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S13.E21: Mixed Signals / S13.E22: Believer

ReidFan

By ReidFan
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ReidFan

ReidFan

Criminal Minds season finale, two episodes airing back to back same night.  

Mixed Signals  13.21 at 9 pm

 

The BAU is called to Taos, N.M. to investigate an UnSub who is targeting his victims' temporal lobes, on the first episode of the double-episode 13th season finale.

 

 

NOTE for Canadian viewers: we will have to catch it on CBS with the US audience. CTV is airing Mixed Signals on Thursday April 19 at 10 pm  ( grrrrr)

 

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ReidFan

ReidFan

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THE SECOND EPISODE OF THE "CRIMINAL MINDS" DOUBLE-EPISODE 13TH SEASON FINALE EVENT CONCLUDES WITH A CLIFFHANGER

THE BAU QUESTIONS THE CREDIBILITY OF A FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT'S BIZARRE ACCOUNT OF SEARCHING FOR AN UNSUB THAT HE NAMED "THE STRANGLER," ON THE DOUBLE-EPISODE 13th SEASON FINALE CLIFFHANGER 

When Reid discovers former FBI Special Agent Owen Quinn (James Urbaniak) locked inside a storage unit, the BAU questions the credibility of Quinn's bizarre accounts of searching for an UnSub that he named "The Strangler." 

 

written by Breen Frazier, directed by Glenn Kershaw

Guest cast:

James Urbaniak (Special Agent Owen Quinn)
Myron Primes (SWAT Captain)
Stafford Douglas (Theo Holston)
Blaire Chandler (Donna Holston)
J.T. Sherwood (Jerry Holston)
Aaron Guest (Shane Quinn)
Elyse Mirto (Deborah Quinn)
Karen David (Special Agent Mary Meadows)
B.J. Clinkscales (Staff #1)
Darius De La Cruz (Staff #2)
Diana Toshiko (Staff #3)
Georgia Norman (April Pearson)
Michael Hogan (Benjamin David Merva)
Taylor Catlin (Acolyte)

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ReidFan

ReidFan

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(edited)

I wasn't sure how to do that...... except that this way the notice of the special time is gone. I wouldn't want anyone to miss it thinking it's on at 10

Edited by ReidFan
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ReidFan

ReidFan

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CTV doesn't have an airdate for "Believer" yet. They aren't airing CM on Wednesday April 18. Mixed Signals is 10 pm on the Thursday. The schedule says that CTV is airing an episode of CM on Friday the 20th at 10 pm as well, but it doesn't specify which episode and it doesn't say 'new' like it does for Mixed Signals on the Thursday. And CTV routinely airs some (lately it's been season 11) episode in the 10pm Friday timeslot so I dunno wtf is going on there. Just that they found it necessary to air that stupid "The Voice" in CM's Wednesday spot so they moved CM to Thursday.

 

all of which means we'll all be watching it on CBS on Wednesday.

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mefein

mefein

This season has gone really quickly.  Sneek peeks for finale looks a little more interesting.  Not sure if I'll tune in for 21.  Definitely intrigued to find out what and who this Quinn character is, but concerned also.  Concerned for two reasons - 1. because unfortunately I have lost so much faith in writers, yes even Breen if I'm honest, to actually follow through with a story and have a beginning, middle and end.  Yes this is a finale and the assumption is that there will be a conclusion to this story if S14 happens.  But what if it does not?  I'm also concerned that this story may be a totally new one, whereas there is so many strings from past season that needs to be tied up, such as this 'mole' who not garnered even a nod this season.  Does that make any sense? 

My 2nd worry is that this might be the prelude to Reids out.  I do think that they will get a 14 although it would not surprise me if it moved from Wednesday, but whether or not Reid is even a small part of it, I'm not so sure.  Yeah MGG said he would stay till the end or words to that effect, but that was a long time ago and things change.

If Matt is out, that would be the death nail for CM in my view.  So I'm wary.  CM that I love has been through so much over the years and really the only thing keepin me hanging on is Reid, Rossi, JJ in particular. Not sure I could deal with another original going :(

Sorry again if people think I'm being a downer.  Just throwing my thoughts out there. 

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Fashionista7

Fashionista7

17 hours ago, mefein said:

This season has gone really quickly.  Sneek peeks for finale looks a little more interesting.  Not sure if I'll tune in for 21.  Definitely intrigued to find out what and who this Quinn character is, but concerned also.  Concerned for two reasons - 1. because unfortunately I have lost so much faith in writers, yes even Breen if I'm honest, to actually follow through with a story and have a beginning, middle and end.  Yes this is a finale and the assumption is that there will be a conclusion to this story if S14 happens.  But what if it does not?  I'm also concerned that this story may be a totally new one, whereas there is so many strings from past season that needs to be tied up, such as this 'mole' who not garnered even a nod this season.  Does that make any sense? 

My 2nd worry is that this might be the prelude to Reids out.  I do think that they will get a 14 although it would not surprise me if it moved from Wednesday, but whether or not Reid is even a small part of it, I'm not so sure.  Yeah MGG said he would stay till the end or words to that effect, but that was a long time ago and things change.

If Matt is out, that would be the death nail for CM in my view.  So I'm wary.  CM that I love has been through so much over the years and really the only thing keepin me hanging on is Reid, Rossi, JJ in particular. Not sure I could deal with another original going :(

Sorry again if people think I'm being a downer.  Just throwing my thoughts out there. 

I agree with you about MGG; since TG and SM left, for me, he sets the show.

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Mislav

Mislav

(edited)

Other than the fact that he is my favorite character, there is one more reason why Spencer leaving, at least by this point, would be really anticlimatic: other than his mother and a few possible friends and love interests that never appeared more than once, the writers have given him pretty much no life outside the BAU (guess thirteen seasons wasn't enough time...), and pretty much no friends except for his colleagues (except for Ethan, who also only appeared once), not even much character development (don't get me wrong, I really like the good doctor, quirks and all, but other than becoming bit socially skilled, has he changed at all?)

 

So, with him leaving the BAU, it is like he ceases to exist. You can't really imagine him doing much else or simply be happy. After years of build-up, there would be no conclusion to the character. After spending thirteen years in the BAU, he wouldn't leave with having developed so much as a character, or having accomplished something really exceptional, or after really finding happiness outside the work or anything, be it a love interest or someone/something else (all those complaints applying if he were to leave by this season finale, that is). He'd just... fade away. It's not like with Derek or even Hotch (as rushed as that was), where you can at least say: "Oh, he's enjoying a peaceful life with his wife and child, he's probably happy" (or just a child, in Hotch's case). 

 

I find that kind of terrifying, to be honest. I mean, if such an integral character can just leave without any real closure or conclusion, and the show can just go on, what was the point of getting that invested in him for years? Why should we care about any characters later on? If any of them die or simply leave, a new one will arrive sooner or later, and it would still be the BAU, big happy family, right? (Gag.) But again, if Matthew Gray Gubler wants to leave, that is his choice.

Edited by Mislav
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mefein

mefein

Mislav, those are excellent points, most agreeable and common sense.  The problem is in my opinion, what has been the problem with CM for at least the last 6 seasons, and that is the writing.  The writers in the early days seemed to have  a direction, a plan. There were some who appeared to grasp certain characters better than others, and for a while there was a reasonable mix.  Then it just seemed to go wrong.  I cannot recall who exactly but I remember an interview with one writer (who I think has since left), who said that they never write for Reid, in fact they may even have used the word 'hate', and their reasoning was that they just could not.  I also recall a writer, possibly the same, saying similar regarding Hotch.  As the seasons progressed, writers changed and it looked like both Reid and Hotch were blending into the background, I thought about that.  Here we had two of the most complex characters, in my view at least, and these writers simply did not know how to write for them. I know they were not the writers who originally developed the characters, but I felt that the characters were well enough established and the actors portraying them were so in tune with those characters, that good writers should have been able to take up the mantle. Alas that did not happen and instead we got copious amounts of unsub, action etc.  Its easy (and in this case and in my view, lazy) to write a scene that blows up something or shoots something.  

Sorry I know I have gone way off, but my final point is, that while we can all agree it would be crazy to just let this character go without any sort of closure, how realistic is it that we will ever get it?  As for ending the show on a cliffhanger - CBS have history.  Didnt they end NCIS??? on 299 episodes?  I think bottom line on decision whether or not to renew will be ...bottom line and not whether or not long standing characters have had closure...:(

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Mariana

Mariana

Well, about the first one I loved the focus on Tara.

The second one was great but I have to say that Emily should have expressed her concerns sooner in the BAU with all the team.

Of course I enjoyed Reid finally some good episode for him in this season.

Hoping for season 14. Hopefully with better histories, this season was hard to watch for me (with some exceptions).

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Annber03

Annber03

That was one weird as hell case. Wow. 

I'm actually feeling a little relieved, though, oddly enough, because given Reid's curious and furtive behavior throughout the episode, and the way JJ was so worried about him, and the fact that she made a point to tell him that family helped pull him through his ordeal last year, I was starting to get REALLY scared that we'd find out the cliffhanger was that this cult had somehow lured Reid in and were starting to brainwash him to be one of them. So I'm very, very, VERY glad that turned out to not be the case. The ending with Reid and Garcia was freaky, but I think it's safe to say they'll find some way out of their predicament come season premiere time. I was totally with Garcia when she was yelling at Reid to shoot Meadows, though. 

And I liked the twist of Meadows being involved. Now that I think about it, actually, the way she and her co-workers all spoke to the team about how good an agent Quinn was did sound kinda rehearsed. Whether that means more of Quinn's co-workers are connected to this creepy cult or not, who knows, but I could see the show going there. 

On a happier note, I loved JJ's concern for Reid throughout, and the hug they shared at the end :). 

As for "Mixed Signals", I was so impatient for the finale that it was kinda hard to properly enjoy the episode, LOL. But I didn't mind it overall. I felt bad for Caleb. 

Liked Luke's whole thing with sign language, and the news that he and that girl he's been seeing are still going strong. Tara having been married before was a surprise-another thing she and Rossi can bond over :D.

So! That's a wrap on season 13, then. C'mon, CBS, let's get some news on season 14 as soon as possible!

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Danielg342

Danielg342

letter-f.jpg

I'm not really going to bother with much of a review for either episode, because both were patently and utterly ridiculous.

What gets me about the first case is that, for the second week in a row, the show has had a case that could have and should have used Reid's immense talents profusely only to have it be one of the cases where he is "on sabbatical". I also think a case about "The Hum" would have been rather interesting if the writers had bothered to write an actual story befitting its premise.

As for the second episode...you know, I could get behind Reid being a serial killer. If anyone could do it, it's him. He'd certainly know how to outsmart everyone in law enforcement, because he truly is "the smartest guy in the room".

You'd also think a guy who's been through as much trauma as Reid could actually become a killer because, let's face it- UnSubs have been triggered by far less than what Reid has been through.

Alas, I doubt we'll go there, should there be an episode 300. I would say a good fallback could be Reid going undercover inside the cult and taking it down from within. Yeah, I get the "Minimal Loss" comparison but Reid wasn't as proactive in that episode.

Of course, I have to throw some shade on the serial killer cult idea...it sounds like Mr. Scratch all over again. Then again, maybe without major unintended cast shakeups the writers could write that kind of story with a better focus.

Then again...considering they dropped the ball on Barnes I'm not holding my breath.

Which brings me back to Reid.

Yes, Reid.

Here's my thing- lately it seems that Reid fits less and less into the team, where he's either a major player in the episode or doesn't play a role at all. The days of the true ensemble, where he truly fit in, seem to be gone, and I believe it's to the show's detriment.

Don't get me wrong- I like Reid-centric episodes and I want more of them. My problem is that there is no balance- it's either the episode is all about Reid and is dominated by him or Reid does very little (if anything) at all.

Some of you have said it's because the writers don't know how to write for him and maybe don't want to. There's some truth to that.

However, at some point they should have developed some kind of understanding of how to handle their second-billed character and find a way to fit him in better, because in the first few seasons, he fit in like a glove, and when he's onscreen, he still fits in like a glove.

Heck, many times he's the only one who's so much as noticed even though he has two lines of dialogue.

So, show. Do better. Much better. Way better. I'm a broken record at this stage.

As for resolving the cliffhanger...well, R.I.P. Owen Quinn. Gone too soon. I'm not really feeling the drama of the cliffhanger since it happened so fast and I got the sense that nothing will come out of that...it's just posturing, and the writing this season has been so poor I'm not convinced the next instalment will really be anything special.

I hope I'm wrong.

I will say that it did remind me of the finale of Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior where Sam Cooper was involved in a similar "Mexican standoff" where his own agent was in peril. As we know, Suspect Behavior didn't get to resolve their cliffhanger, so it's not a good sign for The Mothership. I hope I'm wrong though.

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CrimeFan12

CrimeFan12

(edited)

Hot diggety dog!  I really enjoyed  that.  The first episode was good, but I thought the second was even better.  I love episodes with twists and turns that leave me guessing throughout.  I really thought Quinn had bought into the cult at the end and I was totally wrong.  Didn't expect her at all.  I liked the cliffhanger.  It wasn't like last years that ended with will everyone survive; this was more of a standoff that can go multiple ways.  

I thought it was a solid season.  There were very few duds in my opinion.  The team was solid and meshed well because we didn't have characters coming and going like last year.  I strongly feel they will get season 14.  Ratings may be down from last year, but you can't compare them since the time slot changed.  It's been putting up solid numbers at 10 that are better than other shows that occupied that spot over previous years and they have an average of 100 to 133% increase in the Live+7 drv ratings.  May we soon get the announcement.

Edited by CrimeFan12
forgot words
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ForeverAlone

ForeverAlone

(edited)

Protip for season finales (I'm going to assume this was on CBS and not on the show itself): if you are going to air two episodes together, they better actually be one story and not two different stories. Otherwise, what is the point? I would have rather watched SVU in real time, rather than the first episode if I had known (though I didn't hate the episode).

The case for the first episode was decent. Yeah, we saw too much unsub, but at least the case kept me guessing for a bit. Plus the team actually had to work for this one and pursue a lot of different theories and leads before getting the actual unsub. I always enjoy Tara, so it was good to see so much of her this episode. I tend to like Luke, so I was glad to see those two working together. 

It might have been more fun to have a prior agent we actually know (such as the beloved Agent Anderson) instead of some mysterious Quinn we had never heard from before. But the story kept my attention nonetheless, and the entire atmosphere of the episode was delightfully creepy and dark-at first. I emphasize at first, because my feelings took a dramatic turn by the middle. I liked Reid's participation, particularly when he was determining who Theo was and in his class. I liked the intensity he had when questioning Quinn. I will say that if Quinn's memories are accurate, plus what we saw of Theo and all the others, everyone's behavior involved was just too over the top and unbelievable. It stopped feeling menacing halfway through and started to feel a bit ridiculous, like the writers weren't writing real world psychopaths and serial killers, but rather some movie psychopaths. I want to feel scared and creeped out, not on the verge of laughter when the parents were trying to get Quinn to kill April. Then seriously? Paramilitary serial killing teams? Whaaaaaat? Okay, they started to lose me when there was some sort of serial killing cult out there. And a killer cult who has infiltrated the FBI? It was almost like some episode of the X Files by the end (where was the faux Mulder and Scully from earlier in the season when you need them), and I prefer my serial killers to be grounded in reality. *sigh* I thought this episode had such potential at the beginning. But it was utterly laughable at the end, and completely unhinged from any sort of reality. I honestly don't care how it ends up (as long as Reid isn't murdered).

And now that the season was over and we can take stock of it all- just what were the producers/writers thinking when they came up with that asinine Barnes story? It really was the most pointless story this season, and no effect on anything since everybody ended up in the same place where they started. If they wanted to go there, that should have been the story for the last few episodes and ended the season with Barnes splitting up the team. I really don't think Erica has much of an overarching vision for this show (or at the barest minimum, I really, really, really dislike her vision and think it has been detrimental to the show). 

Edited by ForeverAlone
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Mystery

Mystery

(edited)

I thought "Mixed Signals" was just okay. It made no sense to me that someone who would unplug or throw away everything in his house, because of the hum that was driving his beloved crazy, wouldn’t just say “screw it” to a “three-year contract” and leave. Or at least get HER out of town. They were living in a pretty expensive place, it looked like. It would have been more believable if they were in some crappy apartment that they could barely afford, and so they REALLY couldn't afford to move or at least move her out.

But Tara was great. When she was talking about how she saw the future that she and her husband had seen for themselves just vanishing, I couldn’t help but think of Aisha's husband divorcing her (and then requiring a lot of money from her) after decades of marriage. I loved the conversation between her and Luke.

I liked "Believer" much more, even though it made me angry in the opening shots that Reid had to tell the cop to back up on the video footage to see the body. But the rest of the opening was great.

I couldn’t help but laugh, thinking of everyone here, when Garcia found in seconds that Theo's girlfriend April took a class with Theo and lived off campus in an apartment she’d just moved out of.

I knew it couldn't be Theo as the killer because that was what they thought only about halfway through the show. Still, this episode kept me guessing all throughout. It seemed much more like the Criminal Minds of old. 

I *loved* Garcia yelling "Just shoot her!" from the car. After I criticized KV last week for how she walks in heels, I need to give her props for being so believable here. 

7 hours ago, ForeverAlone said:

just what were the producers/writers thinking when they came up with that asinine Barnes story? 

 

This reminded me of nothing so much as the final "Downton Abbey" season when they spent so much time on 

Spoiler

the stupid hospital argument between Cora and Violet 

 

 

When you KNOW it's the last season, why not spend time on a real story that affects the characters we care about (or at least met once)?

Edited by Mystery
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JMO

JMO

Hmm.  Lots of twists and turns, and a convoluted tale that I’m not quite sure holds together, but I’ll reserve judgment on that, given that the story hasn’t ended yet. 

Random thoughts: 

I liked that it was Rossi, the experienced profiler, who insisted the whole thing didn’t make sense.  And I loved when he pulled out his trusty pocket notebook to quote something Reid had told him about Quinn’s claims.

Liked the teasing between Tara and Luke.  It seemed out of the blue to me, but that could be because I got home too late to see the earlier episode. Since it’s Reidless, I’m in no rush.  Was there something in that episode that explains the new Tara/Luke relationship?  It seems to highlight how out of place Simmons is on this team.

I liked how Reid dealt with Owen throughout, not allowing himself to be snowed, but still empathetic, a strong, responsible character.

I join Daniel in having the sense that Reid is not actually part of the team any more, and this episode really drove home the point.  He fades completely to the background unless he is off doing some solo thing, he’s increasingly isolated, and the character is written and played as if that is his goal.  If we get him back next year, I’d like to see him more integrated---front and center, mind you----but more integrated with the rest of the team.  I’d like him to interact more with them than with the unsubs.

Reid’s scenes with JJ were odd in a way that I hope will be explored if we get a season 14.  Surrounding the trauma of prison, it seemed that they were closer, Reid openly more vulnerable with her, she supporting him.  Here, in a bit of long-standing role reversal, Reid kept a shield between them, in spite of her efforts to penetrate it.  Even the hug at the end was awkward, and stiff, with JJ needing to ask why he was giving it, and he giving a formal, detached, “Thank you” to her worrying.  This will interest me if:  a) it’s the last thing she remembers about him (should he be gone) or b) it’s the way his PTSD is expressing itself, by distancing himself from those he loves.  If neither of these things plays out, then I think it was just weird, and not well done.

I wasn’t surprised that it was the hapless Garcia who was the second person in danger, but I think it would have been much more impactful if it had been JJ, partly for the interactions preceding the abduction, but also because the unsubs look bigger and badder when they’re able to capture a more formidable victim. 

Lastly, I didn’t understand the VICAP agent’s intentions.  Initially, she wanted Reid to lead them to ‘her messiah’.  Then she wanted him to ‘join us’.  Which was it? 

And why was Reid the only agent Emily activated in a building full of FBI agents? 

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normasm

normasm

Yes, JMO, the Mixed Signals episode had them joking back and forth, Tara talking down an unsub folie a deux style, and Luke using sign language to speak to a deaf victim. We also learned that Tara had been married before and it fell apart because of the development of unshared delusions. Nice for that interplay of the team members (because both have been pretty marginalized all season), but the unsub parts were dumb-dumb-dumb.

Yes, the Reid/JJ interplay, especially the hug, seemed just like Reid telling her goodbye.

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nekilarose

nekilarose

(edited)

Okay Garcia, you've worked with the FBI (specifically the BAU) for how long? Where is your poker face? Or at least keep it together long enough to get off on the next floor! 

I totally thought they were setting Reid up to be the next victim/ inductee. There were a lot of odd things in his behaviour,especially when speaking to JJ. It had all the foreshadowing of a goodbye.

Last but definitely not least, I want to know who wrote the ongoing "joke" of Luke and Tara saying "your mom?" Cause I need to slap them silly. They would not be saying it like that! Both Luke and Tara are old enough to know that the only acceptable way of dissing a person's mother is to say "yo momma" It threw me off every time I heard it, and I really like their scenes together. If you're gonna have them drag each other, do it right!

Edited by nekilarose
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walnutqueen

walnutqueen

11 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

letter-f.jpg

I'm not really going to bother with much of a review for either episode, because both were patently and utterly ridiculous.

What gets me about the first case is that, for the second week in a row, the show has had a case that could have and should have used Reid's immense talents profusely only to have it be one of the cases where he is "on sabbatical". I also think a case about "The Hum" would have been rather interesting if the writers had bothered to write an actual story befitting its premise.

As for the second episode...you know, I could get behind Reid being a serial killer. If anyone could do it, it's him. He'd certainly know how to outsmart everyone in law enforcement, because he truly is "the smartest guy in the room".

You'd also think a guy who's been through as much trauma as Reid could actually become a killer because, let's face it- UnSubs have been triggered by far less than what Reid has been through.

Alas, I doubt we'll go there, should there be an episode 300. I would say a good fallback could be Reid going undercover inside the cult and taking it down from within. Yeah, I get the "Minimal Loss" comparison but Reid wasn't as proactive in that episode.

Of course, I have to throw some shade on the serial killer cult idea...it sounds like Mr. Scratch all over again. Then again, maybe without major unintended cast shakeups the writers could write that kind of story with a better focus.

Then again...considering they dropped the ball on Barnes I'm not holding my breath.

Which brings me back to Reid.

Yes, Reid.

Here's my thing- lately it seems that Reid fits less and less into the team, where he's either a major player in the episode or doesn't play a role at all. The days of the true ensemble, where he truly fit in, seem to be gone, and I believe it's to the show's detriment.

Don't get me wrong- I like Reid-centric episodes and I want more of them. My problem is that there is no balance- it's either the episode is all about Reid and is dominated by him or Reid does very little (if anything) at all.

Some of you have said it's because the writers don't know how to write for him and maybe don't want to. There's some truth to that.

However, at some point they should have developed some kind of understanding of how to handle their second-billed character and find a way to fit him in better, because in the first few seasons, he fit in like a glove, and when he's onscreen, he still fits in like a glove.

Heck, many times he's the only one who's so much as noticed even though he has two lines of dialogue.

So, show. Do better. Much better. Way better. I'm a broken record at this stage.

As for resolving the cliffhanger...well, R.I.P. Owen Quinn. Gone too soon. I'm not really feeling the drama of the cliffhanger since it happened so fast and I got the sense that nothing will come out of that...it's just posturing, and the writing this season has been so poor I'm not convinced the next instalment will really be anything special.

I hope I'm wrong.

I will say that it did remind me of the finale of Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior where Sam Cooper was involved in a similar "Mexican standoff" where his own agent was in peril. As we know, Suspect Behavior didn't get to resolve their cliffhanger, so it's not a good sign for The Mothership. I hope I'm wrong though.

You may just be the only reason I visit this forum  ,,,  ;-)

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Mariana

Mariana

Watched for a second time, and, even if it kept me very entertained, it was definitely not  perfect, as I said before, Prentiss is the freaking chief and reacted soooo late, also I felt all the JJ family thing very corny specially because I see no interaction and bonding in this team (specially the 3 young men). 

And, I agree with nekilarose, Garcia needs a poker face. And with Daniel about the feeling of Reid not being part of the team.

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walnutqueen

walnutqueen

When Criminal Minds has devolved into an arched badguy eyebrow, Garcia inanely trilling, and deadfast fans are squirting themselves over a random Reid sighting, this show is SOO over.

To be continued - see if I care.

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TheGreenWave

TheGreenWave

10 hours ago, ForeverAlone said:

I will say that if Quinn's memories are accurate, plus what we saw of Theo and all the others, everyone's behavior involved was just too over the top and unbelievable. It stopped feeling menacing halfway through and started to feel a bit ridiculous, like the writers weren't writing real world psychopaths and serial killers, but rather some movie psychopaths. I want to feel scared and creeped out, not on the verge of laughter when the parents were trying to get Quinn to kill April. Then seriously? Paramilitary serial killing teams? Whaaaaaat? Okay, they started to lose me when there was some sort of serial killing cult out there. And a killer cult who has infiltrated the FBI? It was almost like some episode of the X Files by the end (where was the faux Mulder and Scully from earlier in the season when you need them), and I prefer my serial killers to be grounded in reality. *sigh* I thought this episode had such potential at the beginning. But it was utterly laughable at the end, and completely unhinged from any sort of reality. I honestly don't care how it ends up (as long as Reid isn't murdered).

This so much.  I had hoped that Quinn was just coming off as an unreliable narrator (50s housewife, tied up in the kitchen in full view of windows, bucket in the basement, show your allegiance by killing the GF) because all of that was just soooooooo bad.  I knew something was off with the other FBI team because they were all really creeper when talking with the team in the bullpen - but killer cult??  Oh wow.  And, at Rossi's house, they still thought the unsub was Quinn, not the "helpful" FBI agent, right??  And to top off the awful, they even had an end scene with Garcia kidnapped (of course) complete with palms against the back window = the universal signal of being kidnapped.  Ugh.

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Danielg342

Danielg342

49 minutes ago, walnutqueen said:

Stranger hugs back at you (that means none of the naughty bits touch, in nude beach terms).  ;-)

Your posts give me LIFE!!!

Thanks. :) Your posts give me life too.

I would also never touch your naughty parts without your permission. It does intrigue me that we're suddenly on a nude beach. ;)

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K42

K42

(edited)

I didn't care for "Mixed Signals" at all. I'm not sure I know how I feel about "Believer". I guess it was just okay. Not so sound cruel, but I truly don't care about what happens to Garcia. I don't hate her or anything. I just don't care about her character.

As for Reid, something felt "off" about him this episode. I don't know if it's the lack of screen time that MGG's been getting this season or if the character is shutting off due to trauma, but everything about him felt off in this episode. Even when he hugged JJ and thanked her for standing by him through everything, it felt very insincere and cold. I feel like if CM gets renewed, we're going to have a psychopathic or a pre-psychopathic Reid on our hands. The writers of CM really need to F**** off MGG's character. They've made him beyond miserable. I wouldn't be surprised if Reid kills himself by the end of the show or becomes a full-blown psychopath. It takes an immense amount of strength to bounce back from the slew of trauma they've been throwning at him since the show started. F**** them. 
 

Edited by KatsDivision
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Danielg342

Danielg342

Perhaps Matthew Gray Gubler has a clause in his contract (or an unwritten agreement) that calls for him to "star" in the episodes he does get to be in as a tradeoff for the amount of time off he gets. Why he does this I don't know- perhaps it's the network who makes him do this, or maybe Gubler himself asked for this arrangement so he can showcase his talents for future projects.

Or perhaps CBS saw the reaction "Entropy" got and thought the way to go with Reid is giving him episodes where he is "the focus". Which makes me wonder why he isn't made into the main character by now. He's more than earned his chance.

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normasm

normasm

Oh the zigs! Oh the zags!

I had hopes for this episode, mainly, the hope that the mole who worked in the FBI and funnelled Reid's personnel info to Cat Adams in prison last season would be found and brought to justice. As the show began, those hopes were still in order as we had not one, but eventually 2 such candidates. But the way it ended really didn't point to a mole at all.

In the opening SWAT raid, Reid is gorgeous, and I liked the 299 on the door. After Quinn ends up alive after all (but with burned-off fingerprints), the team is debriefed. JJ's worried that the behavior isn't like Reid, he's hiding something. I thought at first that he was lying, maybe to protect her, but it seems more like he's distant, separated from the whole team somehow. He's much more invested in Quinn, and his story. Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense. 

When Tara and Luke go back to the storage unit, after some cute repartee, they find a lot of girl's stuff and 7 hyoid bones. Garcia finds out the unit was rented in Quinn's name 2 days ago. Reid gets Quinn to tell him about the family keeping him, particularly the son, Theo. A little digging and Reid remembers Theo auditing his class. They track his parents to their home, finds them shot to death in the basement. It doesn't add up to Rossi, the perfume, etc. SA Meadows from the VICAP team tells Prentiss she doesn't think Quinn did anything wrong. 

Another JJ/Reid scene where JJ tells him "We fought so hard to get you outta there." Um, no, you fretted and worried about him, and then he gave you a couple of clues and you stayed up for 18 hours and got him out. **ugh the family thing with this show** She also tells him that Quinn went missing 2 weeks after he was arrested, and my heart's mole flame reignited!

Reid brings Quinn's ex-wife and son in, and he calls the son Theo, which, sadly, isn't his name. Reid asks about Theo's GF, April, and it turns out she's the perfumey one, and Quinn was forced to try to kill her, but Theo turned the tables and killed his parents. He kills 2 guys in the subway, who end up with burned-off fingerprints. Reid figures Theo was protecting April now she's protecting him, and Garcia tracks down a property. Reid goes in and finds out from Theo and April that they won't be safe until "they're" all gone. Who? The Believers, headed by the Messiah. O-KAAAAAY. So, yeah, they go find the Messiah dude, and bring him to Quantico. Quinn makes Reid promise him something. We don't find out explicitly, but I'm thinking it's to tell his son he's not a wacko.

All is well, so Prentiss calls for a party at Rossi's, which Garcia will be late for and which Reid tells JJ he won't be able to make, as he will be staying with Quinn's son until he gets out. Reid thanks JJ and hugs her, which had a very "goodbye, and thanks for all the fish" vibe. Like "I won't be coming back" vibe. Like "think of me fondly" vibe.

Meadows leads Quinn onto the elevator and Garcia joins, just as Prentiss calls her to say Quinn really is a cult member, apparently because he has no fingerprints. Garcia tells Meadows to draw her gun, and we see Quinn diving for her. A shot rings out, which the messiah and everyone else in the 7-story building can hear, including Reid (he's already gotten a call from Prentiss, too) and Reid goes off alone, without his vest, to confront what he thinks is Quinn in the elevator. He sees Quinn, but he's gut shot, and says "She's one of them" as Meadows rounds on Reid with gun drawn. She tells him to take her to the Messiah. He says no, and then she brings around the car with Garcia the Hapless (thanks, jmo) in it, and tells Reid he must join them or she dies. Fade to black. Welp, that's a wrap, 13.

Some say this Meadows could still be the mole. But it doesn't make sense to me. Why would a killer cult that worships some doofus conspire with someone in prison to acquire private info on Reid, and get him framed for murder? How else could Cat have gotten the information needed to hack his life? And it begs the question: if there is no mole, what was the reason for the prison arc and Reid's whole last 2 seasons? 

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Annber03

Annber03

(edited)

I totally thought this would all connect to the mole situation, too. Especially once Reid learned that Theo had been in his class. That could've been an interesting way to tie the whole mole situation and the Barnes arc together, and help explain some of why Barnes might've been investigating the team a couple months back.

(I totally didn't even think about the 299 on that storage door being a subtle nod to the 299th episode. Duh, me. That's cute :D.)

Re: Reid's behavior, I think his distance, both in this episode and throughout the season in general, makes sense in terms of his struggle to readjust to regular life and settle back into the team. Especially since he's got to have that 100/30 thing as part of his reinstatement-those 30 days off are just another reminder to Reid that he's still not fully back into his "normal" life yet, and may not be for a while. I can see that getting to him a bit as a result, and making it hard for him to feel like he's really back at home and really properly engage with everyone again the way he used to. Add in the team being split apart and messed with, albeit briefly, and that no doubt could've added to his feelings that things have changed, and he's struggling with the changes (and since part of the reason Barnes investigated Emily was due to his whole ordeal in Mexico and his time in prison, he may well blame himself some, rightly or not, for his entire situation having that kind of negative ripple effect on her).

But the fact that he spent time going to Emily's place to beg her to come back, and stood by his teammates when they went rogue investigating that case without Barnes' approval, shows there's clearly still a deep connection there. Obviously he still cares about and loves his friends and all that good stuff, but I think he just wants things to be the way they used to be in general, is all, and wants to not have to worry about conditions on his reinstatement anymore, or somebody messing with the team, or whatever. Maybe next season will show that 100/30 thing being removed, and we'll get to see him finally properly readjust and settle back in like normal again. 

As for that final hug, since he knew he was going to go see Quinn and things with the case were still tense and not fully resolved, maybe that's why the hug felt a bit awkward? Perhaps he knew he might still be in some danger, so he kinda prepared with that goodbye just in case? Course, I don't know why he wouldn't have had a goodbye moment with all of his friends if that were the case (at least with the ones he's known the longest), but that's the best explanation I can think of at the moment. 

Edited by Annber03
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JMO

JMO

Yep to everything Norm said. 

I did think the idea of collecting hyoid bones made for an interesting serial killer signature, and would have enjoyed a case about it, but now I'm not sure if we're supposed to think that a whole bunch of people accommodated to a single m.o., and that the cult leader is a serial killer by proxy.  Or is there still a single serial killer out there?  It would have been a great two-part arc during a season, but.... 

I'm not as convinced as others that we're guaranteed another season 14  So, to my mind, if they really wanted a cliffhanger, it would have been better to wrap up the case at hand and then move into some new idea that leaves agents in danger, somewhat a la the end of 12.  

If we don't get 14 or if we do get another season that doesn't address the mole, it will just be one more link in the very long chain of missed opportunity.  

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iRarelyWatchTV36

iRarelyWatchTV36

(edited)

Disclaimer that I haven't watched yet.....

If what has been implied is the actual case in this instance, and they waited until the final episode of the season to finally truly explore portraying what Reid's PTSD actions/reactions would be like, that would be so par for the course for this Show's PTB.
 

6 hours ago, JMO said:

If we don't get 14 or if we do get another season that doesn't address the mole, it will just be one more link in the very long chain of missed opportunity.  

Is this the start of a humorous anecdote?  "If you were to place all of the links of 'missed/dropped/ignored opportunities' in the 13 seasons of CM storylines, the chain would would stretch from __________ to.....".

Edited by iRarelyWatchTV36
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K42

K42

3 hours ago, Mysteyman said:

Part of me almost  wants the show not to be  renewed.

Messer showed such Hubris with that final scene.

it"s like she was saying to CBS "You Wouldn't Dare!"

 

Well, they've been relying on that a lot this season. Remember that Barnes ghost? She came in one episode and fired everyone. She had everyone on their seats for like two episodes then Poof! She was gone. It was literally resolved next episode. They also taunted us with Scratch for seasons and seasons only to have him slip and fall to his demise and get away with everything. Honestly, I'm scared that they're going to resolve this whole thing in a corny way in episode 300. It's like the more the show progresses, the dumber these writers become. It's such a hit or miss with them. 

The only thing that's going to make sense in episode 300 is if Reid loses it and takes a darker turn. I feel like he might start killing without remorse. Given how much trauma he's had since the show started, I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a criminal. In that last episode, I felt like everything about him screamed "Enough!". He was cold, distant, and even a little insincere. As someone said above, it's like he doesn't fit in anymore. I think that ending was his last straw. I feel like Reid's end is going to be extremely tragic. I literally wouldn't be surprised if Reid quits, commits suicide or becomes a psychopath. 

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Mislav

Mislav

6 hours ago, KatsDivision said:

Well, they've been relying on that a lot this season. Remember that Barnes ghost? She came in one episode and fired everyone. She had everyone on their seats for like two episodes then Poof! She was gone. It was literally resolved next episode. They also taunted us with Scratch for seasons and seasons only to have him slip and fall to his demise and get away with everything. Honestly, I'm scared that they're going to resolve this whole thing in a corny way in episode 300. It's like the more the show progresses, the dumber these writers become. It's such a hit or miss with them. 

The only thing that's going to make sense in episode 300 is if Reid loses it and takes a darker turn. I feel like he might start killing without remorse. Given how much trauma he's had since the show started, I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a criminal. In that last episode, I felt like everything about him screamed "Enough!". He was cold, distant, and even a little insincere. As someone said above, it's like he doesn't fit in anymore. I think that ending was his last straw. I feel like Reid's end is going to be extremely tragic. I literally wouldn't be surprised if Reid quits, commits suicide or becomes a psychopath. 

Hell no.

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K42

K42

(edited)
52 minutes ago, Mislav said:

Hell no.

I kinda don't want him to become a killer either but the writers have literally thrown every problem there is out there at Reid. I don't see how he is going to be able to recover from all that's happened to him. It's going to take a lot of effort and consistency for the writers of CM to save him. I don't think the writers are even capable to writing happy experiences for Reid. It's like they deliberately want him to suffer. If the show gets renewed, I really hope they hire better writers. I don't want Reid or the show to end tragically. 

Edited by KatsDivision
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