Hope you've enjoyed today's episode, and remember that next week we'll have a brand new one!
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
CRIMINAL MINDS Season 11 - 1115. A Badge and a Gun - Comments Thread
Hope you've enjoyed today's episode, and remember that next week we'll have a brand new one!
This episode was predictable from start to finish... Very boring episode... Only reason I kept watching was for the "Derek" promo...
ReplyDeleteTotally a rip off of S9's Bully....
my score 1-10
Stumble...
ReplyDeleteWhat?
DeleteI enjoyed it and it kept me right on the edge. I am really looking forward to what next week brings. I love Jim's cameos.
ReplyDeleteSnorefest. Like Barbara said, predictable. I knew he wasn't an FBI agent and I knew the setup wasn't going to work. There isn't anything else I can say about it. I'm just hoping Derek isn't a rehash of 200. Agent gets kidnapped at end of previous episode. Team rushes to find him. They did that...twice. At least Reid's kidnapping was part of the actual case. I'm hoping I'm wrong.
ReplyDeleteThat could not be any further from the truth... haha.. I don't recall any team member's father/brother/childhood being randomly dredged up in this episode, or any impersonations in 911. Bully... Different strokes for different folks!
ReplyDeleteThis episode was a slam dunk for me! Everything we learned came from the team, the only thing the unsub gave us were cryptic clues that the team's investigation later took, from witnesses, and turned them into facts which were factored into the profile.
This episode had many angles to it with local law enforcement intervening which aren't normally seen in a Criminal Minds episode. The police helped the BAU to do their job, representing the true nature of the relationship between the FBI's BAU and local law enforcement agencies in real life investigations. Definitely an homage from Jim Clemente (who made an 'interesting' cameo appearance).
Love that Reid added another check to his kill list! We've been seeing a lot more of him lately and I hope I'm not the only fan who appreciates that! Thanks CM! We got a very mature Garcia, Hotch in control and some interesting material from Rossi. As for Morgan's situation, I was extremely surprised by Savannah's change of heart, until I realized I was completely being taken for a ride. Very disturbing to see Morgan so powerless; that ending turned the show on its head for me!
Very solid episode, from the genius Jim and the artist Rob.
I'd call it an 8.5/10! Can't wait for "Derek" and LONG LIVE CM!!!
Meh. While I always expect a well written episode from Jim Clemente, I didn't walk into this one with high expectations. TG is directing "Derek" so he would be MIA. JM is directing the one after that so not around as much either; but not totally MIA. Why the shooting schedules and scripts can not be written to work around the actors directing still boggles my mind.
ReplyDeleteThat said, this one started out as a complete dud in my book. Clemente usually listens to the fans. But yet, again, another writer has to give us the unsub before the first commercial break. Give me a break. And just a sidebar on my part: as a dedicated and loyal watcher of CSI: NY for 8 years (until CBS let Melina Kanakadres go in their "female" purge; the same time as AJC and PB) I was astonished to see how much Carmine Fiovinazzo (Danny from CSI: NY) has aged. But hey! I don't look in the mirror much these days.
I did enjoy the scenes with Rossi and Agent Colfax in the SCIFF. Plus seeing the security just to get in there.
When the unsub shot the undercover cop, I thought, "well there's the usual Clemente twist". But it never panned out. I did like Reid shooting the unsub. My goodness, how much has that character grown! I'll be honest. Reid was my least favorite character in S1. Yet, as the writers have matured the character (and IMHO MGG himself) I've grown to appreciate Reid much, much more. Sorry Reid fans; he will never replace Hotch and Rossi in my world. :D Yet, the scene showed once again the steps that Reid has taken. It's just not his brain that makes him a good agent; he's got Bureau chops. I liked that a lot.
What really bothers me is the set up for the next episode. The second the guy bumped Morgan and then he (Morgan) rubbed his eye, I knew what was happening. There was no real suspense there. And like Crime Fan 12 said, it seems like this could be a re-hash of 200. If in trouble, family member calls Hotch. I hold out hope that Breen will not fail us next week. He's been 2 for 2 in "writer's hit" in my baseball world. I sure hope he goes 3 for 3.
This was a middle of the road episode at best that deserves a middle of the road grade. Rockie gives it a C.
*whispers* I bet ten bucks that Savannah is preggers
Oh! That is who he was. I thought he looked familiar. I had the same thought about Savannah. We'll find out.
DeleteYou bring up some really interesting points, Rockie! I missed Carmine and I missed the snack bag the first time watching! I thought I was all clever for spotting that almost all of the facts Garcia said about Agent Saulzbach are in fact true about Jim. And honestly, now that I think about the title of episode 18, and the ice cream, your pregnancy theory makes a lot of sense!!! I just hope its not gonna lead to Morgan leaving the world before he meets his baby, a tragedy somewhat parallel to that of "Zugzwang"... We have a lot of preferences in common, Rockie, but we also differ a lot. Its kinda cool, you're more of a realist. I consider myself a bit overly optimistic about CM but I don't see that changing any time soon!
DeleteWay to be observant!
The sharp eyed peeps I live ep chat with picked that up right away. ;)
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention the plane scene at the end. JJ aka CheetoBreath with the snack bag in her lap. I guess the writers aren't going to let that one go. :D
Snorefest. At least they let Reid get the unsub. 4/10
ReplyDeleteI found it very underwhelming. I think "Dull" is the word.
ReplyDeleteGood points:
Reid shown as efficient FBI agent and in at the take down.
Garcia shown as more mature (although I am bracing for her meltdown when she finds out about Morgan!But hopefully they will keep her in this more grown up mode)
Loved the bit of snark from Rossi!
At least there was some profiling involved.
Bad points:
Unsub up front and very predictable. Maybe I have been watching CM too long as this felt like Spree Killer by Numbers.
It was just basically dull with no suspense from start to finish.
I'm reserving judgement on the Derek storyline to see how it unfolds but so far I'm not amazed by it.
It's a C for me.
* Excellent set decoration in homes of cat lady, guitar guy and dead agent.
ReplyDelete* I still can't figure out if that white thing on the desk in the dead agent's home was a mop or his Shih Tzu.
* Interesting to have a resident named "Garcia" on the building directory.
* Colfax's Dynasty shoulder pads are not compatible with Aaron's Prada. Hands off Aaron, Colfax, don't even think it.
* Even I assumed unsub's credentials were fake rather than an FBI agent going off the rails.
* Older woman has the eyes of an eagle to spot unsub's tattoo at that distance from a peephole.
* Unsub was not that criminally sophisticated. The victims were simply not that smart.
* Unsub's motivation was big stretch with too many detours. Evil stepfather – got it.
* Good Reid.
* If Morgan was obviously in great distress and told me to call Hotch, I would have called Hotch, rather than repeatedly asking distressed Morgan if he were OK.
* Hotch does a lot of reading.
I agree with it all - great and funny, and I'll have to check again for the Shih Tzu... ;) :) ;)
DeleteI was trying to come up with a word for this episode, and think it was just too simple maybe dull? Can't say I disliked it, it was just a run of the mill unsub conning his way into homes, weird reason to do it, hey, there he is, shoot him, done. Simple. Didn't seem like it was a BAU worthy case. Maybe the BAU gets a simple one every now and then, who knows. Couldn't stand the constant neck/tie pulling - just take it off already! I get it, but do something else, you don't have to wear it, take it all off until you kill someone - was just irritating to me/nails on a chalkboard thing. ;) Definitely agree with the pregnant rumor - I need to talk to you, I wil show you (as in the pregnancy test stick results), get me ice cream, etc. At first I thought maybe the phone texts were fake to lure him to the store to get the ice cream so he could then be abducted. I loved his reaction to the texts on the plane - he had some nice smiles in there that showed real happiness. Sick of Colfax - please, no more. Don't like her character, seems sort of moony, guessing they stuck her in there to make up for the absence of Lewis and TG and JM's needed prep time. And I just don't want to see any more characters/side stories added to the rest of the season besides what is already there - no girlfriends, boyfriends, personal issues - just keep it classic - get a case, the team solves it, the end. For me that's the reason I began to love this show in the first place. Morgan looks like he's going to be in a lot of pain in 1116 and that's going to be hard to watch. I'm not sure of the Danny Glover/father thing. If Morgan is drugged (and it looks like his eyes are rolling around when he's tied up) is his "Dad" really an unsub, trying to get info. out of him while pretending to be his Dad? Maybe an angel - who knows. Anticipation and theories with no basis already started for 1116. :)
ReplyDeleteThis episode was kinda meh for me. Wasn't interested in the unsub, wasn't convinced of his motivation or triggers. It was nice that they were all profiling together as a team. JJ and Garcia were fine (again! a trend?), no Lewis, and Reid got to be badass (although I think killing weighs on his soul more than others), and this had a decent amount of Hotch for the precursor to a TG-directed episode. Rossi got some good snark in.
ReplyDeleteBut...
I really hated all the Jim Clemente all over the place. He wasn't doing a cameo, he was almost a co-star!
And, the whole Morgan/Savannah thing was stupid. I certainly hope "Derek" isn't as ridiculous as it seems it will be. It needs to be a BAU case, not something from his cop past, and the torture stuff looked waaaay over the top, the crucifixion pose, etc. Oy.
And that is what I meant by "stumble."
The case was average. It would have been a bit more interesting if the unsub had actually been an agent.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing about it was Reid, who was strong, and luscious, and still just a bit vulnerable. I liked that JJ reached out to him after the kill, and that he reached back. As Suegypt says, it still hits him harder than it hits the others. I liked that his eyes were on the ceiling, and not on his book, as he was 'reading' on the way home. Same with seeing JJ too rattled to do anything but eat junk food and stare.
I liked the pairing of JJ and Reid for much of the episode. Especially because they were the two involved in the takedown, I thought the episode served as sort of a rite of passage. With the anticipated leaving of a more senior member of the team, it looks like the two youngest are more than ready to step in. (Hint, hint---we don't need a Morgan replacement!)
As to Morgan and Savannah---- it was fine, until Morgan started getting beat up. I thought Shemar did a good job with that scene. If they give him something to do besides banter with Garcia or beat up unsubs, he actually rises to the occasion.
Nonetheless, I'm not looking forward to next week. I have no intention of watching a character I know be set up for a crucifixion, nor any other sort of torture. I won't mind watching the other characters' reactions (which, hopefully, will be more akin to what they were in Revelations to the non-reactions we saw in (the awful) 200), but I won't watch a full episode of what I saw in the promo. Just that little bit made me ill.
Hey, all you ladies who have been trying to take TG away from me, we'll meet at the dueling place tomorrow at dawn...somewhere. Bring your pea shooters...lol.
ReplyDeleteI found the episode to be so-so, and I can't tell you why. I liked the profiling we got, and the way the team interacting, but again we got the unsub at the beginning of the episode and that kind of puts me off, but something about this show made me hunt for something to make it better
I am hoping that the Morgan arc plays out well and he does get a good send off. Even though I don't particularly like Morgan individually, but with the team, I really like his interactions with the team. He completes the team, just as the other team members do.
I accept your pea shooter challenge and raise you to squirt guns. The ep was slow; 20 minutes felt like 35. With SM's longevity on the show, Danny Glover, Paget, Savannah's request for strawberry ice cream (congratulations, it's a girl), and TG directing, I think the arc will pack a punch.
DeleteCount me in for the Hotch duel. He and Reid are pretty much the only reasons I watch anymore.
DeleteI can't say I hated it, but it was just completely uninteresting to me. Predictable. Unworthy of being written by the only actual BAU agent on the writing staff. Clemente really has become nothing more than a Hollywood sell-out. He does not do the consulting job he was originally hired to do, otherwise we wouldn't get so many awful scripts loaded with flaws from the other writers, and his own writing, which used to contain some of the best episodes, has really plummeted. While I don't want to see the unsub early on, I'll admit that there are times when it's necessary and it works. This could have been written so much better, but I think the writers are A) certainly less talented than the early season writers and B) incredibly lazy.
ReplyDeleteAnd the small preview we got of the upcoming episode, which was intended to shock and draw in viewers, only makes me not want to watch. It seems that it will be over the top and I feel as if I'm being manipulated. I get that after 10+ years with Shemar they want to give him a big send-off, but I have no faith in these writers to give us a believable or compelling reason for Morgan to have been targeted for this kind of torture. Adding the cliché pregnancy for Savannah (which everyone figures is what's going on) just makes me roll my eyes and shake my head. The cast and the viewers deserve better than this. It's time to pack it in. Everyone is just going through the motions. Thomas is a good director, but he can't turn a crappy script into a golden episode. Criminal Minds has become a waste of (some) talented actors and the time of many viewers. I can't even rise to being angry about it. I'm just tired of it all. They've killed something that once was superb.
So if there are three in this duel, we need a weapon in each hand... For me, the episodes are either a hit or a miss, with very little in between. The writers' inconsistency is startling. I am doggedly hopeful that TG will work his alchemy.
DeleteOkay, Ladies, I've ignored you as long as I can, I'll just have to call you on the squirt gunes (I'm pretty good with them because I've had instruction from my 6 year old grandson) and raise you to a star wars light saber...Josh says I can borrow his if I won't break it. We just have to let Thomas know we love him so much, but he knows that I'll win because I can cook Southern food for him. I haven't found a good place for the duel yet, but I will let everyone know when I find one that will give me the advantage.
ReplyDeleteJonis, I so agree with everything you said. I think the show has gotta to the point that most of the scripts that are so poorly written there are few directors and actors that can make it into a stellar episode. I usually bow to the regular actors on this blogspot because they know the characters inside and out, and their episodes are written and directed so much better. My mindboggles each week that CM is on, just waiting for intelligent writing and directing...(sarcasm) Thanks CBS)sarcasm.
It's interesting to me that week after week there are so many people voting "it was awesome!" and yet we don't see that same number of comments. The comments are quite often negative. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I have not watched all the previews for the upcoming episode. I just watched the clip with the comments from Shemar, Danny Glover and Erica. I see what they're doing. I still don't buy it. I love Thomas, and if he manages to make something special out of the upcoming episode, I will come here and say it was great. I'm not always negative. But I dislike that they chose this way to use Danny Glover. "Ooh, we can get Danny Glover so let's make him Morgan's father event though he's way too old to be Morgan's father based on what we set up for Morgan's character in the very first season." I can't get all excited when they violate canon this way. But again, if it's great, I will come here and say so and admit I was wrong.