Hope you've enjoyed today's episode, and remember that next week we'll get again a brand new episode!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
CRIMINAL MINDS Season 9 - 902. The Inspired - Comments Thread
Hope you've enjoyed today's episode, and remember that next week we'll get again a brand new episode!
I think this is the worst criminal minds episode I have ever seen, aside from the episode last week. The writing was completely lacking. I give mad props to the cast for handling such a poorly compiled script. I hope this isn't what the whole season will be like.
ReplyDeleteThat is a bit harsh. I did not like this like I did last week's episode but I also didn't really understand what happened. I welcome those less challenged to explain in detail.
ReplyDeleteTrying again...
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm spoiled by Breaking Bad writing but this episode wasn't very good. And I like Breen. I give the director and camera men (Darcy) credit for good work. Shooting "twins" is not easy and they made it look seamless.
However, I am sick of seeing so much Unsub while the team flounders in the background. I watch the show to see the team profile, not watch the Unsub devolve. Get it already writers/producer. This has been a long running complaint.
Overall, not so good.
I'm still confused by all of it but a t-storm knocked out my satellite reception at 33 minutes past the hour for 10 minutes, so I'm sure I missed some pivotal stuff to explain it all.
ReplyDeleteWhile I respect ALL opinions, I didn't think it was bad. You had to see the backdrop of what was driving this whole hurricane to understand it. Hopefully, when I watch on CBS online later tonight, I'll be able to put it together and give a more decent review.
I agree it wasn't the strongest, but two scenes stand out in my brain that I can't help but comment about. The Hotch interagation of the mother (can't pull the actress' name out of my head right now) was brilliant! She read him, but in the end, Hotch read her.
And the last scene with Hotch and Rossi?? *smiles hugely* Another CM classic in my book!
For those two scenes: 8.25
I liked what we saw of the team. I liked most of the pairings especially when JJ and Hotch took down the lawyer. I liked the amount of Hotch again but I didn't like the conclusion of the Will he take the new job or not story line?
ReplyDeleteThey like to wrap everything up by the end of an episode or two and sometimes it's necessary but other times it makes things seem rushed or just unnecessary info.
Breen isn't one of my favourite writers, he sees the show as being about one thing and it's opposite to how I see it. There was far too much UNSUB. We always used to learn about the unsubs through the team and victims, now we just see the ins and puts of the unsubs through the UNSUB and it's getting repetitive and boring. We can't connect with the people killing others they're the evil one and in such a short amount of time, if we feel sorry or anger at the end of the episode then the writers have done their job, if we spend half an hour watching the UNSUB loose control and kill people and get a complicated background, I just tune out. We're supposed to understand, not always sympathise, and figure out the killings through the profile and the victims, now we just watch the UNSUB and it's dumbing the show down.
I had such high hopes after last week. I thought 9.01 was good and I was hoping 9.02 would make it the perfect season opener, now I feel a little disappointed. There were some good parts, but not enough to make it a great episode. Here's looking forward to the next few episodes and hope we get more of what the first episode started rather than following in from 9.02.
This week episode was not bad per see but it was not one of my favorite.
ReplyDeleteAs some mention, too much time was spend on the unsubs, again. Last week I thought Janine had the perfect ratio unsub/team and not once did I feel like the team was telling us things we already knew from watching what the unsub was doing. This week I felt as if the team was again behind. We ALREADY knew that the unsubs had raped the last victim but again Rossi had to tell us. This is repetitive. Either tell us using the unsub or the team. Writers, this is not a novel you are writing where you really can spend lots time explaining things from both viewpoints, this is at best a 42 minutes show.
Because I couldn't say it better "We can't connect with the people killing others they're the evil one and in such a short amount of time, if we feel sorry or anger at the end of the episode then the writers have done their job, if we spend half an hour watching the UNSUB loose control and kill people and get a complicated background, I just tune out. We're supposed to understand, not always sympathise, and figure out the killings through the profile and the victims, now we just watch the UNSUB and it's dumbing the show down." This!!!
Now about what I really liked, the way they dealt with the mother. Everything we learn about her was through the team and them working the case. Hotch interrogation, yes, as rockhotch31 she read Hotch but he read her too and in the end it give him what he needed to nail her ass!
The father of the unsubs, love the scene where Reid and Morgan meet the man. What a poor bastard. The man was so out of it but again it was the team profiling the man that solved who they arrested. On this Breen did excellent.
As for how the did resovled the question of 'will Hotch take the Section Chief job'? I thought it was well done. Hotch had the decision taken away from him and I think the man was relieved it was. Love the scene with Hotch and Rossi at the end, TG and JM always work well together!
Yes, this story was complicated, will have to rewatch tonight to get it all but since we spend so much time on the unsubs watching them devolve ( we knew that, the team had already figured that out and said so) that I will give this episode a 8.0 out of a 10.
May have more to say after a second viewing!
btw excellent work by the guy playing the unsubs, not an easy task to play two person and Thomas Gibson who was excellent in the scene with the lawyer and the mother.
Looking back over both episodes together, they weren't bad openings to a season, but they both had issues, and parts were a little disappointing, but there were some really great parts too.
ReplyDeleteHotch wads awesome in both episodes. The amount of Hotch was excellent but mostly because of his role. He was in alpha male, team leader mode and it awesome because we got the Hotch the majority of us know and love. I loved all the scenes with Hotch and the lawyer, Hotch and the mom, Hotch with both Rossi and JJ, just all of Hotch was brillianttxo see and I can't wait for more of Hotch along these lines. I get that he's in a relationship with Beth and is happy in his personal life, good for him, I don't need to see any more of that when I could see more of Hotch being the boss and actually being in the field and giving out orders and laying down the law. His romance story line is getting boring, I'm glad they're looking more into his role as unit chief more.
The team in General were great. The pairings didn't seem to get boring. In season eight they often stuck with the same pairings within episodes and for lots of episodes in a row, these two epsiodes had nearly everyone paired ups it's different people at one point or another or at least had a lot of team scenes which I loved. I think the team really feel like a team now. I don't think they're entirely the family the writers like to think they are, those moments get shown when the team are their for one another like in 100 or when Maeve died, other times like those wine clinking-and-drinking moments are a little forced, but they're definitely a team at the moment, rather than isolated partnerships.
I thought the first episode melded together the case and the team better than the second. In 9x02 there was a lot more UNSUB, it got a little confusing and if I'm honest a little boring when the UNSUB storyline became more focal. It's been said already, but when the writers try to develop the unsubs and the family/friends more so than half of their core cast are developed its a little tedious. Unless you're going to spread out an unsubs appearance throughout a season and actually allow us time to get invested in those characters, even though we're not supposed to relate to serial killers, it gets a little annoying because we'll probably never hear or see this weeks unsubs anymore and next week there will be another UNSUB we have to go through the same process with. If we saw the UNSUB through the teams eyes and were on the same level and saw a lot of the case along with the team or victims, it would be more interesting.
The victims are mostly an afterthought now, which is annoying.
I liked the suspense from last week to this week, didn't like the amount of gore. I can handle blood and guts, other shows are far more graphic, but at times the gore was just unnecessary and didn't really add anything because imagining all of it could have been scarier.
It wasn't the worst episode I've seen, I'm really looking forward to some of the upcoming epsiodes, I thought the casting was awesome and the team are great, I just wish there was more of the team, more victims and more profiling/politics/development and less UNSUB, gore and pointless issues that aren't technically issues drama for the sake of half an hour rather than adding to the show, characters or story line/case.
I'd give this episode 7/10 but the two parter together probably 8/10, I was expecting the two episodes to end up being something else, but it was entertaining and I'm excited for the next episode.
OK, I finally did my re-watch and saw the scenes that I missed thanks to the t-storm black-out with satellite. The case makes more sense to me know.
ReplyDeleteI agree with one reviewer that Breen likes to explore the background of these unsubs and show us maybe why they do what they do. I don't always like seeing the unsub right either. But somethimes, it fits.
This second part was more about that. We got to understand the total package, as I said before, the total hurricane that was this entire family.
I do have to mention one more thing: the director's shot near the end with Carla shaking her head as Hotch was in the back window of the squad car, looking at it pulling away was absolutely brilliant. Larry Teng is special.
While I still very much liked the ep, I will admit I'm ready for a good ol' fashioned CM ep.
So have rewatched the episode and liked it even better. Yes we had lots of unsubs but the story was complicated enough that it would have been hard to tell a comprehensive story.
ReplyDeleteToally love the dad, yes the man was a total loon but the actor playing him was excellent.
Great scene at the law firm. Love how it was filmed, the camera was moving fast, following Hotch, JJ as they took control of the place. Just look great.
On second viewing I will give that episode a 9.0/10
My favourite part of the two episodes was that JJ and Hotch scene.
ReplyDeleteThey were so badass and there was I need for any Kung fu behaviour :p
*no need.... Urgh...
ReplyDeleteOn a totally superficial note--I loved JJ's side part, and always have. It softens her somehow. Hope to see it again and again.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened, after so much promise in the lst ep? Confusing and unsub heavy, but I agree with those who are really appreciating seeing Hotch returning to his old self, definitely the man in charge, and very good at his job. I liked the scene where Hotch and Mom, match wits, both excellent pieces of acting, but this ep lost me along the way, and I can't give it many kudos.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, added to the above, I also appreciated Reid's total understanding of the father's schizophrenic behavior. Also well acted by all in that scene.
ReplyDelete