Season 10 Spoilers, Speculation, and Stabs in the Dark!

[spinner33]

I sure hope MGG and TG both are sticking up for themselves at the contract negotiations!

[Saje]

I don't know why, but I feel like Shemar isn't leaving. I know he said he would after the tenth season, but I don't think he expected the show to go beyond that. Plus, Morgan hasn't really been given a lot to do this season and I, like some of you, would like to see him go out with a bang. Same for any of the regulars that might go. 

 

I will definitely join others in saying that if Matthew leaves, it stops being appointment TV for me.

[SSAHotchner]

A blurb from TVGuide on the finale: http://www.tvguide.com/special/finale-preview-2015/gallery/must-watch-tv-finales-2015/photo/2a637919-c8ee-4daa-a1b3-cdc9d0ce1601/

It mostly contains the same information we found out from other articles. The only newish information is that Kate and Hotch are somewhat aware of Meg being catfished before the actual kidnapping and they are writing in AJ's pregnancy, which Jim Clemente confirmed on twitter a little ways back. EM also says she doesn't like ending seasons on cliffhangers. I will give her some credit for this because it feels like something she would employ often. For a show in it's tenth season that would feel too gimmicky for me.

Also, they could hardly use a cliffhanger without being sure there was going to be another season. That would be awful. 

[secnarf]

http://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/criminal-minds-season-10-spoilers-the-bau-tracks-a-vigilante-in-los-angeles-who-shoots-criminals-in-protection-29404
I think we already know all of the information from this article, except that Reid will be the first to find out about JJ's pregnancy.

[Old Dog]

http://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/criminal-minds-season-10-spoilers-the-bau-tracks-a-vigilante-in-los-angeles-who-shoots-criminals-in-protection-29404

I think we already know all of the information from this article, except that Reid will be the first to find out about JJ's pregnancy.

We hardly need to watch at all because Messer has once again given away far too much.

[Bookish Jen]

We hardly need to watch at all because Messer has once again given away far too much.

Erica needs to learn to shut her big yap.

[normasm]

Reid will be the first? Not Will? How does that work out? (Not that I want to see Will this season)

[Russet29]

Maybe she means the first on camera or the first on the team? It'll be sad if the writers are so desperate to showcase Reid and JJ's friendship that they place him above her husband in terms of importance.

[normasm]

I hoping, at least from a relationship dynamic, that he's the first on the team, and it's because he's the only one who knows about the miscarriage (on the team?) and because she'll want him to be godfather again. We don't need Reid pining for JJ, which I think has been implied before.

[missmycat]

To be perfectly honest, although It'll come as no surprise to most people on here, I am not at all happy that they decided to make Reid JJ's confidant..I personally wished that Reid would have remained somewhat distant towards her because of the lack of trust over her having lied to him about Emily.

Edited April 28, 2015 by missmycat

[Saje]

I like warm moments between any of our team. I do think it is fitting she tells him first, as she had just shared with him her devastation about the miscarriage a couple of weeks back.

[Russet29]

I don't think I'd like Reid being distant with JJ. It was three years ago and I'm afraid it would just come off as petty and immature, and ultimately make him appear emotionally stunted. I'm curious how they're gonna work out the timing of her pregnancy. It seems like the actress is much further along, as in several months, than the character will be. It would also make sense for JJ to follow Kate's lead and tell Hotch, so you know: she doesn't have another miscarriage. But I think it's pretty clear at this point that the writers have lukewarm feelings towards continuity.

[missmycat]

I like warm moments between any of our team. I do think it is fitting she tells him first, as she had just shared with him her devastation about the miscarriage a couple of weeks back.

And there in lies part of the problem for me, because I had/have a HUGE PROBLEM with the scenario in which the miscarriage took place to begin with.Unfortunately, as someone rightfully pointed out to me, the miscarriage is now part of CM's canon history. So I suppose I am just going to have to learn how to deal with it some how.

Edited April 29, 2015 by missmycat

[Saje]

missmycat, what does that have to do with Reid? 

[missmycat]

I don't think I'd like Reid being distant with JJ. It was three years ago and I'm afraid it would just come off as petty and immature, and ultimately make him appear emotionally stunted. I'm curious how they're gonna work out the timing of her pregnancy. It seems like the actress is much further along, as in several months, than the character will be. It would also make sense for JJ to follow Kate's lead and tell Hotch, so you know: she doesn't have another miscarriage. But I think it's pretty clear at this point that the writers have lukewarm feelings towards continuity.

Maybe being distant was the wrong choice. I should of said being somewhat guardian where JJ was concerned while still maintaining a friendship with her.

[missmycat]

missmycat, what does that have to do with Reid? 

He is my favorite character and I resent him having been dragged into a scenario I found highly implausible in the first place.But like I said I'm trying to learn to deal with it. For crying out loud I am not even a professional, or for that matter an amateur writer, but I still could have come up with a more plausible scenario in which JJ's miscarriage took place than what Rick Dunkle, a paid professional came up with. 

Edited April 29, 2015 by missmycat

[MCatry]

I think it is pretty safe to assume they are yet again just using Reid's fanbase to make us like JJ again.

Do you remember it was originally Hotch the one involved in her PTSD storyline? And then they switched to Reid, so viewers would stop complaining so much about Reid being MIA.

I couldn't care less about JJ's baby & happy family, and I certainly don't care about Kate's niece, which really is the one thing I hate about the new profiler. And since that's what they are planning to feed us (motherhood and girl power -again) I am certainly done here.

For me at least, this season is over.

[spinner33]

I agree. It's a calculated ploy.

[Saje]

Well this gets confusing because first I see the opinion that the writers and showrunner are completely clueless as to what the "real" viewers want, blithely pursuing their soap opera agenda, then next I see the claim that they are sneaky Machiavellian plotters who are cleverly using those of us who love Reid to make us 'like JJ' again. How very evil.

 

Look, I'm not the biggest fan of the writers (and especially not Erica, I think her choices for Spencer have been borderline ridiculous) either, but at least the vilifying should make sense. Are they clever evil geniuses or are they stupid, self-indulgent hacks?

[spinner33]

It ain't complicated. Reid is more popular than JJ. Messer wants Reid's fans to watch and to like JJ. She fronts the fake ass friendship between them, and hopes it will lure Reid fans to watch and to approve of JJ. Messer hates Reid but he has a very large and currently unhappy fan base which for the most part does not like JJ because of how she treats Reid. To get these unhappy fans to watch eps they would not otherwise watch, she uses Reid as JJs sounding board or BFF. It's a

calculated ploy.

[Saje]

I don't agree. You know this for a fact, do you?

 

I'm of the opinion If they don't care about Reid, then I doubt they care about his fanbase. If they listen to anyone it isn't the spelling-challenged screamers on facebook... it's the people who pay the bills. The sponsors. 

[Russet29]

To be fair to EM (that's strange to type) the ratings haven't really been negatively affected by her story choices. People have pointed out before that ratings have dipped the past few seasons, but that's a natural progression when factoring in the age of the show and how many people watch on DVR. I would imagine if the ratings were suffering we would see some changes, even if it had to be mandated by the higher ups at the network. It's the same thing with sports teams. The only way ownership will listen to fans is if the organization is losing money. Money talks.

 

Switching gears, in the newest issue of TVGuide there's a blurb about the finale that's slightly different from the one on their website. It's pretty much the same information but EM says that Kate won't be broken by her niece's kidnapping but we will instead see her become this strong FBI agent, which is stupid because this teenage girl who she's claimed is her entire life is missing and she's several months pregnant (hello hormones). The interviewer also asks EM how they plan on handling two regulars being out for maternity leave at the same time and she says something about the opportunity for having a guest star. Make of that what you will but I'm assuming it won't go over well with the fan base.

[Saje]

Unless it's Paget.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Well this gets confusing because first I see the opinion that the writers and showrunner are completely clueless as to what the "real" viewers want, blithely pursuing their soap opera agenda, then next I see the claim that they are sneaky Machiavellian plotters who are cleverly using those of us who love Reid to make us 'like JJ' again. How very evil.

 

Look, I'm not the biggest fan of the writers (and especially not Erica, I think her choices for Spencer have been borderline ridiculous) either, but at least the vilifying should make sense. Are they clever evil geniuses or are they stupid, self-indulgent hacks?

 

Maybe its both?

 

Seriously, though, I think Erica seems clueless mostly because she can't shut her cakehole. If she'd stop giving interviews where she tells everything she knows, it wouldn't seem like she's writing whatever she wants to write regardless of anything else. She's the showrunner, and that means the writers who work on the show likely follow her lead. If she wants to have JJ featured, or for Kate's niece to be kidnapped, or for Reid to be JJ's sounding board ( despite the fact that I literally cannot remember the last time she asked him how he was doing), then who's going to gainsay her?

Edited April 29, 2015 by Cobalt Stargazer

[missmycat]

To be fair to EM (that's strange to type) the ratings haven't really been negatively affected by her story choices. People have pointed out before that ratings have dipped the past few seasons, but that's a natural progression when factoring in the age of the show and how many people watch on DVR. I would imagine if the ratings were suffering we would see some changes, even if it had to be mandated by the higher ups at the network. It's the same thing with sports teams. The only way ownership will listen to fans is if the organization is losing money. Money talks.

 

Switching gears, in the newest issue of TVGuide there's a blurb about the finale that's slightly different from the one on their website. It's pretty much the same information but EM says that Kate won't be broken by her niece's kidnapping but we will instead see her become this strong FBI agent, which is stupid because this teenage girl who she's claimed is her entire life is missing and she's several months pregnant (hello hormones). The interviewer also asks EM how they plan on handling two regulars being out for maternity leave at the same time and she says something about the opportunity for having a guest star. Make of that what you will but I'm assuming it won't go over well with the fan base.

WTF!This makes it sound like Kate will definitely be in the show next season despite what KV said. I wouldn't mine so much except it will also mean having to endure that snot nose brat Megan for another season. Worse we are going to have 2 brand new mother on the show. And we all know how enamored EM is with motherhood.I can see Kate and JJ getting tons of focus and our men once again being unceremoniously shoved in the background, even more so than last season.

[zannej]

Maybe Reid will deduce that she's pregnant and she'll have to admit it to him.

[normasm]

Unless it's Paget.

They will never go there ever again, they can't un-un-ring that bell...

[Guesswht]

WTF!This makes it sound like Kate will definitely be in the show next season despite what KV said. I wouldn't mine so much except it will also mean having to endure that snot nose brat Megan for another season. Worse we are going to have 2 brand new mother on the show. And we all know how enamored EM is with motherhood.I can see Kate and JJ getting tons of focus and our men once again being unceremoniously shoved in the background, even more so than last season.

Yeah... she's definitely staying. Which means - no season 11 for millions of people, no screen time for MGG, Thomas, Shemar, AJ, Kirsten and Joe, no season 12  (...) Well, she's really worth having on the show. What she wants is so much more important than us (fans of the show), she made the show great... .sickening.

I think it is pretty safe to assume they are yet again just using Reid's fanbase to make us like JJ again.

Do you remember it was originally Hotch the one involved in her PTSD storyline? And then they switched to Reid, so viewers would stop complaining so much about Reid being MIA.

I couldn't care less about JJ's baby & happy family, and I certainly don't care about Kate's niece, which really is the one thing I hate about the new profiler. And since that's what they are planning to feed us (motherhood and girl power -again) I am certainly done here.

For me at least, this season is over.

Maybe they can't give Reid screen time anymore unless they're doing this. And it's not AJ/JJ 's fault .....

[Russet29]

I think I remember someone asking Harry Bring a couple weeks ago if JLH would be back and he said no comment. It could mean nothing, but no comment usually means something is going on. I know people are concerned about having two new mothers on the show, but remember that neither will be around for the first several episodes. Hopefully the writers will re-watch season 4 when introducing this new replacement. I was fairly indifferent towards Jordan Todd but her addition provided an appropriate amount of tension without taking too much screen time away from the regulars.

[Old Dog]

Hopefully the maternity leave will mean some good focus on Hotch,Reid and Rossi - as long as they actually return, as long as we get a Season 11 and unless Erica Messer puts all the emphasis on whoever comes in to cover. I'm ready to know what's happening - all this uncertainty is wearing me down!

[JMO]

 

Well this gets confusing because first I see the opinion that the writers and showrunner are completely clueless as to what the "real" viewers want, blithely pursuing their soap opera agenda, then next I see the claim that they are sneaky Machiavellian plotters who are cleverly using those of us who love Reid to make us 'like JJ' again. How very evil.

 

Look, I'm not the biggest fan of the writers (and especially not Erica, I think her choices for Spencer have been borderline ridiculous) either, but at least the vilifying should make sense. Are they clever evil geniuses or are they stupid, self-indulgent hacks?

 

I completely agree with Saje on this.  Part of the problem, I think, is that the forums are used by fans for dual purposes:  venting, which is a perfectly legitimate use, and communicating back to those who create the show each week.  It's important to remember that 'venting posts' and 'communicating posts' are two very different things.  If you are simply venting about something, don't expect your post to be taken seriously by someone from the show.  If you really want them to listen to you, communicate it differently.

 

Two points to make: 

 

Firstly, and not to rain on anyone's parade (including my own), but the 'active fandom'----that is, those who are regular posters on the large CM boards, probably number under 150.  And, given that many people post on multiple boards, that number is probably closer to 100.  Out of 10 million viewers.  Which is one thousandth of one percent.  So, no matter how strongly 'the boards' feel, they may or may not represent the other 9,999,900 viewers.  Unless those viewers speak up (and maybe they have, on Facebook), we'll never know.

 

Secondly, and because of the above, if one wants to be heard, one needs to have a reasoned argument.  Accusations of duplicity are not reasoned arguments unless one has actual, factual information.  Hence, if anyone from the show were to actually read the boards, those would be the first posts they would dismiss.  Similarly, once a positive change has been made, it is necessary to move on, and not keep going back to past grievances.  Yes, I'm talking about JJ.  You can encourage more change in that positive direction, but if you continue to be angry about something that is in the past---those posts will get dismissed as unreasonable as well, as in 'you just can't make some people happy, so why try?'

 

 

 

 

[normasm]

Yes, JMO, beating a dead horse just makes a bigger, smellier mess lying around.

[Old Dog]

I think there has been a lot of positive comment from myself and others on the improvement in some characters this season - but somehow I think I may be venting about 200 till the end of time! And I'm not sorry about that.

[missmycat]

Yeah... she's definitely staying. Which means - no season 11 for millions of people, no screen time for MGG, Thomas, Shemar, AJ, Kirsten and Joe, no season 12  (...) Well, she's really worth having on the show. What she wants is so much more important than us (fans of the show), she made the show great... .sickening.

Maybe they can't give Reid screen time anymore unless they're doing this. And it's not AJ/JJ 's fault .....

I agree it is not the fault of the actress. But it is the fault of CBS, Erica Messer and the rest of the people in charge of CM that JJ has dominated the show so much in the past.Just because AJC wasn't a newbie like JLH is, that still didn't make it right that long time cast members kept having to take a backseat to her. It was beyond disgraceful the amount of screen time the rest of the cast got in the milestone episode "200" compared to what AJC got, again not the fault of the actress.

But one certainly can't blame JLH because she wasn't even around then.

[JMO]

 

I think there has been a lot of positive comment from myself and others on the improvement in some characters this season - but somehow I think I may be venting about 200 till the end of time! And I'm not sorry about that.

 

I sympathize, Old Dog.  Although I've long since gotten my venting about (the awful) 200 out of my system, that doesn't mean it won't always remain a terrible episode, and that I won't always hold that opinion.  I just don't find it useful in arguments about current things, as in (and please tell me I'm exaggerating here), "JJ had the whole episode of '200', so she should never be seen again!", especially when they've made some positive changes for the character.

 

It happened.  It was terrible. We told them so.  We move on.

[Danielg342]

the 'active fandom'----that is, those who are regular posters on the large CM boards, probably number under 150. And, given that many people post on multiple boards, that number is probably closer to 100. Out of 10 million viewers. Which is one thousandth of one percent.

Not an unfair point to make, although I will point out that Twitter “outrages” contain around the same number of people (if not a fraction of that). So I think a board like this can carry quite a bit of weight.

[normasm]

Not an unfair point to make, although I will point out that Twitter “outrages” contain around the same number of people (if not a fraction of that). So I think a board like this can carry quite a bit of weight.

And the more thoughtful our posts are, the more that weight might get us what we want, or at least have us be heard (and I include all the posters, not just ones who agree with my POV).

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I think there has been a lot of positive comment from myself and others on the improvement in some characters this season - but somehow I think I may be venting about 200 till the end of time! And I'm not sorry about that.

 

 

I sympathize, Old Dog.  Although I've long since gotten my venting about (the awful) 200 out of my system, that doesn't mean it won't always remain a terrible episode, and that I won't always hold that opinion.  I just don't find it useful in arguments about current things, as in (and please tell me I'm exaggerating here), "JJ had the whole episode of '200', so she should never be seen again!", especially when they've made some positive changes for the character.

 

It happened.  It was terrible. We told them so.  We move on.

 

FWIW, I think there have been positive changes re JJ, and again FWIW I don't think anyone here has ever actually said that JJ should never be seen again. I can't vouch for what gets said on other places, but I think posters here are a little more reasonable. This isn't Twitter, which explodes with outrage about something new every ten minutes.

 

However, I will make note that JJ didn't just get (the awful) 200, she also got (the awfuler) The Forever People, which totally contradicted 200 as to her emotional state. The Forever People aired on the fourteenth of January. If the statute of limitations to complain about it has already run out after a piddling four months, then that's a hell of a note, innit? As someone who to this day remains vocally bitter that Buffy Summers ever said the words, "Why does everyone think I'm still in love with Spike?", any complaint I leverage towards JJ, or even Erica for that matter, is vanilla in comparison.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Cobalt Stargazer

[Old Dog]

I'm happy to move on and hope for more improvement. However, if they do still do episodes like the Forever People and publicly pat themselves on the back for that and also for 200, I reserve the right to mention them in my criticisms. I will say though that the back half of the season has seen much better JJ and much, much better Hotch and Reid so unless they do a flip with the last two episodes I am ending Season 10 on a bit of a high - and I haven't done that for many moons!

[missmycat]

I think there has been a lot of positive comment from myself and others on the improvement in some characters this season - but somehow I think I may be venting about 200 till the end of time! And I'm not sorry about that.

Same here Old Dog. I would love to have been celebrating that milestone episode of "200".But I can't. Thanks to the likes of CBS, Erica Messer and however else maybe responsible for that travesty.It irritates me to no end that CBS felt compelled to butt their noses in concerning Reid's arc with Maeve and made the show change what they original planned. Which resulted in us seeing poor Reid get his heart shattered into a million pieces as he saw Maeve get killed right before his very eyes.Oh but when it came to "200" they apparently had no problem whatsoever with the vastly imbalanced screen time  between what AJC was getting vs the rest of the long time cast members.

[JMO]

 

FWIW, I think there have been positive changes re JJ, and again FWIW I don't think anyone here has ever actually said that JJ should never be seen again. I can't vouch for what gets said on other places, but I think posters here are a little more reasonable. This isn't Twitter, which explodes with outrage about something new every ten minutes.

 

However, I will make note that JJ didn't just get (the awful) 200, she also got (the awfuler) The Forever People, which totally contradicted 200 as to her emotional state. The Forever People aired on the fourteenth of January. If the statute of limitations to complain about it has already run out after a piddling four months, then that's a hell of a note, innit? As someone who to this day remains bitter that Buffy Summers ever said the words, "Why does everyone think I'm still in love with Spike?", any complaint I leverage towards JJ, or even Erica for that matter, is vanilla in comparison.

 

Yes, as noted in my post, I was exaggerating (I hope) about the sentiments never to see JJ again. 

 

As to The Forever People and 200 being contradictory---this is my point, however poorly articulated: 

(the awful) 200 was a terrible episode--poorly conceived and inadvertently, through the use of flashbacks, opening a whole new can of worms.  Since JJ had shown no signs of upset, let alone PTSD, for the prior few years, it was a mistake to retrospectively give her a trauma history.  The show (which term I use to include any and all responsible at CM) was rightly criticized for it, and for the lack of depiction of fallout for JJ within and immediately following the episode.  Since the trauma was historical, they couldn't very well go back and alter prior episodes to depict its fallout.  But the mistake was giving her the history in the first place, not the lack of portrayal of PTSD leading up to it.  So, yes, they made a mistake, one that they couldn't retrospectively rectify, and that was heavily, and fairly, criticized.

 

However, if, acknowledging said criticism, the show decided to respond by creating an episode in which JJ's PTSD was finally portrayed, it seems nonproductive to then turn around and criticize them, again, for doing so.  It's fair game to criticize how well they did it.  But we've all seen posts criticizing the fact that they tried, largely because it meant another episode with focus on JJ.  In that kind of circumstance, the show is damned if they do, and damned if they don't.  It should surprise no one if they respond to that by clicking the 'off button' about fan response.

 

Hey, everybody is entitled to gripe as much as they want about whatever they want.  To each, his or her own blood pressure. But griping is easily ignored.  Reasoned argument is not.  Griping is why I eat lunch in my office.

[secnarf]

Yes, as noted in my post, I was exaggerating (I hope) about the sentiments never to see JJ again. 

 

As to The Forever People and 200 being contradictory---this is my point, however poorly articulated: 

(the awful) 200 was a terrible episode--poorly conceived and inadvertently, through the use of flashbacks, opening a whole new can of worms.  Since JJ had shown no signs of upset, let alone PTSD, for the prior few years, it was a mistake to retrospectively give her a trauma history.  The show (which term I use to include any and all responsible at CM) was rightly criticized for it, and for the lack of depiction of fallout for JJ within and immediately following the episode.  Since the trauma was historical, they couldn't very well go back and alter prior episodes to depict its fallout.  But the mistake was giving her the history in the first place, not the lack of portrayal of PTSD leading up to it.  So, yes, they made a mistake, one that they couldn't retrospectively rectify, and that was heavily, and fairly, criticized.

I thought the "trauma" was primarily from the abduction, so there wouldn't necessarily be any signs of PTSD before that. There was the miscarriage, but I could buy that she buried her feelings about that until the abduction/torture happened. I think the bigger mistake is no signs of PTSD between 200 and The Forever People - not necessarily no PTSD before 200.

[missmycat]

 

 

 

However, if, acknowledging said criticism, the show decided to respond by creating an episode in which JJ's PTSD was finally portrayed, it seems nonproductive to then turn around and criticize them, again, for doing so.  It's fair game to criticize how well they did it.  But we've all seen posts criticizing the fact that they tried, largely because it meant another episode with focus on JJ.  In that kind of circumstance, the show is damned if they do, and damned if they don't.  It should surprise no one if they respond to that by clicking the 'off button' about fan response.

 

 

JMO, You have a valid point except for people like myself who wasn't demanding a JJ PTSD episode in the first place.Who in fact wanted EM to keep her word when she had said "200" was a closed chapter and pissed when she went totally back on her word.Still I probably could have let bygones be bygones if JJ's PTSD episode had been much better written.It's almost impossible to believe that the same writer who gave us that piece of trash also gave us the awesome Mr.Scratch.

[spinner33]

I hate to think there should be a statute of limitations placed on being able to complain about rotten episodes in an otherwise fabulous series.   When something sucks, it stands out, particularly when it sucks to the proportions that certain episodes of CM have sucked.  I mean, if there was a gold medal for sucking....

 

But anyhow, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings with my terrible negativity.  In an effort to be nice and play well with others, I'll go start a topic thread for people who want to vent.  I don't want to put this stuff under the Unpopular Opinions thread, because that isn't an accurate description.  Just because my opinion may differ from someone else's opinions, that shouldn't make one person or the other person's opinions more valid than anyone else's.  We are all entitled to our own opinions, last time I checked.   At least I think we are?  Ha ha ha....

[normasm]

No one is saying don't vent. It's just that some folks, myself included, have repeated POVs thinking we have not been heard, and, if you're like me, the pitch of voice escalates, and some people perceive it as hysteria. I hate that shit, but there you go. Many of us have very valid points about subpar episodes and characterizations, and we don't feel like the show (as JMO wisely gathers it) hears our very legit and astute criticism. I have pushed points to the extent where even folks who agree with me have stopped responding, which is the equivalent of rolling one's eyes and walking into another room. 

 

Anyhoo, I take JMO's posit to heart, vowing that, if i have a criticism, I will try to be specific but not specious, and I will take care to praise when it "feels" like they are listening and responding positively. That's all. A rant page is good, it's just that these rules should probably still apply there too, IMO.

 

And, yes, i won't forgive Diana Reid's supposed "recovery," ever. Jes' sayin'.

[Droogie]

I completely agree with Saje on this.  Part of the problem, I think, is that the forums are used by fans for dual purposes:  venting, which is a perfectly legitimate use, and communicating back to those who create the show each week.  It's important to remember that 'venting posts' and 'communicating posts' are two very different things.  If you are simply venting about something, don't expect your post to be taken seriously by someone from the show.  If you really want them to listen to you, communicate it differently.

 

Two points to make: 

 

Firstly, and not to rain on anyone's parade (including my own), but the 'active fandom'----that is, those who are regular posters on the large CM boards, probably number under 150.  And, given that many people post on multiple boards, that number is probably closer to 100.  Out of 10 million viewers.  Which is one thousandth of one percent.  So, no matter how strongly 'the boards' feel, they may or may not represent the other 9,999,900 viewers.  Unless those viewers speak up (and maybe they have, on Facebook), we'll never know.

I agree, JMO, but I will say this: I think we definitely represent a significant portion of the fandom. For every person who posts in these forums, there are (insert some statistic about multiplication that I am not able to comprehend) more who don't. So I think we are probably a representation of a far larger body of discriminating viewers of the show. I didn't find this forum until sometime last fall, but I've watched CM since the beginning and have always analyzed it thusly.

So the writers and producers have to know that more people than just 150 have considered opinions and grievances with the way they handle things.

[JMO]

It was never my intention to spoil anyone's fun, so I'm sorry if my posts made anyone feel like you shouldn't express yourselves any way, or anywhere, you like. I do think things get pretty circular here, and I was responding to that.  I don't know that a vent/rant thread is necessary, but it will be an interesting experiment.

 

Primarily the board should be for enjoyment, and I'm sure we all have enough real life burdens to bear.  This shouldn't be one of them.  So, enjoy, have fun, rant, vent, praise, criticize-----it's all good. 

[Russet29]

JMO, I actually came pretty close to posting the other day about how these discussions can often go in a circle. I believe it was in response to someone mentioning 200 again. As for the argument that we represent a larger group of viewers, I'd be more willing to buy into that if we constituted even 1% of the total viewers, but we're not even close to that. That percentage of the live viewing audience would be about 100,000 people. Also in my experience the people who tend to post across all forms of social media either hate what they're seeing or love it. I stress the word "all forms" because I don't think that's the case on this board. I'd be interested in hearing from casual viewers. People who watch every week but never post about the show. Of course the only way I can do that is through the internet so it's quite a predicament.

[zannej]

I think the discussion thus far has been good. JMO, I don't think you sounded like you were discouraging venting. 

 

As for the portion of the fandom we represent, I have no idea. I highly doubt that anyone from CBS or CM actually reads this forum. Not sure what they read. I think they might read the round table reviews and they read Twitter. Virgil is currently having a little bitch fit over on Twitter because some people expressed their dislike of his writing. Granted, I think people could be more practical in explaining what didn't work, but its Twitter so its hard to get enough words in.

 

Didn't Harry say on Twitter that JLH was signed for 2 years? (I think a one season with option to CBS to pick her up for another?) Maybe Kirsten was mistaken about her not coming back. Who knows though. We will have to wait until they announce contract info in May (if they have everything ironed out and IF there is a season 11).

[Saje]

It looks like the upfronts for ABC and CBS (CM belongs to both, right? I never can keep that straight) are the 12th and 13th of May, so only a couple of weeks and we'll know. Everybody seems pretty optimistic. Joe tweeted that he's "very optimistic" that there will be an 11th season.