Tuesday, May 21, 2013

'Criminal Minds' season finale: Sneak peek at 'Brothers Hotchner'

by Sandra Gonzalez

All season long, Criminal Minds has been teasing the arrival of The Replicator, and this Wednesday on the two-hour season finale, we'll finally be able to put a face to the name. But first, the Hotchner brothers are going to find themselves dealing with a tricky situation.

As you can see in this exclusive preview from the episode, Hotchner is called away from a seemingly lovely reunion with Beth (guest star Bellamy Young of Scandal) after receiving an urgent call from his younger brother, Sean, who may have gotten himself mixed up in a crime. (Per the episode description, Sean's predicament will likely tie into a string of ecstasy-related deaths.)

You can see the sneak peek video at EW.com

Thanks to @Quinny150 for the information!

27 comments:

  1. Love Hotch and Beth and cannot wait for tomorrow's episode!

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  2. I cannot stand the Hotch/Beth relationship! I can see me fast forwarding much of this episode. They just do not work as a couple.

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  3. I don't hate Beth but inoperable this is the extent of her involvement in the episode.

    Yes it's great. Hotch is happy and his life is getting back on track and yes his brother will be th drama and hopefully we get some good scenes between them, but I don't see what the Beth lovers see. I saw more chemistry between Reid and Maeve. Hotch has had better chemistry with other women too on the show, I guess Bellamy is a good draw for many people because of Scandal, I have nothing against the actress I like her in other stuff I've seen her in, I just don't get the connection between Hotch and Beth. Their whole relationship started off odd. If they kept her in DC and we just saw her as much as we have, maybes it wouldn't seem so strange that they have such a good, no issue relationship, but we're supposed to believe that after a little time of dating their so case and have a great connection even though there is miles between them and Hotch has so many responsibilities which have previously been so strict for him.

    I guess this is my issue, the idea of Beth in Hotchs life is good, but it hasn't worked for me. They could have gone so many interesting ways so we could see Hotchs return to dating and created a really interesting relationship, but relationships aren't CMs strong point. They're too happy to fit into the dark drama of it all.

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  4. * the first sentence was supposed to say 'I hope this is the extent of her involvement in the episode'

    Damn autocorrect on my iPad :(

    Louise

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  5. You hit the nail on the head Louise! I don't hate the actress but there is no chemistry between them, the way they met was improbable and now they are in different cities it is hard to see how Hotch can maintain any sort of relationship with his job and Jack. He certainly struggled to do it with Haley when they were living together! At best, Hotch and Beth must have a very infrequent booty call! Reid and Maeve had a better connection even in their shortlived, strange relationship and I warmed to James Blake immediately. It's a shame CM got it so wrong as Hotch deserves a credible relationship.

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  6. I would never be agree with their relation... I can't feel something between them and when I saw this picture I don't feel anything like happyness, or tears in my eyes..

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  7. Hoping for a dazzling finale, not expecting to see it. After being an avid viewer since the beginning, this year has driven me away for the most part. What kind of brilliant writing is needed for a show full of disgusting circumstances that completely overshadowed any attempt at creative solutions. I definitely have no interest in buying this season.

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  8. I disagree with the above comment. This season hasn't been perfect by a long way but it has been a significant improvement over the awfulness that was seasons 6 and 7. I also have been an avid fan from the start and I'm hopeful for next season and for continuing improvement. That said, I don't hold out much hope for The Brothers Hotchner episode as the Hotch/Beth relationship is just one big cringe. Hopefully the Replicator finale will be full of suspense and explosions and take us out with a bang!

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  9. I think the writers are starting to get back on track and I have high hopes for season 9 but I could do with less romance and outside relationships. I want to see the team and their relationships with each other. It's obvious the cast have a strong bond and have fun but I think while season 7 started to look into that this season hasn't seen any of that, not really, and I think it would have helped integrate Blake more, if we saw the team as a family as they're supposed to be and not just a group of colleagues ( which they are but the writers go on about them being a family and relationships within the team often get overlooked). I know I would rather see an episode with a bookend about Morgan and Reid's friendship, Rossi and Blake discussing their time in the bureau, Hotch and JJ or Garcia and JJ catching up rather than seeing Hotch and Beth on a cutesy date or Will and JJ making out, don't get me wrong those moments with the teams partners can be nice, but I want to know and see the teams relationship with each other more than the guest stars.

    What I really want is some conflict or a clear understanding of how friendships differ amongst the team. I want to see teammates gossip and pull pranks or have conversations about how the case is getting to them or about their lives away from the office. I don't really care if Hotch is hooking up with Beth or James visiting Blake or Garcia going on a date with some guy we probably wont see again :/

    Kat

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  10. Thank You to Louise & Anon4:13am for hitting the nails on the head. I think Beth's only purpose is to be a booty call & babysitter for Hotch. I'm just not a fan of the relationship. I hope it doesn't ruin tonight's episode.
    -Jeri

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  11. Louise you have told everything ! If it doesn't work with Haley why it should work with Beth ?

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  12. Psawyer said...

    ' Louise you have told everything ! If it doesn't work with Haley why it should work with Beth ?'

    Why can't Hotch learn from what went wrong with haley and make it it work with Beth? Something people forget, Beth is NOT Haley, her expectations may not be what Haley expected from Hotch, to have a 9-5 life, not travel so much, be there for Jack and for her etc. Also, Hotch have learn from what failed with Haley, he is taking care of Jack, of course with Jessica's help but he is there as much as he can, he did compromise with Beth when her job took her to NY, he is making the effort to make the relationship work. Hotch did change and for the better.

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  13. Bri, aside from the whole logistic thing of Hotch having the job he does, having Jack to look after and Beth living so far away which makes the relationship barely credible, the main difficulty is that there is absolutely no chemistry between them. Beth comes over as a generic love interest of the soap opera variety and Hotch deserves much, much more. If they are going to give Hotch the happy love interest he deserves, at least let it be one that we can believe in. Every time they appear together it is so false and forced it makes me curl up. It is at the level of a cheap made-for-tv romance and CM should be much better than that. I know I am not alone in thinking this.

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  14. Exactly. It's been cheesy from the beginning. Yes they can have a happy relationship but for some reason, i don't think the actors click.

    Also didn't it only take a few episodes for them to go from strangers to first date, to hey let's have a long distance relationship which will have to be a serious commitment because, a, jack will be involved, b, a demanding job which means they'll only get to see each other every so often, c, responsibilities outside the office for his son... It's just feels like it became very lovey dovey very quickly without any complications. I guess Hotch could easily learn from his past but he still has all the same responsibilities and is still the same person.

    I think Beth would have been a good person to put with Morgan, I could see them together and it could work out in the long haul but I don't see the connection between Beth and Hotch.

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  15. Chemistry is subjective. You think there is no chemistry. I, on the other hand, see plenty of chemistry between the characters and the actors. Beth is great. Hotch and Beth together are great. In those way too brief moments of the relationship that we see, 2 or 3 times per year their interactions are natural and sweet and there is so much warmth between them.

    And as Bri said, not all relationships are the same and just because one failed not all of Hotch's relationships are destined to fail, even in his line of work.

    I am happy to see a glimpse of Hotch and Beth together once more.

    LJ

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  16. "Cheesy" is exactly the word for it - thanks Anon at 1.42! And yes, I concede that chemistry is subjective but to me that means do you want a sappy chocolate box romance or a real, believable one befitting a great program. As for the alleged warmth between them, I just do not see it.

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  17. You have all your opinion, if we don't like Beth does mean the end of the world ? Come on -_-...

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  18. As far as chemistry goes between Beth and Hotch , I think I would be feeling it more if they wouldn't show them in bed fully clothed. Come on, we've seen Morgan with only a towel wrapped around him. I'm not talking nudity here, just a little more realism and not so much Disneyland.

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  19. I've never really watched Bellamy Young in anything else, so I don't know her as an actress. After watching Thomas Gibson in Dharma & Greg and early seasons of CM, he's a good actor and can do "romantic" well. Even serious, stoic, tall, dark and brooding Hotch had an underlying sense of warmth & passion to him. So why does he seem so wooden and forced when interacting with her? It's almost painful for me to watch. I just don't get it. Maybe it's the writing and you can't pull good acting out of bad writing.
    -Jeri

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  20. Love Hotch and Beth, will totally enjoy 'Brothers Hotchner'!

    Diane

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  21. Agreed Jeri.

    I get that romance and chemistry is subjective, but something doesn't feel right about the whole way they've played the Hotch/Beth storyline.

    Beth has been the focus of Hotchs storyline for the last two seasons, yet it's been nothing to write home about. It hasn't particularly stood out and Beth seems a really odd? choice for Hotch. It's like you said earlier Jeri, she's there to be a booty call and to put a smile on Hotchs face. TG has a lot of chemistry with a lot of people, from his previous Dharma to that woman in one episode who was the UnSub, I can't remember her name. Nobody likes everyone, in this case, I don't like how Beth/Hotch interact.

    I think if they had a different back story or more substance, I might prefer them together, but it feels like it has been forced, like many people have said, because the writers/fans wants Hotch to be happy and to have a happy personal life for once but for me, I couldn't care less for Beth. I'd have liked to see him struggle with the decision to begin dating again, or at least see how their relationship manages in with his job but it seems to just be stuffed in because they want a happy b line story.

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  22. Yeah still not enarmoured with Beth...

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  23. Nope - Beth still not working. My friends and I agree the best thing for her would be to run away with Sean Hotchner.

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  24. I was reading elsewhere that's it's not necessarily just constantly smiling Beth or the fake rom com ness of the relationship but one of the main reasons Hotch/Beth isn't working for some people is because of the changes in Hotch.

    Yes it's nice to see him happy and casual, but this poster started to point out Hotchs flaws which his relationship with Beth highlights. Some of it was harsh but I could see why they looked at the relationship and Hotch that way. In summary they were saying Hotch came across as a little selfish, not because he was finally dating, but the way he was dating came across as selfish. Jack always seems to be off with someone else, even if it is Beth the new babysitter/booty call as they said.

    I didn't agree with everything the poster said but some of it made sense. Hotch has fallen hard for a woman who he sees only so often and got his pretty understanding kid involved only Hotchs time is now stretched between multiple responsibilities and Beth can be as annoying/understanding as she wants but it comes across as she's the one on the loosing side of the relationship...

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  25. As a fan of Criminal Minds 1-6,I would like to comment on the Beth storyline.I wanted to post this comment in response to what I have heard about the Brothers Hotchner episode, which aired on Wednesday. Sorry if you do not agree with me, but this is my opinion. I need to express my views to feel better. I must admit that I did not personally watch this episode, but from what I read about it, I am so happy that I was spared the torture of watching this episode. I cringe at the thought of the writers showing Hotch in bed with Beth. I am getting sick now!!!! In my opinion, this is just a slap in the face to those, who are not fans of this crappy storyline. I am NOT a Hotch/Emily fan either so this is not why I oppose the storyline. Hotch's so - called love interest is why I stopped watching in December of 2011, and I have not watched one episode since Beth was introduced. I also have not posted in over a year, but I need to air my frustrations concerning why I cannot watch due to the Hotch love - interest. I am appalled that the writers totally ruined a once excellent character. I heard that someone died on the finale so I was curious and looked up information about the finale. While the Replicator episode sounded great since it was action- packed and full of pathos and drama, I also read about the first episode concerning Hotch with Beth. Talk about cringe- worthy!! I was absolutely sickened to find out that the writers actually showed Hotch in bed with Beth and that they ruined a once great and complex character. I think the original Hotch would have found it hard to share a bed with another woman besides Haley (I realize that Haley was his ex-wife, but at least he would have questioned it. Even if I hate the story - line anyways, I think that the writers could have introduced a more intriguing story-line for Hotch and Beth in Brothers Hotchner (for example, Hotch questioning whether this relationship can work because of his work load not Hotch crazy in love for Beth in a bed). What a shallow and soap - opera like storyline. Rather just because the writers wanted Hotch to be happy, they forced this storyline on viewers (even those who petitioned the writers and producers last year about the shallow Beth story). I understand that some viewers like the storyline, but many do not. I know quite a few fans of CM who have quit watching because of the Beth storyline. While I want Hotch to be happy, he can be happy in many other ways like spending time with Jack. I want to see more team interactions not OCC Hotch. Also, Beth absolutely does not have any chemistry with Hotch. I miss the serious and stoic Unit Chief. The "Hotch of seasons 1-6" would have questioned dating again or talked with Beth about his past much more. I know Beth is different from Haley, but I would like to see her concerned about whether the relationship can work. I think Hotch was more in character from what I read about the Replicator episode as he comforts Strauss as she dies. Now that sounds like the old Criminal Minds I used to watch constantly. Now, I will not watch one episode even those without Beth since I am still disappointed in the writers for introducing this storyline and handling it in the way that they did, especially during the finale! Yes, CM has been renewed for 2 more seasons, but I will not watch. I rather watch seasons 1-6. I miss the real Hotch of past seasons. He was a special character. I will write my own CM stories. This recent episode regarding Beth and Hotch in bed just confirmed to me why I will never watch CM again. Yes, Messer is only partially right that seasons 9 and 10 will be for the fans. Yes, some fans will love Beth and Hotch story, and I am absolutely sure that there will be more " romantic" scenes between them. But, in reality not all fans will be represented if this storyline is continued. You can count me out as a viewer of a show I once enjoyed. This is very sad because I was an avid viewer, who respected Hotch's character and personality.

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  26. I mean I want Hotch to be happy but they could have chosen a better way to show us their relationship. (and for me chosen a different actress because I don't see the chemistry).

    Looking at all the characters relationships with other people, they're all slightly selfish, even if the job does come first, that must put a damper on a relationship. With JJ and Will, we see that struggle every now and again, but with Hotch and Beth everything is hunky dory. They up to telling each other they love each other, even though they're basically just each others booty call. Hotch trusts Beth to stay with Jack, so we're supposed to see how much he trusts her, yet as far as we've seen their relationship hasn't come across as so serious, yes their committed to trying out a long distance relationship but how much are they actually seeing each other. Hotch works practically twenty four seven, he coaches Jack soccer team, he has team outings, does he take Jack with him to New York every time he goes to visiting her, it didn't seem so in the last episode that he does, so does he leave Jack with Jess even after cases.

    I don't care that he's moving on from Haley, it's time, they were divorced before she died and he's grieved for a long time. Everyone moves on at their own pace and Hotch has chosen to move on. But this seems to be his first relationship since his divorce and yet it's already got to the I love you stage without any hiccups.

    I wasn't a fan of how they introduced Beth to the show, it was a bit cheesy rom com for the show, but I gave her a shot. She didn't irritate me so much in season seven, although I had hoped she was just a rebound to get back into Darin or what not. But then they decided to send Beth off to New York. I know thus was because of Bellamys commitment to scandal, but we didn't have to see her for anymore than one or two epsiodes per season, Will only got one last season and two epsiodes the previous season yet we knew he was in JJs life with the odd mention. That's all Beth needed, they didn't need to send her of NY and give Hotch more responsibilities without him even batting an eyelash.

    It's not that I hate the idea of Beth, but I don't like her for Hotch. Sure she's supposed to be 'fun' or whatever, but she's actually a little off putting. It's the wierd flirty innuendoing quirky thing that for me comes across fake and makes Hotch act in Hotch like. When he was deeply in love with Haley, he was still Hotch while being Aaron but now it's like he's fake hopelessly forced to be in love AAron :(

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