Hope you've enjoyed today's episode, and remember that next week we'll get the 2nd part and the resolution of this plot!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
CRIMINAL MINDS Season 9 - 901. The Inspiration - Comments Thread
Hope you've enjoyed today's episode, and remember that next week we'll get the 2nd part and the resolution of this plot!
I liked it. It seems Janine may finally be getting the message that we're more interested in seeing the team work the case, than seeing her unsubs.
ReplyDeleteI was ecstatic with the amount of Reid and I was so happy that he was the one to figure out why the unsub was doing all this.
I'm not the biggest JJ fan but I didn't mind her being paired with Reid bc she was decent to him and they didn't dumb him down to make her look smart.
OMG it just broke my heart what Reid said about having children. I thought it was sweet of JJ for trying to reassure him.
I was happy that the whole team seemed to be engaged and I thought the case was interesting and compelling. And HOORAY for the pairing of JJ and Morgan being kept to a minimum.
Out of the gate.....
ReplyDeleteFirst off, let me say that I tweeted Janine and told her she has graduated from Breen Frasier's school of "Totally Twisted and Sick Puppies". *shakes head* With honors.
That said, I'm not a fan of seeing the unsub up front. But holy hell, the twists and turns of this one!
I loved the balance between the team scenes and unsub scenes. Janine nailed it and it felt like an "old fashioned" CM ep in my world.
I pretty much figured the guy they arrested was the wrong guy. But what a plot twist!! Is is Wednesday yet?? I can't wait to see how they put this one together, especially seeing the promo. *sneezes 14 times* Thank you fall allergies. Can it please freeze here.
But I digress.
I thought the scene with JJ and Reid was sweet, with JJ being her usual friend and emotional back-up to Reid. Given what happened after Emily "died" and then came back, the two of them have healed their relationship.
The Hotch/Rossi shipper in me loved the convo of the two of them in Hotch's office. And the scene with JJ asking Morgan if he's trying out for his new job. Plus Hotch reading his team spot on. Him addressing the issue, which he usually doesn't, was spot on writing.
Bottom line: if this is how the writers are going to rock ready to roll!
Loved the really good attempt at showing all of them as a well meshed team, nice continuity from last season; Hotch working at both jobs, Rossi keeping things private, JJ and Reid showing their friendship, an improved delivery by Garcia as presenter, and a toning down of JJ's tough agent persona, balance between team and unsub. A few things different this time around, a clear split re the Morgan/Garcia dynamic (his comment re dating a neighbor). Doubt that's going to sit well with that segment of fans. Only miss was the obvious truck potential accident scene, baring down at that speed, seemed just too unlikely that Morgan could have backed away from that one as easily as that. We got played there.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, not outstanding but a definite improvement in writing. Hope this is a omen of good things to come. And the ending left us wanting more....LL
Slow beginning. After 20 minutes i was feeling sad because i really didn't like it very much and then, KABOOM! That twist..my jaw dropped.
ReplyDeleteAt first the unsub seemed..well, boring. But not anymore. He made me sick to my stomach. Sick, sick boy.
This was a hit out of the ballpark. This was more suspenseful and more exciting than anything they had to offer last season. The twist at the end totally surprised me. I am really excited about this season. So happy to see Hotch's face on the screen more. The writing served each character very well.
ReplyDeleteWow - evil twin and eviller twin! Where have I heard that before I wonder???
ReplyDelete/
Brilliant episode! Very suspenseful and a few unexpected twists. The team interactions were excellently written and felt natural and uncontrived. The Hotch job storyline felt natural and well integrated into the episode. The whole episode felt like the quality of CM of old - seamless and gripping. I was delighted to see no hyped up gimmicks, but solid suspense and authentic team relationship. Also delighted to see Hotch in his office as of older episodes. Well done CM and keep it up for Season 9!
ReplyDeleteI liked this episode. Minimum Garcia, (thank you!) and relevant use of the characters. The twists were really good. I am longing for the second part of this!
ReplyDeleteI definitely think this was one of the better premieres since season 6. It was entertaining.
ReplyDeleteI thought the episode was going to drag, because it took me a while to get into the flow of the episode but before I knew it the credits were rolling.
I liked the action for once. It felt in keeping with the case rather than just placed. I loved the amount of Hotch and I agree with the above, minimum Garcia is becoming better than having more Garcia. I still wish they toned down Garcia's quips. When she was on the phone her humour was out of place and a little cringe.
I loved the little bits and pieces they're putting in for continuity sake and I think the episode felt a lot more like traditional CM, and there seemed to be a little more profiling, but there could always be more. I felt like they wanted to show that the team, and Hitch in particular hasn't taken a breath since the replicator which was great, but would have had more impact if I liked the season 8 finale more.
I didn't mind Morgan and JJ pairing up because we got to see them with others as well, within the episode, but I don't want a season of JJ and Morgan pairing up in the field again.
Reid, and Rossi are still not over last season which is great continuity, personally I think they've handled Reid/Maeve fallout the best out of all the trauma/big story lines. I just wish I cared more about Maeve/Reid in the first place. Don't get me wrong, they're no Beth/Hotch, I actually liked Maeve I just wasn't a fan of the storyline. Also, I know Reid is vulnerable and whatnot but I hope we don't get mopey Reid all season. I can't help it, I know he's not whining per se, but he does seem like a little five year old with a pet lip when he's down in the dumps and that Reid doesn't hold my interest for long. I do hope they step away from all of their personal lives and we see more about these characters in relation to the job.
I can't say I'm watching for the cases at the moment, I thought the case was okay and it held my attention but I can't say its stood out. Also I hope they don't follow last years patterns where in season 8 it felt like the writers were trying to out do each other every episode for the sickest UNSUB. I don't mind gore, but not to sound like Garcia, I think subtle creepiness is far scarier than icky sickness, if that makes sense.
Overall, this episode was way better than 8x01 and I can't wait for the rest of the season.
I couldn't agree more with what anonymous-just-above wrote.
ReplyDeleteI just want to add something: even if this episode was pretty good, I hope we won't get too many episodes where we know who the unsub is from the beginning.
Anyway, really enjoyed that season premiere, and can't wait for next week!! ^^
LOL I was too distracted by Reid's hair to take in much else of this episode...
ReplyDelete"I was too distracted......
ReplyDeleteI'm normally a fan of his short hair, but I did not like this style on Reid at all and I hope we don't have too many more episodes with his hair like that.
Apparently this episode is receiving a lot of mixed reviews. Many people were completely turned off bc of the high gross factor. I really wish these writers would stop trying to appeal to the horror show fans. Showing that head once would've been plenty.
I hope it doesn't happen, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if we see a plunge in both the ratings and the viewership for next week's episode. Bc I can see where some people, having been totally turned off by the high gross factor, not bothering to come back for the 2nd part.
I've watched the premiere again and still, I thought it was good, but it didn't improve any on a second view, if anything I just nit picked more.
ReplyDeleteThere was stuff I still loved. The amount of Hotch in the episode was awesome, but at the same time I'm worried that the whole Hotch acting as section chief and considering the section chief role is going to be pointless. Don't get me wrong, I'll take this story line and seeing Hotch in boss mode any time of the day, over seeing him in the worlds most boring TV relationship ever of all time. I just hope it goes somewhere. Through spoilers we already know he doesn't get or take the job, but I hope his comment about not wanting an outsider to join the department foreshadows how he's going to react to the new guy and perhaps we get to see a more political/protective Hotch and see him in unit chief! alpha male role more. I also wouldn't mind seeing Hotch react to JJ's connection to the new guy and see their friendship get some focus after two/three seasons of little scenes together.
I liked the action in this episode, it did kinda fit in but on second watch it could be seen as a little placed and almost a little bit of a cop out, especially the ease of reversing out of danger of being hit by the truck. I wouldn't mind if the writers let go of their parameters and not wrap everything neatly up in 40 odd minutes. I know it's procedure and I wouldn't want things to get dragged out and there was the twin twist, which I actually loved, and I wouldn't want every episode to end on a cliffhanger, but I don't see the need to add scenes meant as suspense which end up falling flat because it gets easily pushed to the side. The truck scene was set up to something more than it was with the prelude to the scene, and i was expecting some kind of better follow up, we might get it next week, but I'm guessing they just wanted an edge of the seat moment which it was, but it's impact was a little disappointing.
I do love the putting the team in unexpected danger, but I like to have actual follow up or for it to actually mean something to the case.
I didn't mind JJ and Morgan pairing up so much! I liked that we got to see them with Rossi and Reid and the others! I could have done with a little less Reid and JJ looking back over it. I used to really like their friendship but after 7.02 I was hoping for their to be more tension than there was between them and I feel like what happened with Reid getting all bitchy towards JJ after Prentiss return was just glossed over and never really resolved. It's like they can have JJ call reid, spence and that shows how close they are. I would have preferred to see more Morgan and Reid pairing up and have JJ with one of the others. I did like JJ understanding the stress on Hotch as a parent, I didn't like Reid's reaction to the potential of Hotch leaving! it felt a little like when Garcia makes it about her when there's some kind of change and also as a way to worry the audience even though we already know Hotch is staying with the team because they reveal too much in their interviews and casting choices....ranting sorry!
I did think this episode was a good start for the season, I don't think it was the best premiere. I think if last season ended on a cliffhanger or didn't end so nicely tied up then maybes there would have been more to start with, because I think this episode felt a little like just another episode in any post 5 season, but it was better than last seasons opener and wasn't as rushed as season 7's start to get back into the routine, it was a good start and perhaps alongside 9.02 it will become even better.
"I didn't like Reid's reaction....
ReplyDeleteReid's reaction was totally understandable to me considering his background and his abandonment issues.His father abandon him and than later Gideon did also. Then he was lead to believe Prentiss had died. So it's little wonder to me that he would act this way about the possibility of them losing Hotch to another department.
However I do agree with you about wanting to see more pairing of Reid/Morgan. I see them as big bro/ little bro. But at the same time I really didn't mind him being paired with JJ, although I'm not a big fan of hers.
Fantastic start to the new season !! Keep it up guys -I can't wait until we start seeing stuff on AJ when she was gone. E.J. Jahnes
ReplyDeleteOkay, this "one?" unsub was so much more interesting than a whole season of the replicator. Honestly, if I hadn't cared about them killing Strauss, I wouldn't have watched the season finale.
ReplyDeleteI agree with those that this one episode felt so much more like seasons 1-5 than we have had in so long. Hopefully, this is a good omen for the rest of the season.
Like one of the above comments, Reid's hair was sooooo distracting. I love his hair on the longer (long for a man but not shoulder length) side but I wanted a pair of scissors so bad so that I could reach over and snip off the piece that he obviously missed.
I think this episode I liked, and I'm excited for the rest of the season based on spoilers, I just hope they learn from last years faults. Season 8 had so much potential but I only had two episodes I loved, the rest are a bit of a blur. For me, last season opened strongly, I could have done with Blake being introduced differently last year but I remember thinking the reveal of the photos of the team at the end being a great and creepy lead into the stalker arc, it's just a shame the replicator didn't really go anywhere until the forty minutes of the finale.
ReplyDeleteThis premiere for me, was good but I'll wait until next weeks episode to decide whether it was the best way to start the season because at the moment I feel a little uncertain whether it delivered as a season opener. I feel like I'm still waiting for something more, idk, the action felt unnecessary at times although I wish they followed through rather than just reversing away from the ongoing truck, I liked the Hotch story line and the twist at the end was great, but I still feel like there should be something else to make it a great premiere.
Perhaps next week will add to this episode and make it a brilliant two parter, rather than just a good episode.