S13.E02: To A Better Place

[ReidFan]

just a heads up for people looking for my 9 pm Reid-O-Meter rating on this episode.....

 

:-( I'm working Wednesday night and you guys will actually see it before I do this time around.

[Danielg342]

Press Release via SpoilerTV:

Quote

The BAU investigates three similar crimes in which victims’ remains are discovered in old suitcases.

[ReidFan]

another sneak peek, and it looks like they've built-in their excuse for explaining Matthew's absence this season.

 

http://www.tvguide.com/news/criminal-minds-exclusive-reid-probation/

[Sharpie66]

I missed the news--why is MGG taking time off this season?

[ReidFan]

mandated into his contract. He's a huge fan of Halloween/fall/October and gets the month off. The last two years he was off 'visiting mom' while missing three eps in season 11 and two in 12.... not sure how many he'll be out of this season, except that they're shooting all of 9 (False Flag) and 10 (Submerged) in October, so my guess...........

[Sharpie66]

Thanks, ReidFan! Last time I watched consistently before last spring was about the time Jeanne Tripplehorn left, so I missed that pattern of absences.

[MMC]

Finally a story line to explain Reid's absence that doesn't involve his mother. I like the idea of Emily arranging for him to be able to teach whatever he wants during that period of probation. Now if they could just arrange for Reid to meet his future girlfriend while teaching his classes that would be fantastic.

[idiotwaltz]

Here I am thinking how happy I would be if my job required me to take 30 days off for every 100 days I worked. 

Reid really does need a haircut and a shave, stat. I'm not into facial hair. Luckily I'm only into the ladies so it hasn't been a problem for me in real life. 

I would totally watch a show about what Reid does on his 30 days off. In between lectures he can foster kittens, knit a scarf, play chess with a hobo, etc... and it would probably still be more compelling than the case of the week. 

Edited October 4, 2017 by idiotwaltz

[Willowy]

I hope we do get glimpses of what the team did during their downtime. It doesn't have to be much, just a flash here and there: Tara floating in a pool, face to the sun... Reid volunteering at his local library whilst simultaneously earning his 9th Ph.D, this time from Cambridge, via the internet (what?)... Rossi teaching Italian to his grandson... JJ instructing a homeless women's self-defense course... Luke and Roxie playing fetch down by a clear lake...

Just moments.

[Aethera]

Guys, I love your enthusiasm, but I'm moving the Reid-centric screen caps and discussion of how cute he is into his own thread, since while they are images from the episode, it's not really about the episode. I've left the discussion about the

Spoiler

potential plot implications of him being around less and why,

, but let's remember not everyone is aware of that, so tags are probably a good idea.

[JMO]

Just watched that third 'sneak peek'.  At the risk of looking a gift horse in the mouth----because I am happy that Reid will be gone for reasons other than his mother----this 100/30 plan makes no sense to me.  Putting him in the field for a few weeks and then re-evaluating him, sure.  But taking an extended break after three months in a stressful job is not a guarantee that the very next situation won't evoke a flashback.

I hope the man he's meeting with is only his evaluator, and not his therapist.  

I would rather have seen him in that pattern of required re-evaluation every few weeks, with something coming to a head and then forcing him to take another leave.  Would have been more organic, to me, and offered more dramatic potential.

Also, does this 100/30 deal mean we risk another disappearance before the season is over?  

[Danielg342]

Episode Grade:

There were some nice moments here. Like the Final Girl and Spencer Reid learning not to be so much of a germaphobe.

Oh, and I spent my childhood Christmases on Sanibel Island, just near the episode's setting, Naples. So I appreciated seeing that, even though I had to roll my eyes at "Greater Naples Area".

(CM writers, Naples is a suburb of Fort Myers. There is no "Greater Naples Area")

...but I just can't shake this feeling that "I've seen this one before". I know I wanted CM to get back to the basics...but, this was too basic. It's like they're not even trying to write something that differs from what they've done before.

Aside from the suitcases...did this really differ from the other "women killed who represented an absent maternal figure" cases we've had before?

Oh, and that 30 day thing sure sounds like an excuse for Reid to have his annual vacation from the show. Why else would they write it in?

Ho-hum...guess it's filler season.

[Annber03]

I like your idea of how to handle the re-evaluation stuff, JMO. I think they could've played up the tension of him talking down Billy a little more as a means of showing that he's still adjusting to coming back, and to tie it back to his fears about whether or not he'll be capable in the field. I get the feeling that story the guy told him about the agent who'd struggled upon their return is meant to be some kind of foreshadowing of Reid making a similar mistake in the field down the line, and given how agitated Reid was last episode, it felt a bit like he was adjusting a little too quickly in some ways this go-round. 

At the same time, though, I am glad he was able to prove, both to himself and the team, that he could handle himself, even if it does wind up being for the moment, anyway. And I did like his conversation with Luke and JJ at the end, and Luke complimenting him (and true to form, Reid remains ever modest about his contributions :D). Would've also been nice to see Emily check in on him on the jet at the end, too. I like her support of him, though, and I love that she's got some awesome plans in place for him during the time he's required to take off. I too hope we get to hear about, or maybe even see glimpses of, some of those seminars. That'd be fun. 

As for the case, not complaining about getting back into the typical case of the week rhythm after all the craziness the team's been through recently, but it was a rather predictable one, with some themes we've seen before (like the whole "talking to someone who isn't really there" thing), so eh. I did think all the connections between Billy, the victims, and his family, were kinda interesting, though, if a little twisty and coincidental. 

[MMC]

The only good thing about this episode was the little we got of Reid. This piece of garbage is the perfect example as to why without  Reid I wouldn't bother to give this show the time of day. Once upon a time that stuff we were seeing about the unsub we would have found out through the team profiling. But not now more, not since it's basically been reduced to them all standing around and taking turn saying lines.

[The Wild Sow]

Oh, thank goodness they got back to just a normal (?), regular serial killer.  Not a Scratch, a Foyet, a Replicator, a Cat Whatserface -- please, lose the damn boring supervillains for a while.

Knew Granny was dead (and wasn't that her in the picture with the one nurse victim?)  Didn't know she killed the unsub's Mom.

[ReidFan]

I loved the end quote, delivered by Reid:    “You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future".--Steve Jobs.

 

oh wow, and today is the anniversary of Mr. Jobs' death. quel coincidence!

Edited October 5, 2017 by ReidFan
to add about Jobs....

[Willowy]

"Samantha" moment was nice. Haven't seen Reid do that in a long while. <3

Also, that wallpaper? Deserved a guest star credit. 

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I think more enjoyment can be had with this show, as a whole, if you look it at in the way I have adopted.  The case itself was/is nothing new, but what actually has been in the last few seasons?  If you've been watching this show for many seasons, or since it began, I think you have to be watching [mostly] for a fave main character, the inter-team moments and moments showing their personal lives.  Pretty much every UnSub(s) and their murder tactics, their stressors & their motivations are slightly different variations on themes seen (many) times before.  I just knew, the first time the grandma was shown on screen, she was a Psycho-style hallucination.

Like right now, I'm most interested in Reid's new journey in dealing with everything that happened to him in the last 6 months. 

Question.  I really liked that scene between Reid & Prentiss when they were in the precinct-provided BAU meeting room, but what was the very last sentence Prentiss said before going to see what Alvez had to tell her?  I backed it up to listen again, and the very end sounded like "I [or something] won't break" both times.

A couple of focused Reid & JJ scenes, to showcase their friendship.  Can't ever be displeased about that.

Edited October 5, 2017 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[ReidFan]

he says 'thanks for going out on a limb for me' and she says 'that limb won't break' (alluding to him asking about her being worried that he'd overreact/freak out in the field)

Edited October 5, 2017 by ReidFan
typo

[CrimeFan12]

4 minutes ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

I think more enjoyment can be had with this show, as a whole, if you look it at in the way I have adopted.  The case itself was/is nothing new, but what actually has been in the last few seasons?  If you've been watching this show for many seasons, or since it began, I think you have to be watching [mostly] for a fave main character, the inter-team moments and moments showing their personal lives.  Pretty much every UnSub(s) and their murder tactics, their stressors & their motivations are slightly different variations on themes seen (many) times before.

Like right now, I'm most interested in Reid's new journey in dealing with everything that happened to him in the last 6 months. 

Question.  I really liked that scene between Reid & Prentiss when they were in the precinct-provided BAU meeting room, but what was the very last sentence Prentiss said before going to see what Alvez had to tell her?  I backed it up to listen again, and the very end sounded like "I [or something] won't break" both times.

A couple of focused Reid & JJ scenes, to showcase their friendship.  Can't ever be displeased about that.

Reid thanked her for going out on a limb for him.  Her final line was the limb won't break.  Lol....you beat me to it Reidfan.

Edited October 5, 2017 by CrimeFan12

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Just now, CrimeFan12 said:

Reid thanked her for going out on a limb for him.  Her final line was the limb won't break.

Thanks.  Should have guessed that, but for some reason the words weren't clear and had me guessing/doubting.

2 minutes ago, ReidFan said:

he says 'thanks for going out on a limb for me' and she says 'that limb won't break' (alluding to him asking about her being worried that he'd overreact/freak out in the field'

Thank you, as well.

[ReidFan]

(this is why I have the closed captioning on when I watch this show. I'm somewhat hard of hearing and don't want to crank the volume way up (too much bass, music's often too loud) and I find that the cc helps me understand some of them sometimes. 

[Annber03]

25 minutes ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

.If you've been watching this show for many seasons, or since it began, I think you have to be watching [mostly] for a fave main character, the inter-team moments and moments showing their personal lives.  Pretty much every UnSub(s) and their murder tactics, their stressors & their motivations are slightly different variations on themes seen (many) times before.

Like right now, I'm most interested in Reid's new journey in dealing with everything that happened to him in the last 6 months. 

This. This is the only crime drama I watch out of all the ones on TV (I've seen a few random episodes from some of the others, but I don't follow them or anything), and I didn't even start properly following this show until season 8 was originally airing (before then I'd only seen a few random episodes here and there when at a friend's place). 

And the main reason I got into and follow this show in particular is because.I love the characters and their chemistry and interactions with each other, and they're the big reason I continue to enjoy this show. When I do focus on the case side of things, I'm most interested in the social/political/ethical/personal issues the cases can raise, and how they can sometimes impact the team, than I am in the technical "how the process/procedure of the job works" aspects of them. And I like the way they try and show sympathy for everyone involved in the cases (with a few exceptions here and there), and make me care about the victims and unsubs. 

That's not to say I don't sympathize with some of the technical issues people have with the cases on this show, mind. I just feel other people are way better at and more knowledgeable in pointing out and discussing that side of things than I am a lot of the time, so I tend to leave most of that type of critique to them :D. 

Quote

A couple of focused Reid & JJ scenes, to showcase their friendship.  Can't ever be displeased about that.

Agreed :). 

Edited October 5, 2017 by Annber03

[Sharpie66]

I have taken to dvr'ing the show then fast-forwarding through all the unsub stuff to get to the team/cast regular bits.

This was a good ep for me since the amount of screen time for the team outweighed the unsub. BTW, I also immediately pinned the grandma as a hallucination. I noticed how Reid picked up on that upon seeing the unsub looking at the empty chair.

Reid shooting targets had me remembering "LDSK." I know he became a good shot before season 7, but I still go back to the CM Golden Era (Seasons 1-4 for me) for my touchstones. 

[Annber03]

2 minutes ago, Sharpie66 said:

Reid shooting targets had me remembering "LDSK." 

I thought about that, too, during that scene. 

[normasm]

8 hours ago, MMC said:

The only good thing about this episode was the little we got of Reid. This piece of garbage is the perfect example as to why without  Reid I wouldn't bother to give this show the time of day. Once upon a time that stuff we were seeing about the unsub we would have found out through the team profiling. But not now more, not since it's basically been reduced to them all standing around and taking turn saying lines.

And, as predicted, not a mumbling word about what Reid did with his mom! It's been 6 weeks, he has taken her back home with him (unlikely) or put her in a facility similar to Bennington (let's hear about it), but the show is acting like she magically disappeared and hey, it's OK with Reid. Mom? What mom?

[Chaos Theory]

Wasn't Reid the guy who couldn't pass his gun proficiency in season one?  I guess you do learn a skill in prison.  

[JMO]

For me, the only parts of the episode worth commenting on are the Reid scenes.  Of those, I thought only the scene with Emily rang true, and was well-played.

He seemed to be anxious to return to the team.  Was that something that happened gradually, over the six missing weeks, or was it something he'd decided from the beginning?  Or did he consider leaving?  If so, what changed his mind? Was he put through six weeks worth of evaluation?  What might it have involved besides having him shooting at targets?  Note to show:  it's not too late to put this into flashbacks.

I was glad that he found he could still treat an unsub with compassion.  I would have expected a closing scene to deal with that, to reflect on the fact that he was still intact, deep inside.  Instead, we were told, by Reid, that there might have been something good about his having been in prison---maybe he's not such a germaphobe anymore.  Poof!  He's cured.  Just awful. 

And the 100/30 deal means he doesn't have to struggle on screen.  He can just conduct business as usual until his 100 days are up, and then disappear.  

And, yes, Norm, still no word on Diana.  Not a 'how's your mom like the new place', not 'So glad you get to visit your mom at Rolling Hills'.  Nada.  

Sigh.

[Willowy]

3 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Wasn't Reid the guy who couldn't pass his gun proficiency in season one?  I guess you do learn a skill in prison.  

Reid was shown to be a deadeye shot by the end of LDSK (he was joking about aiming for his leg). Proficiency has no doubt grown through the years.

[ReidFan]

he's shown his shooting's improved over the years. Or his confidence in his already good shooting I suppose. He took out the guy wanting to kill Morgan in "Derek", he took out the imposter FBI agent in "A Badge and a Gun" and he took out the guy who was about to kill Blake in "The Caller" too, for starters.

Don't think his actual proficiency has ever really been his problem. I think it was more his confidence in himself, to be honest.

[Chaos Theory]

Reid's aim probably has improved but then my viewing habits haven't.  I watch maybe five or six episodes a season and  with Reid not being my favorite character I didn't bother watching his prison episodes.  I watched the  episodes I did because the show was on at nine.  Now it doesn't even have that.  I am so not going to stay up late to watch a show I have gotten bored of five seasons ago and I have no room on my DVR.

I think I am finally and truly done.

At least NCIS with all its issues is on at 8

Edited October 5, 2017 by Chaos Theory

[Aethera]

Nice to see Tim Russ as the evaluator. I happened to be watching some Voyager recently on Netflix, and I always liked him. I wouldn't be surprised if he comes back.

Overall, I thought the episode was fine. The unsub wasn't too interesting, but it was nice to see the team handle a case together, and it was nice to see Spencer contribute, and then talk the kid down. And they aren't ignoring his potential issues, but he's not a mess either. I will agree with others though - where's Mom? I guess they can't do everything at once, but no mom, no mole...

And @Willowy, you are so right about that wallpaper!

[Hotchgirl18]

Not bad episode. But not real great, either. Glad Reid is back. Need to see someone in charge and authoritative, stat. 

[athelyna]

I thought the episode was okay, but I could swear they've had almost the exact same unsub before.  He felt like he was built off a checklist - no dad, disappeared mom, nasty grandparent who just died, hallucinations of dead person urging him to violence, fixated on one woman who's been nice to him, starts off with oddly elaborate crimes and happens to devolve to just attacking a random woman as soon as the team arrives.  The suitcases were weird - I assume the writers thought oh that would be an interesting setup, women stuffed in suitcases, but did the Grandma have a huge collection of vintage suitcases or did the Unsub scrounge around a bunch of thrift and vintage stores to find them?  The mom left 20 years ago, but the suitcase, Grandma's house and the flashbacks looked more like something from 40 years ago.

[Hotchgirl18]

1 hour ago, athelyna said:

I thought the episode was okay, but I could swear they've had almost the exact same unsub before.  He felt like he was built off a checklist - no dad, disappeared mom, nasty grandparent who just died, hallucinations of dead person urging him to violence, fixated on one woman who's been nice to him, starts off with oddly elaborate crimes and happens to devolve to just attacking a random woman as soon as the team arrives.  The suitcases were weird - I assume the writers thought oh that would be an interesting setup, women stuffed in suitcases, but did the Grandma have a huge collection of vintage suitcases or did the Unsub scrounge around a bunch of thrift and vintage stores to find them?  The mom left 20 years ago, but the suitcase, Grandma's house and the flashbacks looked more like something from 40 years ago.

The writers are just being lazy at this point.

[Willowy]

There was nothing lazy about the writing for Reid last night (except for maybe the "germaphobe" line).

I think when you've been there as long as Bruce, it gets difficult not to repeat a theme in any way at all. The UnSub did seem like a mishmash of other UnSubs we've seen over the years, but the criteria that pushed him over the edge are legitimate stressors, in practice.

[Hotchgirl18]

Not for Reid. How many more "unsubs with mommy abandonment issues" are we going to HAVE? Seems like they just take an older episode, change a few lines, and bim bam boom, we have a new episode. 

Not sure how to feel about Simmons. We already have the Morgan role filled with Alvez. We need someone strict and authoritative now. Otherwise, our unit chief is going to walk in the interrogation room singing "Kum Ba Yah" with the unsub. 

[ReidFan]

the case: meh. been done before.

the Reid-O-Meter: a good 8. Loved the Tuvok tete a tete and the heart to heart with Prentiss. Don't care what the naysayers think, I think Prentiss is doing a great job, especially with Reid and Rossi (it's gotta be tough to be the *boss* of the guy who originally put the unit together). Not as fond of the jet scene for what transpired, but he looked so good....I love the hair, it may need a wee bit of a trim but the style, swept off his face, is fab. Still wanna take the razor to him though. 
 

[JMO]

I agree with you re: Prentiss, Riff. She handles the team differently, but I think she is coming into her own, in a way that she didn't, last season. As long as we don't get any more of those hokey "Wheels up" scenes. If we were at the beginning of the series, and not so far into it, I doubt there would be people complaining, because I think she makes a convincing leader.  

You are way more generous with your Reid-O-Meter than I am with the Reid-meter. I'll give it a 6, for quantity.  Quality, not so much.  I'm taking off points for that last scene on the plane (and the scruff), and I did not like the beginning scene with the evaluator, because I don't think the emotion rang true. Only the Emily scene was good, for me. While I was glad to see that he could still talk down an unsub, I expected to see him struggle with it a bit more at the beginning, especially after the discussion in that opening scene---and the fact that he fired at every one of his targets during his 'evaluation'. 

[Willowy]

Didn't he refrain from firing at the "boy" target? I seem to remember that. Time for a rewatch! 

[JMO]

9 minutes ago, Willowy said:

Didn't he refrain from firing at the "boy" target? I seem to remember that. Time for a rewatch! 

If he did, I missed it.  But I hope so, because then that scene would make some sense.

[normasm]

He didn't fire at all his targets, the next to last one he didn't shoot. I want to know how he got that many bullets in his gun.

[Hotchgirl18]

1 hour ago, JMO said:

I agree with you re: Prentiss, Riff. She handles the team differently, but I think she is coming into her own, in a way that she didn't, last season. As long as we don't get any more of those hokey "Wheels up" scenes. If we were at the beginning of the series, and not so far into it, I doubt there would be people complaining, because I think she makes a convincing leader.  

You are way more generous with your Reid-O-Meter than I am with the Reid-meter. I'll give it a 6, for quantity.  Quality, not so much.  I'm taking off points for that last scene on the plane (and the scruff), and I did not like the beginning scene with the evaluator, because I don't think the emotion rang true. Only the Emily scene was good, for me. While I was glad to see that he could still talk down an unsub, I expected to see him struggle with it a bit more at the beginning, especially after the discussion in that opening scene---and the fact that he fired at every one of his targets during his 'evaluation'. 

If she starts doing the "wheels up" and going all "life coach," again , I will BARF. We NEED someone authoritative right now. Because mark my words, first unsub she interrogates, she's gonna be singing "Kum Ba Yah" and giving them a pep talk. 

This is why Reid is our only hope for saving the show. 

[JMO]

The team Emily leads is more experienced, and more mature, than the one Hotch led.  Even the newbies come with years of experience.  Hotch had two twenty-somethings and a spiraling Gideon.  It was necessary for him to be more directive, in the beginning.  But he began to relax that style as time passed, the team eventually solidified, and his twenty-somethings became thirty-somethings.  To me, it makes sense for Emily to lead them more collegially and facilitatively.  Being a leader, and being authoritative, are two very different things.

[normasm]

Very true, JMO

[Unkempt]

Emily isn't Hotch, so her leadership style is going to be different.  But I do feel like if she were channeling Hotch to any extent, there would be complaints about it.  She can't win.

 

But let's not forget that Hotch had his life coach moments while he was at the helm, mostly with a very young Reid (private shooting lessons, encouraging Reid to attend the NA meetings).  Gideon did, too (giving Reid tickets to a Redskins game and hinting that JJ is a Redskins fan).  Nothing wrong with that.  Leaders who do things to better their team members tend to be more respected.

 

All that said....I haven't gotten around to watching this episode.  I've been so busy, I'm behind on two shows and two podcasts right now, but I'm enjoying what y'all have to say about it.  Sounds like the season is off to a good start!

[normasm]

Rossi has had his moments of rah-rah, "that's what families do" several times. The team is a family and a rallying point , especially for the lone ones, like Spencer. It's his home, which is why he would finally say "wheels up." Haven't you ever had to acquiesce to the family dynamic, even though it seems corny or not your emotional take? I have. Of course, I've had a lot of jobs.

[Willowy]

@Unkempt, I was wondering where you've been, both here and elsewhere. Good to see you pop in on fb, too!

[Unkempt]

Hey Willowy!  I've been really, really busy with work, plus I was in NYC for a few days (for fun).  I'm doing some extra training at work so I can start giving chemo, so I've been going in on my day off quite a bit lately' on top of my 12-hour shifts.  AND I'm studying for a certification on top of that (not chemo related).  So, I've been wiped, and I'm not at all caught up on any of my shows, LOL!  Getting there, though. 

I love spoilers, and I love the Reid-meter, so I try to pop in to the episode threads to see what everyone thought!  I can't wait to actually watch, LOL (today, hopefully).

Edited October 7, 2017 by Unkempt

[Hotchgirl18]

Nothing wrong with it every now and then. But if something doesn't change soon, I'm afraid we're going to get the team playing corny ice breaker games.  Her only saving grace in my opinion was Red Light.