Hope you've enjoyed today's episode, and remember that this was the Season Nine Finale! See you all commenting here the new Season Ten episodes, which once again will air on Wednesdays at 9 pm on CBS, next September!
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
CRIMINAL MINDS Season 9 - 924. Demons - Comments Thread
Hope you've enjoyed today's episode, and remember that this was the Season Nine Finale! See you all commenting here the new Season Ten episodes, which once again will air on Wednesdays at 9 pm on CBS, next September!
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ReplyDeleteI'm not understanding this JJ dislike from ppl leaving comments. Leave her alone. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters.
DeleteI totally agree^
DeletePeoples dislike stems NOT from the fact that she's grown in her character but in the way it was done.... She's too perfect... too 'super woman'... Real life doesn't create characters like her, and their for many can't identify with her.
DeleteI tolerated her in season 7/8 liked how she grew what killed her character for me was this year and the complete implausibility of what happened to her in 200....
As for this episode... there were better scenes that would have benifited with the time to see them through IF the editors hadn't cut them so that they could show 5 minutes of Morgan/JJ running through buildings looking for the preacher....
So much was lost on this episode by the subpar directing and editing....
Very disappointed.... Tired of the JJ/Morgan show.... Sad Blake's leaving and the MARY SUE JJ is staying......
ReplyDeleteThere were some good points.... Rossi/Blake, Reid/Blake, Reid/Garcia, Hotch fighting McGregor and then killing him...
But sad that this season has gone the way it did.... After all the people complaining about TOO much JJ in episodes... what does Erica do... give us TOO MUCH JJ again.....
I'll think long and hard next year....
I'm sad too about Blake leaving, but at least she is leaving alive. So many of those haters wanted her to be killed. I didn't want that for any of our team,not even JJ whom I can't stand.
DeleteOTOH if JJ decided to quit and become a full time wife and mom I'd be ecstatic. Atlas wishful thinking on my part. I loved that is was Reid, Blake shared her sad secret with. I had been wondering why she had called Reid "Ethan" now I know why. Very sad indeed.
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DeleteTwo things in reply - I could say more but don't want to raise the JJ debate too far again. First up I would lay big money that if you totted up JJ's screen time for Season 9 she would have at least double that of any other character. She is in every interview, every chase, and seems omnipresent. Second, I drop into Tumblr and other social sites for news and pictures and JJ has a very loud, very young, and very, very aggressive fanbase. Say one word they disapprove of about her and you get shot down. I am a Reid fan and I am of mature years - and I know many, many adult Reid fans who like his quirky intelligent character. I would say that JJ;s fanbase is equally as loud as Reid and most of them seem to be teenage girls. Just stating observations.
DeleteReid is my favorite character as well and I'm 19. I'm not arguing the point that j.j wasn't in criminal minds more this season I just dont understand why it matters. If j.j isnt your favorite character (not you personally, anyones favorite) then leave it at that. If the show isnt worth watching anymore dont watch it. Or watch it for the storyline and other characters. J.J Isnt my favorite character.. not even close. But I'm not going to bash on her either. I watch the show because I enjoy the show.. I dont see why anything else matters.
DeleteI totally agree. I don't have a favorite--altho there are 2 that have left & I don't like watching old episodes w/ them still there. There are so many reasons I love all of them. But my point is this: they are a TEAM! Not just any one. So try to watch to enjoy the TEAM! & if you can't then STOP WATCHING!!!
DeleteIs it just me or was the ending just not that great? The episode itself was, but the ending....
ReplyDeleteThe episode had a lot going on, which gave us a lot of answers i just wish Blake wasn't leaving
ReplyDeleteEnding sucked personally.... made no sense... even the directing was chopped... very sad way to end after such a good beginning last week... *pity*
ReplyDeleteI thought the episode was great and I enjoyed having Blake in the show. I like the way they ended it by having Reid find her badge and her texting Hotch on the plane.
ReplyDeleteI thought that was a great episode. Nice team moments. Very intense and Hotch kicking some butt is always a good thing. Nice shot JJ. Garcia's part was perfect. Liked the scene with Rossi/Blake, Blake/Reid and Reid/Garcia. The episode flew by. Blake texting Hotch and his look to her was great. Reid saying bye Alex was so touching and sad. Great job Erica! 4 long months now.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you 110%. Loved all the action (especially Hotch). His look at Blake said so much that words couldn't; he is the most expressive actor! I'm sad Jeanne is leaving the show; maybe she got tired of all the negative comments. I thought she did a great job for the 2 years she was on. And it will be a long 4 months; I'll just have to watch my DVD's of all the past seasons - again!
DeleteAction- packed, edge of my seat episode! So glad that Reid and Morgan were spared. Great team work. However, the ending with Blake suddenly revealing a part of her past and then leaving the team felt contrived and rushed. My guess is that this character never caught on with viewers due to too little character development earlier on, or there was a contract issue.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I truly wish I could have enjoyed it as much as some of you did. It was very heavy on running-around-and-shooting-in-the-dark, and way too light on Reid (or anything to do with him) for my taste. Even a minute of reversing of that balance would have made a huge difference. Why intimate that you've got a major character in a life-threatening situation if you're not going to play it for drama?
I did enjoy the premise of the rogue police department, and the suspense of the team needing to work without letting on. The scene with Rossi and Blake knowing they were about to be attacked was very intense, maybe the most of the entire episode-----but the actual confrontation apparently took place during the commercial.
The fifteen seconds of expressed concern about Reid was welcome----but it was fifteen seconds. Maybe that was because the wound that was life threatening enough to put him into shock (with a heart rate of 30 instead of 130----a case report in the making) was actually not so life-threatening. How else could he have undergone serious neck surgery without being intubated (for a while there, I thought that surgeon must have been in on the corruption) and recovered within hours so he could eat jello.
Alex's decision had long been telegraphed, so the only surprise was her reason. I did think her story line was well portrayed in the episode. And I think she demonstrated that, given material, she can deliver.
It wasn't terrible. It just wasn''t what it could have been. But I remain ever hopeful.
If nothing else, the final score, "Maybe" by Lily Kershaw, was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThis episode was the icing on a wonderfully complex cake. So much touched on, opening doors for S10. Garcia actually fired a gun! I can only imagine some directions that can develop from that.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of JJ, she has always been a natural leader, and as press liaison had to have the abilities to see the cases in their entirety. Like Morgan, she knows what needs to be done, and does it.
Hotch had a firm hand on this case, his performance was brilliant. Will someone nominate this man for a very long overdue Emmy Award? Is Blake truly leaving, or are we jumping to conclusions?? She is going through some personal problems maybe she just needs sometime to sort them out. Time will tell.
Kudos to everyone involved with this finale!
Was it Jeanne's choice to leave? I'm sobbing over Blake but please let the fans know if it was her choice and not CBS because that will make me and I'm sure a lot of others feel better about how she left.
ReplyDeleteSecondly why was there never any discussion of what happened to JJ in the episodes after 200? I don't care how strong JJ is she is still human and that kind of trauma should have a lasting effect on someone and the fact that it was never touched on again after the 200th is a massive disappointment.
Yup; it's me. Now where the heck do I start?
ReplyDeleteOverall, I thought this episode was one of the most intense I've seen with the action and how things played out since probably "100". Do I rate this overall on the level of "100"? No; please don't send me death messages. I'm just saying that for me, it had my heart pounding through most of the ep, just like "100". I like action flicks; sue me later! LOL
My good points:
The scene with Blake and Reid in the beginning. I pretty much knew sitting down in my chair before the ep started who was going to be leaving. When she called him "Ethan", I was certain. The scene with her and JJ (another fav) cemented it for me. And we got another classic Rossi line about the bullet.
Garcia arriving on the scene with Cruz. "He has a jet as well." Or whatever the actual line was had me cheering. I knew she had to be there to take care of her Boy Wonder. And that's one of parts I loved. All the Reid/Garcia scenes were fantastic. And yes, even Garcia using Reid's gun. I'm sure in the aftermath, that will catch h*ll from a lot of peeps. But I thought it was spot on. Garcia will take care of her team. And it was well thought out; Reid carries a revolver; flip the safety off and fire. Not like a Glock that you have to chamber a round first.
The Rossi/Blake scene in the SUV was totally awesome sauce! I loved hear Rossi tell more about he and Carolyn's break-up. And it broke my heart a bit. Plus the next three lines had me in my total Rossi heaven. He is Joe Cool. "Got one in the chamber?" "Yup." "Let's roll."
And finally:
The. Hotch. Glare. Thomas Gibson has made that a part of his Hotch persona and, as usual, he did it perfectly and to the max. Yoda was smiling in Jedi heaven. Sowry; Star Wars fan too. Plus, just when I was about to agree with the folks on Twitter that it was another TG lite ep, Hotch is the one that gets to take the do of the ultimate bad guy with a kick-butt action scene. Great idea shooting the guy in the leg, putting him down. They finish him off.
The not so good:
Morgan getting up after two bullets in his vest and making a long *ss run after the Preacher. Sorry; real LEO's were laughing at that.
And like someone said before me, how Rossi and Blake got away from the deputies had to happen while we were watching commercials. In three words: we got gypped.
To the ending. I loved the scene on the plane. Hotch's look at Blake said it all. And then the story about finally putting together the Ethan line was so sad. But I'm glad it Reid that was in the final scene with Blake. It fit; they knew each other before she joined.
I'm very sorry to see JT leave. I loved the Blake character. However, I feel the writer's very underused Jeanne's immense talent. And that's just a shame.
And don't count me in on the increasing social media chatter of bringing Paget back for S10. If I had my way, the team would stay as it is, without adding a new person.
Rockie's final grade: Sorry Erica; the Hotch glare and the unsub take down scored you major points. But it was a bit Hotch light for a finale. B+
why did blake call spencer, ethan. i havent watched since prentiss left the show and i have missed alot. please explain.
Deleteperfect review
DeleteTo Amanda Akins
DeleteBlake called Reid 'Ethan' because he reminded her of her dead son. I guess at that moment with Reid in mortal danger it all got blurred for her.
Can I just say how good the criminal minds season finale was? Because it was really GOOD!! It remind me of the first couple of seasons and the idea of the corruption was just brilliant. Now we don´t have someone going after the team from the beginig or making the targets for personal things it was more of a “You are in my way so I´m gonna kill you” it was a thing of the moment and it was awesome.
ReplyDeleteIt was exciting to watch superficially, but when you stand back and think about it, it was littered with flaws. Morgan getting up after 3 rounds to the Kevlar with nary a gasp kind of strained credulity. I couldn't get over why Cruz didn't call in major back up sooner once they realised it was a web of corruption. The action scenes are too badly lit - it is just a bunch of people running round and bangs in the dark! I was majorly cheated not to see Rossi and Blake escape from the bad cops who had them cornered. And woah there - someone tot up the JJ time! Once again she dominated the episode. I really wish it had been her that left and not Blake who always presented as a believable agent and it was a shame they failed to utilise her properly. I wish Jeanne well for the future though and her exit was as quiet and dignified as she has been.
ReplyDeleteI truly do hope they replace her as otherwise Season 10 will be The Adventures of Super Agent JJ with supporting cast.
I did like the Reid/Blake scenes, I even thought Garcia was tolerable in this and competently saved Reid even if she fluttered excessively over shooting a gun. I'm glad Hotch had a big fight scene, albeit a very dark one, as so much of this season he has been "Wheels up and I'll co-ordinate at the station". I liked the premise of the corrupt cops and others in the town but it could have been written better - it was all very choppy.
All in all, despite its many flaw, a much better finale than the last three and I am glad none of the team was killed off. Hopefully next season we can get past this fixation with JJ and actually have some proper team profiling.
I suppose it's wrong of me to express my building dislike of JJ but I am anyway. Her UBER abilities kept this from being perfect. OVER HER BIG TIME. Her ridiculous super woman abilities aside I really enjoyed the episode even with the flaws. It was very exciting and I was bouncing up and down through the show. I was very sad to see Jeanne throwing in the towel. This season she really grew on me. I hope it was her choice to leave not the showrunner's. .
ReplyDeleteForgot to mention something else that I loved: that they showed Reid still carries "The Narrative of John Smith" around in his messenger bag. I knew he could never just leave it on that bookshelf!
ReplyDeleteI also liked that Garcia and Reid were on top of the meds, and that he was scrambling to pull out his IV, and then just chose to clock the guy, from his hospital bed.
I agree with those who think this was a better finale than we've had in a few years, but I think it suffered from the same problems as The Replicator. They spent so much time on 'action' (and in the dark---what, exactly, is the point?), and then didn't have enough left for the human interaction. That interaction is why I watch this show, and not others.
They lifted the suspense on Reid way too quickly, and therefore, much of that 'action' didn't occur with the tension of realizing one of their own might be dying.
The only person who even touched Reid after the surgery was Garcia. I was trying to patiently wait through all the shoot-em-ups, so I could enjoy the scene of Hotch visiting his youngest in the hospital, of the relieved JJ giving him a hug...and maybe even Morgan doing the same. Nope. So then I waited for the scene on the plane, when they would be fussing over him. Nope. Asleep on the couch, so the others could talk. While I agree that someone (ahem...JJ or Morgan) should have stayed with him, I also recognize the need for the plot device so that he and Alex could have their talk. And I did like that Alex texted Hotch on the plane. It was the only thing in the show that caught me be surprise, because I didn't realize it was him she'd texted until he stared not-so-subtly over at her.
As to what may come in the future...if the show has only one more year, then I'd say they should keep the team as it is. My only concern is that, since Alex was almost the only one who talked to Reid, he may die of loneliness in the police stations of America. If there is thought the show will go beyond one year, then I would refill the position---or, maybe, bring on another liaison. I agree that JJ shouldn't be the only female traveling member of the team, but for different reasons than others. I think there have been a number of occasions over the years when she and Emily, or she and Blake, were paired for interviews that really were best done with two females, and I'd like to see more of those.
Most of the suspense wasn't there for me, so I wasn't holding my breath for the survival of Reid or any of the others. I'd simply seen too much evidence that it was JT leaving, and that MGG was staying. After the botched CBS preview, there was a lot of scrambling on twitter, and in interviews, aiming for misdirection. But ever since their past attempts at misdirection, I've ignored the hype coming directly from the show. It's rarely true, and often annoying. Such is the life of the TV show fan in the age of the internet.
The action scenes are shot in the dark perhaps to disguise the faces of the stunt actors.
DeleteHmmm…. I don’t know what to think about this episode.
ReplyDeleteI guess I generally liked this episode, when assessing the episode as an aggregate. However, from a case perspective, I can’t say that I liked this episode. There was no thought, no profiling, no psychological insight, nothing. What this case was, was plenty of action and gunfire, just like Erica promised. I lost track of how many guns were fired, how many people were just shot for the hell of it, and how much ammunition was expended (just how many magazines were everyone carrying)? In writing big, dumb action scenes, Erica did what she did best (I don’t really mean that as a compliment), but I really think she is incapable, or uninterested in writing compelling stories that are disturbing and filled with psychology.
So yeah, from a story perspective, this isn’t the type of case I like out of Criminal Minds. I like dark, disturbing, scary, creepy, unsettling crime stories and unsubs. This case had none of that. It was just guns, guns, oh, and more guns. And worse, the unsub and his story was boring. Very little time was spent on his motivations or using much psychological insight into moving the story forward. The only example was the team figuring out that Dinah’s pressure point was her son Josh (which the episode basically said was a callback to “200”) , but we never saw anything she really provided for the case, because that would have gotten in the way of the gunfire.
Yes, I keep mentioning that, and while I have no problem with guns in action movies, I like my suspense crime thrillers without guns, mainly because I don’t find lots of gunfire interesting from a psychological crime perspective. I liked season finales that were centered around cases like that, like The Fisher King (though that story had its own logic problems, but the story itself really engaged me), No Way Out II and To Hell…and Back.
What was good about this episode was the lots of team action. It was good to see them front and center, and not as much of the unsubs. I liked the scene between Alex and Rossi in the car, and you could see the emotional effect that conversation had on Alex that ultimately lead to her to leave. I wish for more Hotch, but what little there was of him, was good and classic Hotch (I liked Hotch stepping in when the cop tried to restrain JJ). I do call a bit bullcrap on the whole “action” scene with Penelope. Mainly because I found it a bit ludicrous that the team left Reid unguarded. I mean, they knew the police force was corrupt, and yet they didn’t provide security themselves, or call in a reliable source to provide security for him. I am relieved though that at least Penelope’s response was more instinctual and not her going all Ninja Penelope. But how far away was the hospital, because it took Morgan forever to get there, and nobody seemed to think to call hospital security.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised (in a good way) at how much Reid was present in this episode, considering how little Matthew worked on this episode. I was afraid he would spend the entire episode unconscious. So it was really good to see all his scenes with Alex, since I have always liked those two together, ever since “The Silencer.” It was nice to see Reid have a friend who is more like him, who truly gets him and understands him. I was glad to see that Alex was the one taking care of him on the scene (though I wondered why nobody seemed to be applying any pressure to his wound to stop the bleeding), and she was the one he woke up to in the hospital. I was glad to see the last scene was those two, and she took him home. She didn’t have to say anything explicit, but he understood what she was really saying. The only thing better would have been a hug between those two, but I guess that is just not part of their friendship. It was a nice callback to see that Reid is still carrying around “The Narrative of John Smith”, though I wonder if he will ever recover from Maeve’s death and be emotionally ready for another relationship.
I see that the smart money was correct in calling Jeanne as the profiler saying good bye. The signs were there, though I wonder if this was Jeanne willingly walking away, or CBS electing not to renew their contract. But this decision was made months ago to write this in, and I am amazed that the show and the network kept this quiet, though they couldn’t resist hyping a departure at the end. At least it wasn’t a copout like Cruz or something, like the previous two years. But I did like Alex. I may not have loved her like I did Emily, but I did appreciate her cool intellectualism she brought to the team, and I will miss that, and her scenes with Reid this episode drove that point home even more. I do hope that CBS elects not to replace her, just because I think whoever it is will run into the same problem in not being readily accepted by the fandom as a whole, and not having the writers write really good stories for a new person.
Let me say this... I am sad JT is apparently leaving.... Yes, it's left that she could go, she could change her mind and stay....
ReplyDeleteAs for the Episode.... What can I say, after last weeks brilliance this just fell FLAT...
Flat writing - while there were scenes that were done well, too much hit the cutting room floor...
Flat directing - Again too much left on the floor that would have explained sooo much...
Too much JJ (again)... she was ALL over the place and in dang near every scene.....
Too little Hotch - throughout the whole episode was 'off'... Yes, he had the fight scene, but hey even through that they had to switch to Morgan/JJ again.... Hotch's fight was nearly over when the scene shifted back to him... I blame that on bad direting and editting....
The ending???? I was waiting for the 'team' coming to terms with 'they made it through this' and it just wasn't there.... Reid's asleep on the plane, Blake apart from rest texting Hotch apparently that she's resigning... But of course no words from Hotch.... There was no scenes of the team making sure Reid was ok, there was no scenes of the team dealing with Garcia shooting someone to save Reid... Don't you think Hotch or Cruz would have said 'something' to her????????
the worst case of bad directing and editting had to be the tense filled scene with Rossi and Blake with the officers advancing on them..... it's ramped up, cut to commercial, then POOF, threat gone... I was like WTH?
Maybe if they spent 'less' time on JJ/Morgan chasing preacher only to kill him they would have had film left to correct these horrible errors...
Anyway, I will wait for S10.... if it's more of the same of this year I will DVR episodes and watch when I feel like... Sadly, for this 9 year fan Erica Messer has killed the enjoyment.... Time maybe to just watch History Channel... Ancient Aliens is more plausible then this lately..... *sigh*
I completely agree with your assessment of the choices that were made about what to keep and what to cut. I just don't know whether the blame falls to the writing or the editing. Were all those crucial scenes missing because they didn't think to write them? Or were they truly left on the cutting room floor because of some misguided impression that the series' fans would prefer extended chase and shooting scenes? Ugh. The only action I really was interested in seeing was the confrontation between Blake and Rossi and the police. it wouldn't surprise me to learn that it had never even been filmed.
ReplyDeleteI almost always fall asleep within ten minutes of the show starting, so I'm never subjected to extended chase, shooting or fighting scenes. That's what fast forward is for. For this episode, I made the effort to stay awake, and wasn't rewarded. I think I will enjoy watching it another time from the DVR, so I can do some of my own editing.
Sorry to hark back to the JJ issue again but I just read AJ Cook's latest interview in which she acknowledges that the fans are split 50/50 over new JJ and says it's because some fans can't accept any changes. With all respect to Ms Cook she has been misinformed over this - we love to see credible changes and believable character development but sadly that's not what we got. I do attribute a lot of this to the showrunner and writers with their "Avengers Assemble" approach to the show now.
ReplyDeleteAs I said.... Ancient Aliens is more plausible at times... Sad but true... :(
DeleteAJ should read comments for what they are, people expressing their feelings over shifts in personality of her character. WE can accept changes in characters; look at Reid he did change since we first saw him. He is no longer the shy, unsure kid. He went through a lot and grew as an agent and as a man. This growth was well done and done in such a way that the character doesn't feel as if we are meeting a new character that happens to have the same name as our favorite genius.
DeleteHotch is another one that did change through out the years but have not read people complaining about how the character is off now.
But AJ is right on one thing; we HATE when CBS makes changes that we do not want, like; firing actresses for no reasons, when this happen you bet we rebel against changes!
The episode was horrible. CM is my favourite show but the season finale had absolutely no substance. I agree with many of the comments made above; too much guns and too little insight into the motivation of the sheriff and the work force. Also not enough time spent on Garcia's dilemma in the hospital with Reid, Reid's recovery, and so on. Blake's exit seemed very rushed and almost like a last second decision - there was no build up or suggestion that she was contemplating the exit, and it seems as if it was a spontaneous decision she made when she saw Reid after he was shot which makes it even more implausible. Not enough reflection on the case afterwards, it was basically way too rushed and too many guns and action scenes and people getting shot for no other reason other than to build up some tension. CM could do way better!
ReplyDeleteKhali, I totally agree with you. This felt more like an old shoot'em up western than it did a CM episode and especially a CM finale. I've said this before, but I'm saying this again...I don't understand what EM is trying to do with CM, but her message is not getting through to me. The one action scene I did like was Hotch's action scene, but that was only because it had Hotch in it, and even that was so dark, I could barely see him. At this point, I'm thinking the only way CM could do better is to ask EM to step down and hire someone else to step up in her place who understands the CM concept better than she does.
DeletePardon me while I 'borrow' the thoughts of another poster. But these words sum up PERFECTLY my thoughts regarding the ending of the episode and season.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU S!!!!! *all words below are copied verbatim with no changes*
"Something that gets me is that, once again, EM has missed the message she sent to the viewing public, fans and clueless alike: this is a really depressing ending for the season. Not just for the fact that Alex left before she burns out and loses her marriage, but it's awfully depressing for poor Reid. Once again someone has left him, although she at least faced him and let him know how much she loved him, even if she didn't use those words.
Erica said that when we got to the end of the episode, we could all breathe a sigh of relief, get some rest, and look forward to next season. Easy, breezy, done. Wow! Garcia shot a gun! Wow! Hotch scowled! Wow! JJ ran and jumped and shot! Wow! Morgan was totally and completely emotionally disengaged from Reid or anyone else for that matter!
No, what I was left with at the end of the episode, that leaves a mark on the entire season, is how very alone Reid is now. I'm not one for investing real sorrow in fictional characters, but Reid is very close to an exception. And the last shot, which is supposed to echo for 4 months, is Reid turning back to his lonely apartment, once again the one made privy to someone's intractable pain, and the one who bears it most heavily in his heart."
Again Thank you S for your wonderful insite!
You are totally right, Reid is ALWAYS left alone at the end of the day. His father, gone. Gideon, gone, Prentiss, gone, Maeve, gone, and now Blake is gone. WTF??? So Reid is the only one who doesn't deserve to have some sort of relationship with someone? Are you serious. After 9 seasons of crap, I think Reid deserves at least a little bit of happiness. All he has is his (bitchin) but EMPTY apartment. I mean he is still stuck at the BAU pit sharing a desk?cubicle with strangers compared to everyone else on the team who has their own offices
DeleteI am fuming mad about this. Makes me wonder, Should MGG come back for S10? If his time on the show apparently means nothing. No promotion, no love, no family. I was surprised that anyone (besides Blake) really gave a shit that he was shot
Tammy,
DeleteI don't know if you're young? Or just not comprehending.. But on this blog, cursing isn't acceptable.
I feel your anger and agree that over the years Reid seems to be the one that's been left out of the 'intimacy' scenarios. However that isn't because no one loves him. Alot of that has to do with him being portrayed as an awkward genius over the years. And while Reid has indeed matured I still think he has a bit of that awkwardness in him....
OMG sorry, for cursing
DeleteDisappointing episode, once again. The story was never fully explained. For instance, police officers were corrupted, right? So what happened at the end? Why Reid was shown as watching the unsub at the crime scene twice, and then never mention it again? Why Morgan said that the fact a guy from the hospital staff trying to kill Reid was 'just a distraction' and then walking away without even thinking that maybe more moles could be around, leaving both Reid and Garcia unprotected? Why JJ and Morgan get the action scenes, but when it was Blake and Rossi's turn we just magically got out of trouble? Why does Messer always involve children as her only resource to increase the drama? Why those action scenes were so freaking long? Why some actors look like robots lately? We know they can act, they used to act before, but now, no emotion, not a single relatable sign of worry? Why Morgan had to explain Hotch and Rossi the difference in the bullets? I could have notice that without no practical knowledge of guns...why the unsub was mad at the preacher? Why do they have to write Garcia as a such a self-centred childish woman? Why did they have to let to the only female actress that actually could act? Why???
ReplyDeleteAnd Regarding JJ, I never liked her, but I tolerate her. Then, she was annoying, and now I just plain hate her. I wish the actress would even acknowledge that we have come to accept a number of changes in all the characters. Every single one of them change. This is not about accepting changes. This is about missing a show in which Morgan would recognise Hotch authority (since they are FBI agents, you know) and would never call JJ to update her about his findings, leaving out not only Hotch but also Rossi. This is about missing a show in which the story was the star, and not a blond kicking men and shooting to kill. This is about missing a show in which the job of BAU members were portrayed. BAU agents whose main weapon were their minds, not their ability to shoot, hit and kick. A show in which every member would contribute, and not just two, while the others stare at them.
Messer just ruined this unique show by making it plain standard tv. I will follow the final quote, and I will try to find a better show to watch. And if I can't find it straight away, I will read fanfiction. There are several amateur writers that are a thousand times better than the current writers of this show.
Goodbye to all of you. It was nice to be here to share our impressions about this show.
Sad to see you leave Ms Fabiana, loved reading your well thought out posts, will miss those.
DeleteAll valid points you are raising which I will too in my review of the episode.
Hope you will reconsidered but if not thank you for your contributions to this blog :)
Ms. Fabiana,
DeleteIt is always sad to see a thoughtfull and insightful fan leave a fandom. I will ask you to stay, if only to keep your voice alive. I love reading your well thought out and constructive posts. Every fandom needs to hear/read the criticism's as well as the praises, if only to keep people thinking ahead and how to better things... :)
If you decide to leave, I wish you all the best. And I agree with you 100% there are some very talented writers in the FF world that could do much better episodes then some of the current show writing staff.
You really do make some good points Ms. Fabiana, I agree with a lot of the things you said. Unfortunately I keep hoping to watch Criminal Minds and not "The JJ Show". I did not fully understand the story and why everyone was shooting everyone in every scene. And I miss profiling as well.
DeleteI agree that this was better than the past several season finales. I understand the critiques, but as I did enjoy this one, I don't always want to come here to complain. Erica did manage to keep me interested and to give screen time to all of the characters, so I'm going to give her that. However, I agree that there was still too much JJ. I am sorry to see Blake go for all the reasons the rest of you mentioned. I'm thinking it was probably Jeanne's decision. They haven't given her much to do. That's an insult to her. I was never much of a fan of hers before, but I grew to like her character and I respect Jeanne for how she handled herself in the midst of negative comments from many viewers and the abysmal writing. I wish her well. Erica is an idiot. In her interview she stated that she was looking for a reason for Blake to bond with Reid so she came up with the dead son story.
ReplyDeleteWe need to have a reason? Is it so unfathomable that Blake could genuinely like and respect Reid? This is the person CBS made show runner? She is clueless. Anyway, I'll miss Blake and the kind and respectful way she treated Reid. Everyone else is always babying him or rolling their eyes when he speaks. I wish they'd take the money they're saving on Jeanne's salary and put it into hiring some decent writers or at least some really good researchers that will keep them from writing some of the far-fetched stuff we've gotten the past few seasons.
I was happy to see Hotch take out the unsub, but I'm still missing strong, team leader Hotch. Why is JJ always calling the shots at the police stations these days? Is it too much to hope that we can get our unit chief back next season? And, yes, what a wasted opportunity to not show us how Rossi and Blake got out of their predicament! Is it because Erica couldn't think of how to write it? I couldn't wait for the commercial to end so I could see what happened and then..."oh, they got away." Sheesh! I know there were flaws in the writing, but overall I enjoyed the episode. I think there have always been instances where we've had to suspend our disbelief, but in recent years the writing has been so bad that we're just more accustomed to looking for them and pointing them out to each other. As far as I know, Reid and Hotch are alive and well and should be back next season, so I'll tune in. But I am not eagerly anticipating it. I want Erica to give an interview where she says, "Okay the season of JJ is over. Now we're going to give the rest of the cast something to do."
I'm a newbie here, so I'd like to step in and ask a question: Is Erica Messer going to attempt to take our beloved Criminal Minds in a totally different direction? This is the second time this year that she has given us totally different episodes that really don't follow the profiling concepts that we have always known and loved, i.e., the 200th and now this finale episode. Both of the episodes seemed more like the old shoot'em up westerns or gangster movies, and honestly, about all I can remember about "Demons" is JJ's blonde head and ponytail bobbing up and down as she ran through the dark building. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I didn't particularly like it. The episode did seem choppy and dark; I don't know if that is a new way of filming or they couldn't get their generators to work.
ReplyDeleteThis episode just gave me a bad feeling; it didn't feel right. I did like the conversation between Rossi and Blake in the car, and I, too, was really looking forward to seeing how they got out of the obvious dilemma they were in, but...
I keep waiting for them to make JJ the new Section Chief...lol.
I never really warmed up to Blake as a character but I certainly didn't hate her, and I definitely hated to see her go. I'm one of those dreaded Prentiss fans that would dearly love to see her return, but I'm okay if she doesn't. I do think they should wait before they introduce a new profiler. I think they should have waited before they introduced Jeanne, but hey, they didn't ask me, so their mistake. I think we all could tell them how to do a lot of things better, but I don't think they would listen to us; showrunners don't have a good track record with doing that.
I enjoyed the the finale and although I hate Blake left.. AT least she left alive... And can return someday.. I'm glad nobody else does bc the family is complete again and I can't take another member dying... Now please hurry up and release the dvd
ReplyDeleteI don't want to go into a long diatribe about this episode since so much has been excellently stated. Personally, I loved the finale, and don't shoot me (lol) but I never felt Blake fit in. Her departure was eloquent IMHO. Then again, I've been watching this show since the first episode and would love to see another street-wise, edgy Elle Greenway type join the cast for some balance. Anyone with me?
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ReplyDeleteI pretty much thought Elle was arrogant, and the way she was written her ethics were not great, and I never warmed to her. Sorry Suzy. This exemplifies why there are so many different flavors of ice cream, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty much how I felt about her, too. In fact, Lola and Mandy Patinkin almost made me stop watching before I even got started. Had I not seen some later episodes with Paget and AJ (without Lola and Mandy obviously), I would never have continued watching. I thought Lola's portrayal of Elle was arrogant and entitled.
DeleteI actually liked Elle Greenaway, but I also liked her replacement Emily Prentiss. If anything JJ aka The Mary Sue has given me a new found appreciation for Elle.
DeleteI am, and always have been, a Prentiss lover and would love if she came back, but completely understand why she wouldn't want to.
DeleteBut, I have to say your statement about JJ aka the Mary Sue is certainly a unique way to show your appreciation for Elle. It made me spit my drink across my table. Thank you for making me smile.
Glad I could make you smile. I also sometimes refer to JJ( sarcastically of course) as EM's "golden girl". Here's hoping 10 won't be a continuation of the Morgan/JJ show.Even though Reid is my absolute favorite I was hoping 9 would've been Hotch's season.Perhaps 10 may be his season.We can only hope.And I'd like him to have some good story lines that don't involve "Beth the Bore". Since he is a former prosecutor,I'd like for them to do another story line involving a trial. And I'd like for Hotch to be paired with either Reid or Rossi the majority of the time. I don't like it when they pair him with JJ bc too many times she comes across as being the boss, and it pisses me off.
DeleteI like Hotch paired with Rossi, too, because a lot of the time you can see their close friendship shining through in a quiet way, they just "get" one another without saying anything. Frankly, I dislike JJ paired with anyone, and I loved her at one time. And, I so want them to get rid of Beth; I want Hotch to realize that this long distance relationship is not working out well for him nor for Jack, and I DON'T want him dating Jack's teacher!!!
DeleteI was very fond of JJ myself at onetime.In fact I even joined the backlash demanding her return.Sadly though for me, and many others, JJ's return has turned out to be a classic case of "Careful what you wish for because you just might get it"
DeleteI don't really like her being paired with anyone either,but particularly the characters that our favorites of mine.Quite frankly she irritates me to the point that I have to put her on mute the majority of the time.Which is hard to do sometimes because I don't want to mute the other characters.Although with Morgan and Garcia I don't mind it so much.
Another problem for me is the actress now seems to feel she has to dominate many of the scenes she is in. I think part of the reason is she feels the need to show everyone how relevant her character is. After all she did get terminated onetime bc CBS didn't see the need for her character any more.And I'm convinced it was also the reason AJ asked for those changes in her character.She probably wanted to make her character more relevant.
The saddest part for me is that I actually thought she was more relevant as the team's media liaison.I don't really see these changes as having made her more relevant.I see them more as having made some of the other characters less relevant.
You brought up a point that I've never thought about...the one about AJ wanting to change her character to make her more relevant so she woudn't be fired again. It absolutely could be so. Were I in her position in that dog eat dog world, I know I'd do everything I could (within reason) to keep those dollars coming in. Although, if she's EM's "golden girl", it would seem her niche would be pretty secure.
DeleteI thought this episode of Criminal Minds was another great episode. It had a good storyline and I liked the personal story about Blake. I am glad that both Reid and Morgan weren't hurt really bad.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest disappointment re CM is that gone are the days when the team worked in unison, with a good balancing of air-time amongst the cast -even with favorites we loved them ALL and were distressed when faced with any of the team leaving, seeing them as a strong cohesive force. As for AJ Cook's comment about fan's not accepting change, that's on her, obviously a defensive comment that endears her even less to former fans leaving her fandom. Change is fine with me, but let it be timely and with some logical progression. One year from serene and compassionate, to butt kicking and dominatrix behavior just makes her look phony baloney. An then the fiasco of 200 trying to repair the damage and failing miserably did not help and that's on Messer and the other writers. My reading is that too much "group think" and blurring of roles between production, writers and cast is now occurring with actors pushing for "wanna be" roles recognizing their end is nearing.
ReplyDeleteBut while I'm feeling much less motivated to sit and watch come Wed. nights, I'm a long term fan that keeps coming back- and that's on me, LOL.
Why did Blake call Reid ethan
ReplyDeleteI agree that they should have developed some of the narrative more vigorously instead of concentrating on the preacher chase. The ending w.r.t. the local story arc was bad. They should have taken the cop alive. The brief mention of the Texas Rangers saying they'd seen this before and Rossi just saying "There's nothing worse than a crooked cop" or something like that barely touched on what could have been a rich and complex theme. The intense psychology of being preyed upon those who are sworn to protect you should have been exploited. The groupthink mentality that he was able to spread and the terror of the "they are coming, not him" aspect should have been expanded too. It should have figured into the profile. I like this show a lot, but I think sometimes they underestimate their audience.
ReplyDeleteJust finished watching this episode....I loved the whole corrupt cops theme and not knowing who to trust. I enjoyed the whole episode while I was watching, but yeah, it did leave a lot to be desired by the end.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest things I noticed while watching was when Garcia pulled the fire alarm to escape with Reid, then shortly after was on the phone saying that they were being let back in. How did she know it was safe? Was she just waiting outside with Reid? Seems like in more danger from being shot that way!
And Blake leaving. Very anticlimactic. I enjoyed her character. Not as much as Prentis, but she was a good fit and her decision to leave felt rushed.
The plane scene. No fussing over what happened, no jokes. I barely remember anything about it except Garcia commenting they were all together (and I just watched the ep 30 minutes ago!)
Things I loved: REID drama. Garcia shooting the gun. Corrupt cops. Both Morgan and Hotch getting to have some good scenes going after the bad guys. Blake taking Reid home.