Hope you've enjoyed today's episode, and remember that next week again we'll get again a brand new one!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
CRIMINAL MINDS Season 9 - 904. To Bear Witness - Comments Thread
Hope you've enjoyed today's episode, and remember that next week again we'll get again a brand new one!
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Totally loved the episode. Good writing. Again all we knew about the unsub came from the team working the profile!
ReplyDeleteIt was creepy without being full of gore. Anton was one sick puppy!
very good scenes between Morgan and Sam, poor guy. Been a while since we had an interesting victim.
I do like the new Unit Chief. Interesting character, he sure is keeping that he knows JJ an secret. Not sure i like JJ lying, again, to the team.
Nice shout out to Prentiss.
Excellent ending with Hotch and Cruz in Anton's lair. Nice of Cruz to acknowledge that the BAU team do excellent work!
Erica Messer wrote an excellent script. I will give this episode a 9 out of 10!
Don't want to be that guy but did J.J cheat on will? If not why did they make it sound like that? Loved the episode
ReplyDeleteno she didn't but it sounded as if they are sharing something about a past case that they cannot talk about it and it is making JJ uncomfortable because she has to lie to the team about it.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, let me say read all the spoilers from articles around here. Erica Messer has already debunked the affair storyline.
ReplyDeleteTo the ep: my first read was a bit of disappointment. They've (cast and crew) have just steamrolling out of the gate since the season premiere, and I thought this one was a bit of a down grade, especially for Erica's immense writing talents.
However, a second re-watch allowed me to see the brilliance of her script. She put it all mainly in the hands of Rob Bailey, the director, and he did not fail. The scenes between Morgan and Sam were absolutely fantastic. The camera shots of Sam seeing Morgan through his eyes is what made this ep a piece of genius.
There was great team profiling, especially Reid and Blake, it had my always favorite Rossi snark with the aforementioned two at the start and Hotch, while a bit of a no-show in the first half, came through in the second half.
There's one thing I missed after several re-watches of the scene. I wish I knew what JJ said to Morgan about where the unsub got the micro cameras.
Which brings me back to the top. Was there a bit too much of the JJ/Cruz thing? IMHO, no. They had to set the back story for the 200th ep. Do I want to see more of it. NO.
My first watch of this ep had it barely getting a 7. After my re-watch, it's a solid 9.25.
Now can it be the 23rd already!
The case wasn't my favourite ever. Love that we got elements of Julian Sark, but eyes make me squeamish, I can't even wear contact lenses, that being said I think this is my second fav episode of season 9 so far. I don't think it was a bad EP, it just wasn't the best EP wrote by EM.
ReplyDeleteThe spoilers already told us we wouldn't learn much about JJ/Cruz in this EP, and we didn't. I wish we had a bit more scenes with then, rather than book ending. The new guy is intriguing. I liked that although he came in wanting to support the team, they seemed wary. I'm looking forward to see where this arc goes, but I hope they're not reducing the story line and spreading it out so much that it becomes irrelevant by the 200th. It doesn't need to be constant, but just give us something every now and again so it gets some proper build up.
I wanted the case to be a strong one to appease non JJ fans, IMO it wasn't the greatest case, and I wanted more JJ and Cruz, but still a good episode and definitely stronger than most season 6-8 episodes.
The case was OK although the ending was rather anti-climactic. I thought Morgan was great in this and his scenes with the victim were well done. I haven't liked Morgan so much in recent times but this showed his empathetic side rather than him being the guy kicking the doors down.I liked the decent amount of profiling, the scenes with Reid and Blake and the mention of Emily. The JJ/Cruz stuff I could do without. More secrets from JJ - I guess Rossi will be holding another pasta party to patch this up in an evening when it all comes out! Of course Rossi has already picked up on it.
ReplyDeleteOverall if you discount the JJ/Cruz moments, it was a reasonable episode and great directing and camera shots. Nice team work but I wish the ending had been a bit more exciting. I would give it a 7/10. A bit of a fall back after last week's superb episode.
I found the premise disturbing, possibly one of the most disturbing ever. That is not a bad thing though. It was a very solid, very good episode. They have really made a comeback after mostly horrible/boring season 8. Like the new section chief. The storyline with JJ is more interesting than I thought it would be. Overall a very good job.
ReplyDeleteSo JJ is lying to the team again! Seems like old times.
ReplyDeleteThis episode was another enjoyable ep. with this season much improved over the last few years. Looks like the writers/producers are working hard to clean up their act and the intense profiling looking like ep's of old. Hope this continues. The JJ/Cruz thing obviously thrown in for interest but not holding mine. JJ just continues to look so cardboard to me, but less of her and Morgan this week was a noticeable improvement. Morgan showed well in this ep, and I liked some of the detailing like Garcia's surprise at Strauss speaking highly of her and the pressure she was put under to block the feeds. Rossi is a great actor and I loved his obvious yet so subtle reading the JJ vibes.
ReplyDeleteThe nerd-fest with Reid and Blake was delightful, Rossi a little on the grumpy side, and some wariness re the new guy was all well played. The only thing that seemed a little out of whack for me was a less than exciting unsub take down, and wondering why Garcia hadn't found out a whack of stuff about the new guy from her massive sources. The bottom line-a really interesting ep.
I've always loved the Haley/Hotch dynamic and their chemistry, probably why the Beth thing just can't compete, so really looking forward to next week. TM always shines when given intense work.
Whoops, meant TG in the last bottom line.
ReplyDeleteI must have been watching a different show from the other commenters. The best part of it was the preview for next week.
ReplyDeleteUsually, the behavior of the unsub makes a strange sense within the compulsion/obsession/delusion of the unsub. Last night, it made no sense whatsoever. It felt like simply gratuitous 'ick' for 'ick's sake. And, please, CM, hire a new medical consultant--one that actually practices medicine! As in other episodes, it was atrocious last night.
For me, even though I enjoyed the technique of Morgan's interaction with the male victim, the acting was pretty wooden throughout, as though the cast didn't quite know what to do with the words given them.
The new section chief was interesting, and the connection with JJ might have been, if we hadn't already been assured that it was 'nothing bad'. One intriguing thing occurred at the end. He stopped by to comment to Morgan on 'your team'. A harbinger of things to come? Certainly, the team might be in Morgan's hands next week, if Hotch is out of commission. But I couldn't help but wonder if another meaning was implied.
Overall, a disappointing episode after an outstanding one the week before. Every season has some duds, so I'm hoping this will be it for this year.
This was a really good episode. The gore wasn't shown but rather implied.
ReplyDeleteWe saw the unsub but he didn't take over. It was more about the victim and this victim was interesting. Loved the scenes between Morgan and him. Also loved the scenes between Reid and Blake. I love that she has similar interests to him and doesn't look at him like he's an alien. I also liked how they showed Blake is smart but not quite the genius Reid is. Also Reid's hair looked great.
The JJ story just isn't working for me. I just don't care enough. And I agree, we've seen the whole JJ keeping a secret from the team - boring. I am really looking forward to the Hotch episode next week.
Well, the unsub was creepy, as he should, but in the end I hated the guy that stared at him so viciously. I am assuming it was the 'father'. Behind most unsubs there are awful parents, and they seem to never take the blame. Anyhow, I liked some moments, such as Blake and Reid interactions (though I still think she is too stiff), and Rossi's moments at the beginning, with Hotch, and investigating the new guy with the tablet. I tried to cope with Garcia, but when she started talking and gesticulating as mad I just turn off the volume. We still get the info so I don't see e point at hearing her anymore. The new guy sees 'too nice'. I guess the CBS wants us to like him, but I don't. I think this cast is already far too big, and he is not interesting. I don't care about JJ, and her links with the new guy. As someone else already pointed out, there she goes, laying again, first to Reid (903) and now to Rossi and Morgan. And I bet by the end of the year everybody will be ok with that again. Boring to no end, I didn't even bother to pay attention to their last conversation. And I didn't appreciate the new boss chatting with Morgan. Where are they? Who cares about susceptibilities? They are the FBI!
ReplyDeleteSo, I liked the case a little bit (in no way like I enjoyed the previous episode), but I didn't like the JJ storyline, nor the endless Morgan scenes. He is not a strong actor, and they shouldn't have focused so much on his close ups, but that was certainly expected, since Messer favouritism goes clearly for Morgan and JJ. Am I disappointed? Not really. That was exactly what I expected from Erica.
I don't care about JJ, and her links with the new guy. As someone else already pointed out, there she goes, laying again, first to Reid (903) and now to Rossi and Morgan. And I bet by the end of the year everybody will be ok with that again. Boring to no end, I didn't even bother to pay attention to their last conversation. And I didn't appreciate the new boss chatting with Morgan. Where are they? Who cares about susceptibilities? They are the FBI!
ReplyDeleteSooooooooooooooo... they're FBI sometimes, but other times they're only buddy-buddies that should get mad 'cos BECAUSE THEY'RE FBI AND HAVE BEEN PART OF A SENSITIVE, NEED-TO-KNOW JOB, they've had to lie because they can do nothing else?
Sorry for the outburst, and sorry to the Anonymous whose words I've used as example, BUT this trend of thinking has gone in these threads, and others, long enough. They're professionals, ALL OF THEM, and understand how parts of their job are, or they're not; not depending on how the mood hits fans and/or characters, or who's lying and who's being lied to.
So YES, JJ (and Hotch too when they covered Prentiss' faked death) has every reason to lie to them if secrecy is demanded out of her. So NO, Reid, Morgan, et al... have no reason to act like kicked-up puppies if/when they learn the truth. It's a part of what their job - FBI AGENTS - entails, period.
I was not disappointed in this episode at all. I love the way Erica Messer tells a story. I love the JJ storyline. I love that Rossi seems to know that something is going on already. It seems the same people comment on this thread and most are not JJ fans. I happen to love every character on the show. For me this season seems like it is for the fans. Next week's preview looks awesome and I'm happy Hotch will have a big part. I think they are going to give each team member a few episodes but JJ is a huge part of this show and I always favor her storylines. And this is a tv show, it's not real life, people change and lie and do what they have to to get through the day..... chill people and enjoy the ride!!
ReplyDeleteSecrets and lies eh! Trouble is half the team already know something is up.And if they regularly train and have coffee together I do not see why JJ couldn't have admitted to knowing Cruz. After all, half of DC must have seen them! But really, I cannot bring myself to care that much about JJ's secret. We must just hope that as it unfolds it is better than we fear and that the JJ centric episode 200 does bring in the rest of the team adequately.
ReplyDeleteMaria said:
ReplyDelete"So YES, JJ (and Hotch too when they covered Prentiss' faked death) has every reason to lie to them if secrecy is demanded out of her. So NO, Reid, Morgan, et al... have no reason to act like kicked-up puppies if/when they learn the truth. It's a part of what their job - FBI AGENTS - entails, period."
Yes! When I read that fans feels it is wrong from some of them to lie to the team because they are friends and family, I'm like 'what'? First and foremost they are FBI agents and depending on their job description and ranking in the FBI hierarchy, they will need to keep secrets from others. Hotch is their supervisor, he will keep things secret from the team if he is asked to do so by HIS supervisors. Maybe some of the information he has access too may only be for his eyes only. Him not sharing that information with say his best friend Rossi as nothing to do with friendship but with the job and its requirement. This is not highschool where you have to share EVERYTHING with your BFFbut the FBI!
As for JJ, once she was out of the BAU and working for another agency, what she did there is none of the team business. Of course JJ hates having to lie to her friends, if she didn't that would tell us she doesn't care about them and their feelings BUT those friends knows or should know that she cannot talk about things she did when working with the state department.
Exactly!
ReplyDeleteThank you Bri.
I'm actually loving that they're running with secret theme for JJ, it covers why we've never really learned anything about JJ over years that has ever amounted to much and gives us a different story line from a loved one dies and steps away from romances.
I liked matt Cruz, I liked his scenes with JJ and I can't wait to see how it all plays out!
I have been a big fan for years, but this episode stood out to me because of the level of torture porn. In particular, the torture of the sister, using various methods and the extended footage of her suffering. Torture with instruments in her mouth, writhing in pain, and the whole thing with the eyes. This was grotesque, prolonged and intense, was physically painful for me to watch...not in a good way. I have never felt like this with any other episode, and I have seen them all. I know that they focus on the international market more and more, where this can be a plus, but man, this one was too much.
ReplyDeleteRe the 11:47 comment, you've got that right - The SM charm (or shall we say manipulation) shows more then a little. I generally like his role,and him in it but he's become way to dominant especially when it comes to Hotch. TG outweighs SM's acting every time, although Shemar has come a long way since his soap days. And why has Morgan become such a sour puss, sullen guy who now talks down to Garcia. I thought he had 4 years of therapy re his abuse, and grief counselling re Emily and is "all better now".
ReplyDeleteI liked this episode. The unsub was not the best but I did like the story line with JJ. I look forward to seeing where it goes!
ReplyDeleteOverall this was a pretty decent episode, even if the case itself left something to be desired.
ReplyDeleteI know that some people have complained about the porn torture, but I've seen far worse from CM. To me they seemed to have tamed it down quite a bit.
My initially fear that the unsub would dominate the episode was unfounded, thank goodness.
Count me among those who give 2 big thumbs down to this JJ/Cruz storyline. I'm not buying the premise that the team has to remain in the dark about them. To me it's just the show's pathetic attempt at making JJ a more intriguing character. And it may very well work with some people, but to me she'll continue to be the same useless, and uninteresting character she is today.
i'm just going to say that i liked the episode a lot and that i disagree with the comments about shemar esp. the ones pitting shemar against thomas. unlike some of you i like shemar just as much as thomas and i'll leave it at that.
ReplyDeleteThis is not Spanish soap opera and to develop a love story between JJ and the new boss. I'm sure it's just a job. All praise for the team that leads to a deeper and better story and thank the cast that manages to tell us the story in the best possible way to communicate.
ReplyDeleteRe: anonymous at 6:17 PM
ReplyDelete"To me it's just the show's pathetic attempt at making JJ a more intriguing character. And it may very well work with some people, but to me she'll continue to be the same useless, and uninteresting character she is today."
I am with you. JJ used to be an ok-character with a real rol back on the days she was the media liaison. Now she is a pointless character in the hands of an inexpressive actress.