Criminal Minds Unpopular Opinions

[BookWoman56]

I didn't mind Seaver, although she would have been much more believable if she had been brought in as someone who'd been an active agent for a few years, instead of as a cadet. In the hands of better writers, her backstory could have been interesting, because she would have intimate knowledge of the behavior of a serial killer who also had a family, and she would most likely have encountered some discrimination or skepticism while in the FBI because of who her father was. But again, that's assuming her story was created by better writers, which in this case is a risky assumption.

 

I'd be fine with CM jettisoning some cast members, particularly Morgan. Although in general I much prefer the first few seasons, IMO Shemar Moore was definitely the weak link then in terms of acting and although he's improved, he's just barely adequate most of the time. At this point, it's a tossup for me over whether I dislike JJ-centric or Morgan-centric episodes the most. Morgan bores me and JJ's total metamorphosis from media liaison who didn't want to be a profiler to superninja badass profiler is so unbelievable as to take me completely out of the storyline when she is the focus of an episode. I have nothing against AJ Cook as an actress, but I dislike having any character shoved down my throat by producers who are hellbent on convincing me that the character is the most wonderful, amazing, and superskilled person ever.

 

I am also fine with JLH and her role, but was fine with JT and her role. Apparently if you are female and a brunette on this show, your expiry date is much sooner than everyone else's, for whatever reasons. To me, though, the main problem with the show over the past few seasons hasn't been casting decisions so much as moving away from actual profiling, which is what drew me into the show initially, and instead moving to a token two minutes of very shallow profiling per episode, with a good 10 minutes spent instead on action sequences, including one of the team physically taking out the unsub at the end. And every time I see one of those endings, I'm reminded of how Gideon told Reid in LDSK that he didn't need a gun, which I took to mean not that Reid shouldn't carry a gun, but that the ability to figure out the psychology of the unsub was much more critical. My UO is that if 95% of the time you have to rely on shooting the unsub just as he/she is about to kill yet another victim, instead of getting into the unsub's head and catching the unsub in a noncrisis situation, then you're not much of a profiler.

Edited April 18, 2015 by BookWoman56

[MCatry]

 

 

To me, though, the main problem with the show over the past few seasons hasn't been casting decisions so much as moving away from actual profiling, which is what drew me into the show initially, and instead moving to a token two minutes of very shallow profiling per episode, with a good 10 minutes spent instead on action sequences, including one of the team physically taking out the unsub at the end. And every time I see one of those endings, I'm reminded of how Gideon told Reid in LDSK that he didn't need a gun, which I took to mean not that Reid shouldn't carry a gun, but that the ability to figure out the psychology of the unsub was much more critical. My UO is that if 95% of the time you have to rely on shooting the unsub just as he/she is about to kill yet another victim, instead of getting into the unsub's head and catching the unsub in a noncrisis situation, then you're not much of a profiler.

Well, they send JJ and Morgan to do the arrests most of the time, leaving the brains (profilers) at the police stations, so the result is the uncanny pile of dead unsubs we've seen along those last years...

[zannej]

MMC, I know Elle figuritively shot Lee in the back, but technically she got him to turn around and face her. She said "Hey, Lee!" and he turned and then she shot him. She likely then put a drop gun in his hand. One of the sad things about that case was that they had his DNA and probaby would have caught him soon, but not before he found another victim (unless they set up another sting somehow).

[Russet29]

Zugzwang was on the other day and my (potentially) unpopular opinion is that I find it to be the worst episode of the series. The whole arc was terrible. It wasn't just how it ended, but also the plot holes and how they wrote Reid. I remember when we first found out about Maeve's stalker and she declined Reid's offer of help and he agreed to drop it. We're supposed to believe that this woman is the great love of his love and he decides to do nothing to try and find this psycho? He has the best of the best at his disposal (himself included) and he just stands by and "respects her wishes." Reid would never do that. He ends up looking like such an idiot. I even hated him going to Hotch and the team at the beginning of the episode with his lip quivering asking for help. I don't know if it's the acting, if it's the fact I don't really buy into their relationship, or if it's because he should have taken action months prior to her abduction. I imagine it's a combo platter. I won't get into the plot holes and stupid writing choices because there are far too many (how does he not know her last name?) and they have mostly been covered.

 

I know a lot of people online decry 200 as being the worst but I at least understand what they were trying to do and why they felt the need to do it. Other people bring up The Thirteenth Step as being the low point for the series and Lord knows it was awful, but it was a standalone episode with no repercussions on the team, so for me it's easily forgotten.

[Droogie]

I agree Russet29, that it was one of the worst (I hated the whole Reid/Maeve arc) but not with all the reasons you mention.

The whole thing was so contrived, and unfair to the character of Reid. I know 100 or more years ago, people really did begin correspondence and fall in love without ever meeting, so I could buy that, especially with Reid, who is definitely somewhat of a throwback to another time with some of his attitudes.

But I, like you, don't think for a minute he'd sit idly by while she was threatened to the point of being unable to show her face or reveal her identity, at least to Reid, who she had come to trust. I don't know if I think he would feel so powerless, either -- I think he'd be afraid for her, but always in the past, his fear spurred him to action, not immobility. While being "in love" may have changed his reactions somewhat, he would still know what needed to be done to help her. And Reid is unselfish: even if he thought she would hate him for taking action, he would still have done something.

I could buy their secret phone calls, if I squint, and that he was afraid to meet face-to-face, but is don't think for a minute that he wouldn't know her last name, even if they did decide to address letters to one another with code names. He may have been concerned that he'd upset her and she wouldn't be interested in him anymore, but he wouldn't let that stop him from trying to help.

Also, I hated for him to say that he was "the dumbest person in the room." I call BS. He is never the dumbest person in the room.

He would've tried for the gun when Diane kissed him, not just sat there. And when he wrestled her for it, he would've overtaken her. He may not be Morgan, but he's not a weakling. He would have had adrenaline working for him. And he would've succeeded.

He wouldn't have replied to Garcia and JJ with that stupid knock when they came to check on him. He wouldn't have spent two weeks completely incommunicado in his bathrobe. And he wouldn't have spent the plane ride home from San Francisco blithely talking about how many baskets Garcia left him.

I thought MGG delivered beautifully with the tripe he was given to work with. If the writers insisted on ripping his guts out (why, I'll never understand), they would've still let him be the brilliant profiler that he is. I actually liked the scenes in "Alchemy." I thought they wrapped up what was a clunky, insulting arc well enough.

But I haaaaaaate "Zugzwang" with a purple passion. For the reasons I mentioned above and for the fact that Reid had his heart ripped out and stomped on. There was no need to break the cutie that way. His stunned and heartbroken face, plus the music in the closing scene after Maeve was shot, is the only reason I need to never, ever revisit that episode, if I didn't have millions of other ones.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

But I haaaaaaate "Zugzwang" with a purple passion. For the reasons I mentioned above and for the fact that Reid had his heart ripped out and stomped on. There was no need to break the cutie that way. His stunned and heartbroken face, plus the music in the closing scene after Maeve was shot, is the only reason I need to never, ever revisit that episode, if I didn't have millions of other ones.

 

Another thing I kind of call BS on is that its only Alex who has what I consider an emotional reaction to Maeve being shot, because she's the sole person who closes her eyes when the gun goes off. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure ya'll know I loved Alex and what little they gave her to do, and I appreciated both her encouragement of Spencer and the way she helped him get focused when Maeve went missing, but for her to be the only one who visibly seems crushed for Reid when we only saw her know him prior to that for less than a year? It doesn't totally work for me.

[Russet29]

Though it may have looked stupid if they all looked devastated. I mean this all took place over the course of what, two days? They barely had time to process the fact that this woman Reid loved had a stalker and the next thing they know she's dead. I think shock was an appropriate reaction, particularly considering they all know how to handle a weapon and any of them could have shot Diane in the head,  but instead they just watched it all unfold and kind of let her die. Another annoying writing decision.

[ForeverAlone]

I do agree about the implausibility of Reid sitting idly by as the woman he loves has a violent stalker. Reid has always been very protective of women he cares, so that should have gone doubly for Maeve. 

 

And yes, Reid should have been able to wrestle the gun away from Diane. We know he is capable of doing it, like we saw in "Derailed" and "Somebody's Watching," 

 

But since this entire arc was set up for Maeve to die (and originally never have them meet), they had to go with a lot of unrealistic story contortions to make it work. The writers were more concerned about meeting some already decided upon ending (like them having to contort plausibility enough in "100" because they were compelled to kill Haley) than writing a good, compelling, believable love story for Reid.

Edited April 30, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[zannej]

While I think the premise of Zugzwang was stupid, I do get why Reid remained inactive. Legally he could not actually do anything about it. He couldn't do anything unless Maeve requested it. Now, I know the law doesn't always stop people from doing things on TV-- and the law certainly didn't stand in the way in "200"-- but I also don't have a problem with Reid respecting Maeve's wishes. Unless she gave him info and he had legal grounds to investigate, his hands were proverbially tied. He wouldn't want to risk her cutting him off if he pushed too hard. It just wasn't in his nature. Maybe he was hoping that she would eventually let him in and allow him to help. Now, what I *did* have a problem with was Maeve having a resource like Reid and not allowing him to help. He's a freaking FBI agent. Maeve would probably still be alive if she'd let Reid help.

 

And lets not forget how her Maeve's ex hired a private detective yet the team never asked for the name of said detective and never tried to get info from the guy. I sort of suspected the PI was also hired to work for Curtis. Remember in the previous episode when Reid went to the restaurant and they knew his name? Reservations were clearly in his name. Yet supposedly they were in Maeve's name later on? BS. First of all, if she were being stalked, she would not have done that. It made no sense. So it could only have been the PI as the common link who lied about how he got the info.

 

I also despised the "dumbest person in the room" line and I hated how they had him act like such a pathetic child. It was totally out of character. And then JJ was rolling her eyes at Reid and acting like he was some sort of loser and being bitchy to him instead of sympathetic. I get why Hotch was stern and in control, but JJ was supposed to be Reid's friend, but she was giving him sideye and treating him like shit. There was not one ounce of sympathy from her. And didn't Garcia make some inappropriate cracks or something? I felt like nobody but Hotch, Reid, and Blake really seemed to care. (I don't remember Morgan's contributions at all).

 

And then we had Reid sitting passively when he could have tried to grab the gun away. The fact that he just sat there like an idiot and let her kiss him... Totally bogus. He's physically strong enough to have overpowered her. And then he says the wrong things like an idiot and makes Diane want to kill herself and Maeve-- and I still don't buy that the bullet would have gone through both of them or that SWAT couldn't have taken her out before she could shoot.

 

It was just so much to swallow. It had emotional impact, but it was just so poorly done.

[callie lee 29]

My massive UO's: I love JJ, if she, Morgan, and Rossi were gone I'd be out. I also don't think there's been that much emphasis on her when compared the the S1-2 that was the Reid/Gideon hour. And I like Reid, but I don't think he's the most amazing thing ever. And the whole Maeve storyline honestly made me stop watching more than any other plot since it's inception.

 

I do wish there would be more episodes about the team actually being profilers, but I don't necessarily mind the occasional episodes that are more unsub heavy.

 

I'm meh on JLH, she's fine. I just don't see the actress gelling with the cast. I don't know, something seems off.

[MCatry]

My massive UO's: I love JJ, if she, Morgan, and Rossi were gone I'd be out. I also don't think there's been that much emphasis on her when compared the the S1-2 that was the Reid/Gideon hour. And I like Reid, but I don't think he's the most amazing thing ever. And the whole Maeve storyline honestly made me stop watching more than any other plot since it's inception.

 

I do wish there would be more episodes about the team actually being profilers, but I don't necessarily mind the occasional episodes that are more unsub heavy.

 

I'm meh on JLH, she's fine. I just don't see the actress gelling with the cast. I don't know, something seems off.

I am exactly the opposite:

I don't care about JJ, Morgan or Rossi, and I'm actually sorry JLH is leaving (and I may add i wish Garcia would just get back to the small, quirky role she had in the first season). I wish the unsub would never overtake the screen time of the profiling.

I think that one of the reasons people have actually opposite opinions is because is cast became too large to handle appropriately. In any tv show you have one or two main characters, then some other two or three supporting roles, and then two minor characters. At one point, Messer decided that each one of the seven characters was worthy of 'main' status, and hence anytime one character is highlighted, at least one (and often two) completely drop from the earth.

I seriously think the only solution is to shrink the cast. And not with just one member.

[secnarf]

I am exactly the opposite:

I don't care about JJ, Morgan or Rossi, and I'm actually sorry JLH is leaving (and I may add i wish Garcia would just get back to the small, quirky role she had in the first season). I wish the unsub would never overtake the screen time of the profiling.

I think that one of the reasons people have actually opposite opinions is because is cast became too large to handle appropriately. In any tv show you have one or two main characters, then some other two or three supporting roles, and then two minor characters. At one point, Messer decided that each one of the seven characters was worthy of 'main' status, and hence anytime one character is highlighted, at least one (and often two) completely drop from the earth.

I seriously think the only solution is to shrink the cast. And not with just one member.

I don't even think that's necessary. They could easily fit in more main cast time by cutting unsub time in half (or even cutting it by two thirds), and giving them all back their (somewhat) specialized roles would help a lot with managing the cast. This includes returning Garcia to her original role.

Having said that, I wouldn't be opposed to Morgan leaving. Of all of the main characters, he's the one I care the least about. I don't actively dislike him, but I wouldn't miss him either. I think I'd even rather Morgan leave than Kate, even though she's much newer.

Edited May 6, 2015 by secnarf

[Guesswht]

Having said that, I wouldn't be opposed to Morgan leaving. Of all of the main characters, he's the one I care the least about. I don't actively dislike him, but I wouldn't miss him either. I think I'd even rather Morgan leave than Kate, even though she's much newer.

I think he's leaving and she's staying.

[amensisterfriend]

My massive UO's: I love JJ,

 

I actually love finding people who love JJ because I'm always so genuinely curious: how would you describe her character? What do you see as her strengths and flaws? I hold the very UO of never really 'getting' who JJ was supposed to be, even way back in the show's golden years when most fans loved her, so I'd love to hear your thoughts :) 

 

A UO of my own: As much as I love Paget Brester, I sometimes think that Emily was no better defined than JJ and maybe even more inconsistent. As confessed here before, I still miss my semi-dorky Emily of S2 :)

 

callie, I'm totally with you on hating the Maeve storyline, by the way! 

 

And I do agree with you that the first season and much of the second were heavily centered on Reid and Gideon (and, in my view, Hotch) rather than a truly equal ensemble, but my UO is that that dynamic actually worked for me :) I've always held the unpopular opinion of appreciating what the brilliant but teetering-on-the-edge-of-sanity Gideon brought to the show, and his relationships with Reid and Hotch (and Reid and Hotch's with each other) back in S1 remain one of my all-time favorite things about the show. (As does Reid/Elle, but that's another UO!) 

 

That's why if my house were on fire and I could save just one set of CM DVDs, I think I'd pick S1 over the understandably more popular S4. I might even pick the flawed but at times fabulous S2 over S4. It's not that I don't love S4---I do! And I love and even admire both Rossi and Emily,...but Elle and Gideon, for fictional purposes, were more interesting to me, due in no small part to their flaws. And back then the team had more clearly defined strengths actual specialties and niches rather than ALL fulfilling the same freaking role.  *wistful sigh* 

 

At one point, Messer decided that each one of the seven characters was worthy of 'main' status, and hence anytime one character is highlighted, at least one (and often two) completely drop from the earth.

 

Wait, you don't enjoy when a given character's only role that episode is to awkwardly complete someone else's sentence in the most unnatural, scripted way possible while presenting the profile? I can't imagine why! ;)

[ForeverAlone]

It's not surprising that season 1 was so heavily Gideon focused. Mandy was the star of the show, even with Thomas providing able backup. All you have to do is look at the DVD cover of season 1 to see the cast dynamics in play. :) :) :)

But yes, it worked for me as well. I liked how the dynamics changed in season 3, but that was when Rossi was a bit of a dick and not the cuddly uncle, which is how I preferred him. I mean I prefer him as a dick, because it was more interesting to watch. All the characters had flaws and edges back then, and the character interplay felt more dynamic and not blandly loving. Ironically enough, for me, the team felt more like a family than later when it was explicitly stated and shoved down our throats.

So as an ardent feminist, maybe my unpopular opinion is that I prefer male influenced shown of the first few years rather than the woman power version since Erica took over. Even with good female characters, I prefer my crime thrillers to be more hard edged, and Erica is all about gooey softness, even though she created the unpleasantly hard edged JJ. Yeah I know, it doesn't make sense, but I liked the show when it was harder edged, but don't like new, harder edge JJ. But that is something more about JJ, because I adored harder edged Elle and Emily.

Edited May 8, 2015 by ForeverAlone

[normasm]

 

And I do agree with you that the first season and much of the second were heavily centered on Reid and Gideon (and, in my view, Hotch) rather than a truly equal ensemble, but my UO is that that dynamic actually worked for me :) I've always held the unpopular opinion of appreciating what the brilliant but teetering-on-the-edge-of-sanity Gideon brought to the show, and his relationships with Reid and Hotch (and Reid and Hotch's with each other) back in S1 remain one of my all-time favorite things about the show. (As does Reid/Elle, but that's another UO!) 

 

 

Amen, sisterfriend! It should be that way again, although now we don't have a sub for Gideon - Rossi, when he stopped being a bitch, mellowed a bit too much for me, especially in the last 4 seasons, and Morgan can't be thrust into a co-equal role with Hotch-Reid, he just wouldn't be up to it. I don't know how i would do it, and this may be for the Fantasy thread, but i wish it could feature Hotch and Reid over everyone else, but with a balance in the team overall.

[smoker]

Oh, and here's another UO: I don't really enjoy 100, frequently lauded as the best episode of the series. Yeah...I said it :) 

I love this!!! I'm having a great time reading your opinions, thank you!!

And there are so many things I want to say it's going to be like the old testament haha

 

Ok, I do love Hotch character, totally biased about that, what can I say? I have a type... But I hate they turn Haley in a tragic victim and I don't think 100 is one of the best episodes of the show.

I do agree, I love him more when Gideon was on board, he was a richer character. I have to add I like him and Rossi too, but I think is more due to a good chemistry between good actors and a well written scenes. And Gideon was a great character, well written and performed.

In my opinion, Hotch become a little bit Gideon after he was gone, that need for being a savior hunting monsters, I love Rossi and Hotch chat in omnivore episode, Rossi was terrific there.

Anyway, I'm conflicted about his evolve, he was better in the begining of the show, but after loosing Elle, Gideon and his "lovely wife" literally getting rip of him, it feels right his grim demeanor. However, it's absolutely wrong (to me) the change in his leadership, letting his team go rogue and unprofessional, and go rogue himself after lecturing Morgan and Seever??  about the subject, that is OOC for me. He is (or was) a by the book agent.

Back to episode 100, something I hate in every show about agents of the law, other departaments or agencies are always stupid or incompetent or both. How in the name of god that marshal made that rookie mistakes: keep her phone number, didn't school her about security, didn't show her a picture of the reaper!!!

Why didn't the reaper shot her before she talked to Hotch? you bet I'd have done that if I hear her rambling about his smiley past and bla bla bla

Why didn't he abducted Jack? I know, I am worse than the reaper himself!

 

I hate the holes in their relationship storyline too. And it hurts my eyes all that pictures of Haley everywhere. Couldn't he keep them in Jack's room? Maybe one of the family in the living room. When Haley left him he took off his wedding ring and the picture of his office. He was visibly angry with her. He was divorced for 2 years when Haley was murdered.

Let's talk about Beth, bad casting and writing, the lack of chemistry was a pain. I don't watch scandal but I pick up on youtube a few scenes and she looks good there. Unrealistic, Maybe this is in my head but I don't see Hotch as a dormat male, and her stalking, cheating and "squeeze" maners. They both were horny there is not other reason for that relationship. oooh and their I love yous sound so fake I almost puke on my mouth (maybe that's only on my head too)

other things I hate:

Morgan being a bully when he thinks he is right and everybody else is wrong

Morgan and Garcia weird relationship, period

Morgan calling Reid pretty boy

Emily abducted a child and everybody was so cool about it

Hotch and Gideon didn't want Emily in the team and they were right, she had ulterior motives. I hate nobody call her off in that matter, I guess death give you a free pass for your lies and crimes

Will is a subproduct of AJ Cook's pregnancy, and he is a creepy dormat

JJ's attitude towards Reid after Emily is back

the classic messy/junkie younger brother Hotchner, really??

Reid's long fingernails

the lost daughter, really?? God bless Joe Mantegna, he can sell almost everything

that horrible doble date of Rossi and Hotch at the Jazz club

and more things but I'm falling asleep so this is it

 

*And sorry for any grammar mistakes

 

[smoker]

"And I do agree with you that the first season and much of the second were heavily centered on Reid and Gideon (and, in my view, Hotch) rather than a truly equal ensemble, but my UO is that that dynamic actually worked for me :) I've always held the unpopular opinion of appreciating what the brilliant but teetering-on-the-edge-of-sanity Gideon brought to the show, and his relationships with Reid and Hotch (and Reid and Hotch's with each other) back in S1 remain one of my all-time favorite things about the show. (As does Reid/Elle, but that's another UO!)"

 

Amen, sisterfriend! It should be that way again, although now we don't have a sub for Gideon - Rossi, when he stopped being a bitch, mellowed a bit too much for me, especially in the last 4 seasons, and Morgan can't be thrust into a co-equal role with Hotch-Reid, he just wouldn't be up to it. I don't know how i would do it, and this may be for the Fantasy thread, but i wish it could feature Hotch and Reid over everyone else, but with a balance in the team overall.

 

I'm quoting you both, I do agree with you, It takes a strong showrunner keep quality over actors demands of more airtime. Love Breaking bad or Justified about that. Justified got some powerful characters, some weeks they only have a couple of minutes or they were absence but they had a good writing and a great cast. Criminal minds still has a great cast, they need everything else back.

Edited May 9, 2015 by smoker

[Droogie]

I personally don't feel that it is a coincidence that Seasons 1-4 heavily featured Reid and that it was also CM's heyday. I know Reid was originally considered to be some of the "color" of the series and not the principal, but he quickly captivated the audience. If Reid/Hotch/Rossi with a splash of Morgan had the majority of the focus, I would be ecstatic. I don't know that Morgan-centric episodes dominated ratings, but Reid-centric episodes helped make the show what it is.

Even if Reid isn't your favorite character, the episodes in which he is heavily featured also show a great team dynamic and profiling. It works.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

New UO: I need Paget Brewster to not come back to CM. Not want, need.

 

I loved Emily Prentiss, both the original version and the version produced by the contortions the writers put her through. But that window is closed, and Paget is doing other things now. If nothing else, all it'd do is gratify the shrieking Cassandras who promised an appearance by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, or at least the cancellation of the show, if Emily didn't come back, and as neither of those things happened, maybe her departure wasn't really that catastrophic. I have my own theories as to what role the Cassandras had in Jeanne's (and Jennifer's) deciding to leave, and they're probably neither here nor there. All I can say is, no one deserves that kind of unreasoned vitriol, and what's so ironic about it is that I'd bet cash that many of the people who love Emily now, and because they loved Emily hated Alex and Kate, are the same people who detested Prentiss when she first showed her face.

[normasm]

Wasn't Kassandra the one who kept telling the truth and no one listened? Ah, no matter. I agree that Emily is gone from the show, and I hope the Kate/Alex experiments are, too. And the vitriol that remains is aimed where it should be, at the writers and show runners, when it is deserved.

[MCatry]

Just one question, since I'm missing the cultural reference.

Who is Kassandra?

[Old Dog]

Cassandra is a figure from Greek mythology who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo but when she refused to sleep with him he cursed her to never have her prophecies believed.

[Guesswht]

I'd love to see Emily Prentiss again, but i think it's more 'hurtful' to see her coming back for 1 episode and leaving (...) than not seeing her at all.

[MCatry]

Cassandra is a figure from Greek mythology who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo but when she refused to sleep with him he cursed her to never have her prophecies believed.

I get that, but not what has to do with Emily.

Never mind,

I don't want her back neither. What's done, is done.

[missmycat]

I don't want her back either. And I am saying this as someone who really loved Emily Prentiss and still misses her, but as far as I am concern she is CM's past.I also can't help but feel that her return would be rewarding those fanatics who seemed in capable of understanding Paget Brewster left on her own and has no desire to return full time.So they were determined to give neither Alex or Kate a snowball chance in hell because of it.They will probably also be of the mindset that if PB was able to make one guest appearance why couldn't she make another one and then another one. And so on and so on. Plus my fear is that she will once again be returning in the capacity of yet another huge JJ centric episode. Where the team as a whole will probably play as little role as possible in it.

 

[Droogie]

I don't want her back either. And I am saying this as someone who really loved Emily Prentiss and still misses her, but as far as I am concern she is CM's past.I also can't help but feel that her return would be rewarding those fanatics who seemed in capable of understanding Paget Brewster left on her own and has no desire to return full time.So they were determined to give neither Alex or Kate a snowball chance in hell because of it.They will probably also be of the mindset that if PB was able to make one guest appearance why couldn't she make another one and then another one. And so on and so on. Plus my fear is that she will once again be returning in the capacity of yet another huge JJ centric episode. Where the team as a whole will probably play as little role as possible in it.

I completely adore Emily but this is my fear as well.

[Saje]

I think it would be nice to see Prentiss again, but I'd like it to be an episode about HER. Like, what the doodle has she been up to these past years? The brief, stilted glimpse of her we got in 200 was unsatisfying in the extreme. I wouldn't want her back full-time, but if she popped in once and again it wouldn't chafe.

[takinalp]

My unpopular opinion is the forced "Oh look, Reid is being reciting trivia again. Everyone, be impressed!" moments make me roll my eyes every single time. I feel most people would find his ramblings annoying more than anything else. Yes, Reid is a genius and he contributes a whole lot, but I don't care for his character at all, especially since he feels like a "Mary/Gary-stu" most of the time. I like the way they wrote Alex in regards to being a very smart person a lot better than Reid and his in-your-face-and-talking-off-your-ears scenes.

 

Also, I don't understand how people find him attractive... him or that ridiculous hair of his.

[Saje]

And here I am in the throes of the biggest celeb crush I've ever known - Matthew. And the more I find out about him the more I'm into him. He's multi-talented, generous, kind, intelligent, weird, humble... and so, so beautiful. His hair? I love it all ways. I've yet to hate a hairstyle, even the dreaded shaved neck I loved.

 

Obviously, mileage varies, but to me Reid is one of the most valuable and uniquely realized characters prime time television has ever seen. I hope he plays him for thirty more years. 

[MCatry]

I loved old Reid.

This new Reid is just too scarce to notice, really. But it is true that nowadays he only recites data and facts in most of his scenes (or just ask rather dumb questions that will promptly be answered by any -really-any other person in the room.

[Saje]

Well no, not really, I disagree. Reid hasn't been a cipher since season 7. He had a ton of screen time and a personal arc in 8 with Maeve, became a hero many times over in 9 as he saved Blake's life twice AND brought a baby into the world as well as foiled a would-be magician/kingpin/slaver in the Las Vegas tunnels. And I haven't even gotten to 10 yet.

 

Take the episodes as they come, one by one. Reid has many shining moments. 

[takinalp]

I don't really know much about the actor himself, so I have nothing against him as a person; I barely have enough free time to watch the show itself. I used to like him as the bumbling awkward genius-yet-a-social-moron agent in the early seasons, he was really endearing, but now he really is starting to sound like a Gary Stu and I've always hated this type of characters. I find them boring and given way too much focus that it ends up being cringe-worthy. For example, the things you mentioned... couldn't they give some of these shining moments to someone else, yeesh.

 

I have no feelings towards Reid/Maeve as a couple, but their storyline was awful... it felt unnecessary tragic and melodramatic. Whoop dee doo, yet another murdered *female* love interest. Thanks for introducing this character just to provide some angst for the fan-favorite male character, that's exactly what the show needed. At least with Haley, we had time to actually know about her and her relationship with Hotch. Her death and his reaction to it were given more emotional weight than some random lady. RIP Maeve, we hardly knew ya!

 

I guess we just have agree to disagree, and I know not a lot of people agree with me hence the 'unpopular opinion' ha! I just don't find him unique or that impressive... to be honest, none of them are. Most of the acting is bland and mediocre that some guest stars do better jobs than the main cast. I'd rather have more analysis and profiling done than watch yet another "oh woe is [character]" episode where the rest of the characters stand aside while the 'chosen one' struggle to keep the episode going.

 

Still, I love the show and look forward to more seasons.

[MCatry]

 

I'd rather have more analysis and profiling done than watch yet another "oh woe is [character]" episode where the rest of the characters stand aside while the 'chosen one' struggle to keep the episode going.

 

I agree with a number of things you said, but specially this.

Centric episodes with cheesy side stories are very annoying for me.

[missmycat]

I agree with a number of things you said, but specially this.

Centric episodes with cheesy side stories are very annoying for me.

Do you mean like those so called B stories Rossi got that seemed like they'd have been better suited for NCIS or one of it spin offs. Of course that isn't anywhere as bad as the whole damn episode looking like it would have been better suited for one of the NCIS's. Especially when said episode was a huge milestone one.

Edited May 30, 2015 by missmycat

[MCatry]

Do you mean like those so called B stories Rossi got that seemed like they'd have been better suited for NCIS or one of it spin offs. Of course that isn't anywhere as bad as the whole damn episode looking like it would have been better suited for one of the NCIS's. Especially when said episode was a huge milestone one.

Absolutely.

Rossi's centric episodes featuring his links with veterans may fit more the newest version of NCIS, but I am mostly talking about rather ridiculous, 'painful-to-watch' side stories, such as

- Garcia, Sam and the Ukelele

- Morgan and Savannah (the canon line 'the world need us' sums neatly their supreme cheesiness).

- JJ and Henry, and that stuff about her secret dead sister that was already used thrice.

- Morgan and his past abuse, also already featured thrice.

- Rossi and Strauss - do I need to say more?

- Hotch and Beth, and the weird notion that Jessica is willing to be the eternal nanny for Hotch.

- Reid and Maeve.

- Garcia whining for half an episode because she felt guilty she almost killed a killer.

- Garcia as the black queen. Just... Wrong.

- Morgan, Reid and Garcia, and the fitness test.

And on top of that... Rossi's daughter episode.

I'm not even going to mention other side stories already criticised abundantly, just to avoid redundancy.

I am pretty sure they wasted over ten episodes with all those stories scattered here and there.

Edited May 31, 2015 by MCatry

[DonnaJo]

And on top of that..........Rossi's daughter episode

 

Ugh! The cheesiest cheese in the world. I'm sure there are people out there who have children they didn't know about, but would Rossi's wife really never tell him about his daughter because he wasn't ready to settle down? How cruel. At least give him chance to step up or not. 

 

Surprised they haven't given Morgan a "love child" episode, since he's such a playa.

[smoker]

Absolutely.

Rossi's centric episodes featuring his links with veterans may fit more the newest version of NCIS, but I am mostly talking about rather ridiculous, 'painful-to-watch' side stories, such as

- Garcia, Sam and the Ukelele

- Morgan and Savannah (the canon line 'the world need us' sums neatly their supreme cheesiness).

- JJ and Henry, and that stuff about her secret dead sister that was already used thrice.

- Morgan and his past abuse, also already featured thrice.

- Rossi and Strauss - do I need to say more?

- Hotch and Beth, and the weird notion that Jessica is willing to be the eternal nanny for Hotch.

- Reid and Maeve.

- Garcia whining for half an episode because she felt guilty she almost killed a killer.

- Garcia as the black queen. Just... Wrong.

- Morgan, Reid and Garcia, and the fitness test.

And on top of that... Rossi's daughter episode.

I'm not even going to mention other side stories already criticised abundantly, just to avoid redundancy.

I am pretty sure they wasted over ten episodes with all those stories scattered here and there.

 

I do agree, great list. I would like to add:

 

-the lack of continuity

 

-the missed opportunity to dig in Hotch's pass through the return of his brother, instead of that, we could witness another crappy storyline about the loser drug addict sibling, I don't get it, why is there one in almost any procedural? And I'm not a betting person but I wouldn't be surprised if Sean follows Gideon's path and dies to bring some drama 

 

-I've been rewatching and I miss some quality time between Reid and Hotch (and many other things...), they were closer back them and it would be great if that relationship was inclued more often

 

-I almost forgot, the repetitive plot transfering The Hotchners problems to The Jareaus, being Will the  house wife in season 7 until someone thought he still could be a cop in DC

Edited June 1, 2015 by smoker

[kdm07]

De-lurking to add my two cents:

 

1) I've become tired of Reid and his boy genius/socially awkward characterisation.

2) I've written before about liking JJ, moreso pre-S6 but I still like her now.

3) I never warmed to Elle and was quite okay with her being replaced by Emily.

Edited June 10, 2015 by kdm07

[amensisterfriend]

I love that we can safely confess our UOs here :)

 

The more I rewatch, the more I hold the UO that the extremely popular Emily was actually not much more defined or better written than the very unpopular JJ. With JJ the issue is more chronic underwriting (from the beginning, it felt to me like the writers never took even a few seconds to discuss who this woman is), while with Emily it's both that same underwriting and inconsistent writing (I've rambled about these inconsistencies elsewhere so I'll spare you a retread!) Either way, the result is that both are pretty generic, whatever-the-show-needs-them-to-be-in-any-given-episode characters who are just kind of blandly awesome in every way and lacking in distinct, relatable flaws.

 

The key difference for me is the acting---Paget Brewster managed to make Emily seem real to me, a character with thoughts, feelings, dreams, regrets, human vulnerabilities etc. despite the lack of definition and development and even outright inconsistencies in the writing for her character. AJ Cook, meanwhile, exudes this cold detachment and haughty snottiness to me even back when her character was supposedly 'the compassionate one.' I used to give the writers the benefit of the doubt, hoping that they were deliberately giving us a character who could deal well with the public at large and display a perfect calmness and good cheer in a crisis while frosty and distant with those she's allegedly close to out of self-protectiveness---a very interesting idea that I still try to convince myself of to make her character more compelling to me, but apparently not what the writers had in mind :) AJ Cook just doesn't sell me on her characters having an inner life, layers or even the complex emotions that nearly all human beings experience. She can't overcome the deficiencies in the writing the way Paget could for me in order to make JJ feel like a remotely real, three-dimensional person---but my UO is that on paper Emily was actually as poorly written and even more inconsistent.  

 

Even as an Elle fan (and, as confessed in an another post, a secretly semi-shipper of Elle and Reid!), I totally get the common criticisms about her character---that she was less likable, that she was the typical 'hard ass female law enforcement official with a not-so-secret vulnerable side' we've seen on many other shows, or even that Lola's acting was sometimes a little less than stellar. But at least she had a few distinctive traits, both strengths and flaws, which I appreciate even more in retrospect than I did when I first watched the show.  

 

Similarly, as much as I like Rossi, I definitely prefer the deeply flawed, complex, screwed up narcissist known as Gideon over post-S3 Rossi*, as I felt the former was a more compelling fictional character. (Gideon also projected the intellect and special talent for profiling that made him totally believable as a BAU legend for me---Rossi, as much as I love the actor and therefore enjoy the character, is more just like any other TV detective to me.  

 

*...But, as some of us have chatted about before, the prickly, stubbornly independent, semi-lone wolf Rossi of S3 and maybe a little beyond was awesome and intriguing...it's the more dully soft, stereotypical Italian grandpa who loves pasta and bringing his work family together and contributes sadly little that's unique to the team who I find a lot less compelling to watch. 

[ForeverAlone]

I have always compared Gideon and Rossi. I think both of them are very good at their jobs, but in very different ways. Of course that is a reflection of their personalities and gifts. I have consistently said that Gideon was the best natural profiler the BAU has ever seen on that show, and I stand by that. NO ONE was better at profiling than Gideon, because he could feel everything. He could get inside the victims' heads. He could get inside the unsubs' heads. But unfortunately that gift came from the fact that he felt EVERYTHING, and had not effective way of blocking it out. Hence he was crap at compartamentalizing and subject to periodic meltdowns. 

 

While I consider Gideon to the sort of person who is naturally gifted at something and doesn't have to try too hard (think of those people in school who aced all the tests while barely studying), I think Rossi has a more workmanlike quality to him. He was at the top of the class, not because he was the smartest, but because he worked harder than his peers. He had to study more to get to the top, but he was good at his job. He is also good at profiling, but he is not as naturally gifted at it as Gideon. Of course that enables him to compartamentalize and walk away from a case when it is over. More than almost any other profiler, I think Rossi is the one who doesn't take the job home with him. And that is why I liked Rossi when he was more of a dick. He had an edge to him and it was interesting to see the team interact with him in different ways. Part of it is because I think Joe's acting is better suited to that and not the more emotional stuff that the writers have given him in later years. It just doesn't feel believable to me. 

 

I think from a show perspective (though obviously from a story perspective it would not have happened), it would have been really interesting to see the real dynamic of gifted Gideon and dickish Rossi on the team at the same time. Somehow I doubt it would have been the hearts and flowers bonding we saw in the flashbacks in "Nelson's Sparrow" and that would have been okay. I preferred it when the team had their own individual interpersonal dynamics and conflicts. It made it more real and interesting. 

 

And I agree about Emily's inconsistent characterization and Paget's ability to elevate the material she was given. I see it in her other roles as well. She just has this natural ability to infuse life, intelligence and experience into her characters. It's that ability to transcend the words and add another level of emotionality that Matthew has as well when it comes to Reid. He hasn't gotten much in the way of compelling stories in recent years or a whole lot of interesting lines, but when he does get something interesting, Matthew can convey more with his eyes than most actors can with words. He truthfully said comparatively little in "Nelson's Sparrow", but he was able to portray a whole range of emotions to let us know what Reid was thinking and feeling that made his performance seem bigger than it actually was in terms of screentime. 

 

If we really sat back and thought about it, there wasn't a whole lot of deep characterization in the first several seasons (I personally think Reid was one of the ones who had a fuller backstory and characterization), but those writers were able to convey so much more with less. I mean is, in the early years, we saw very little of the characters' home lives, because the show was more of a workplace drama. So we saw them at work, but we saw them interacting like real people at work, and have personal conversations and the like. Just like most of us do. So we were able to get a bigger window into what these characters were like just by seeing them on the job. 

[amensisterfriend]

Fantastic thoughts and insights as usual, Forever Alone---and I'm not saying that purely because our opinions happen to be similar more often than not ;) (I think we're among the only CM fans on earth who really like S7!) 

 

I really love the contrasts you drew between the intellectually lofty Gideon, so simultaneously blessed and cursed by his natural talent for profiling, and the more gritty, prickly, tough S3-ish Rossi.  

 

And that is why I liked Rossi when he was more of a dick. He had an edge to him and it was interesting to see the team interact with him in different ways. Part of it is because I think Joe's acting is better suited to that and not the more emotional stuff that the writers have given him in later years. It just doesn't feel believable to me.

 

YES!  

 

I think from a show perspective (though obviously from a story perspective it would not have happened), it would have been really interesting to see the real dynamic of gifted Gideon and dickish Rossi on the team at the same time. Somehow I doubt it would have been the hearts and flowers bonding we saw in the flashbacks in "Nelson's Sparrow" and that would have been okay.

 

Exactly. I think their dynamic could have been among the most fascinating on the entire show---and while I see them as developing a grudging mutual respect and even slight camaraderie over time, their kumbaya-ish scenes in Nelson's Sparrow rang so false for me. 

 

If we really sat back and thought about it, there wasn't a whole lot of deep characterization in the first several seasons (I personally think Reid was one of the ones who had a fuller backstory and characterization), but those writers were able to convey so much more with less. I mean is, in the early years, we saw very little of the characters' home lives, because the show was more of a workplace drama. So we saw them at work, but we saw them interacting like real people at work, and have personal conversations and the like. Just like most of us do. So we were able to get a bigger window into what these characters were like just by seeing them on the job

 

It's so true. With this show, less really was more---I adore the crumbs of characterization we got in the show's earliest seasons and how naturally they were woven into the scripts. There was just enough to give us glimpses into the characters' inner lives, but there was also a lot left to our collective imagination. Once they started pounding us over the head with the forced They Are All Family! stuff and trying to show us more overtly 'personal' scenes, I actually found myself disappointed with the results. And as I've said before, this show has an unparalleled knack for giving characters more screentime and personal storylines WITHOUT managing to illuminate a single thing about who they are, how they think and feel, what their dreams and fears are, etc.

 

I preferred it when the team had their own individual interpersonal dynamics and conflicts. It made it more real and interesting.

 

I've ranted elsewhere about how much I hate how they now all seemingly have the same perspectives, areas of expertise, professional and personal strengths, relationships with one another etc., so suffice it to say that I wholeheartedly agree! I think one reason why I like Gideon and Elle much more than most do is that their flaws and edges brought more of a distinctive feel to the intra-team dynamics, and the whole team wasn't all equally, blandly 'best work friends' with every other character. And the Gideon/Reid relationship will always be among my very favorites. 

 

Another one: I really do love early seasons Hotch, which I realize isn't too unpopular, but my UO is that he hasn't done much for me for several seasons now. I'd still rank him higher than JJ and Morgan on my personal list of favorites, but I no longer have that 'not sure I could even watch the show if he weren't on it' feeling about the character. And before Hotch fans hurl cyber-weapons at me, I should clarify that I'm blaming the writing more than the acting here! 

[Droogie]

I love that we can safely confess our UOs here :)

 

The more I rewatch, the more I hold the UO that the extremely popular Emily was actually not much more defined or better written than the very unpopular JJ. With JJ the issue is more chronic underwriting (from the beginning, it felt to me like the writers never took even a few seconds to discuss who this woman is), while with Emily it's both that same underwriting and inconsistent writing (I've rambled about these inconsistencies elsewhere so I'll spare you a retread!) Either way, the result is that both are pretty generic, whatever-the-show-needs-them-to-be-in-any-given-episode characters who are just kind of blandly awesome in every way and lacking in distinct, relatable flaws.

 

The key difference for me is the acting---Paget Brewster managed to make Emily seem real to me, a character with thoughts, feelings, dreams, regrets, human vulnerabilities etc. despite the lack of definition and development and even outright inconsistencies in the writing for her character. AJ Cook, meanwhile, exudes this cold detachment and haughty snottiness to me even back when her character was supposedly 'the compassionate one.' I used to give the writers the benefit of the doubt, hoping that they were deliberately giving us a character who could deal well with the public at large and display a perfect calmness and good cheer in a crisis while frosty and distant with those she's allegedly close to out of self-protectiveness---a very interesting idea that I still try to convince myself of to make her character more compelling to me, but apparently not what the writers had in mind :) AJ Cook just doesn't sell me on her characters having an inner life, layers or even the complex emotions that nearly all human beings experience. She can't overcome the deficiencies in the writing the way Paget could for me in order to make JJ feel like a remotely real, three-dimensional person---but my UO is that on paper Emily was actually as poorly written and even more inconsistent.  

 

Even as an Elle fan (and, as confessed in an another post, a secretly semi-shipper of Elle and Reid!), I totally get the common criticisms about her character---that she was less likable, that she was the typical 'hard ass female law enforcement official with a not-so-secret vulnerable side' we've seen on many other shows, or even that Lola's acting was sometimes a little less than stellar. But at least she had a few distinctive traits, both strengths and flaws, which I appreciate even more in retrospect than I did when I first watched the show.  

 

Similarly, as much as I like Rossi, I definitely prefer the deeply flawed, complex, screwed up narcissist known as Gideon over post-S3 Rossi*, as I felt the former was a more compelling fictional character. (Gideon also projected the intellect and special talent for profiling that made him totally believable as a BAU legend for me---Rossi, as much as I love the actor and therefore enjoy the character, is more just like any other TV detective to me.  

 

*...But, as some of us have chatted about before, the prickly, stubbornly independent, semi-lone wolf Rossi of S3 and maybe a little beyond was awesome and intriguing...it's the more dully soft, stereotypical Italian grandpa who loves pasta and bringing his work family together and contributes sadly little that's unique to the team who I find a lot less compelling to watch.

Every. Word. Of. This.

[pawneerangers]

I've lurked forever but am stuck home sick and figured I would finally participate. A lot of my opinions seem to be unpopular here so I figured this would be the place to post. 

 

1) I don't think the first season is that great. I think the third, fourth and fifth seasons were the best ones. 

2) I don't like Gideon and have never liked Mandy Patinkin. He is a big reason why I don't like the first two seasons as much as most posters here. 

3) I always liked JJ and still do. Please don't kick me off these boards for that one!!!!! 

4) I have the opinion about Emily Prentiss that most of y'all seem to have about JJ. I didn't hate her but she was boring to me and I felt like the writers never knew what to do with her. And Paget Brewster has this way of always leaving her mouth open that annoyed me. 

5) I don't care either way about Garcia and Morgan's flirty friendship but I can't stand Kevin. I liked Xander Harris on Buffy the Vampire Slayer but just did not like him on this show. 

6) I like Will and think he and JJ seem like a nice match. 

7) Hotch bores me most of the time and I think Thomas Gibson is a wooden actor.

8) I still love the show. It's not perfect but I still think it's great and would never stop watching. It's one of the only shows that I can still watch all the time and never get sick of.  

[normasm]

Pawnee, no fear to have unpopular opinions, we don't care, as long as you are relatively nice! And you seem to be! I'm curious why you didn't mention Reid. is the character that inconsequential to you? Just curious. I agree with you about the first season and MP.

Opine away!!

[amensisterfriend]

Welcome, Pawneerangers! I think you'll find that all opinions are welcome here :) 

 

 

 

but I can't stand Kevin. I liked Xander Harris on Buffy the Vampire Slayer but just did not like him on this show.

 

We agree on this one! And I usually love geeky, 'adorkable' characters, but Kevin always irked me. The chemistry between him and Garcia felt really forced to me. 

 

 

 

I have the opinion about Emily Prentiss that most of y'all seem to have about JJ. I didn't hate her but she was boring to me and I felt like the writers never knew what to do with her.

 

I actually get this despite being a Prentiss fan, because as I've rambled about, the more I watch the more I realize that my affection for Prentiss had about 99% to do with the actress and almost nothing to do with how she was actually written, which I agree was usually lacking and/or inconsistent. 

 

 

 

6) I like Will and think he and JJ seem like a nice match.

 

I have always half-expected, half-hoped that Will will eventually be revealed as an Unsub...which, granted, is probably not so much unpopular as just warped and strange :) 

 

 

 

It's one of the only shows that I can still watch all the time and never get sick of.

 

There are so many episodes of this show that I can rewatch more than pretty much anything else ever---which, given the dark and twisted subject matter, probably says something alarming about me that I wouldn't care to have profiled :) 

Edited July 5, 2015 by amensisterfriend

[pawneerangers]

Thank you for the warm welcome! It means a lot. 

 

I'm sorry if I don't use the quote function right. 

 

 

 

 we don't care, as long as you are relatively nice! And you seem to be! I'm curious why you didn't mention Reid. is the character that inconsequential to you? Just curious. I agree with you about the first season and MP.

 

OMG, I can't believe someone else doesn't love the first season! Thank you! Is it just because of Gideon? 

 

And I flove Spencer Reid. I just didn't mention it because I thought that opinion seemed very popular! I also agree with the posters who love seeing Spencer's mom.  

 

 

 

And I usually love geeky, 'adorkable' characters, but Kevin always irked me. The chemistry between him and Garcia felt really forced to me.

 

Me too! 

 

 

 

I have always half-expected, half-hoped that Will will eventually be revealed as an Unsub...which, granted, is probably not so much unpopular as just warped and strange :)

 

LOL!!!! 

 

I didn't mention Rossi either and am not sure whether loving him is unpopular but he's one of my favorite characters.

 

This is probably unpopular but I also like Kate Callahan. Her niece is extremely annoying though.  

Edited July 5, 2015 by pawneerangers

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I don't think I've posted this yet but I think my only unpopular opinion is I don't want to see Reid have a romantic relationship with anyone. 

 

Out of curiosity, why not? I'm mainly asking because I think its so unfair that his sole in-canon relationship ended with a psycho killing the woman right ion front of him, and I'd like to see him have a real relationship.

[BookWoman56]

In the matter of the Hotch/Haley divorce, I was much more on Haley’s side than Hotch’s. IIRC, when they married, he was either in law school or had just started in the legal field, working as a prosecutor. Typically that job is a precursor to then going into private practice with a law firm, with more money and more flexible hours. Instead he opted to join the FBI and become a profiler. Obviously he was entitled to make that career choice, but I can’t blame Haley for not being on board with it, especially when his new job brought danger into their personal lives. I believe it was in The Fisher King that a messenger came to their home and delivered a message to Haley to pass along to Hotch. To me, that was the beginning of the end of the marriage. It’s one thing to know that your spouse is profiling dangerously violent killers and rapists; it’s quite another to have that element of crazy show up on your doorstep. Added to that was the issue of Hotch not being able to be there for events related to Jack. I don’t recall the specifics of the incident, but I remember that Hotch was unable to be there when Jack was ill and at the ER or something similar. That incident was probably another nail in the coffin, and I empathize with Haley. I know from personal experience that there can be a turning point in a marriage or relationship, when you realize that your spouse/significant other is simply never going to be there for you in stressful situations on any kind of regular basis.

 

So for me Haley’s decision to end the marriage doesn’t make her a villain in any way. She wasn’t getting what she needed/wanted out of the relationship and I see no indication that the situation was going to change. From her perspective, Hotch valued his job more than he did her and Jack. And when Foyet tricked her into revealing her location and she realized who he was, I don’t think what would have been going through her mind was that now she realized why Hotch pursued serial killers. I think it’s much more likely she would have been thinking that the combination of her ex-husband’s career and his team’s failure to catch Foyet was going to cost her life and quite possibly the life of their son as well. (FWIW, the phone call during which Haley tells Hotch to let Jack see the less serious side of him makes no damn sense whatsoever; she would have been expecting Foyet to kill Jack as well, even if Jack was hiding.) I realize that it’s very unlikely that a serial killer would target the family of a profiler, but that’s another issue entirely. 

 

If Haley had married Hotch knowing he was going into a dangerous career that meant he would frequently be away from her and their child, I would have less sympathy for her, even though I firmly believe that either party has a right to bail on a marriage when one or both realizes it’s just not working any more. But it bothers me that now Haley is dead, all of a sudden Hotch seemingly does have more time to spend with Jack than he did previously. What that says to me is that he could have cut back on his crazy hours while they were still married, but chose not to. Again, Hotch was entitled to make the decision he did regarding his career, but I can’t in any way see him as a victim in the divorce issue. He made his choices and those were the consequences; to me, it doesn’t say much for Hotch that Haley had to die for him to make Jack a higher priority in his life.

[normasm]

Hayley wasn't a villain IMO either, but if you expect your mate to stay exactly as s/he was when your relationship began, I don't care who you are, you are in for a big shock five to ten to fifteen years on, if you're so lucky. Especially these days, people start doing something in their 20s, and go on to something else by the time of their 30s or 40s. Add in the mix kids and everything is up for grabs. I know it's not at all easy, but a person has to be very flexible if they plan to live with someone the "rest of" their lives.