Hope you've enjoyed today's milestone episode, and remember that the next episode will air, not next week, but Feb 19th!
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
CRIMINAL MINDS Season 9 - 914. 200 - Comments Thread
Hope you've enjoyed today's milestone episode, and remember that the next episode will air, not next week, but Feb 19th!
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Ok... Here's my take...
ReplyDeleteEpisode was good. MOre team then I thought, a lot more... backstory was interesting.... I'm not going to go into details as I'm still processing...But, was this Episode 200 worthy... No I don't think so. This wasn't a CM episode. Yes there were twists, turns and red herrings but I still feel that it would have made a better season ender/season opener....
As for the 'Hotch/Emily" look, moment, or what ever you want to call it... I don't see it as meaning anything more then Hotch asking Emily how long she was going to be able to stay. No candlestein romance that's for sure.
That episode rocked! Tied in a lot of things nicely.
ReplyDeletequick review, will have more to say after a second viewing;
ReplyDelete- lots of action, not a dull moment.
- love the twists! was sure Cruz was the mole! glad he wasn't
- Happy it was the team that saved JJ and Cruz.
- Love to have seen Strauss again, same for Emily.
- Part of it was hard to watch especially when Hasting had his hands on JJ.
- Worse image was the one of that poor woman who was murdered by Hasting.
- love how Hotch dealt with that government woman who was so arrogant with him! No way would Hotch walk away from team members who need help!
Will have more to say after another viewing, too much was going on, but loved the episode, well done cast and crew. Rick Dunkle wrote an excellent episode!
Tonight's episode was worthy of the 200th episode. Bringing the team all together was great almost was hoping Emily would become the new director. oh well I can still hope. They never disappoint me.
ReplyDeleteLoved it. New respect for AJ and her character who I have always criticized as being too vanilla. My only criticism is that it should have been 2 hours long. .
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but I found this episode totally ridiculous. It was worse than the Prentiss/Doyle spy arc in terms of credibility. JJ sent over to the Middle East to be part of a task force to find Bin Laden.
ReplyDeletePlease somebody explain to me what in the blazes qualified her for this task, bc I sure as hell can't figure it out.And I'm beginning to wonder of EM and her writers know the difference between the CIA and the FBI.
Poor JJ she lost her baby:( wish the episode was longer, can't wait to see hoe she recovers from all of this :(
ReplyDeleteWOW!
ReplyDeleteMy top two CM eps of all time have been 100 and Omnivore, in that order. After my 1st watch, I was already re-thinking that. After my 2nd, I'm pretty sure I am. And please, that is MHO only.
Unlike 100, or the Prentiss/Doyle story, this episode didn't have a big story arc to set it up. In a way, I feel sorry for the CM writers with all of us crazy CM fans with our different fav characters and views of the show. To me, the writers are d----ed if they do, d----ed if they don't. That was the first thing I liked. We didn't have that big arc; just a few hints here and there. Yet, in my head, I feel EM and the writers had this story in mind the minute they knew AJC was coming back, looking at the far out calendar of 200 coming.
I know a lot of JJ fans didn't and still don't like the "new" JJ. However, IMHO, this ep addressed all of it, going back to my theory that they've set this all up from AJC's return. JJ came back in tough as nails and ready to profile. The scene with her and Emily together was wonderful. "What would Hotch tell you to do?" Great line from Emily.
But digress from my original statement. The minute Askari pulled that needle out from the steel case, my heart was in my throat. And for me, the thrill ride began that never let up. I love rollercoasters. Rick Dunkle gave this CM fan the ride of a lifetime!
I especially loved the counter balance between showing what happened to JJ while she was working for State with the team profiling their butts off. While there were many that struck me, the one with Blake and Rossi in JJ's old office was true profiling.
All of you know I'm a Hotch fangirl. So I gotta say seeing totally in charge Hotch, breaking the rules to save a member of the team was totally fantastic! *whispers* Sorry.
I loved the team work. I loved finally getting the pieces of the puzzle put together with JJ. I loved the ride, both the highs and the valleys. My heart finally left my throat with the final scene.
So that's why I'm rethinking my top three eps.
Rockie's final score: 9.5
I agree with basically everything you said:) loved the episode and to be honest i love the new JJ
DeleteIt was fairly enjoyable as an action movie type. Was it Criminal Minds? No. Was it worthy of the 200th? Definitely NO! The story was so hugely implausible and fanfictiony that it is not an episode that I will go out of my way to watch again. Clearly aimed at the younger audience who do not get what the cerebral appeal of Criminal Minds was. I cannot think anyone over the age of 15 who has seen the show from the start would be very impressed with it. I found myself wondering just how much fanfiction the writer and the showrunner read because seriously?? That said, I thought AJ did a reasonable job and I am glad Prentiss wasn't as much in it as we were led to believe. It was leagues away from the standing of "100".
ReplyDeleteI disagree. But I do respect your opinion. I'm 24 and I started watching this show about 4 years ago. I caught an episode and got totally hooked; bought the dvds and re-watched from the first season. I honestly loved it. I do agree that it was not Criminal Minds as we've known it to be, but come on, it's the 200th episode. I don't want a repeat of 100. I want to see something different. and THIS is different. I would re-access your statement about "I cannot think anyone over the age of 15 who has seen the show from the start would be very impressed with it." Because you now know at least ONE person who loved it as it is.
DeleteThat aside, I think AJ Cook did an outstanding job. The pressure of being the one to carry such a milestone episode must have been massive. But she gave it her all. I was very impressed. I've always thought that AJ is one of the most underrated actress these days. I must say, her performance will definitely shut her critics up. It was heart-breaking, gut wrenching and dare I say, Emmy worthy. I think it's time Criminal Minds get the credit and recognition it deserves.
I've been thinking about this, and I remembered the episode called profiling 101. That idea was celebrating the job of the profilers, and even though I think it could have been improved, it portraits how hard that job is, and how worthy it is for the people that decides to do it. I wish they would have done something under that main idea instead of doing a spy/action mini movie starred by JJ. And it comes to my mind that when the BAU dealt with terrorism back in the beginning of season two (Prentiss's first case) they shone with their minds. Not much of vehicles exploding or bullets flying all over the place. The BAU team is not SWAT nor the army. For me, that was Emmy worthy. This 200th episode took the easy way out, and that is why I didn't like it at all.
DeleteI agree with you Ms Fabiana. We've seen many episodes in CM's past that were Emmy worthy but sadly this milestone episode with it's juvenile plot that celebrates absolutely nothing about the heart of the show is definitely NOT one. There is no comparison with the likes of "100".
DeleteI completely agree. I loved this episode. I only wish it was a two hour episode.
ReplyDeleteThat was not a Criminal Minds episode to me. It was more like NCIS, NCIS LA or like a "JJ in peril" fanfiction. The episode hardly had anything of what drew me into Criminal Minds and what made the show unique. I almost wished the first two CM seasons back.
ReplyDeleteExactly!! NCIS can at least get away with the war zone storylines because they are part of the services but pulling JJ into Afghanistan was just so implausible to the point of being laughable that it fell at the start.So disappointing. This milestone episode should have celebrated the unique criminal profiling that makes this show special.
DeleteI loved 200! I thought AJ Cook did a fantastic job. I was afaid that there was going to be too much going on but it was great. I loved the story and having Emily back always a plus. I felt so bad for JJ being all alone and losing her baby. I also loved the twist with Cruz. I thought at first he was going to be bad and then he turns out so good. I kind of fell in love with him by the end of this episode. I wish Hotch and JJ could have had a moment because I have always felt that they have a special bond. All in all great job Criminal Minds, and thank you!
ReplyDeleteWe got to read many articles about this episode + all those promos and previews + pictures. For me they only feed my hunger more and after watching this episode..i think there were no spoilers (at leat for me). That was obvious that she got saved. Saddest moment was to learn about JJ's baby..i'm still like..'whaaat?' :((
ReplyDeleteWatched it online when it aired (first time to watch CM online, yaay:D) and i got pretty confused in some parts. One of the biggest reaction was ' Is CRUZ a traitor?", i really did not think about it at all. I liked him right away. But thank god, he is the good guy. Twist and turns, like i didn't even think that Hastings faked his death, i was too busy watching this ep and thinking at the same time..NO :D It really was like mini action movie. Tempo was ON! i was like DAMN. i totally love kick assing women. so that roof scene..YEAAAAAH!! Absolutely loved seeing EMILY again + Will, Strauss, Kevin, Anderson. This episode seemed a little bit rushed indeed but it's OK for me, have to watch it again for sure (many times). Past and present changed so quickly, even too quickly.But it worked. For my surprise i really loved those flashback scenes. Very good job! Last scene was way too short. But i loved it. Team all together and that little moment between Blake and Emily..yaaaay!
I didn't like it. Not one little tiny bit. It was so predictable, and so full of cliches aimed to make you like you JJ since she protects women, families, her country, and she now she also lost a baby. Of course, she also is perfectly capable to fight (and win) with a much bigger man, and we should now worship her as a mother hero. This was the type of story you find in fanfiction websites, with an AU warning (alternative universe, euphemism for totally out of character story). Then again, I wasn't disappointed. It was just as I though it would be.
ReplyDeleteI could write a very long list of the things that made this a very disappointing episode. It wasn't a Criminal Minds episode to begin with. Maybe Alias or another spy-centric show. It might appeal to the targeted age group for ratings which is what is most important to any show. But I think it smacked in the faces of those who created this show and the actors who made it a successful series. However, I think AJ Cook deserves special recognition. She was great. When they were waterboarding her, all I could hear was her voice on The Talk, telling about how they really did waterboard her. I had to look away. I think all the press releases, interviews, promos and pictures were grossly misleading. A lot of hype that made some fans very upset and some over zealous in their visions for the future of Criminal Minds.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to say how much I love Jeanne Tripplehorn. The woman has been amazing throughout all of this hype over Paget's return. Jeanne is beautiful, very talented and one very classy lady.
I got so much more from the episode after the second viewing and reading the bloggers’ comments. And because the Internet is anonymous, I can say that I am an eternal die-hard TG/Aaron fan and it took two viewings for me to focus on any other actor and character. I liked Morgan taking charge within the first ten minutes and seeing the return of Erin, Emily, Will and Kevin. I felt the writers skillfully packed a ton of action and storylines into one show. It wasn’t a traditional CM, but it was an artful way to commemorate the 200th episode. Like jayel, I saw all the talk shows and was uncomfortable watching AJ/JJ suspended in the air, as AJ said, for two days, and gagging from the water torture. And Jeanne Trippelhorn is everything jayel said. I didn’t think there was an Emily/Hotch moment; they can never be anything more than colleagues as Emily is the exact opposite of what Aaron needs in a personal relationship. (So is Beth, but I’ve already tiraded on that.) There was no way that AJ/JJ could have overtaken Hastings at the end after being tortured, but poetic license is OK. As rockhotch31 says, the writers are between a rock and a hard wall with the viewers and some viewers are more than tough. I’m easy, though. Just give me TG/Aaron glaring and glowering for a full episode and I’d be happy. That being said, I am probably the only one who could have done without TG/Aaron laughing at the end. Bucket list: stranded on a desert island with TG and golf clubs behind my back.
ReplyDeleteThe good: 1) AJ got a chance to show some impressive acting chops in the flashbacks. 2) Minimal Will 3) Despite the hype, actually a pretty good balance of work by the team.
ReplyDeleteThe bad: 1) Too little reaction by any of the team. They're not that cool, as has been shown multiple times. They should have struggled more with their reactions. It would also have been far more interesting. 3) Emily hasn't seen any of them in over a year. Where was the warm reunion, even if shown after the case resolved? Where was her acknowledgement of the losses Reid and Rossi experienced last year? It's the warm relationships Emily had with her team members that make her absence so difficult, and it was the main reason I was anxious to see her back. Disappointing.
The ugly: 1) Completely preposterous plot premise. The CIA can't find a thirty-something with more experience than the BAU's media liaison? 2) Same issue. Said thirty-something has been hung and tortured for over 24 hours and can run, climb and roundhouse the bad guy? Not to mention hold on to the edge of a roof. 3) The absent aftermath. Particularly since EM has acknowledged that there's not really a plan to deal with it. To me, the fallout from the things our characters experience is what would make the show (and currently only makes fanfiction) interesting. Especially since it's a show about people who become serial killers because of the trauma in their lives. Unless we're heading into a spinoff, where the BAU become an unbeatable band of unsubs.
Perhaps the bad and the ugly could have been dealt with if the story had been spread across several episodes. But, like last year's finale, it was rushed, unfinished, and ultimately not satisfying.
When I've liked Criminal Minds, it has been because it demanded my attention, and made me think. Hoping we'll get back to that soon. And yet, despite my criticism, I'll be back in two weeks, when the next new show airs. Addiction acknowledged.
I found it very interesting to read some tweets that were sent by Jim Clemente to a fan who thought that JJ was unbelievable. I am not going to quote the guy, but you should go read his feed. Being that he is a retired BAU profiler, it was very informative. Great job CM!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the episode but it was definitely overhyped. AJ did a great job and is an underrated actress but I think that ever since she was replaced by Rachel Nichols who has put her sex appeal out there for years, AJ feels that she needs to sell out and be sexier to get better roles and more recognition which she doesnt.
ReplyDeleteThe trashy Maxim spread? Thats a sell out for sure. ANd the Proactive endorsement? AJ doesn't even have bad acne from those profile pics and I've heard she's got great skin. I've lost respect for AJ but I still like her.
As for the episode...its a ripoff of Homeland and Zero Dark Thirty. It was rushed. It should've been spread out over a few episodes. As for JJ's miscarriage. That's a cheap shot at writing.
I like the new JJ but not as much as the old JJ. New JJ is somewhat judgemental and self-rightoeus. I think the cast and writers love AJ as a person so much, they're getting tunnel vision.
I want more backstory on all characters but better pacing and more consistency.
It was great seeing Paget back as Emily though but still, the episode was unrealistic for the 1 hour everything was condensed. Also, not enough profiling. 100 is still the best, most intense episode.
Count me in with those that were totally annoyed by the ridiculous plot. It's insulting to viewers that they think we actually buy this drivel. The only good thing about the whole episode was getting to see Paget again, but just as the writers are clueless about what the various government agencies in the US do, their take on Paget running a division of Interpol was equally ludicrous. And how many viewers were really concerned about what JJ was doing during her very brief absence from the BAU? Erica is very misguided about what fans want to see and she's a lousy writer. My take on this whole fiasco is that Erica cooked this up to deal with the many complaints about the "new JJ." In my opinion, it backfired. Rather than make viewers more sympathetic toward or appreciative of JJ, it just felt like more JJ being crammed down our throats, and a very ridiculous JJ at that. In what universe was she qualified for such an assignment? I actually liked old JJ and was so glad to learn that she'd be returning in season 7. But over the past few seasons I have grown to dislike her, from her eye rolling at almost anything Reid says, to her taking charge in cases. Over the years the folks I've chatted with online about CM have dwindled as more and more of them gave up on what was once a great show. I'm about to join the ranks of those who just couldn't take this nonsense anymore. Erica has changed every character so that they are not only no longer recognizable, but have no special traits, except of course for superwoman JJ. They no longer have areas of expertise or unique character traits. The lines given to the team could be given to any one of them now. There is nothing special about any of them. Reid was one of the most popular characters. He is now nothing like the genius he once was, and he rarely gets anything to do. Erica was more concerned with finding a romance for Hotch than actually dealing with all that he had gone through with his divorce, his stabbing by the Reaper, losing Haley and killing the Reaper. The episode they wrote to address these things turned out to be all about how great Beth is. A fine actor like Joe Mantegna is hardly given anything to do in most episodes. It's pretty much the JJ/Morgan/Garcia show now. And don't even get me started on how annoying Garcia has become over the past few seasons. Didn't ANYONE in the cast or Jim Clemente question the story line for 200? I seriously think Erica was just trying to capitalize on the success of shows like Homeland. But there's no way anyone from the FBI would have been involved in this type of operation and especially not someone with as little experience as JJ. And for crying out loud, what was Strauss doing there? She's not even capable of handling a regular BAU case, much less an international terrorist mission. All the hype they gave this episode and what we got was this mess.
ReplyDeleteJim Clemente has tweeted repeatedly that what happened in this episode can indeed happen in the FBI, including working with multi-agency task forces overseas. And that JJ, given her previous job with the BAU, plus her training as an Agent of Bureau could indeed be called in to do this kind of an assignment.
DeleteFirst of all, jonishackle, let me say I agree with you one hundred percent.
DeleteAnd regarding your question " in what universe did JJ qualify for such a mission?", as Sheldon Cooper would say: in none of them!
I agree jonishackle 100%. This story was juvenile and implausible. Sadly the show is becoming more and more childish. There is no way someone of her level and ability would have been drafted in for a top secret mission to find Bin Laden!! Furthermore, in that unlikely event, she would have been shipped back to the States as soon as Cruz knew she was pregnant and certainly would not have been allowed off base.
DeleteAnd lets not forget their slim grasp on continuity! JJ was away from the BAU a fairly short period of time during which Reid was crying on her shoulder for 10 weeks at least! She certainly crammed a lot in to a really short timeframe - poor Will and Henry would never have seen her!
And of course everyone at CM will toe the party line on this - I wouldn't expect otherwise. But such a shame that a once intelligent and thought provoking show has dumbed down so much.I used to have a circle of CM fans to discuss and enjoy the show with - almost all have given up because of the shift to the juvenile storylines and the diminishing of our beloved characters.
jim Clemente works for Messer so he will defend her. Otherwise he would have gone years ago. I don't find the idea of an FBI agent doing this mission ridiculous. What is ridiculous is the fact that a woman that was replaced by Garcia was considered good enough to do that. So either Garcia is a lot more smart and a seasoned profiler and we didn't noticed, or Jjs former job wasn't that difficult at all. From that platform, she jumped into that super important mission against Al Qaeda?
ReplyDeleteAnd another thing bugs me. Hotch was sent to Pakistan to work there before the beginning of season seven, and he was just there, you know. Afghanistan and Pakistan are neighbours... And they decided JJ was a more seasoned profiler because she worked at the BAU as a liaison? She wasn't even a profiler back then... There are so many holes in the story but I don't want to waste space. If you liked the episode, good for you, and if you hated it as I did, you know why anyway.
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ReplyDeleteIf this story was on “Alias”, a spy show that reveled in unreality, I would be more willing to go along with this episode. But since this episode is found on a show about the psychological makeup of serial killers, and considering the back stories of the characters, I don’t forgive the utter ridiculousness of this story. Three of the show’s writers used to write for “Alias” (Erica, Breen, and Rick) and they seem to want to resurrect that show on “Criminal Minds” with their overuse of spy stories. They were forced to make some story changes based on the fact that AJ and Paget were both fired and rehired within a year. But they made a conscious choice to do it in the most ludicrous way possible, and they seem to think that what was a forced storytelling device to get rid of JJ and then bring her back, is really an organic basis for spy stories on a criminal thriller show.
ReplyDeleteThe basic ideas behind this episode are not even remotely grounded in reality. Let’s start with the fact that this entire operation was ostensibly run by the State Department. Uh, no, that is not what the State Department’s mission is. Their mission is one of diplomacy and building international relations. They run embassies, interface with the local governments and represent US interests overseas. What they do NOT do is interrogate suspects or run paramilitary operations. That is the job of the CIA,military special operations, and yes the FBI. State Department would have nothing to do with that.
ReplyDeleteThe second bit of unreality, and frankly one that is even bigger in this episode, is the idea that JJ would be pulled from the BAU for this mission in the first place. Just what in her background indicated she was in any way trained to be an interrogator? Strauss said she was a skilled mediator, but that is not the same thing. Interrogation is a highly trained skill. It’s not something someone does for a whirl. Pretty much remember what Hotch said to Emily about profiling, and the same applies to interrogation. Yes, FBI agents are trained to conduct a wide variety of missions, but someone like a counterterrorism interrogator would have some form of additional training, because it really is a highly specific skillset. The military and the CIA have interrogators as well, but they have serious training on how to do their job. If someone is going to forcibly pulled to support a covert operation, you would think they already trained on how to do the job. JJ had no language skills, no profiling background, nothing of the sort. If anyone was getting forcibly pulled to do this mission, Emily would have been the better candidate. She was fluent in the language. She had a broader understanding of the region. She was a trained profiler, and she had experience with covert operations. There is NO way any department would INSIST that JJ be a part of a secret mission with her background. Are we to believe that the FBI has NO female interrogators? And just what was Strauss doing in Afghanistan? She is a section chief that oversees the BAU, and probably other things. She has no field experience whatsoever. She doesn’t run field operations; she flies a freaking desk. Is this supposed to be a State Department op or an FBI op, because it certainly sounded like Strauss was partially running things? Her appearance struck me as a blatant bit of fanservice and no way grounded in reality.
Reading your post again I just remembered that it was stated in minimal loss that Rossi trained mediators. But of course, JJ was not only a better profiler than Hotch but also a better mediator than Rossi...
DeleteSome other things that don’t ring true. JJ was pregnant and in a combat zone. Uh, NO- pregnant females are not allowed in a combat zone. If you are pregnant, you will not be sent to a combat zone in the first place (and yes, they do pregnancy tests shortly before you deploy). If you discover you are pregnant and in a combat zone, you will promptly be sent home. Apparently JJ was more comfortable telling her boss, Cruz, that she was pregnant, rather than her own husband. But whatever. As her boss, he should have wished her well, and then promptly put her butt onto a plane home, never to return. The fact that he sent her out on a dangerous mission outside the wire is utterly ridiculous and not grounded in reality in the slightest. Or he is the world’s most ignorant boss.
ReplyDeleteI also call shenanigans on the fact that JJ still has active security codes to a HIGHLY classified database three years after she left the job. In the real world, when someone leaves a highly sensitive job, lock combinations are changed, security access codes are changed, computer passwords are changed and accounts deleted. There is NO way JJ would still have anything approaching knowledge of what the current security access codes were. And is Cruz supposed to be State Department or FBI? I mean, this was ostensibly a State Department mission. So if he was State Department, what the hell is he doing working for the FBI now? And if he is FBI, why are his security codes still valid? And if he was FBI, why was HE recruited for a State Department operation?
Plus, I didn’t particularly like the final scene. To me, it’s like the writers sacrificed emotional realism for a cloying “family” moment. JJ was abducted and tortured and she’s just all smiles at a bar just hours afterward? Oh hell no. Do you think Reid was ready to go dancing after Tobias Hankel, or Emily was ready to knock back some shots after getting beat to hell by Cyrus?
Talking about sensitive codes... Our banks ask us to change our cards pins from time to time.., so...
DeleteThat being said, there were some things I did like about this episode. I did like the presence of Emily, and Paget is like a refreshing drink of water on the show. It would have been nice if Paget had not ultimately chosen to leave the show, but she did, and her exit story doesn’t really allow for many organic ways of bringing Emily back, either as a guest star or otherwise. With that in mind, Emily’s presence was completely contrived and just fanservice. No way would Emily have been allowed to participate in any tactical operation, and I have a hard time thinking that the BAU would just go rogue. Just like I have a hard time believing that JJ and Cruz would just be abandoned by a government department to be tortured. I mean, you would think they would dearly want to protect national secrets and the way to do that is to rescue them as soon as possible, and not allow them to be tortured into giving up their security codes. At least we had about two minutes of profiling when the team was reviewing Askari’s history and behavior. It provided some insight into his thought process and his methods. I liked the ambiguity when it came to Cruz’s true loyalties. I mean, I liked him as a character when he was introduced, but I wouldn’t have been that dismayed to discover he was a turncoat.
ReplyDeleteAnd even though I talked a lot about what I didn't like about this episode, my ire is entirely focused on the writers and Erica for signing off on this idea. The direction was great, the acting was great. AJ in particular got to show a wide variety of acting chops. I just have a serious problem with the underlying story. In my opinion, this sounded like a great idea to fill in some holes, but I have no doubt that this story was not something they had in mind when they first wrote JJ off the show and brought her back. There are just way too many continuity errors for this to have been planned in advance. The whole talk of a JJ undercover arc last year was more about a present day case, rather than this sort of thing we got.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the last few comments. WTF? Hotch was in Pakistan. Personally, I wasn't curious about JJ's mysterious time away in season 6. SHe was transferred to the State Department. That's enough explanation. SHe probably got some desk job as a higher up liason. I was a hella lot more curious about Hotch being in Pakistan and Reid's sabbatical or wherever he was. New JJ is nauseating. I never saw old JJ as meek or overly naive. old JJ was awesome. New JJ is just obnoxious, even though AJ Cook is a phenomenal actress.
ReplyDeleteGarcia is also annoying as hell. I don't want her to be the pseudo liason anymore. Also, the show isn't badass anymore. The writing is declining. I watch it more out of loyalty and b'c i love all the characters, especially Hotch. And what was Strauss doing in Afghanistan? The episode doesn't make sense at all. Emily's appearace in the episode was also kind of weird. Like the writers force her in.
When the DVDs for S9 comes out, there should be an extended version of this episode. i have a feeling a lot of scenes were deleted and an extended version of 200 would make a bit more sense.
I'm just adding to my previous comments.
To mysocalledcreativelife.com:
ReplyDeleteThank you. Your analysis is really good and I hope people will take time to read it.
I was thinking that e BAU members committed a number of felonies along this episode, but I guess their bosses would only write a reprimand in their personal files... Once and again they were told to not investigate, and yet the did it, but I guess it is all forgotten and forgiven, since they got back JJ...
ReplyDeleteALL II want to say is : 200 was good episode . but not really a criminal mind episode. i missed that profiling factor . .& was too predictable. .. it lacks something that will keep the viewer hooked till the end. .
ReplyDeletecomparing 100 vs 200.. i guess 100 was far better.
I thought it was bad. I hate when they do episodes when they have to interact with other government agencies. It seems as if every employee is portrayed as a bumbling idiot and only the BAU can save the country from international danger. It's silly. JJ as the badass isn't new, but I still despise it. After being waterboarded and electrocuted for hours, she is able to chase and fight a former elite level CIA agent. It's becoming insulting as a viewer. I didn't like the end of the episode where everyone was celebrating another job well done over a beer. Shouldn't she be in a hospital? This was a traumatic experience that brought up painful memories. I guess these are the repercussions of her season six departure, and the show has to explain her experiences in order to satisfy hardcore fans. For me, this left a bad taste in my mouth.
ReplyDeleteThe Natural, I agree with you concerning the use (or abuse) of JJ in this episode. It was truly sloppy and ham handed in the way it was presented. I think the part that brushed aside all reality was the bar scene. First off, by my count there were four different agencies involved; Interpol, DoD, State, and FBI. Each and every one of them was going to require reports and debriefings from everyone who participated, (or should have participated) in the operation. These reports would have been completed, at least in rough form, before they went off duty. The reason for that is simple. People died during the recovery of JJ and Cruz. Weapons were discharged inside a building used ostensibly by the State Dept. and inside the beltway. This means the Secret Service would have been CC'd on any report. The last reason is JJ herself. She would have been in no condition to go "out with the gang" after an ordeal such as that. This episode left not only a bad taste in my mouth, but also with a deep resentment towards the writers who wrote this nonsense to begin with. You don't put On Screen, the torture of a woman for over 27% of a show and get away with it. The writers should all have been fired.
DeleteRobert J Frost
Heh, am I glad I didn't read here after seeing the episode. Yes it wasn't perfect... I'm a huge JJ fan and I honestly I don't think it was perfect... like it was a bit rushed, should have been a true-two parter IMO and there were some bits that didn't really made sense but idk, I for the most part really-really-really enjoyed it! I enjoyed this CRAZY ride! (ok I loved it!) I thought A.J. Cook was terrific!! really I knew already she's an amazing actress but I'm so happy she's finally been able to really show her acting chops on this show, show just how amazing she really is! and Cruz actor (Esai Morales) also did really, really well. Really the JJ/Cruz stuff were absolutely fab. and speaking of fab it was real sweet seeing Prentiss again. I love Emily. So yes you know what? I had a great time...yes it was crazy but it's 200 they can go crazy :))
ReplyDeleteSort of a disappointment to see that instead of celebrating the skill and science of Profiling, the 200th episode of Criminal Minds instead chose to go the spy route once again. Hopefully the writers now have this silly contrivance out of their systems for good. JJ on the hunt for Ben Laden. Okay. Let's just move on now shall we?
ReplyDelete