Criminal Minds Chat Transcript with Writers Rick Dunkel and Kim Harrison

Sir_Bedivere: Tell us about The Stranger!! It looks extremely scary!!
Rick: It's our version of a horror movie.
Kimberly_Harrison: Rick: and I are huge fans of horror movies and this was right up our alley
Sir_Bedivere: where did the idea come from?
Rick: We wanted to get back to our roots. It's very much a classic case from the early days, but we knew Scream 4 was coming out and the episode was airing on the 13th so we wanted to really play up the suspense/horror aspect.
Rick: There are some good team moments... You get to see a few of them outside of the office
Kimberly_Harrison: The fans are going to love seeing the team outside of the office.

Sir_Tristan: what have been the biggest challenges in writing the new team dynamic?
Kimberly_Harrison: Allowing Seaver to come into her own.
Rick: Filling and feeling the loss of both JJ and Prentiss, too.
Sir_Bedivere: we do miss them
Rick: Their loss very much lives with the team throughout
Rick: we honor them while still trying to find Seaver's niche

Guest1: You two have teamed on this episode, Huggins and Kirk teamed on the last; will there be more of this in future episodes; why is it a good thing?
Rick: Breen and Jim Clemente teamed up for 623; Simon and Erica for 617...
Rick: It's definitely been an interesting experience...
Rick: Kim wanted to beat me up some days for sure
Kimberly_Harrison: Rick and I no longer speak'
Rick: We only tweet

Sir_Bedivere: Is there a lot of give and take when writing with a partner?
Kimberly_Harrison: It's our version of a "mashup" like on Glee..
Rick: We actually found it very easy to write with one another...
Rick: we've know eachother for years and we found we were usually on the same page
Kimberly_Harrison: Rick and I are pretty much always in the same head space... he likes brunettes and I love thinking of ways to kill them. lol
Rick: Adjusting to writing with someone is a challenge in of itself... We'd split up to write scenes on our own, then merge them together into one script and realize, "oh whoops, that didn't pay off, or ooh, you went somewhere different, let's keep that and change my part..."
Rick: It was very collaborative and fun


Sir_Bedivere: what can you tell us about your Unsub? He looks like a combo of The Invisible Man and The Fly
Kimberly_Harrison: He's a young man with a dark past.
Rick: He may or may not have developed a taste for killing
Sir_Bedivere: curious as to what that mean Rick:
Rick: He enjoys cutlery
Sir_Bedivere: well don't we all
Sir_Percival: he enjoys carving?
Sir_Percival: it is an art
Sir_Bedivere: some call it art, some call it murder...
Rick: are you a carver, Percival? Maybe we should sick Jim Clemente on you!
Kimberly_Harrison: lol exactly... the BAU calls it murder

guinevere: Kim, I just wanted to say that "Into the Woods" is the most disturbing episode I have seen and it is my personal favourite of the season.
Rick: So gross. Kim has a sick mind.
Kimberly_Harrison: lol Thanks Guinevere
Kimberly_Harrison: I get it from you Dunkle
Rick: I haven't cringed more than watching that episode... and we've done some disturbing stuff!
Rick: It was sooo good though!

Rick: Molly from Knockout Media just stopped in... we did our DVD commentaries today
Kimberly_Harrison: I'm so glad those are done.
Kimberly_Harrison: I was super nervous!
Sir_Bedivere: your first Kim?
Rick: Fun stuff. They had to readjust the entire set-up to accomodate my 6'5 frame
Kimberly_Harrison: yup!
Sir_Percival: are you doing episode commentaries?
Rick: no. it was about the season as a whole
Kimberly_Harrison: Molly was gentle... She's great!
Rick: there will be little featurettes like the past few years
Rick: there's a bit on secrets of season six
Rick: and dealing with the loss of JJ and Prentiss

Guest1: Is it possible you may be writing for JJ and Prentiss in the future?
Rick: Obviously that would be everyone's hope, but in what capacity is really in hands other than ours...
Rick: Personally, I'd write for AJ and Paget any chance I got.


guinevere Rick:, having a son on the autism spectrum, "Coda" was very touching to me. How did you research Autism for the ep?
Rick: I did, yes. I actually got to meet Temple Grandin's mother; and Joe and I had very long discussions about his own experiences; and I read a lot of books.
Kimberly_Harrison: I think the teaser to CODA was the best teaser we've done.
guinevere: wow! Temple Grandin is an amazing person!
Sir_Bedivere: Temple Grandin is amazing. so glad her story is being told
Rick: I have a family member who is autistic so I was able to use that as well.

Guest1: The Seavers character has not been that well received; how does that make for integrating the character into the scripting?
Rick: As far as Seaver not being well received, I'd like to remind everyone that Prentiss was HATED at the beginning... We have very loyal fans and it takes time for the new characters to be warmed up to... It happened with Joe, too.
Rick: That's why we make it clear that they are not replacing anyone, they are bringing a new voice to the team.
Sir_Tristan: very good point
Sir_Bedivere: i think it's the rookie aspect that "bothers" many of the in the know fans
Sir_Bedivere: why that route?
Kimberly_Harrison: It's something we haven't done.
Kimberly_Harrison: Each team member has their own journey as how they got to the BAU
Sir_Bedivere: you know we're diehards so we're gonna ask the harder questions...the BAU is a specialized unit
Sir_Bedivere: it's always been explained that way. this is an elite unit. to put a rookie on the team just is a little out of place
Sir_Bedivere: know what i mean?
Sir_Bedivere: nothing that can be done now we realize. just voicing what many have felt
Rick: Yes, she's a rookie, but we love the idea of exploring someone who has first ahnd knowledge of what it is to live with a serial killer... Our team members study serial killers for a living... She LIVED it. I think that gives her a vital perspective that no other team member can bring.
Rick: Personally, for me, I also feel like the team in some way needs her around... She is validation on a daily basis of what they fight for. We never get to stay with the families of the serial killers or with the victims... With Seaver we have the opportunity to explore the aftermath on a weekly basis.
Sir_Bedivere: understood
Sir_Bedivere: we'lre trying to get to know her
Rick: You'll get to know here a little more tomorrow night.
Sir_Bedivere: yeah....she one of the outside the office aspects we get?
Rick: She's starting to find her place not just in the team, but in the family.
Rick: We're definitely playing it like real life. Rachel came in as an outsider; so did Seaver... but they can't exist like that forever. The integration can be rough, but in the end, friendships and new releationships are formed and strengthened through experience. She is no exception.
Sir_Bedivere: it is always hard being the new kid in school
Rick: Exactly.
Kimberly_Harrison: exactly, and I think that's something Seaver understands
Rick: I remember moving schools a few times growing up and it always took me time to be accepted... And I didn't have fans to worry about back then!

Guest1: Hotch appears to have limited screentime this season. Last week's episode was great; will we see more of him in the remaining episodes?
Rick: You will see more of Hotch, yes. In fact, we saw the director's cut of 622 today and it shows Hotch in a way you would never expect.
Rick: Here's a hint: you see him without a tie!
Kimberly_Harrison: #622 is going to be fantastic!

merlin: speaking of Hotch, how about his secret? when will we learn about it?
Rick: You already know Hotch's secret, lol.
Sir_Bedivere: is Hotch 's secret that Emily is really alive?
Rick: Everyone has secrets. Some are small. Some are big. Hotch's secret is pretty big.

More to come in the upcoming days!