S13.E14: Miasma

[Aethera]

Quote

The BAU is called when the New Orleans P.D. discovers a mass grave inside a vandalized above-ground crypt in a local cemetery.

[normasm]

Looking at the sneak peeks, i was thinking it was about a year since Reid was jailed. Wonder what that portends...

[ReidFan]

I was hoping for some kind of PTS D/S callback, since it's been a year. But CM will conveniently not be on come Feb 13 :( 

[Annber03]

Ooh, the promo for what will be coming when the show returns in March looks good.

Loved Emily going up against Barnes this episode, defending the team and all. And I liked her not-so-subtly profiling her as well. Barnes calling Reid and Rossi loose cannons made me chuckle a bit, for some reason-she's not entirely wrong about that, given some of the crazy stuff Reid's been through and how antagonistic Rossi's often been with the higher ups over the years, but still. It amused me anyway :D. It's interesting that Barnes tried to suggest that Emily let one of them take the fall for what was going on. 

JJ did fine running things this episode. Case was kinda interesting-I liked the general premise, and I felt for the unsub a bit as well. Feel like we didn't really get to delve too much into his sorrow, though, beyond the occasional ranting. Might've been good to see him trying to contact the landlord at some point, or encountering him in some way before this that aggravated him somehow. 

I also was mentally cheering when Carl fought off the unsub and drove away in the van :D. That was good.

Okay. So. Bring on March 7th, then!

[CrimeFan12]

1 minute ago, Annber03 said:

I also was mentally cheering when Carl fought off the unsub and drove away in the van :D. That was good.

The good old bedpan to the head ploy. :-)

[JMO]

For me, it was cringe-worthy, from top to bottom. Nothing about the 'review' makes sense, so there's no sense of peril, because there's no authentic threat to the team.  The case should have been intriguing, but wasn't.  The only true mystery was what in the world JJ and Rossi were thinking, to have handled the unsub that way. 

[Annber03]

15 minutes ago, JMO said:

Nothing about the 'review' makes sense, so there's no sense of peril, because there's no authentic threat to the team. 

I know some here have been suggesting this whole "we need to investigate the team's conduct" thing is some sort of ruse or smokescreen for whatever else the higher ups are really trying to do, so if that's the case, then maybe there really will be a legitimate threat coming for the team down the line? I dunno. 

Quote

The only true mystery was what in the world JJ and Rossi were thinking, to have handled the unsub that way. 

Yeah, I agree that could've been handled differently, definitely. For one thing, maybe not split up, even if only briefly. These guys do that an awful lot. 

[CrimeFan12]

I admit that I was a little distracted during the episode so I didn’t pay as close attention to the case as I normally do. That said, I still enjoyed the case and when I rewatch it, I sure I will like it even more.

I was more interested in the showdown between Emily and Barnes and I like it.  It’s playing out so far along the lines I was thinking.  The “review” was just a ruse by Barnes to find out who will play by her rules.  As Emily said, she’s trying to consolidate power by reshaping units that support her and make it easier to get the dictator’s chair one day.  Anyone who doesn’t, she will get rid of and call it streamlining to make the unit work better.

I loved Emily profiling her and refusing to play by Barnes rules.  She stood by her decisions and by her team.  She refused to throw Reid or Dave under the bus to save her job.  I knew Barnes was going to suspend her. It was the only way she could get control.  I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t try next to push Dave into retirement and Reid into academia. 

I do feel sorry for JJ.  She’s just a puppet, the unit chief in name only.  Barnes will be making every decision, big or small and expecting JJ to just say yes, Ma’am and go along with it.

It’s going to be a long month (though I do like watching the Olympics) and I can’t wait or see how this nice short story arc plays out. Still loving the season.

[threebluestars]

So is Barnes going to come out into the field and step on a murder victim's hair next?

[ForeverAlone]

Episodes like this make me long for a hardcore, scary psychopath who kills because s/he enjoys it. I am sick to death of some sort of overwrought family trauma being the root cause of serial killings. This show used to creep me out and disturb me. Now, way too often, I just roll my eyes. And did they seriously solve this case in a day? Yeah okay, whatever. 

I assume Barnes replaced Mateo Cruz? I might have missed any reference to him (because I was only half listening since the case didn't keep my interest very much), but he is the BAU's direct boss. Otherwise, Barnes shouldn't be just allowed to insert herself as the direct oversight of the BAU. I guess they want to recreate the wonderful bitchiness of Erin Strauss (down to Emily profiling Barnes), but it just feels like a sad copy. 

[Annber03]

Yeah, no mention of Cruz at all that I can recall, which is weird. I know he's got other stuff he's doing (I've been seeing him on "How to Get Away with Murder" recently :p), so I get why it might be hard to actually get him for an episode, but yeah, you'd think there'd be at least some mention of what he thinks about all this, or Barnes mentioning talking to him or something. Since they didn't, though, that could further the idea that there's more to this "review" than meets the eye somehow, perhaps. 

Edited February 1, 2018 by Annber03

[ReidFan]

no, Cruz was the "Section Chief"... Barnes is "Assistant Director" which I assume is a higher rank than Cruz'....but you think yeah, since the BAU falls under his supervision, he'd be informed/involved in this.

2 hours ago, JMO said:

For me, it was cringe-worthy, from top to bottom. Nothing about the 'review' makes sense, so there's no sense of peril, because there's no authentic threat to the team.  The case should have been intriguing, but wasn't.  The only true mystery was what in the world JJ and Rossi were thinking, to have handled the unsub that way. 

mostly agreed. :)

 

But Reid looked great! 

[The Wild Sow]

6 hours ago, JMO said:

For me, it was cringe-worthy, from top to bottom. Nothing about the 'review' makes sense, so there's no sense of peril, because there's no authentic threat to the team.

Yes.  The FBI internal politics/infighting/whatever is BORING.  It was boring when it was Erin Strauss, and it's boring now.

[Mariana]

The Prentiss vs Barnes it' just a Hotch vs Strauss 2.0. 

And I'm getting boring about the cases, it's always the same unsub with mommy or daddy issues. 

But Reid it's beautiful so it's going to be a long month. 

[idiotwaltz]

3 hours ago, The Wild Sow said:

Yes.  The FBI internal politics/infighting/whatever is BORING.  It was boring when it was Erin Strauss, and it's boring now.

This entire plot is unnecessary. Instead of adding this B plot, the writers should’ve focused on writing a decent A plot. 

The case was .... still better than pirates. Gotta keep my expectations low. I didn’t feel sorry for the UNSUB because I’ve been sick for a month and I’d probably be first on his kill list. His motive for becoming a serial killer is so far fetched that I couldn’t muster up any sympathy. 

[UncleChuck]

I'm confused.  If the UNSUB intended to kill the slumlord that was responsible for his mother's death, why did he slay all those other random folks first?  Since he knew who the guy was, and where to find him--why not start with him?

Of course, the answer is that we had to give the BAU and magic Garcia the time to identify him and go to warn him so they could be on the scene when the UNSUB finally got around to his primary target.

[normasm]

Haven't watched a second time, but I agree with some here: it was a mess. This doesn't bode well for the rest of the season (although I have hopes for the next episode, with some focus on Reid). The unsub story didn't make sense. If he blamed the landlord for his mother's illness, he would have hunted down slumlords and killed them, not k-holed a bunch of sick people. The mixing of the 2 motivations was improbable.

As for the internal investigation plot, Kim Rhodes and her amazing eyebrows couldn't make this into a decent twist, nor could Paget's or AJ's acting. Lame in the extreme.

[TheGreenWave]

Sweet Jesus that was boring.  Second to all of you who recoiled at the Strauss 2.0 of that entire scene (really?  Is that how people at the FBI talk to one another?  Damn) with Barnes and Emily.  Despite Paget's decent acting, I was so over that storyline before it started.  Also, now I'm all for a New Orleans related story (Go Greenwave!), but Katrina...really?  That was almost 13 years ago and we've already seen Katrina related CM episodes.  BOOOORING.

[rhys]

Was there a mention of the drug cholestyramine? I take that drug but not for any of the reasons Reid mentioned. I wonder if I heard right.

[secnarf]

5 hours ago, rhys said:

Was there a mention of the drug cholestyramine? I take that drug but not for any of the reasons Reid mentioned. I wonder if I heard right.

Yes. And of course, Reid mentioned only the obscure uses and not the most common indications - high cholesterol and cholestasis!

It's like that episode of NCIS LA where they found lactulose -> dramatic pause on characters, cut to commercial. FFS, it's a common drug used for constipation! But of course they only mentioned the rare indication that worked with the story.

Also, it's really hard to die from ketamine alone. It's not a respiratory depressant like other pain meds, which is why it was commonly used in the field in war zones where they needed to perform painful procedures but had no respiratory support.

[normasm]

It's also like CM saying scleroderma was a curable "skin disease."

[Danielg342]

Well, that was a doozy.

I should qualify that my liking of this episode had pretty much nothing to do with the premise or much of the writing choices that were made. This was still your garden-variety S13 CM episode, with an UnSub with family issues (again!), a wasted opportunity and some ridiculous motivations, with some team drama thrown in.

Yet, somehow, it worked. Mostly because Myles Bullock really killed it as Kevon Winter in that final scene. Yeah, what he was doing made absolutely no sense, but Bullock made me feel for Winter and the pain he went through, so I have to give him credit for that.

I'll also say that, until I learned Winter had a dead mommy, it was a decent premise- guy who "cleansed" the sick and rid them of their misery. It's pretty unique for CM. Sure, we've had "A Higher Power", but that dealt with depressed people. An UnSub who kills in order to euthanize people who are physically suffering- that's something we've never had.

It would also make a remarkable story, because then you could ask if he's really in the wrong here. He'd be one of the few UnSubs who doesn't just believe he's helping his victims, he truly is helping his victims. There's a gold mine of story potential there if the writers would just realize it.

Unfortunately, they're too stuck creating family dramas to realize this potential. It baffles me how this writing team just doesn't get the idea of "keeping it simple". No, we just have to have stories that are garbled messes of "twists" and "feints" all weirdly contorted so that we can reveal whatever family pain the UnSub is going through.

*sigh*

As for the team drama, I was far more invested in that because Linda Barnes actually seems like she could be formidable. Sure, she's more "cookie-cutter villain" than Erin Strauss was (who actually gained noticeable character development), but Kim Rhodes plays her direct and it's fun to watch. Plus, given how late in its run this is, there could be a chance that Barnes' review could be what terminates the team for good.

If this is an exit strategy, it's an interesting one.

Plus, Paget Brewster was, once again, a joy to watch. Brewster doesn't often get chances to show her acting chops these days, but when she does, she shines. Seeing the good old defiant Emily Prentiss was a joy to behold, and seeing Prentiss rattle Barnes was fun to watch.

"Let's take a break before you say something stupid"

No, Linda, you need the break because you just got schooled.

Only quibble I had is how Barnes knew of the deleted cognitive interview- it's not like phones come with markers that say "this was once here but it's deleted".

(OK, they do...but you'd have to dig in the coding for it and that takes forensic work the Assistant Director of the FBI wouldn't do)

JJ in the field seemed a bit more robotic than I would have liked, though at least the writer tried to play to her apprehension about being the BAU Chief. I especially liked that scene at the police station after the team first arrived and they review the case for the first time. Once everyone is finished they all turn to JJ expecting her to launch into some orders and JJ is startled before she realized what she had to do.

That was well done.

This episode could have been if it was only kept simple.

[CrimeFan12]

5 minutes ago, Danielg342 said:

Only quibble I had is how Barnes knew of the deleted cognitive interview- it's not like phones come with markers that say "this was once here but it's deleted".

I'm curious about that too.  But I didn't think Emily deleted it right then and there.  She was debating about doing it.  Had her finger right over, but then the phone rang and I thought that stopped her from doing it.

[mythoughtis]

I really dislike the  investigations of the team every season or so.  I doubt the FBI suspends unit chiefs every time you turn around.  There’s no reason to investigate the team because the anniversary of Reid’s arrest is almost here.    

I also didn’t buy the reason that the unsub killed random sick people, his mother, yes.  The attempt on the landlord, yes. The others, no.

[Hotchgirl18]

I'm a lot younger than y'all, so all I can say is, "Carey Martin, you KNOW better than this!" Lol. What would Zac and Cody think? 

[Mystery]

Boring. Yet another investigation of the BAU. As others have said, it was a nonsensical story that took away from the other fairly nonsensical story. 

CSU traced the flowers back to the flower shop but didn't get a customer list to try to track it down? Yet Garcia could? 

If the FBI thinks two employees are spending more time on outside pursuits than their job, it can fire them for that without going through all this stupid review of old cases. 

[ReidFan]

Aaaand another question. 

Barnes said Walker’s death was the BAU’s first active duty death. I think; I don’t remember her exact words.  ...... her exact words:  "SSA Walker was the first agent to die in the field in the BAU's storied history."

Didn’t six agents die in that muck-up of Gideon’s ? I expressly recall them saying six of his team. So that woulda been BAU members. On duty. 

Barnes can’t even get her facts straight?

Edited February 2, 2018 by ReidFan
to add her exact words, from the transcript

[normasm]

Yeah, because Morgan said he was supposed to be there that day and wasn't.... good point, Riff

[Kelda Feegle]

I get awful hayfever - to the point where I would welcome that unsub targeting me.

Blood does not spurt when the vic is supposedly dead from the ketamine, except on tv.

Prentiss was good at standing up to Barnes but all I could think of was how Hotch would have told Barnes that she was wearing green socks to remind herself of the day her somebody somebody did something something as a result of something something etc. I still remember his verbal smackdown of the gambling lawyer with much love.

Isn't Reid doing the teaching as a mandatory time out or something, surely then it would not be his fault he's spending time away from the job?

[threebluestars]

On 2/1/2018 at 7:47 PM, Hotchgirl18 said:

I'm a lot younger than y'all, so all I can say is, "Carey Martin, you KNOW better than this!" Lol. What would Zac and Cody think? 

THAT'S where I know her from!! It was driving me crazy.

[BakerStreet]

Barnes knew about the deleted cognitive because Emily told the Mexican officer she'd done it so it was probably in the report.

[normasm]

No, Emily told the Mexican officer she had not recorded it. She didn't tell anyone she deleted it. She played part of it for Luke and Dave, and said it was damning, but didn't even tell them what she might do. She may still have it, which might.... might.... be a tool against Barnes.

[JMO]

I can't imagine anyone at the FBI (other than Barnes) would go looking for evidence of obstruction after one of their own had been exonerated.  It's not like they don't have other things to do.  I hope they've got more than that recording behind this.  Someone else suggested it might be about the false amber alert, and the fact that it led to the death of the man at the gas station.  But how would anyone know he'd been looking at it?  His cell phone must have been incinerated.  

This is why I can't get excited about the team being in peril.  It isn't.

If, on the other hand, someone wanted to inquire why the team prematurely pinned Reid's framing on Scratch, thereby consigning their genius to an unnecessarily long stint in prison, I'd be right on board. 

[Fashionista7]

1 minute ago, JMO said:

I can't imagine anyone at the FBI (other than Barnes) would go looking for evidence of obstruction after one of their own had been exonerated.  It's not like they don't have other things to do.  I hope they've got more than that recording behind this.  Someone else suggested it might be about the false amber alert, and the fact that it led to the death of the man at the gas station.  But how would anyone know he'd been looking at it?  His cell phone must have been incinerated.  

This is why I can't get excited about the team being in peril.  It isn't.

If, on the other hand, someone wanted to inquire why the team prematurely pinned Reid's framing on Scratch, thereby consigning their genius to an unnecessarily long stint in prison, I'd be right on board. 

I think it's what Em profiled Barnes (but not so Noble) about; she's an ambitious woman who a. wants to make a name for herself and/or b.  be the FBI director someday.

Also: VOTE https://www.spoilertv.com/2018/02/scene-of-week-february-4-2018-poll.html

[Annber03]

Episode review:

https://www.spoilertv.com/2018/03/criminal-minds-miasma-review.html