Tuesday, June 10, 2014

CRIMINAL MINDS Season 9 - 24 Episodes Later, You Have Opinions About Them All... Do Tell!

Criminal Minds Season 9 is over with, and what a year it was!

Our favorite TV show reached a milestone, - another one!, - with its 200th episode, and we lost another agent, as Alex Blake left her credentials with Reid in the finale. Criminal Minds had all kind of stories, some about the team members, - Hotch finally faced his guilt over Haley's death, we got some explanations as to why JJ changed so much since her comeback, the BAU got a new Section Chief in Mateo Cruz, who is very different from the type of Section Chief Erin Strauss was,...

Criminal Minds saw itself do very well ratings wise, it beat its longtime timeslot competition American Idol in both viewers and demo, and often tied or beat NCIS as the number #1 CBS drama. And last, but not least, one of Criminal Minds writers, Janine Sherman Barrois, saw her great writing rewarded with a NAACP Award for the excellent 'Strange Fruit'. Yes, this year was a good one for the cast and crew of Criminal Minds!

So, lots happened in the past season, and here you can discuss it all, the good and the bad!

Rules to remember:
  • Be respectful of everyone's opinion. You do not agree with someone's opinion? Fine, explain why without attacking the person behind the opinion; tastes are like noses, everyone has one, and we are all entitled to have ours.
  • Be respectful of cast/writes/producers/crew work. You don't have to like the ideas behind the episodes, and/or how those ideas are developed, BUT they do work long, hard hours to put on our screens the best show possible, and nothing warrants being disrespectful to this fact.
  • Failing to heed the above rules will result in the immediate deletion of the full comment.

43 comments:

  1. Season 9 was a bit of a rollercoaster. There were some great highs - The Edge of Winter, Gabby, Final Shot - but there were the direst of lows - The Black Queen and the infamous 200. For me the whole season was blighted by the huge slap in the face to the fans that was "200". This was an opportunity to celebrate 200 episodes of the show we love and the team we adore - instead we got a childish, comic book story which had nothing to do with Criminal Minds and barely featured the team. Surely the worst episode ever made. I dislike this new habit of retconning to bludgeon clumsy storylines into canon. They do it so badly.
    Hanging all around this episode was the overload of JJ. It's no secret to anyone that I dislike the arrogant and icy superninja JJ who appears to have taken over command of the unit from Hotch. Change I can deal with, believable growth of character I can deal with. But not a complete personality replacement.We seemed to lose Hotch, Rossi was limited to infrequent though snappy one liners, Reid had moments but was underused and Blake was pushed to the background. It felt to me as though the team was lost and it was all about one character.
    Cruz comes over as very innocuous - that is, it doesn't really signify that he is there. I liked having the drama of early Strauss but they softened her down also and lost all the tension. Cruz seems ot have started off soft like that.
    I also find the "family" moments forced and unconvincing and I get angry when they make no sense such as the fitness fluff in Rabid and the sudden massive recovery of Reid's mom in Persuasion.
    It is probably my least favourite season - even worse than season 6 - due to the awful retconning and 200 storyline. And yet there have been glimpses of Criminal Minds, some episodes where we had profiling and the unsubs were not the stars so I am hoping we see more next season. I just feel that they are pitching the show at younger viewers who like the action more than the intelligent profiling so we seem to end up with a sort of Alias/Hunger Games/Avengers vibe and it does not sit well with me. But every time I think I need to give up on this fandom, they surprise me with a great episode.
    Hope this was not disrespectful. Just my opinion.

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    1. Mary, I agree with you 100%, I couldn't have said it better. ;-)

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    2. THANK YOU Mary!! season 9 will always be my least favorite season. I could only think of a few episodes that I will rewatch: In The Blood, Gatekeeper, The Caller, The Road Home, The Edge of Winter, and maybe Fatal. That's about it
      Enough of JJ she was never interesting, and now she just annoys me whenever she is in every scene.

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    3. Mary, I so agree with you, and I would like to add a couple of things. I also hated the first two episodes of the season, as another poster stated because of the praying mantises...I hate bug and maggot episodes. If I want that, I can watch Bones. I like that they toned down the weirdness factor a lot. I, too, hated the 200th episode. That episode should have been a TEAM episode, not a superninja JJ episode, and Route 66 should have been a Hotch/Haley episode and not a OK to love Beth episode. I got nothing from the 200th that explained anything about JJ's absence other than she was supposedly VERY special and super. And the best part about the Route 66 episode was the interaction between The Reaper and Haley and the look on Hotch's face while it was going on.

      Throughout many of the episodes, I got the distinct impression that JJ and not Hotch was actually the Unit Chief...WTF??? I agree with other posters that Hotch and Rossi were in the background throughout most of the season; it was very obvious. I don't know if it was their choice or EM's choice, but I hope that's not the case in S10. I think TPTB's "experiment" with the younger crowd this season was not promising, and it would be in the show's best interest to go back to the its original premise for S10.

      I liked most of the episodes, some more than others, but I still won't rewatch any of them until they are reruns on A&E and ION and I have them on to hear Hotch's voice, and I look up every now and then to see his face. Yes, I am one of those Hotch lovers and I'm not ashamed of it.

      I just hope the show gets back on the right track in S10 and we're ALL happy!

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    4. I'm with you, Mary, down to every last detail. I have said this so many times it's like beating my head against a wall. My sincere wish is for the writers to review the early seasons and learn from them. Stop making the focus be on the unsubs. We don't actually need to see the murders committed in order to grasp how heinous they are. More profiling. Return to the characters as they were designed. Yes, they would have grown in 10 years, but in many cases they have regressed, As Mary said, the growth has to be logical. Return to intelligent writing rather than just giving each team member one throw away line during the giving of the profile. Let us see their intelligence and their training come through their dialogue. Less of Garcia's self aggrandizing. She is NOT a genius, so stop having her claim to be one. If all it takes is Garcia's computer to solve the case, then we don't need the BAU team. If they're going to replace Blake, let it be another agent with some experience and value to the team and then give the person some lines and actions. The writers really screwed Blake by barely giving her anything to do. The viewers couldn't warm up to someone who seemed not to be needed there in the first place. Start treating Reid's genius and expertise with respect rather than something annoying or to joke about. Even Hotch and Gideon recognized that his mind would be able to hone in on things that others would overlook or not know about that would be vital in solving the cases. He was valued, not ridiculed. And give Hotch his rightful respect and command as team leader. JJ is not in charge. Hotch is.

      My wish would be for them to get rid of Erica and many of the current writers and either bring back some of the really good writers from the early seasons or get some new writers that actually understand the premise of the show. Since I very much doubt that will happen, I just hope they learned something from this season about the kinds of episodes that really resonated with the viewers. Believe me, 200 was NOT one of them. Stop underestimating the intelligence of the viewers. We're not all like the crazy ones who respond on Facebook and say every single episode is awesome. We're very much aware when what you write doesn't make any sense or when you destroy or shaft characters that we love to push some crazy agenda that doesn't belong on Criminal Minds. Let me remind you, we don't tune in to see killing. We can see that on any network pretty much any hour of the day. We tune in to see THIS TEAM CATCH THE BAD GUYS. We want to see the team work together to come up with the solution.

      I'm a Hotch lover, too, and my final wish for season 10 is ABSOLUTELY NO BETH. Please. Don't even mention her.

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    5. I'm right with you over Beth! Let;s hope she isnlt even mentioned next season!
      I am pleased that I am not the only one who thinks "200" was a travesty and an insult. I read that Erica Messer and AJC are doing a commentary on "200" for the dvds. For the first year ever I am not getting the dvds - because of 200 and JJ. I may get it in a year or two to complete my set when the price drops and it is on sale but no way will I pre-order as usual. But I am kind of interested to hear what they say on the commentary and if they try to justify this trainwreck. I agree they play far too much to the crazies on Facebook who are intellectually incapable of informed criticism. Shame.

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    6. I like Beth and hope she will make an appearence in season 10.

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    7. I want Beth to have Hotch's daughter. *Runs for cover*

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    8. Personally I like Beth. I like the chemistry that TG and BY have together. I know alot of people don't see it, or won't see it. But I do. I like the fact that she is so totally the 'Anti-Haley'...
      Now, as for what I'd like to see... *Leave me some room under the rock Zayrina* - I would love for Beth to return to DC, the reason is because well something 'didn't' work on their last weekend together and she's pregnant..Would love for it to be a girl, or better yet with my twisted mind TWIN GIRLS... Ohhhh the comments Rossi will have. I'd love to see Hotch struggle with impending fatherhood again, dealing with Jack, dealing with his own age, and his job. Not only that would be a nice tie in to Route 66 where Haley told him it was up to him to 'choose happiness'. If this is going to be the last season for the series this would be a great story arc throughout the season culminating with the series finale of Hotch/Beth getting married after the birth.

      *Puts my Kevlar on*

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    9. OMG!! Heaven forbid! I daresay that if this is the last Season you may well get your wish. i am sure Erica Messer will bring in the very most from fanfiction and have a sparkly wedding with 12 bridesmaids in pink taffeta, fairies and unicorns followed by triplet daughters for Botch but I don't want to see it! No A thousand times NO. I see no chemistry whatsoever between them. Hotch had a zillion times more chemistry with all the other women who have crossed his path over the years - Kate Joyner, CeCe Hillenbrand, Megan Kane - but this relationship is as flat and boring as they come. Sorry,

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    10. Sorry Mary, I can't agree with you. First there was only innuendo by the other's that Hotch and Kate ever had anything other then a professional relationship. CeCe was simply a prosecutor he helped out on a big case, and while friendly there was zero personal chemistry shown, and Megan Kane, well she was an unsub and his job was to catch her by whatever means he could. Being a caring man he took that seriously and I just think of her as one of those serial killers you actually sympathize with. I loved the chemistry he had with Haley in the beginning, but then the story line made me dislike her way too much until I wasn't that upset they killed her off. I see the chemistry between Beth. I like 'shy' Hotch when he was around her and how he came out of his shell over the course of they're relationship. Loved the scene at the beginning of 'Hit' where he blushes and stutters when Jack asks him if Beth can stay over in their 'fort'. I love the scene in the tea shop when he tells her they can do the long distance relationship and the glimmer in his eyes when she suggests they go to her place to look at the train schedules. I also love the scene in 'Brother's Hotchner' where he's flirty and funny over her 3 page itinerary. I also like the flirtiness in how he tells her she talks in her sleep and makes her blush by his insinuation that it's more then Jack talking superheros.

      I'm pretty confident that we won't get that "My little Pony Princess" type wedding EVER on CM even if it was Garcia's wedding. Especially not with Hotch. I guess if it has to be the last season what I want is for the characters to come full circle and to be left with a 'happy' ending a sense of closure. I don't want the team to go out in a hail of bullets I don't want the team broken up over a horrible case, for me I want to be able to believe that although no longer seen on my TV week in and week out I am left with a sense that the Team is still out there catching the 'bad guys'.... I would like to see Reid maybe rekindle with Austin from 52 pickup, I'd like to see JJ maybe get pregnant again, Rossi re-retire, to write again and maybe teach at the academy, passing on his knowledge to the next generation BAU Profiler. Hotch move forward with Beth, Jack and more children, still the Unit Chief of the BAU. Morgan maybe moving on to head his own unit somewhere. Garcia and whomever settle down or just be her quirky self clicking her heels through the halls of Quantico. My biggest fear is that TPTB will see the 'series ending' as a call to go out with the biggest nastiest bang possible.... and quite frankly killing any of the cast off at that point would ruin me ever watching even repeats knowing that's their fate.
      If we knew there were more seasons ahead, I could give you the idea of Beth and Hotch just realizing the long distance doesn't work... and maybe find him someone else to fall for. But right now I'm thinking the worst and it's the last season and there just isn't enough time to 'introduce' someone else.

      *just my 2 cents*

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    11. Mary June, with all due respect, pllllllllppppptttttttt! No big pink wedding. A nice discreet wedding and maybe the last scene of the series with Hotch holding his girls with the biggest smile we have seen from him throughout the entire 10 seasons. :P :P :P

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    12. Just can't agree! But hey we all see things differently. I just think TG sparked off those other actresses and yes I know it wasn't romantic with them but there was a connection between them that made the scenes completely believable. For me, there isn't that spark between TG and BY and as a result it all feels flat, fake and unbelievable to me. I think if you are playing any roles - agent/unsub, professional/professional, boyfriend/girlfriend - there has to be that spark and connection as that's what makes good acting into great acting and sadly it just isn't there for me. I love Hotch - he's my favourite character after Reid - and I would want so much more for him than this dull, flat, long distance relationship. I also simply cannot see how they see each other more than once or twice a month - poor chap! And my comments about the wedding were a joke! But I don't trust Erica Messer not to make such a scene as Disney and sickly sweet as so many in the last few seasons.
      Oh and Reid and Austin? No No No. Again, completely lacking in chemistry.

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    13. Come over to the darkside Mary June, you know you want to! :^). If I thought we would go beyond season 10 long enough to establish another relationship I would be ok with him breaking up over the distance in order to bring in an actress who is more available. But in the long run it's Beth for the win. Pregnant.

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    14. What's with the Mary June?? It's just plain Mary please! And I will never go to the Dark Side - the Force is with me!

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    15. Lol. Sorry. You are the victim of me posting sans reading glasses. I was not so clearly reading you as 1st Mary Jane then Mary June rather than Mary posting in June. I am such a dork.

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    16. Zayrina, Mary........

      First Mary, yes I realized you were joking... and believe me I had to erase my DisneyLand murder mystery that brings them all together in a giant themed wedding. LOL Because I too don't trust Erica. My point is that overall that while next year might be the last I would like to see the season end as it began so to speak for Hotch. With him setting up a crib, picking names out with his wife (now Jack too) Beth understanding unlike Haley did that when his key hits the door he's in this silent panic that the phone will ring and he's go to leave yet again on a case. *Phone Rings* Beth says *Go we'll be fine* fade to black.
      As a fan I can say goodbye to my favorite show knowing that the BAU is out there doing their job, stopping the crazies. Of course a happy ending leaves the opening for TV movie too.... :D Yes I'm selfish I don't want the series end to actually ever be the end.... 'maybe'

      Zayrina, ummm I have about 12 pair of readers lying all over my house 'just in case'.... LOL Best place for mine is on top of my head, YET I still can't find them sometimes.... *facepalm*

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  2. Mary,

    First... No not disrespectful at all.. and Heck woman, I just deleted a post that pretty much said the same thing you just did.... You're spot on for what I as a viewer from S1 Epi 1 am feeling right now...

    There wasn't 1 episode that was absolutely perfect... all had issues here and there... Some of course were much much better then others Gabby comes to mind... And while I loved Route 66, (shameless Hotch fan here) I even had problems with that episode. And mostly my problems were with what was 'left' on the cutting room floor... I think there was 'too' much case in that episode, thereby limiting the explanitory scenes between Hotch and Haley.

    I won't even go into 200... As I will never watch this episode again (along with 25 to life) rehashing what was done wrong just gives me a migraine. Let's just say it is/was/ and forever shall be a waste of such a milestone episode.

    I will say this though, to me at least the backlash in fandom about 200 and JJ seems to have gotten through to someone, as she was toned down in the 2nd 1/2 of the season. I sincerely hope that TPTB can get back to what this long time fan fell in love with in the first place. Solid team profiling, the true 'family' dynamic and not the gimmicky schtick we saw this season. (Psssst: that means no more fluffy bar scenes)

    I'm looking forward to season 10, in hopes that things will continue to improve and we might actually get S11 or more...

    Thanks
    Barbara

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    1. BTW what does TPTB mean?? I see it all the time and I have no idea!

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    2. It means 'The Power That Be' aka those in charge :)

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  3. I can't say I hated any of the episodes in season 9. I loved a few, Route 66 because I too shamelessly adore Aaron Hotchner/Thomas Gibson. I even liked 200 for the most part in spite of my growing dislike of the JJ character. I tend to not watch any of it with too discerning an eye recognizing that it is, after all, television. I am sorry for having developed an aversion to any character in a show that I esteem enough to have seen every single episode. There are few show that have held that honor in my limited TV viewing experience, MASH, Frazier, House and now CM are the only ones that have. I really hope the writers can strike a fan pleasing balance for season 10.

    I have to add, while I like the character of Cruz, nice guy, I miss Strauss, I miss being angry at her for needlessly picking on Hotch. She had become a neat character, a strong woman, and so they killed her. Naughty bad writers.

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  4. Next season I hope we will get way more Hotch, Reid and Rossi and way less JJ. And I would also love to get more episodes similar to The Final Shot,The Caller,Gabby and The Edge of Winter.

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  5. Moi?? Have an opinion?? Of course I do! Surprise!

    I felt the first five episodes started the season off on extremely strong footing. In fact, while I wasn't totally enamored with some of the episodes, I felt the first 16 were good to very good. Which, in my world, follows the pattern of previous seasons; getting towards the end, some aren't as good. It's like they start to run out of gas. But then it picks up for the last three episodes going to the end.

    My favorites for the season were (in random order) The Final Shot, Route 66, The Road Home, Gabby, 200 and Strange Fruit. Strange Fruit deserved the award it received and should garner more. We know how that goes however. And I thoroughly enjoyed 200; for me, it tied a lot of loose ends together and I thought it was an intense, heart pounding thriller.

    If I have one complaint, it is one what others have said. It seems like the last half of the season, the only team members that could take down the unsub was Morgan and JJ. And Hotch and Rossi were off making a donut run. So S10 for me also needs more of them two.

    I agree with two comments Zayrina said. While I like Cruz as well, I miss Strauss. I would have loved the dynamic of her and Rossi in the office, given their "situation" outside of the workplace. That would have been fun. However, I understand why the plot line went the way it did in The Replicator.

    And finally, like Zayrina, I understand one thing: at the end of the day and the bottom line, Criminal Minds is a television show. I accept that, so that is why I'm accepting of some shortcomings while still enjoying my favorite show.

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  6. When it comes to season 9 it was for me better than 6 which is one I never care for much. Generally what I loved in season 9 was that we had good characters episode, Route 66, The Edge of Winter, action episodes, Angel and Demon, and episodes that felt like the good old CM, Gabby, Strange Fruit, Final shot, The Inspired, The Inspiration.

    Another thing that I did like was the writers went back at writing less about the unsub and more about the team doing what they do best.

    Some of the things I didn’t like; some episodes were forgettable. I know it is a long season and not all episodes will be at top quality but a few were not that memorable.

    My biggest problem with season 9 was, like for some here, the over use, overexposure of JJ. Whenever someone needed to talk to someone, they talked to JJ, whenever someone needed support they got it from JJ. She was in so many action scenes/take down/interrogation/interviews scenes that she did overshadow Hotch, Rossi and Reid . Worse, take 200th. Why would the US Gov needed JJ? It was said they needed a profiler and someone who could interrogate a prisoner. When JJ left the BAU she was not a profiler and she was not an interrogator. Worse than that, there is a rule in the army/for deployment oversea that female cannot be deployed if they are pregnant.
    They do tests before letting anyone deploy. Not to mention that the US would need JJ of all people, a media liaison to get Ben Laden....? As bad as 200th was, it was not my less favorite episode ever, this goes to 25 to life closely followed by the crossover with the spin off, but it is in my my top 10 of less favorite episode.

    Another thing that irritated me this season was the unexplained disappearance of some of the characters who would, for example, enter a building, never to seen again, no explanation given.
    I am in the camp of those who like Cruz. I was happy to see a character that was supporting of Hotch and his team, someone who was willing to learn from the best.

    I did like the family moments, when well done, like the Karaoke scene those can be fun and we see how close the team are. But sometime the idea is good but not well done. In 200th we had a bar scene which I had no problem with until I saw both JJ and Cruz who had both been beaten, water boarded, in JJ's case threaten with rape and yet we saw them sharing a drink with the team when they should have been in some hospital bed instead.

    I did love Final shot and how it was written, how the unsub and his ‘relationship’ with the target was only in his head. This was cleverly written and well acted.

    Overall I give this season a 7.5/10 it had moment of brilliance ( Strange Fruit) great episodes (Gabby, Final Shot, Route 66), good one (Edge of Winter, The inspired, inspiration, Angel and Demon) and some that were enjoyable ( Fatal, Rabid, gatekeeper, in the blood).

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    1. Wow! I agree with some of the things you said, like the major OVERUSE of JJ, a character which I really could not care any less for, and about how bad 200 was.

      But as for the episodes you liked, I respectfully disagree. I don't know what the hubbub was with Strange Fruit. I did not like that episode so much, and I am kind of over the whole race related episodes. Final Shot was okay, but once again too much JJ; And the Two part season premier I disliked because of two words--Praying Mantis. Seriously, that was a major reach for a story.
      Overall I would give this season maybe a 5.5/10

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    2. It is ok to not agree :) I tend to like episode with lots of Hotch or Rossi. As for 'Strange Fruit' yes the whole race thing has been played a lot but this time it was interesting to see what effect hate had on the family. Same with Rossi, how hatred changed him. he didn't speak up as a kid and it did weight on him what he did all those years ago. It shows that even the BAU team are the whole thing with the woman was all in the ubsub not without sins. The acting was excellent and the script was full of subtleties.

      I like Final shot because not until the end did I realize that the whole thing with the woman was in the unsub mind, a fantasy to keep him focus. And I love that the writer remembered that Hotch is the one with the sharp shooter background!

      Yes the Praying Mantis thing was a big reach but the acting in that episode was good, the actor playing the brothers, the actress and actor playing the mom and dad.


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    3. Okay CMRT. And BTW I like Beth, too!

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  7. I’ve already voiced what I liked… up higher… And I also said a few things about what I didn’t like. But What I want to do now is explain what I really want to see happen.
    I’ve been sitting here watching Season 1 on ION TV and I realized what’s been missing from CM for me for the last 3 years… It’s the little nuances of the characters that gave them all their unique personalities.
    As my favorite character on the show is Hotch, I can more easily explain myself through him. In Season 1-5 Hotch was strong, decisive the leader of this elite group. At the same time he was caring and compassionate towards both his team mates, his family and especially the victims. This season however, it was like he was the subordinate to none other than JJ of all people. He was flat. There were a few moments, In Final Shot, Gabby, Angels/Demons where the old SSA Aaron Hotchner shown through but overall I was disappointed in his portrayal. Is that the writer’s fault? The director’s or even flat acting by Thomas? If flat acting is part of the equation my next question would be ‘Why?” I don’t know? I have to say this too, I didn’t see this phenomenon with just Hotch’s character, I also saw it with Rossi, Reid and Blake too. So why? What about this season prompted these very accomplished actors and actress to not on top of their game? Hopefully in Season 10 this can be addressed and rectified. Don’t get me wrong Hotch, Rossi, Reid and Blake had some wonderfully powerful scenes throughout the season, but overall in the span of 24 episodes I felt like they were secondary characters.
    With regard to the ‘cute’ family moment scenes. Some were very good. The Karaoke scene where they sing Piano Man was great. Reid helping that mother give birth was also great. Hotch and Jack’s class and the profiling lesson for third graders. Even Reid’s and Garcia’s scenes in Angels and Demons. They were all wonderful. On one note while I loved Route 66 and the meaning it held for Hotch, I feel that it was over shadowed by the case, taking time away from tying up the loose ends on Hotch’s storyline. Having Jessica there without saying a word just seemed off or wrong. Had they paired down that case just a bit maybe there would have been time for some expansion of that final scene.
    Anyway, before I go on for pages and pages I will leave you all with this. There were problems throughout the entire season, of that there is no doubt, but overall it was a good season with great ratings and my fondest desire is that TPTB find a way to read these thoughts and maybe just maybe work to correct the mistakes of last season and expand on the hits.
    Thanks
    Barbara

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    1. Yes Yes! Agreed! especially with this:

      "Don’t get me wrong Hotch, Rossi, Reid and Blake had some wonderfully powerful scenes throughout the season, but overall in the span of 24 episodes I felt like they were secondary characters."

      They WERE secondary characters in season 9, continuously taking a back seat to JJ(seriously) and Morgan(whatever)

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  8. One thing I forgot to mention that I liked about Season 9 was that, with a few exceptions and although he was generally underused, they actually started showing Reid as the experienced, capable agent he has grown into. In Angels and Demons we saw him taking control of the crime scene with the prostitute and at the restaurant before the shooting started. Too often in seasons 6, 7 and 8 they painted him as childish and the butt of jokes so it was nice to see a bit of realism in how they portrayed him this year. I liked very much his relationship with Rossi and with Blake - interesting that he seems to get on best with the older team members. It is a shame they spoiled it all with the silly stuff in Rabid and Persuasion - and of course, we could have seen more of him and the others throughout. Maybe some of the action scenes could have gone to someone other than JJ and Morgan,

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    1. I had been waiting for this for several years...Reid is a fully capable agent yet he is rarely portrayed that way. And he is an adult, but sometimes is written as childish, or the others treat him like a child. I love when he was paired with Blake and Rossi, and Hotch, but I haven't seen him too much with Hotch in a while.

      Bottom line, I wish he could participate in the action scenes, too, not just being left at the station when everyone else (aka JJ/Morgan) goes on the raids

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    2. Yes!! Hotch and Reid! They used to have this really great dynamic together which has been almost completely lost. I hope we see some of that friendship back in Season 10.

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  9. I really hope we get some more diversity next season when it comes to pairing up team members.And by that I don't mean JJ/Hotch, JJ/Rossi,JJ/Morgan or JJ/Reid.

    Now I don't know whose fault it is,the actress or the director, but JJ needs to be toned down a bit. IMO she was allowed to dominate way too many scenes this past season.It was especially irritating when she was paired with Hotch and if you didn't know any better you'd probably think she was in charge.

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    1. Yes, Debra, I could not have said it better myself. She needs to be toned wayyy down

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  10. I did enjoy some of the episodes this season, whereas last season I didn't even buy the DVDs and I do not watch them when they come on ION or A&E. I liked Final Shot, Gabby, The Caller, The Edge of Winter. Those were all episodes where there was good profiling and not a lot of really gross or violent stuff thrown in in place of good writing. I like to see each of the characters using their strengths, not JJ having every strength and Garcia pulling up ridiculous lists on the computer in 5 seconds, like find everyone in this county that ever owned a dog and whose mother drove a blue car. I think the writers need to read more real cases to assist them in coming up with their story lines. Then they can tweak them rather than just trying to come up with the grossest possible unsubs with the most bizarre ways to kill and/or torture victims. An episode here or there that's over the top like that is okay and an interesting change. But the past couple of seasons the emphasis has clearly been on these types of cases, as if there were some kind of contest among the writers to see who could come up with the most bizarre and terrifying way to kill someone.

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  11. Firstly, let me state that I'm a CM fan since it's beginnings. Season nine, was to me, somewhat better overall then several season's previous, but most gains were destroyed when 200 aired. Geez, that was a disaster, and now the defensive posture taken by AJC in many of her recent interviews, blaming " inflexible" fans tells me that CM PTB are out there putting out bush fires. The episodes that stand out as quality for me were Final Shot, Gabby and Strange Fruit, all with good team work and plausible intelligent stories. I do notice that I'm always impressed when Hotch remains the strong lead, and cringe when he's by-passed by the likes of Morgan or JJ. Clearly CM's business model (hooking the younger crowd) isn't impressing those of us who look for the character strengths that once were but seem to be lacking now.

    I do believe that us long term fan have really found it difficult to watch our beloved team fall out of step and when they become lesser in our minds then they once were we've not been gracious. In fact, my guess is that many of us are dumbfounded and wonder if the writers understand who the characters are at all and wonder why they don't understand them the way we do. I've never heard so many "hates" expressed here as in the last several years....and frankly I long for those times when, even with having favorites, we still loved all of them. Let's hope S10 gives us some of that feeling back, without adding the dynamic of a new profiler. And let TEAM be the key word.

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  12. I began watching for the crime, but I stayed for the beautiful characters that I have come to fall in love with. And I truly do - I love all of them, and it actually pains me when I see others bashing on these characters. I'll admit, I had a hard time adjusting to Alex just because I love this team so much and I was hesitant to change it, but I have really come to love her character and I am extremely sad to see her go.

    I personally don't understand all of the hate that I have seen on JJ. No one needs to come back on me now and explain their views on her because I've heard it all - and don't get me wrong, I understand many of the arguments. It may be that she's been my favorite since the beginning, but it seems that the way people perceive her actions is filtered through based on their like or dislike of her. For example, I have never noticed her being particularly rude or condescending, but that is one of the biggest complaints I have seen. I personally love JJ's character, and on top of that, AJ Cook seems like an absolutely wonderful human being. So everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I don't see how it helps anyone to go expressing your hate towards any of the characters. When it all comes down to it, they are a TEAM. They all love each other, so why can't we do the same?

    The chemistry between the entire cast is something that no one will ever be able to replicate. These people truly love each other and love what they do, and it really comes across to the viewers and makes watching that much more enjoyable. I absolutely love the scenes that show the entire team, together, outside of the horror that they see everyday. Season 9 has had many of these moments, and I hope that that continues. I would also like to see everyone paired with everyone - I'll admit, there has been a Morgan/JJ overload this season, and I would like to see all of the pairings more because I love everyone together.

    I cannot wait to see the new things that we get to learn about all of these amazing characters in the upcoming seasons. Criminal Minds never disappoints. I know there are some shortcomings, but nothing will ever stop me from enjoying my favorite show.

    To season 10 and beyond!

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  13. Madison J,

    People dislike of the new JJ got nothing to do with the actress being nice, or not ( if that was ever the case, but actually AJ Cook is a nice person to meet, base on the short meeting some of the members of this blog had when we visited the set in season 8).

    As for 'but I don't see how it helps anyone to go expressing your hate towards any of the characters.' For the writers, actors it may help knowing if what they are doing is working. this is why writers will ask fans 'what did you think of the episode?' It is part of the territory to get the good and the bad.

    'When it all comes down to it, they are a TEAM. They all love each other, so why can't we do the same?' They are 7 people, easier to get along then trying to ask the 16millions people that watch CM to all get along or think the same things ;) :)

    Totally agree with you about the cast getting along, their chemistry and scenes where we see the team in social settings.

    Despite some of CM shortcomings, I too will not stop watching, it is still my favorite shows and cannot wait for season 10 to start!

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    1. Those are all very good points and I agree entirely:)

      I guess you can't keep everyone happy all the time. The best we can do is take what we are given and do with it what we will.

      Thank you so much for this blog, by the way. It's a really nice way for us all to be able to come together and express our opinions in a friendly environment. I really appreciate it:)

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  14. For me season nine started bad and continued bad. I have to place it below season six as my most disliked season ever. I can't exactly explain WHY, but I felt the writing took a major nosedive this season in comparison to season eight. Yeah, there were a few episodes here and there that I liked, or parts of episodes I really liked, but for the most part, it was heavily graded on a curve, and there were some definite worst episodes of the series in this season (though to be fair, there is always a fair amount of episodes in every season that I dislike). These group of writers have been in place for a few years now, and I feel they have hit the point of their talent and all we are left with is diminishing returns. When you looked at the first four season of Criminal Minds, there were a few core excellent writers, but there was a whole lot of rotation as well. I think this show could benefit by replacing the bulk of the writers with those who are both interested in writing about criminal psychology and profiling, and are capable of it.

    Since we have heard of no writing replacements, I assume the same group is in place for season 10. I can only hope there was a massive change in ideas and inspiration over the summer and they come back with interesting stuff.

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    1. I really wish instead of CBS demanding that all the writers take a paycut or be fired,which caused many of the good writers to quit, that they would have gone to ED and tell him that they were planning on letting some of the writers go.They than could have asked for his input as to which writers to keep and which ones to let go.

      It would have been far better for CM to have had fewer writers, ones that had a better understanding of both the concept of the show in general, as well as the characters,as oppose to what we have today.

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    2. Interestingly my perspective is quite different. I considered season 8 to be abysmal, so bad in fact I have not yet bout the DVD set to go with my collection and will likely buy 9 first because I considered it to be superior to the last several seasons.

      Different strokes.

      Now I am wondering what the big surprise is that Harry Bring tweeted about.

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    3. Unfortunately the ridiculous excessive amount of time they spent on that Mary Sue(JJ) and the lack of Reid,Hotch,Rossi, pretty much ruined for me what would have otherwise been a pretty good season.

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