Criminal Minds Analysis: Profile The Show

[Hotchgirl18]

Hotch fighting the unsub in Heathridge Manor. 

Gee? Notice a pattern here?

[Bookish Jen]

On 3/5/2017 at 3:01 PM, senin said:

Everytime I watch Amplification, I say "YES" aloud !! I knew I wasn't the only one!!

I actually shout at the TV, "I do!"

And when Dr. Kimura comes in wearing a hazmat suit and Spencer says, "You look nice." I always think to myself, "Awww, Spencer, you're flirting!"

Of course, he does it in a wonderfully charming sweetly dorkish way.

Edited March 8, 2017 by Bookish Jen

[Droogie]

I could've gone for a love connection there.

(In case I haven't said it this week, I ship Spencer with e v e r y o n e).

[Hotchgirl18]

1 hour ago, Droogie said:

I could've gone for a love connection there.

(In case I haven't said it this week, I ship Spencer with e v e r y o n e).

I ship him with Hotch.

[Old Dog]

Some of the very best written fanfiction is Hotch/Reid!

[Hotchgirl18]

19 minutes ago, Old Dog said:

Some of the very best written fanfiction is Hotch/Reid!

I love Hotch/Reid fanfiction.

[normasm]

I like well-written FF with Hotch/Reid. 

[Droogie]

Blythechild.

[Old Dog]

Blythechild is the best Hotch/Reid writer but there are some others - Tifer for one.

[Droogie]

Oh my gosh yes, Tifer.  And sadly, I think she's done with the CM fandom. 

[Hotchgirl18]

Are there places to discuss the actors?

[normasm]

You can do it in Aaron Hotchner High and Tight. You can talk about Thomas there.

[Hotchgirl18]

28 minutes ago, normasm said:

You can do it in Aaron Hotchner High and Tight. You can talk about Thomas there.

Thank !

[Kara101]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to put this, so please feel free to move this to where ever it best belongs. But I was thinking how crazy any of them are to be working in the BAU. The job puts their loved ones in so much danger. First, Gideon's girlfriend was killed. Then Reid's mom was in danger in Fisher King. Then, Hotch's wife was murdered and his son came extremely close to being murdered too. Then Jack was almost killed again by Scratch. Next, JJ's husband and son were almost murdered. Then Rossi's girlfriend (Strauss) was murdered. Then Morgan's fiance and unborn child were almost murdered. Then Kate's niece and friend were almost murdered. Lastly, Tara's brother was targeted and almost murdered  by Scratch. I'm sure a I might be missing some. I also wouldn't be surprised if Scratch is going to be involved with Diana somehow. Basically, how can these people and their families feel safe? They have an absolutely terrible track record. If I was them I would quit as soon as I got a SO/family.

[Hotchgirl18]

5 minutes ago, Haleysgalaxy said:

I'm not sure if this is the right place to put this, so please feel free to move this to where ever it best belongs. But I was thinking how crazy any of them are to be working in the BAU. The job puts their loved ones in so much danger. First, Gideon's girlfriend was killed. Then Reid's mom was in danger in Fisher King. Then, Hotch's wife was murdered and his son came extremely close to being murdered too. Then Jack was almost killed again by Scratch. Next, JJ's husband and son were almost murdered. Then Rossi's girlfriend (Strauss) was murdered. Then Morgan's fiance and unborn child were almost murdered. Then Kate's niece and friend were almost murdered. Lastly, Tara's brother was targeted and almost murdered  by Scratch. I'm sure a I might be missing some. I also wouldn't be surprised if Scratch is going to be involved with Diana somehow. Basically, how can these people and their families feel safe? They have an absolutely terrible track record. If I was them I would quit as soon as I got a SO/family.

I think Scratch is involved with Reid and Diana.

[Mislav]

I might seriously be done with this show. Reid arc aside, there is no way any real-life serial killer would be acting the way they do on this show (over the last season or two), with such motives and M.O.s. Having a simple serial rapist/killer would actually be refreshing. Season ten might have been the last season that was at least somewhat realistic, even with that stupid human trafficking storyline. And stop with the unsub taking up fifty percent of the episode.

 

Also, when was the last time this show has made us care about the victims? Or, at least, made a genuine effort to? That is important in a show about serial killers. Dave did say "Now everyone remembers their [unsubs'] names, but not the victims.'" The fact that the unsubs' motives and M.O.s are so over the top doesn't help, since we can't even begin to imagine ourselves, or someone close to us, possibly ending up in the same situation in real life. Which is necessary for a creep factor, and a feeling of empathy.

 

 

That reminds me of a fanfic that I started writing, but never finished. Boy and girl (teenagers) are being held captive by the unsub. At some point, the boy asks the girl (quite shyly), for a permission to kiss her, since he has never done such a thing before and he feels that he won't get out alive. (They would both get saved at the end, obviously...)

 

 

I think the last time I genuinely felt for the victims was in 11x21 "Devil's Backbone". And maybe in "Sick Day", but that episode will forever be tainted for me due to Hotch's exit.

[ReidFan]

I'm full of feeling and empathy for Luis .....and he's not even the unsub's victim 

[PMPA]

Reading through alot of the posts here, what was very obvious is that ALL our favorite moments, regardless of who our favorite characters may be, involved the old team, the old Criminal Minds.  I guarantee we could fill threads with memories.  As some have commented, alot of those moments were improvised, they happened because of the chemistry and trust between the actors, and that showed on screen. Realistically, are there any stand out moments from the last few seasons, from this season, that will be talked about in such a nostalgic tone in later years, particularly involving the 'newbies'...I would suggest not, because much as some might be warming to certain ones, (I'm most definitely not), I could not care less about one of them.

[Hotchgirl18]

We should fill threads with our memories!

[JMO]

26 minutes ago, PMPA said:

Reading through alot of the posts here, what was very obvious is that ALL our favorite moments, regardless of who our favorite characters may be, involved the old team, the old Criminal Minds.  I guarantee we could fill threads with memories.  As some have commented, alot of those moments were improvised, they happened because of the chemistry and trust between the actors, and that showed on screen. Realistically, are there any stand out moments from the last few seasons, from this season, that will be talked about in such a nostalgic tone in later years, particularly involving the 'newbies'...I would suggest not, because much as some might be warming to certain ones, (I'm most definitely not), I could not care less about one of them.

To my mind, it's comparing apples to oranges.  It's one thing to create an original chemistry, and another entirely to break into a pre-existing one.

There were definitely some good moments between characters in the first couple of seasons, but many more in later seasons, simply because there was so much shared history to draw upon.  It's still there, to be mined by the writers, should they decide to do so.  But the newbies aren't a part of that history, by definition, so they can't have that same kind of relationship.  And, in a show as old as CM is, there probably won't be time to build a new shared history.

Newbies can serve a different function, however, and I think the writers miss the mark on this.  In a show as old as CM, which still appears to draw new viewers, there is a need for ongoing exposition.  Long term viewers don't need to be educated on what a profile is, or the various psychopathologies that lead serial killers to kill, because we've had them explained to us before---usually through Gideon or Hotch quizzing or teaching Reid.  But the newbies, and the new viewers, do need that exposition.  

They missed a great opportunity to show someone learning on the job when they had JJ rejoin the team as a profiler.  Now they have a similar opportunity with Alvez, but they don't seem to be taking it.  Should they decide to do so, Luke's learning from the more experienced team members would help the character build chemistry with them.  But he, and they, probably won't be around long enough for that to happen.

[normasm]

5 minutes ago, JMO said:

Newbies can serve a different function, however, and I think the writers miss the mark on this.  In a show as old as CM, which still appears to draw new viewers, there is a need for ongoing exposition.  Long term viewers don't need to be educated on what a profile is, or the various psychopathologies that lead serial killers to kill, because we've had them explained to us before---usually through Gideon or Hotch quizzing or teaching Reid.  But the newbies, and the new viewers, do need that exposition.  

They missed a great opportunity to show someone learning on the job when they had JJ rejoin the team as a profiler.  Now they have a similar opportunity with Alvez, but they don't seem to be taking it.  Should they decide to do so, Luke's learning from the more experienced team members would help the character build chemistry with them.  But he, and they, probably won't be around long enough for that to happen.

So, so much this. I am so tired of new people coming from other places and just jumping right into the BAU profiling style. Hell, even Rossi had more of a learning curve when he came back to a system he invented, but had changed while he had been gone. 

[JMO]

3 minutes ago, normasm said:

So, so much this. I am so tired of new people coming from other places and just jumping right into the BAU profiling style. Hell, even Rossi had more of a learning curve when he came back to a system he invented, but had changed while he had been gone. 

Rossi is a great example.  He had an edge to him when he came back, brought on mostly by the fact that he felt like a fish out of water, while all of the others were swimming in his ocean.  If he had any chemistry with the team, it was a negative one.  But they had things to show him, and he had things to show them, and they all developed their own individual chemistries, over various things, throughout the season.  

[Hotchgirl18]

If they could quit shoving the new characters down our throats, and let us grieve the old ones, that would be great. 

[normasm]

Darlin, grief and space got no place in a money-making enterprise. Sorry to say, but it's true.

[JMO]

8 minutes ago, Hotchgirl18 said:

If they could quit shoving the new characters down our throats, and let us grieve the old ones, that would be great. 

I know this is heresy to some, but I actually wish they had killed Hotch off.  If the characters could have grieved him on screen, it might have assuaged some of the grief of the fans off screen.  It would have offered an opportunity to really honor the character.  But I think the appropriate time for that has come and gone.

[PMPA]

5 minutes ago, JMO said:

I know this is heresy to some, but I actually wish they had killed Hotch off.  If the characters could have grieved him on screen, it might have assuaged some of the grief of the fans off screen.  It would have offered an opportunity to really honor the character.  But I think the appropriate time for that has come and gone.

Actually as opposed to the absolute ridiculousness that was the explanation for Hotch's absense, and the fact that we all know there is no coming back, then that is probably where they should have gone.  I would not be so sure it would have been handled any better how ever.  

[Hotchgirl18]

1 hour ago, JMO said:

I know this is heresy to some, but I actually wish they had killed Hotch off.  If the characters could have grieved him on screen, it might have assuaged some of the grief of the fans off screen.  It would have offered an opportunity to really honor the character.  But I think the appropriate time for that has come and gone.

On one hand I can see that, but I do say it's heresy. To me that says TG can never come back and it's a dig at fans. 

There really is no "right way" to handle this. 

 

Well, we'll just have to hold on to the good times. :)

[Willowy]

I killed Hotch off in a one-shot, but in a way I thought was respectful and appropriate and reverent to his character. I love Hotch and I miss him and I wrote it before it was announced Paget was coming back full time.

I won't get into the TG thing which is a whole different ball of wax, but it was cathartic for me to write it. Sometimes that's how I deal with things that don't happen the way "I" want them to in the show. I just write it, and it feels okay.

Well maybe not 'okay', but better.

Edited March 26, 2017 by Willowy

[Mom x 3]

13 hours ago, PMPA said:

Actually as opposed to the absolute ridiculousness that was the explanation for Hotch's absense, and the fact that we all know there is no coming back, then that is probably where they should have gone.  I would not be so sure it would have been handled any better how ever.  

I agree.  Killing off Hotch would have made for major drama and some damned fine dedication from the team, not to mention the struggle between revenge and justice.  That would have somewhat justified bringing in new people as well, because the original members would have been "too close to the situation."  The only question would be what to do with Jack.  If they were to let him live, it would suck because both of his parents would have been murdered, but they could bring him back in season 20 to be part of the team (J/K), but if they killed him off it would increase the drama exponentially.  

[Hotchgirl18]

Well, I don't like it. There's no win win situation here.  At least it would be better off than having him wander around in God knows where in Witness Protection. But at least he's alive. But I guess death would bring closure. 

[ReidFan]

TPTB was damned if they do and damned if they don't/didn't. It was a no win situation. Some people would be pissed if Hotch had been killed off (especially at the hands of Scratch) . Some people were pissed at how it was handled. There's a faction that would not have liked ANY scenario so I figure they did the best they thought they could. 

I had an ongoing fanfic in mind, brewing, where several members of the team would be getting anonymous (but we know damn well who they're from) postcards in the mail, but I never went anywhere with it. 

As others have said, part of me wishes they had killed him off, letting the team grieve and avenge. But part of me still hopes that someday all parties involved will get over themselves and we could have Hotch back.

I ain't holding my breath on that though.

[senin]

I don't like the idea of Hotch being killed, and I don't think he would have had a better "goodbye" in the show that way. They (TPTB) wanted it over, as quickly as possible, and without having the character in the centre for too many  episodes (I think). But as you have said, it was a no win situation, they did what they thought was best. Was it? I don't know. 

[Mom x 3]

I'm not saying I would like it, but it would allow them to give proper closure to the character and allow the entire time to grieve, rather than being a one-off explanation and we never hear about him again.  I loved Hotch, and I miss his contribution to the team, but they never did show the team missing him or floundering because he was gone.  I mean, they are floundering, but that's because there are too many damned people on the team.  

And it was mentioned somewhere that Alvez may have nefarious intentions, which is why he helped Reid to get on Garcia's good side.  I like Alvez a great deal, but I would LOVE if they did this.  I would watch the hell out of that.  Alvez as a Scratch plant?  Hell to the yes!!!!

[Hotchgirl18]

2 hours ago, ReidFan said:

TPTB was damned if they do and damned if they don't/didn't. It was a no win situation. Some people would be pissed if Hotch had been killed off (especially at the hands of Scratch) . Some people were pissed at how it was handled. There's a faction that would not have liked ANY scenario so I figure they did the best they thought they could. 

I had an ongoing fanfic in mind, brewing, where several members of the team would be getting anonymous (but we know damn well who they're from) postcards in the mail, but I never went anywhere with it. 

As others have said, part of me wishes they had killed him off, letting the team grieve and avenge. But part of me still hopes that someday all parties involved will get over themselves and we could have Hotch back.

I ain't holding my breath on that though.

I will be more than happy to avenge. But a part of me does wish we could get Hotch back. 

1 hour ago, Mom x 3 said:

I'm not saying I would like it, but it would allow them to give proper closure to the character and allow the entire time to grieve, rather than being a one-off explanation and we never hear about him again.  I loved Hotch, and I miss his contribution to the team, but they never did show the team missing him or floundering because he was gone.  I mean, they are floundering, but that's because there are too many damned people on the team.  

And it was mentioned somewhere that Alvez may have nefarious intentions, which is why he helped Reid to get on Garcia's good side.  I like Alvez a great deal, but I would LOVE if they did this.  I would watch the hell out of that.  Alvez as a Scratch plant?  Hell to the yes!!!!

Alvez working with Scratch? HELL YES! 

[normasm]

Actually, I had that Scratch-minion vibe from Walker from the get-go. Maybe it's just sub-par acting or writing, but the couple of times early on when he was talking to someone, I guess his old boss(?) but i was never really satisfied he was on the up-and-up.

I wouldn't want luke to be a bad guy, but, hey, as long as Reid comes out of this as a hero, they can make Garcia a minion!!!! XD

[Hotchgirl18]

29 minutes ago, normasm said:

Actually, I had that Scratch-minion vibe from Walker from the get-go. Maybe it's just sub-par acting or writing, but the couple of times early on when he was talking to someone, I guess his old boss(?) but i was never really satisfied he was on the up-and-up.

I wouldn't want luke to be a bad guy, but, hey, as long as Reid comes out of this as a hero, they can make Garcia a minion!!!! XD

They could always bring back Hotch and make him a minion! 

[Droogie]

4 hours ago, normasm said:

Actually, I had that Scratch-minion vibe from Walker from the get-go. Maybe it's just sub-par acting or writing, but the couple of times early on when he was talking to someone, I guess his old boss(?) but i was never really satisfied he was on the up-and-up.

I wouldn't want luke to be a bad guy, but, hey, as long as Reid comes out of this as a hero, they can make Garcia a minion!!!! XD

Would she go to prison and be gone?  I'm OK with it.

Edited March 27, 2017 by Droogie

[Hotchgirl18]

4 minutes ago, Droogie said:

Would she go to prison and be gone?  I'm OK with it.

Not a Garcia fan? Me neither.

[normasm]

Alright, I was kidding, guys. Although, not about the Walker vibe. Ew.

[Hotchgirl18]

3 minutes ago, normasm said:

Alright, I was kidding, guys. Although, not about the Walker vibe. Ew.

I'm sorry, but he Walker acts as well as a cardboard pizza box. I like the fact that he's a musician and conductor. He should stick to that. 

[Kara101]

Okay, so I just re-watched the 3 prison episodes. I am confused about quite a bit, so if anyone wants to help me out that would be great.

First, I'm confused about the racial gang affiliations. At first, it didn't make sense to me that Luis was being targeted by the white guys since he isn't white. I would think he would be targeted by his own racial affiliation. I also don't see how the white gang would "rule the whole prison"since I don't think prison gangs work like that and they said white guys are a minority, so there is no way they would be single-handedly ruling the prison. 

I also remember that in the episode "Alpha male" it seemed that the leader of the whites was a ( I think Milo was his name) Native American ( which really confused me at the time!), and looked somewhat similar to Luis. So, I'm assuming that the gangs are really Blacks vs Others. I guess this makes sense, since the whites are a minority they would be the ones accepting the nonwhites/nonblacks. The part that confused me is that we didn't see Luis get anything stolen from him as a "tribute" but maybe that happened behind the scenes.

In " Assistance is Futile" Luis said to reid " give me some of that "" don't touch the skinny white guy pixie dust you have on you."" I took this as merely a descriptor of Reid, since the inmates don't know each others names yet. However, I read a review that's said  Luis was really saying that Reid was not being harassed bc he's white. In that case, that would mean that Luis isn't " in with the white guys." So, I was wondering how anyone else interpreted that line? I don't think Luis meant it that way, but if it did it would change a lot. I think Reid was protected bc of his affiliation with Shaw not bc he's white.

Which brings me to the next point! Reid wants to help out Luis. Which is very in-character. What I don't understand is how Reid did it. Reid gained respect bc he made respectful relations (aka with Shaw.) Could he not have gained protection for Luis in a similar way? Luis having an ally who was respected (Reid) could be a huge positive for Luis if Reid knew how to leverage it. Why didn't he even try to bring him into his and Shaw's circle. I'm not saying Shaw would have accepted it, bc I doubt he would have. But he should have at least tried. Or spend time time with Luis independently without Shaw. I'm not sure how much gravitas Reid's reputation had at the time or if it would have been enough. But it seems to me that the absolute most foolish thing Reid could do was ruin his respect by snitching. By doing that, he completely ruined Luis's way of gaining protection via the way Reid did.

I also don't understand how Reid was "trying to take the target off of Luis." Does he think it's a zero-sum game with the gang? Does he think the gang targeting Reid and the gang targeting Luis are mutually exclusive? I don't understand how he thought the gang would only target one person at a time. It is completely nonsensical. He also ruined Luis's chance of gaining respect through being on good terms with a respectful person (aka Reid.)

So not only did he actually hurt Luis's chance of survival he also hurt his own. Reid has been known to take risks with his life before. But they always had a definite end to them and a purpose. Him putting his life in mortal danger for no reward has never been in character. It's not " in-character" for any human being. If Luke didn't go in to save his ass he may very well have been killed. I think future knowledge can warp how risky acts are perceived . You know, it's okay Reid did that stupid but noble thing since it all worked out in the end. But at the time he made that decision Reid had no idea Luke was going to come riding in on his white horse. Without that, there is no reason to think Reid wouldn't have ended up like Luis. A good outcome doesn't make any decision less stupid than if it resulted in a bad outcome. He got lucky. 

I also wonder why Luis has such a target on him to begin with. Is it because he's a newbie? That doesn't really make sense bc they obviously cannot kill all the newbies. Or is it because he projected weakness and fragility?

In "Assistance is futile" Luis also says that the "welcoming committee" beat him up. I'm going to assume this is further evidence that Luis is in with the whites bc otherwise  I don't know why it would only be the white gang beating up newbies. That doesn't make sense unless the whites run the prison or something, which there is no evidence of. I wish we saw Milo again since it would help clear some of this up.

I am also going to fanwank that Reid somehow profiled how Luis was acting on the bus and determined he was innocent/non-violent. That could explain his affinity for him.

And in other news Shaw seems like a real jerk. The crime he supposedly committed is incomprehensible.

Edited March 27, 2017 by Haleysgalaxy

[Mislav]

Or maybe Elle Greenaway has been working with Scratch in order to get back at Hotch for firing her, and at the rest of the team for accepting that?

[Hotchgirl18]

2 hours ago, Mislav said:

Or maybe Elle Greenaway has been working with Scratch in order to get back at Hotch for firing her, and at the rest of the team for accepting that?

It would be great if she could come back.

[Danielg342]

I love these responses, especially the idea that Elle is directing Scratch.

Sadly, I think you guys think about this show more than the real showrunners do.

[Hotchgirl18]

Who is your favorite actor?  Mine is TG.

[ReidGirl]

1 hour ago, Hotchgirl18 said:

Who is your favorite actor?  Mine is TG.

Mine is MGG :-) and I am fascinated by Reid's character. I think he is one of the well written character of the series though not so  consistent in later seasons but I think they tried to show more mature Reid from Season 10 (Rock Creek Park). Though I wished he did not keep disappearing mid episode.

[R3volver]

My favorite is MGG, but Joe and AJ aren't too far behind.

[smoker]

I am watching Jane Lynch right now, she is playing a federal agent in The good fight, episode 9 ;P

[ReidFan]

well rats. local channel was airing daily episodes in order, and The Storm was on yesterday. I was really hoping that meant that today would start over with Extreme Aggressor....

I got Inspired 

:(

[senin]

So unfair!!!