I think Seaver gets too much hate. 

[normasm]

I think Empty Planet definitely moved me more than any other episode before it. Profiler, Profiled, The Second Part of Frank's saga, Damaged, Tabula Rasa are the ones that I can think of in the first three seasons. I have some questions, though. Do you prefer when the writers show the UnSub almost immediately and have the show play out something like Motive or when the episode leads up to a Whodunit? like conclusion. Also, would anybody care to rank the female characters in the show's history? Mine goes 1. Prentiss

2. Garcia

3. JJ

4. Seaver

5. Elle

6. Alex

7. Jordan Todd (barely remember her)

N/A. I have not yet seen an episode to feature Kate Callahan* 

*I am on 8x08: The Wheels on the Bus... as we speak on Netflix

I only occasionally like the unsub to be front and center, when it makes sense. Like you, I love Tabula Rasa, and there was no mystery there. It can be used effectively, but in the last 3 years, it seems like this team of writers doesn't remember that we have a whole team of profilers, and they just write to the costars/unsubs, because it's easier: all you have to do is look at all the other shows and poach their bad guys. Add in a few somewhat specific team character references and voila! TV Magic.

 

I love Emily first and foremost, but Elle is a close second. I admit, it took me a couple of years to really appreciate the character and the actress, but I love her now. I liked Blake, but she was saddled with the "we only have eyes for JJ" blues. Garcia used to be quite a spark to the dialogue and team dynamic, but is now a big baby, needy, whiny, and embarrassing. JJ, well, and Seaver, just no. Kate is not yet formed, and I don't have hopes that she'll turn out any better than Blake did. Oh, and I loved agent Todd in her temp role, she was quite good. I watch her in the reruns every time.

 

How do you rank the guys?

Edited January 13, 2015 by normasm

[missmycat]

MCatry I have noticed that like me you have JJ ranked even lower than Seaver. I just realized I felt this way a couple of days ago while watching CM on ION Television. They were showing some episodes from the later half of season 6. And while I found myself missing Prentiss, I didn't find myself missing JJ at all.

It was so refreshing to be able to watch the show and not have to worry about that Mary Sue being shoved down my throat,even Seaver didn't bother me.

That's not to say I've suddenly become a Seaver fan.Fat chance that will ever happen.I'm just saying that right now I am finding her more tolerable than the JJ of today. 

[LeonardoSpencer]

In the girls I forgot Strauss. Put her last. In bold. And though I know Strauss and Maeve die, I'm not there yet. Please don't mention those details.

Well if I'm including ALL of the guys, it goes like this:

TOP TIER- Characters I could go as for Halloween

1. Dr Spencer Reid

SECOND TIER- Characters that I love more than Gideon

2. SSA Derek Morgan

3. SSA Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner

4. SSA David Rossi

5. Detective William LaMontange Jr

THIRD TIER- Gideon

6. SSA (I think) Jason Gideon- in his last few, he was just a know it all dick.

 

And does anyone else hate Hotch's son's actor as much as me... or is that just a "me" thing?

[LeonardoSpencer]

And might I add holy shit. I just finished the puppet episode. It's creepy af\

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Can't say I like Blake but I've seen her only a few episodes and it feels like I'm the only one who disliked Elle. She just seemed very bitchy and condescending most of the time. Her temper is what got her kicked off the team and rightfully so. FBI agents should be better than that. Never would Reid, JJ, Hotch, or even Morgan even consider killing somebody in cold blood out of revenge. They are more professional and mature than that.

 

LeonardoSpencer, how far are you into the series? If you're a newbie to it the way you are to the forums, I don't want to spoil you for upcoming stuff.

 

Maybe its nostalgia that makes me love Elle, who wasn't around long enough to get either the Emily treatment or, worse, the JJ treatment. I like that she treated Reid with respect. He was the one person she wasn't really prickly with, at least until she started to unravel, and even then she was more standoffish than bitchy, IMO.

[LeonardoSpencer]

Well, I'm on season 8 now of my full run-through starting mid-December. So I only have one left until I'm up to speed, but I've been watching on and off on cable for a few years now. So the answer is IDK. Haha. Does this qualify me as a newbie?

Edited January 13, 2015 by LeonardoSpencer

[MCatry]

I can't quote easily with the mobile version, but anyway, here I come:

I didn't hate Seaver. I just think the reason she was not only included in the team but then also kept there was plain silly. For five years we heard that entering the team was very difficult, that there were very few positions for highly qualified people, and then all the sudden they fill that spot with a cadet. Still, in retrospective, she wasn't that bad. Just boring.

Regarding Blake, I liked her character for several reasons. She was a mature woman, not the typical blond size zero bimbo that runs in heels with a gun. She was a seasoned FBI agent with an academic background, which is what you would expect in a BAU team, and her inclusion created some organic spaces for Reid to interact with someone else that would understand what he would want to say, and would be able to talk back, instead of the rolling eyes, smirks and slaps he receives from his other colleagues.

Regarding Elle, I agree with Cobalt Stargazer. She was bitchy with the world, but she was not like that with Reid. That shows she was able to edit herself when she wanted. She was out of control, yes, but that came after a number of stressful situations, and in her last case there are several ones to blame besides her pulling the trigger. It was not a good idea to send her into that house alone, after what happened to her In her own house, and that's on Gideon and Hotch. And she was obviously not over her PTSD, so whoever signed she was ok to return to that particular job was also to blame.

Regarding the Doyle arc, I consider that as the point of inflection to turn the show from a psychological drama into an action cop show, and the first of a number of exaggerated stories coming from the writers. Why couldn't have been something more realistic, like an old regular case she may have worked in the past for the agency? Why did they have to turn Prentiss into an international super spy, chasing one of the most wanted criminals in the world, combining efforts with other international spies from Interpol, MI5 and who knows who else? And of course they also have to place that story in Europe. I guess not one American city is as fancy for the writers taste... It's like the preclude to many other crazy things that would happen in future seasons of CM.

Jack: yeah... You are not alone. I think he just cannot act. In his defense, he started playing Jack when he was not old enough to articulate a word, so there was no way to predict he would be so bad at acting. And not even the CBS anticipated CM would turn ten and still counting. Kids grow up, and you can't replace him so easily for another kid at this point. Still, I think it would be enough to just name him. We don't need to see him to have a Hotch story...

Men ranking:

From best to worst, and based on the entire set of seasons, Reid followed closely by Hotch. Then, Rossi, Gideon (although I never liked the character I think it was a great character). Then, Morgan. I am not including Will or Kevin, because not only they are not part of the team, but also they are not part of the regular cast.

And I really liked Strauss, when she was mean.

When she started dating Rossi, made amends with everybody and started being The grandma of the year she went from interesting to boring, and I was glad she was killed off the show. Having antagonists is good for any show.

[LeonardoSpencer]

Yo, chill out! Strauss dates Rossi!?! EWWWW 

EDIT: Just finished Zugzwang, by the way

Edited January 13, 2015 by LeonardoSpencer

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Well, I'm on season 8 now of my full run-through starting mid-December. So I only have one left until I'm up to speed, but I've been watching on and off on cable for a few years now. So the answer is IDK. Haha. Does this qualify me as a newbie?

 

Heh, then you're not really a newbie, since you've seen almost everything. The main reason I brought it up was because I wanted to ask about the Foyet stuff in comparison to Elle shooting William Lee*.

 

Yo, chill out! Strauss dates Rossi!?! EWWWW 

EDIT: Just finished Zugzwang, by the way

 

I've mentioned this previously, but if I hadn't already liked Alex before that, I'd have immediately fallen in love with her due to that episode, because she's the only one who closes her eyes when Diane kills Maeve. Given that, on the show, we'd only seen her know Reid for less than a year, her sympathy for him completely wins me over.

 

*When I went to type William Lee, I accidentally typed William Reid. I swear it was a typo, but now I can't get that image out of my head, and it makes me laugh. Is that wrong?

[LeonardoSpencer]

I probably wouldn't have noticed that about Blake, tbh, but I think I judged her too quickly. She's not bad. I take her over Elle any day

[LeonardoSpencer]

Does anybody like any episodes after Magnum Opus but before season nine begins? I just finished it and I'm curious to see if it's downhill from here.

[Droogie]

Does anybody like any episodes after Magnum Opus but before season nine begins? I just finished it and I'm curious to see if it's downhill from here.

I loved Alchemy. I thought it was a great ep. Incidentally (or not), MGG directed it.

[ForeverAlone]

I really liked All That Remains, directed by Thomas Gibson. The latter half of season eight was decent, though I thought the last two episodes were utterly ridiculous.

Edited January 14, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[LeonardoSpencer]

The Replicator sucked way too much to have all that hype surrounding it prior though and All That Remains wasn't bad at all.

Edited January 14, 2015 by LeonardoSpencer

[LeonardoSpencer]

And I just developed a question: In Lo-Fi/Mayhem, once the bomb maker was caught, why did the organization disband. They could have continued killing or found a new bomb maker. js

[Cobalt Stargazer]

The Replicator sucked way too much to have all that hype surrounding it prior though and All That Remains wasn't bad at all.

 

The Replicator could have definitely been better than it was, but unfortunately there was a lot of nonsense involved in it, and not much of it gelled. Why Curtis bothered with the others when, at best, Strauss and Alex were the ones who were the "cause" of his problems, and had JT gotten the focus she IMO deserved, Blake would have been a better character.