Respectfully, did not like it. Too much unsub, it should be a matter of quality (subtle and relevant) of scenes and not quantity. Too little time with the team. The writer needs to balance the episode better; she had the same technique on Proof.
The team did not gelled well in the ep and the profile was too rushed. Also, why not use your most talented actor/actress (Paget) in dramatic or significant scenes? She is there, but not really significantly contributing.
I liked the context of the Beth story, and the actress seems like someone Hotch and the team can relate to.
Finally, please: I beg for Morgan/Prentiss, I miss them so much.
I will still watch, I love this cast and all episodes by Breen, Rick and Erica, but please take time to regroup for the last 9 episodes.
I loved the Hotch/Beth parts of the epiosde, it was well-written. It was really nice to see Hotch smile again, I'm sure they'll make a cute couple (I hope everything works out between them).
The case was interesting even if it's not one of the strongest this season.
I did enjoy the little Hotch/Reid scenes, we don't get enough of those in my opinion.
Now, waiting for 'True Genius' will be pure torture, I want to see that episode and January 18th seems far away. I really need a strong Reid centric episode.
This is the plus of lowered expectations. I have yet to like any of the case aspects of a Janine Sherman Barrois episode. And, given that it was an episode about boxing, which I hate, I wasn't expecting much. So, I wasn't disappointed. Also agree, way too much unsub. I watch for the team. Not the guest star I'll never see again, and so couldn't care less about. But, I will be fair and say it wasn't as graphic as I was sure it was going to be.
So, I pretty much said I'm watching this for Hotch and Beth. Which says something, because when the rumors came out, it wasn't something I was interested in. But, the flood of cute sold me. Hotch looked so adorably young saying bye, and his expression was almost like a kid who's a bit excited that a pretty girl gave him her number. Fingers crossed that the writing of them continues to be as good as it's started.
Liked the episode, especially all the Hotch and Beth moments. I hope Beth is here to stay!
Like others have said, again too little of the team too much of the guest stars. I watch CM for Hotch, Rossi, Reid, Prentiss, JJ, Garcia and Morgan. I want to see them profile the unsub, I want to see them work the case. Once in a while a story told from the unsub point of view is okay and even interesting but when this is the default mode, it gets annoying especially when most of the CM cast except for Thomas, Joe and Matthew didn't have much screen time. Janine got to try to get the right balance.
That said, the ending was just great! the scene between the dad and his dying son was very touching. So was Hotch who probably knew how the man was feeling at losing his son even if Hotch didn't lose Jack he knows how it would have felt like if he had!
Janine Sherman Barrois has done some of my favorite eps. "Rememberance of Things Past", "Thirteenth Step" "With Friends Like These" , "Proof" and now "The Bittersweet Science" This was fantastic. I know she and Ed worked together on 'Third Watch" and then she went to ER. I love her work. This was truly a movie.
I liked the case aspect of the story, it was well written in that contex.
However, I do not like that they're delving into a relationship for Hotch. It was good that they decided to go into the team's personal life but starting new relationships? Not interested.
Finally, why is someone as talented as Paget Brewster being shoved in the background? Didn't the show learn last season with the firings of AJ Cook and Paget Brewster that the ladies are the essence of the show? Putting her in a scene but not using her its just a waste of talent.
Not feeling the chemistry between Hotch/Beth. Bellamy Young isn't a good actress.
Shawn Hatosy and Charles S. Dutton dominated the guest starring roles.
I knew I wouldn't have liked the episode because it was about boxing, and I was right. But that wasn't even the reason why I didn't like it, funny enough. As others have mentioned, there was too much unsub. Like so much, I couldn't wait for the show to cut to commercial. I forced myself to watch. There was too little of the team, in fact, I almost couldn't even remember if they gave a profile.
I know one of the last parts with the unsub and his son was supposed to be touching, but I just wasn't feeling it. I guess I was already so sick of seeing the unsub. On the plus side though, Hotch with Beth was cute. It was nice to see him smile. I wish they hadn't even released spoilers about her, though. They should have just thrown it right us. Some fans are being way to overdramatic about the whole thing to the point where it's slightly disturbing.
The episodes of this season have been hits or misses, and this was a big miss, imo. I really wished that True Genius had been in place of this episode, or even last week's, which was a lot better, as the midseason finale (At least I think it is.) I have to remind myself that this is only episode nine, and there are a lot more to go. So I hope for more hits.
I have to honestly say I didn't like this episode at all. Sorry to whoever wrote it, but this is a show about serial killers not a show about a divorcee widowed FBI agent father trying to decide if he wants to give the go ahead to date a random stranger in a park.
I love CMs, it's one of my favorite shows, but sorry I'm not liking the romance of Hotch and Beth. Call them Botch or Betch or whatever, get rid of the character and go back to what made them great, the cases.
This was a strong case, The profiling of BloodLust was quite interesting. I loved how the show openned with the figher and then you started with him rushing into the hospital with his kid. Then he is a little off of it when he starts to box in the ring but Charles Dutton tells him to get his head in the game. He does and then he goes to the hospital and finds out his son is sick or the Leukemia's back. That scene was so sad. Then the scene with him and Dutton placing the bet then he kicks the crap out of those guys that was great. But, boy, when he wins the fight and finds out that Dutton bet against him, that was just heart breaking. And then he finds out everyone has bet against him. The scene that is truly emmy worthy is when Dutton is begging for his life and the figher has to kill him. I was in tears. Then of course in the end when the team finally catches up to him and he throws the MMA fight and winds up in the hospital. I love how Hotch let him go and say goodbye to his son. Hotch is a hero. He knows that this was an opportunity to say goodbye to a loved one. He did this when Haley was about to die. He has been there and even though this guy is a killer he wanted him to have closure. That scene was insane. Hotch, the dad, the mom, the kid..... That scene made me cry. This was a tremendous episode. It reminded me of how touching and heartbreaking shows like ER were. Sherman Barrois wrote on ER and in this EP you can tell. She brought it.
Nope. I didn't like this episode, not at all. Sorry.
The episode was too rushed with too much of the unsub. I liked the good old episodes where you didn't know who was the unsub until the end.
The upside, I think was the guest stars.
I don't know why others are liking the actress who plays Beth. Romances on this show aren't very wise, it's away too turn off and turn away viewers. Bad choice, CM
I knew the second I heard about a romance for Hotch in this episode I knew I would hate it.
And I was right, sorry but that was just not a smart move, Criminal Minds. This was just a dumb move on there part. Yeah there are a lot of Hotch/Prentiss shippers out there, and I get that but please I don't need to see a relationship shoved down our throats.
I love the look between Garcia and Reid, when they peeped that Hotch may be getting back on the bike. Go team. Support Hotch moving on. He has been on the sidelines of love too long. He deserves to be happy. He's taking care of Jack. Taking care of the team. Someone needs to take care of him. Love the girl by the way. She was sweet and funny. He needs funny. That line where he confessed to being slightly uptight. Ha! LOL. At least Hotch has a sense of humor. That was great!! LOVE CM. keep up the great work guys. The episodes are fantastic.
This was such a fantastic story. CM is on fire this year. The best scene in the ep was when Hotch told him he needed to step up and be a father. Not a trainer or a fighter but that his kid needed a dad. That was so real and then for our hero/bad boy Hotch to wheel the fighter in to say goodbye. When that kid flatlined, I was balling. LOVE this SHOW. CM is still the best.
I HAVE ONE WORD -- AWESOME. Hands down CM is back!! Can't believe they are getting such great actors to come on the show. Shawn Hatosy, Roc Dutton... I heard that kid is the new kid in the "Touch" the Keifer Sutherland show. That was fantastic. It is a shame CM does not get Emmys this was Emmy worthy.
Well, I don't really know what to think... Far to much Unsub time, not enough of the team profiling. I don't mind Beth, she's ok, but I hope she won't take too much screen time from our wonderful cast. As for the plane scene, I abolutely loved it, that was really funny !! Oh, and I also loved the Hotch / Rossi stuff !!
Now, I am impatiently waiting for "True Genius". Can't wait to see cute Dr Reid in action !!
Great episode. I'll agree that the guest stars had a lot of screen time, I personally didn't mind but I understand why some fans would prefer to see more of the team. The case was interesting. Loved, loved, Hotch/Beth, I really hope she stays in the background as Hotch's romantic partner, the man needs to have a reason to smile and enjoy life (and not just as a father). I suppose we'll see very little of Beth anyway, so I'm not worried about this show turning into a 'soap opera', it doesn't feel that way to me. I'll be simply glad to have her as a background character, like Will and Kevin, knowing she makes Hotch happy. I knew the team would be supportive, that part was funny. :)
Oh, I also wanted to add : ditto on Reid and 'True Genius', can't wait for that episode, we haven't had a Reid centric episode in ages ! I miss my favorite genius.
The authors are really desperately busy to make Hotch smile. And they've actually managed, introducing Beth to the audience with no connection to the case. I roll my eyes. And what surprised me the most, that the writers and Gibson touted so much for Beth, how nice and lovely she is and that I'll like her. Ahm, not the writer or actor makes value judgments on it's own performance it's the viewer. They simply wanted in advance to influence the audience opinion. Maybe she's a honey trap, and the shock would be much greater for the viewer if they liked her ... No idea, but the scenes were forced. Sorry guys. I really hope and wish for more balance in the ep. and not to focus solely on individual guest stars. I watch the show because of the team. So I would like to watch team interactions.
Agree with others here. Too much unsub - too little team. And too little profiling. In one of his four lines, Reid figures the whole thing out by just standing there.
And two questions: Is Reid still on the team? I'm worried about him being relegated to mapquesting again. Was Prentiss even there? They were almost non-existent in this episode.
Hated it. I don't care to see people beat the crap out of each other. Not a fan of Janine Sherman Barrois. She uses violence in place of character development and good dialogue. Get back to the writing quality of the early seasons where the focus was on the profiling and the team interaction. Otherwise CM is no different from any other cop/crime show on TV. Previous writers were able to give good screen time to all the team and not focus on just one or two per episode. Agree with the poster who said the writers, etc. are trying to force the Beth character on us. I didn't dislike her and I have nothing against the actress. I just don't want to see Hotch involved in romance. And that pretty much goes for the rest of the team as well.
That was certainly a deep hard probing into those really painful issues we don't like to have poked at. I'm not really sure how I feel about the entire episode because I was just kind of watching it thinking it was going to be the typical catch the bad guy and discuss how sometimes good people go bad, but them BLAM they threw those final 10 minutes at me and it felt like the best episode I'd seen all season. That was absolutely gut-wrenching to watch, not only the two parents tearfully letting their little boy go, but the sight of the hard, firm, typically emotions solidly in-check man standing in the corner coming close to sobbing not just because what he was witnessing was incredibly sad, but because it was tapping into all of the pain and sadness he's been carrying around for the last couple of years. Stellar performance from Thomas Gibson there and the man never said a word. Stellar performances by every member of the little family as well. That must've been the scene that one of the crew members tweeted about watching unfold and being blown away by.
I loved how they managed to intertwine the three different struggles with "letting go" that the parents, the child and Hotch were experiencing there. It was wonderful.
I enjoyed Beth and Hotch very much. She makes him smile and we all need a friend that can make us smile. Loved the Hotch and Rossi moments and thought him busting them gossiping about him on the plane was great. I'm not really sure how I feel about the case or the unsub because as I said those final 10 minutes kind of blew me away and now I can't look at the rest of the episode objectively. Great way to feel going into the holiday hiatus though.
Stupid, stupid move CM force-feeding Beth down our throats when Hotch and Prentiss already have great chemistry and that relationship should be exploited. Beth feels like Seaver all over again, manipulating the fans at the expense of the actors who's been there. And cue the dead dad. How convenient it was for him to die just in time for the triathlon. Mutual grief is always a sure-fire way of forcing intimacy while manipulating fan angst--great timing dad
The episode was okay; although, far too much unsub and brutality. Gibson was wonderful as always; and looked fantastic. Any opportunity to get him in shorts is always welcome, the tighter the better. Now I want to see his scars, but only if he showing them to Prentiss not Beth. She is so unnecessary.
I really enjoyed the episode, I felt tense, violent, but the central idea was brilliant. The Hotch scene in the hospital was moving, I cried, the story was brilliant throughout. My only problem is still the presence of Beth on the scene. I still prefer the H / P, but if she does Hotch smiling, so good.. Since in the end, he will be with Emily.
First of all, I liked Beth very, very much! She's open, sweet and funny, and Hotch can use all of that in his life to help his less serious, very funny side, shine! I don't really care if they end up married or just friends. And I liked how Janine addressed all of the reasons Hotch's free time is limited, or can become nonexistent in the blink of an eye.
Second, a story that could have been brilliant, because the idea and how it develops IS brilliant, was marred because there was TOO MUCH TIME SPENT WITH THE UNSUB! We didn't need to know right away that Jimmy was the unsub, we didn't need to see even half of the violence he unleashed; instead we DID NEED more profiling to keep along with what the team was thinking, and that would have given more screen time for several of the main characters. TG/Hotch was brilliant, but what sf81387 has so very well described was missed by most viewers because by the time the last 10 minutes rolled before their eyes, they were already completely feed up with the story because there have been TOO MUCH UNSUB!
After having seen all of the episodes written by Janine, I'm starting to think that she knows how to construct very good plots, but loves too much the unsubs (and misses by several miles the reasons so many people watch this show) and doesn't know how to write for several of the main characters, specially JJ, Prentiss and Reid, and of course probably because of the latter, her episodes are pretty unbalanced when we look at the screen time of said main characters. Piece of advice for her, watch several times episodes like Brothers in Arms: you blink and you miss the unsub face (and the only things we learn about him came from the profile!), you don't get to see anything of what he does, seems to revolve around Morgan (and he gets to shine) but everybody else is important to solve the case,... She could be remembered as one of the great CM writers, but won't be because of all this. Sad.
My theory about Beth: she is Hotch's half-sister Hotch's father died (he survived cancer) of a heart attack and was a womanizer if I'm not mistaken. Her recently deceased father was her stepfather. And after his death she learned who her biological father was. And now she wants to know more about Hotch. That's why she approached him and (suspicously) knows so much about him. She did research. (When will she tell him?) This would also fits with the (positiv/negativ) excitement in the fandom triggered by the statements of CM-show runner, Writers and Actors - she is lovely, amazing, cute and Hotch/Beth are so sweet together. The media have done the rest (or were simply too manipulated) in the assumption that she is the love interest Erica mentioned at the season beginning. And in relation to the fandom it would fly too. Bittersweet for all viewers/Fans depending to which category you belong. First sweet than bitter or vice versa. And it fits again with 7x14 Closing time it's about a father who finds out his child is not his biolgical because his wife had an affair.
Respectful opinions, and constructive disagreement is welcomed, but insulting/foul-mouthed, malicious, or just plain disrespectful comments towards anyone are not, and will be removed.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.
Respectfully, did not like it. Too much unsub, it should be a matter of quality (subtle and relevant) of scenes and not quantity. Too little time with the team. The writer needs to balance the episode better; she had the same technique on Proof.
ReplyDeleteThe team did not gelled well in the ep and the profile was too rushed. Also, why not use your most talented actor/actress (Paget) in dramatic or significant scenes? She is there, but not really significantly contributing.
I liked the context of the Beth story, and the actress seems like someone Hotch and the team can relate to.
Finally, please: I beg for Morgan/Prentiss, I miss them so much.
I will still watch, I love this cast and all episodes by Breen, Rick and Erica, but please take time to regroup for the last 9 episodes.
I loved the Hotch/Beth parts of the epiosde, it was well-written.
ReplyDeleteIt was really nice to see Hotch smile again, I'm sure they'll make a cute couple (I hope everything works out between them).
The case was interesting even if it's not one of the strongest this season.
I did enjoy the little Hotch/Reid scenes, we don't get enough of those in my opinion.
Now, waiting for 'True Genius' will be pure torture, I want to see that episode and January 18th seems far away.
I really need a strong Reid centric episode.
This is the plus of lowered expectations. I have yet to like any of the case aspects of a Janine Sherman Barrois episode. And, given that it was an episode about boxing, which I hate, I wasn't expecting much. So, I wasn't disappointed. Also agree, way too much unsub. I watch for the team. Not the guest star I'll never see again, and so couldn't care less about. But, I will be fair and say it wasn't as graphic as I was sure it was going to be.
ReplyDeleteSo, I pretty much said I'm watching this for Hotch and Beth. Which says something, because when the rumors came out, it wasn't something I was interested in. But, the flood of cute sold me. Hotch looked so adorably young saying bye, and his expression was almost like a kid who's a bit excited that a pretty girl gave him her number. Fingers crossed that the writing of them continues to be as good as it's started.
Liked the episode, especially all the Hotch and Beth moments. I hope Beth is here to stay!
ReplyDeleteLike others have said, again too little of the team too much of the guest stars. I watch CM for Hotch, Rossi, Reid, Prentiss, JJ, Garcia and Morgan. I want to see them profile the unsub, I want to see them work the case. Once in a while a story told from the unsub point of view is okay and even interesting but when this is the default mode, it gets annoying especially when most of the CM cast except for Thomas, Joe and Matthew didn't have much screen time. Janine got to try to get the right balance.
That said, the ending was just great! the scene between the dad and his dying son was very touching. So was Hotch who probably knew how the man was feeling at losing his son even if Hotch didn't lose Jack he knows how it would have felt like if he had!
Finally, good work from Shawn Hatosy.
Janine Sherman Barrois has done some of my favorite eps. "Rememberance of Things Past", "Thirteenth Step" "With Friends Like These" , "Proof" and now "The Bittersweet Science" This was fantastic. I know she and Ed worked together on 'Third Watch" and then she went to ER. I love her work. This was truly a movie.
ReplyDeleteI liked the case aspect of the story, it was well written in that contex.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do not like that they're delving into a relationship for Hotch. It was good that they decided to go into the team's personal life but starting new relationships? Not interested.
Finally, why is someone as talented as Paget Brewster being shoved in the background? Didn't the show learn last season with the firings of AJ Cook and Paget Brewster that the ladies are the essence of the show? Putting her in a scene but not using her its just a waste of talent.
Not feeling the chemistry between Hotch/Beth. Bellamy Young isn't a good actress.
Shawn Hatosy and Charles S. Dutton dominated the guest starring roles.
I knew I wouldn't have liked the episode because it was about boxing, and I was right. But that wasn't even the reason why I didn't like it, funny enough. As others have mentioned, there was too much unsub. Like so much, I couldn't wait for the show to cut to commercial. I forced myself to watch. There was too little of the team, in fact, I almost couldn't even remember if they gave a profile.
ReplyDeleteI know one of the last parts with the unsub and his son was supposed to be touching, but I just wasn't feeling it. I guess I was already so sick of seeing the unsub. On the plus side though, Hotch with Beth was cute. It was nice to see him smile. I wish they hadn't even released spoilers about her, though. They should have just thrown it right us. Some fans are being way to overdramatic about the whole thing to the point where it's slightly disturbing.
The episodes of this season have been hits or misses, and this was a big miss, imo. I really wished that True Genius had been in place of this episode, or even last week's, which was a lot better, as the midseason finale (At least I think it is.) I have to remind myself that this is only episode nine, and there are a lot more to go. So I hope for more hits.
I have to honestly say I didn't like this episode at all. Sorry to whoever wrote it, but this is a show about serial killers not a show about a divorcee widowed FBI agent father trying to decide if he wants to give the go ahead to date a random stranger in a park.
ReplyDeleteI love CMs, it's one of my favorite shows, but sorry I'm not liking the romance of Hotch and Beth. Call them Botch or Betch or whatever, get rid of the character and go back to what made them great, the cases.
This was a strong case, The profiling of BloodLust was quite interesting. I loved how the show openned with the figher and then you started with him rushing into the hospital with his kid. Then he is a little off of it when he starts to box in the ring but Charles Dutton tells him to get his head in the game. He does and then he goes to the hospital and finds out his son is sick or the Leukemia's back. That scene was so sad. Then the scene with him and Dutton placing the bet then he kicks the crap out of those guys that was great. But, boy, when he wins the fight and finds out that Dutton bet against him, that was just heart breaking. And then he finds out everyone has bet against him. The scene that is truly emmy worthy is when Dutton is begging for his life and the figher has to kill him. I was in tears. Then of course in the end when the team finally catches up to him and he throws the MMA fight and winds up in the hospital. I love how Hotch let him go and say goodbye to his son. Hotch is a hero. He knows that this was an opportunity to say goodbye to a loved one. He did this when Haley was about to die. He has been there and even though this guy is a killer he wanted him to have closure. That scene was insane. Hotch, the dad, the mom, the kid..... That scene made me cry. This was a tremendous episode. It reminded me of how touching and heartbreaking shows like ER were. Sherman Barrois wrote on ER and in this EP you can tell. She brought it.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I like Criminal Minds, I have to be honest the only good thing about this episode was the guest stars.
ReplyDeleteThe episode was rushed. Too much of the unsub, I liked the ending scene in the hospital but that was it.
Bellamy Young doesn't have any on-screen chemistry with Thomas Gibson.
Sorry Criminal Minds, but if you want to keep viewers stick with what you do and that's not love interests.
Nope. I didn't like this episode, not at all. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteThe episode was too rushed with too much of the unsub. I liked the good old episodes where you didn't know who was the unsub until the end.
The upside, I think was the guest stars.
I don't know why others are liking the actress who plays Beth. Romances on this show aren't very wise, it's away too turn off and turn away viewers. Bad choice, CM
I knew the second I heard about a romance for Hotch in this episode I knew I would hate it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I was right, sorry but that was just not a smart move, Criminal Minds. This was just a dumb move on there part. Yeah there are a lot of Hotch/Prentiss shippers out there, and I get that but please I don't need to see a relationship shoved down our throats.
Get it together people
Any woman who makes Hotch smile is okay with me! More of Beth and Hotch please!
ReplyDeleteJanine, love your episode!
Really? The love interest for Hotch is a brunette with dimples? SOUND FAMILIAR? OH HAI THERE EMILY.
ReplyDeleteI love the look between Garcia and Reid, when they peeped that Hotch may be getting back on the bike. Go team. Support Hotch moving on. He has been on the sidelines of love too long. He deserves to be happy. He's taking care of Jack. Taking care of the team. Someone needs to take care of him. Love the girl by the way. She was sweet and funny. He needs funny. That line where he confessed to being slightly uptight. Ha! LOL. At least Hotch has a sense of humor. That was great!! LOVE CM. keep up the great work guys. The episodes are fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThis was such a fantastic story. CM is on fire this year. The best scene in the ep was when Hotch told him he needed to step up and be a father. Not a trainer or a fighter but that his kid needed a dad. That was so real and then for our hero/bad boy Hotch to wheel the fighter in to say goodbye. When that kid flatlined, I was balling. LOVE this SHOW. CM is still the best.
ReplyDeleteI HAVE ONE WORD -- AWESOME. Hands down CM is back!! Can't believe they are getting such great actors to come on the show. Shawn Hatosy, Roc Dutton... I heard that kid is the new kid in the "Touch" the Keifer Sutherland show. That was fantastic. It is a shame CM does not get Emmys this was Emmy worthy.
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't really know what to think...
ReplyDeleteFar to much Unsub time, not enough of the team profiling.
I don't mind Beth, she's ok, but I hope she won't take too much screen time from our wonderful cast.
As for the plane scene, I abolutely loved it, that was really funny !!
Oh, and I also loved the Hotch / Rossi stuff !!
Now, I am impatiently waiting for "True Genius". Can't wait to see cute Dr Reid in action !!
Great episode.
ReplyDeleteI'll agree that the guest stars had a lot of screen time, I personally didn't mind but I understand why some fans would prefer to see more of the team. The case was interesting.
Loved, loved, Hotch/Beth, I really hope she stays in the background as Hotch's romantic partner, the man needs to have a reason to smile and enjoy life (and not just as a father). I suppose we'll see very little of Beth anyway, so I'm not worried about this show turning into a 'soap opera', it doesn't feel that way to me.
I'll be simply glad to have her as a background character, like Will and Kevin, knowing she makes Hotch happy.
I knew the team would be supportive, that part was funny. :)
Oh, I also wanted to add :
ReplyDeleteditto on Reid and 'True Genius', can't wait for that episode, we haven't had a Reid centric episode in ages ! I miss my favorite genius.
The authors are really desperately busy to make Hotch smile. And they've actually managed, introducing Beth to the audience with no connection to the case. I roll my eyes. And what surprised me the most, that the writers and Gibson touted so much for Beth, how nice and lovely she is and that I'll like her. Ahm, not the writer or actor makes value judgments on it's own performance it's the viewer. They simply wanted in advance to influence the audience opinion. Maybe she's a honey trap, and the shock would be much greater for the viewer if they liked her ... No idea, but the scenes were forced. Sorry guys. I really hope and wish for more balance in the ep. and not to focus solely on individual guest stars. I watch the show because of the team. So I would like to watch team interactions.
ReplyDeleteAgree with others here. Too much unsub - too little team. And too little profiling. In one of his four lines, Reid figures the whole thing out by just standing there.
ReplyDeleteAnd two questions: Is Reid still on the team? I'm worried about him being relegated to mapquesting again. Was Prentiss even there? They were almost non-existent in this episode.
Hated it. I don't care to see people beat the crap out of each other. Not a fan of Janine Sherman Barrois. She uses violence in place of character development and good dialogue. Get back to the writing quality of the early seasons where the focus was on the profiling and the team interaction. Otherwise CM is no different from any other cop/crime show on TV. Previous writers were able to give good screen time to all the team and not focus on just one or two per episode. Agree with the poster who said the writers, etc. are trying to force the Beth character on us. I didn't dislike her and I have nothing against the actress. I just don't want to see Hotch involved in romance. And that pretty much goes for the rest of the team as well.
ReplyDeleteThat was certainly a deep hard probing into those really painful issues we don't like to have poked at. I'm not really sure how I feel about the entire episode because I was just kind of watching it thinking it was going to be the typical catch the bad guy and discuss how sometimes good people go bad, but them BLAM they threw those final 10 minutes at me and it felt like the best episode I'd seen all season. That was absolutely gut-wrenching to watch, not only the two parents tearfully letting their little boy go, but the sight of the hard, firm, typically emotions solidly in-check man standing in the corner coming close to sobbing not just because what he was witnessing was incredibly sad, but because it was tapping into all of the pain and sadness he's been carrying around for the last couple of years. Stellar performance from Thomas Gibson there and the man never said a word. Stellar performances by every member of the little family as well. That must've been the scene that one of the crew members tweeted about watching unfold and being blown away by.
ReplyDeleteI loved how they managed to intertwine the three different struggles with "letting go" that the parents, the child and Hotch were experiencing there. It was wonderful.
I enjoyed Beth and Hotch very much. She makes him smile and we all need a friend that can make us smile. Loved the Hotch and Rossi moments and thought him busting them gossiping about him on the plane was great. I'm not really sure how I feel about the case or the unsub because as I said those final 10 minutes kind of blew me away and now I can't look at the rest of the episode objectively. Great way to feel going into the holiday hiatus though.
Stupid, stupid move CM force-feeding Beth down our throats when Hotch and Prentiss already have great chemistry and that relationship should be exploited. Beth feels like Seaver all over again, manipulating the fans at the expense of the actors who's been there. And cue the dead dad. How convenient it was for him to die just in time for the triathlon. Mutual grief is always a sure-fire way of forcing intimacy while manipulating fan angst--great timing dad
ReplyDeleteThe episode was okay; although, far too much unsub and brutality. Gibson was wonderful as always; and looked fantastic. Any opportunity to get him in shorts is always welcome, the tighter the better. Now I want to see his scars, but only if he showing them to Prentiss not Beth. She is so unnecessary.
I really enjoyed the episode, I felt tense, violent, but the central idea was brilliant. The Hotch scene in the hospital was moving, I cried, the story was brilliant throughout. My only problem is still the presence of Beth on the scene. I still prefer the H / P, but if she does Hotch smiling, so good.. Since in the end, he will be with Emily.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I liked Beth very, very much! She's open, sweet and funny, and Hotch can use all of that in his life to help his less serious, very funny side, shine! I don't really care if they end up married or just friends. And I liked how Janine addressed all of the reasons Hotch's free time is limited, or can become nonexistent in the blink of an eye.
ReplyDeleteSecond, a story that could have been brilliant, because the idea and how it develops IS brilliant, was marred because there was TOO MUCH TIME SPENT WITH THE UNSUB! We didn't need to know right away that Jimmy was the unsub, we didn't need to see even half of the violence he unleashed; instead we DID NEED more profiling to keep along with what the team was thinking, and that would have given more screen time for several of the main characters. TG/Hotch was brilliant, but what sf81387 has so very well described was missed by most viewers because by the time the last 10 minutes rolled before their eyes, they were already completely feed up with the story because there have been TOO MUCH UNSUB!
After having seen all of the episodes written by Janine, I'm starting to think that she knows how to construct very good plots, but loves too much the unsubs (and misses by several miles the reasons so many people watch this show) and doesn't know how to write for several of the main characters, specially JJ, Prentiss and Reid, and of course probably because of the latter, her episodes are pretty unbalanced when we look at the screen time of said main characters. Piece of advice for her, watch several times episodes like Brothers in Arms: you blink and you miss the unsub face (and the only things we learn about him came from the profile!), you don't get to see anything of what he does, seems to revolve around Morgan (and he gets to shine) but everybody else is important to solve the case,... She could be remembered as one of the great CM writers, but won't be because of all this. Sad.
My theory about Beth: she is Hotch's half-sister
ReplyDeleteHotch's father died (he survived cancer) of a heart attack and was a womanizer if I'm not mistaken. Her recently deceased father was her stepfather. And after his death she learned who her biological father was. And now she wants to know more about Hotch. That's why she approached him and (suspicously) knows so much about him. She did research. (When will she tell him?)
This would also fits with the (positiv/negativ) excitement in the fandom triggered by the statements of CM-show runner, Writers and Actors - she is lovely, amazing, cute and Hotch/Beth are so sweet together. The media have done the rest (or were simply too manipulated) in the assumption that she is the love interest Erica mentioned at the season beginning. And in relation to the fandom it would fly too. Bittersweet for all viewers/Fans depending to which category you belong. First sweet than bitter or vice versa.
And it fits again with 7x14 Closing time it's about a father who finds out his child is not his biolgical because his wife had an affair.