Hope you've enjoyed today's episode, and remember that next week we'll have a brand new one!
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
CRIMINAL MINDS Season 11 - 1120. Inner Beauty - Comments Thread
Hope you've enjoyed today's episode, and remember that next week we'll have a brand new one!
The first 15 minutes had some issues but I was hopeful.... That's about how long that lasted... WAY WAY WAY too much unsub and guest star.... Hotch disappeared completely 2nd 1/2...
ReplyDeleteDisgusting
I had a very good opinion of this episode until second half when Hotch just disapeared. First he was not in the meeting with the team but the cop of the week was then he just diosapeared without any reasons and the team went to arrest the unsub without him and again the writer didn't even bother to tell us why Hotch, the team leader was not even there. So Like Hotch any review I had will do a disapearing act too.
DeleteContinue this way CM, the way things are, will ensure the viewership will shrink even more. I know S12 is not something I'm much interested in especially with the way things are now.
This episode was all right. I will grade on a curve a bit, because it was better than many of the previous seasons' first scripts. I just think it would have been better with more team, less unsub, and less melodrama behind the unsub's motivation. I am not sure if we are supposed to sympathize with him, but if we are, booooooo! And meh on Rossi's rekindled love (likely) with his second ex wife. And weird that Hotch was basically gone this episode. This was largely a Rossi and JJ episode, a distinctly odd pairing in my opinion.
ReplyDeletethe only thing most writers can seem to write for Hotch to say now is Whats up Garcia and then he disappears. I want a season 12 but if they keep writing him out I won't care if they renew or not.
ReplyDeleteWith you on that...
DeleteI was ok with the Rossi bookends but the story was boring.
ReplyDeleteWell that plodded along. I was watching a baseball game during the commercial breaks and halfway through I found the game more interesting. That told me how uninteresting the episode was. Too much UnSub and so bland I didn't care to know anything about him. The Rossi part was so so. Hotch wandered off half way through, probably watching the same game I was and never returned. And again they go off on a takedown and don't bother to take the police with them. I could have sworn years ago Hotch had said that they let the locals get the arrest because that gets them invited in on cases. They don't do that anymore obviously.
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame that new writers end up picking up the bad habits of the current ones (i.e. the too much UnSub) instead of bringing a new and exciting perspective. Sigh. The quality of writing continues to go down as the seasons pass. That doesn't abode well for another season. If it gets renewed, it might be just so they can wrap the show up.
You all know me. I'm the optimist that tries to be positive. But honestly, with the second half of this episode, there is no way I can even convince my brain to do that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with assessments that the first part was good. We had the team, including Hotch, and things were rolling along pretty well. Except, of course, for seeing the unsub in the opening act.
The second half was like Haban Merker walked into Kim Harrison's office to write the rest. It was horrible. Way to much unsub and zero Hotch. That's does not make for a happy Rockie.
To the Rossi B story. I agree with Barb to a point. Sheryl Lee Ralph wasn't bad as Hayden. Her attempting, and failing badly, at a British accent was horrible. And the Rossi/JJ chat? First off, that should have been Hotch and Rossi. That said, I can't disagree with what JJ told him. Remember the scene with Rossi and Blake from "Demons" (S10). Carolyn, the love of his life, left because the job got in the way. Should Hayden have told Rossi the truth. Yes. But JJ pointed out to Rossi that it's always been about the job with him. And him leaving for a case during Kai's birthday party proves that. What did Rossi tell Hotch. "I'm more married to this team........."
The Rossi storyline is what saved this episode from getting a complete fail.
Rockie's grade: D
Maybe it's me.. and what Brian and I have been through loosing his kids to a selfish mother... But I'm sorry.. I just can not accept that it's OK to hide a child from a man you were married too... If Rossi had chosen the job over Joy.. different story. but for god's sake Give him the chance... Especially after he lost James... She had absolutely 'no right' to do this and be forgiven so readily....
DeleteBarbara, I so agree with you about this. It's one thing to walk away after getting to know your child, it's another to not be given the chance even to get to know your child because it's mother never told you about your child. And this happens all the time between divorced parents, or even unmarried parents. I was divorced and that is the one thing I never did. It is very unfair to your child...they need all the love they can get especially when their parents are not together.
DeleteMy husband lost his kids to a selfish manipulative ex-wife..(very generic explanation of what she's done)fought 10yrs in courts to keep some relationship going.. spent 10's of thousands of dollars... But Court's finally said their over 18... The fact that their mother virtually brainwashed them to not want to be with their father is irrelevant.. If they don't want to they don't have to.. but 'you' still have to pay 52% of their college.. His kids have now 'to prove they want nothing to do with him' have taken their step-father's name...
DeleteSo for me.. this blind acceptance of Hayden's actions by JJ and by Rossi is just unconscionable.
Whoa gang! :D I said I did not agree with Hayden hiding the truth from Rossi. I'll say it again; that was wrong. However, I was agreeing with what JJ told Rossi; for him it's always been the job coming first.
DeleteLet me ask this. Has anyone pulled out their calculator and figured the timeline from Carolyn leaving Rossi and Joy being born? 29 years?? What date did Rossi mention to Blake in "Demons"?
Well James died in 1978... Dave said afterwards he and Caroline didn't last much longer.. In Joy's inaugural episode I thought it was said like 1984... but 29 yrs would put them at 1987/88..
DeleteYET Rossi supposedly went back to states to "get the BAU up and running" BUT according to Season 1 Unfinished Buisness Rossi/Ryan/Gideon were already in full swing... Keystone Killer happened in 1988.... AND Nelson's Sparrow had Gideon and Rossi as BSU in the bunker in 1978...
A lot of Rossi's backstory doesn't gibe, with some dates blatantly contradicting each other. Once the "truth" of his second marriage was revealed, I always thought it was rather outlandish to believe that Rossi would have met, married, impregnated and left Hayden in the course of a few months on an overseas assignment. If Rossi was all about the job (something reasonable to believe), I can't figure out why he would marry a woman he basically just met while on a temporary assignment. So much of it doesn't make sense.
Delete...and this ^almost every comment above^ (although I mostly agree with Rockie) is why I love the fact that Criminal Minds rarely does personal, dramatic stories that involve controversial topics. Keep the formula we love, and they know we love it too! Never try to fix what isn't broken! What this show does and always has pulled off best is showcasing the expertise of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit and the violent psychos they hunt all over the country. This show is at its best when the good guys are geniusly out-smarting the bad guys, plain and simple. Try to complicate it by messing with the original storylines, especially the personal ones regarding our most important characters (i.e. we didn't need to meet Hayden at all; I would've liked for that to remain a mystery) and that's where things can get dicey unless you absolutely know what you're doing. (I.e. Virgil with Hotch and Breen with Reid) I commend Haben Merker for the initiative of trying to take on such a heavy-hitter, but this was definitely a Kim Harrison-caliber episode. Not that it changes anything, but I would like to note that this episode, however flawed the plot was, was very well directed by veteran Crime Drama director Alec Smight
DeleteI'll give this episode a 6.5/10. Not that I didn't enjoy watching, lol, as Rockie said, I, too, am forever the Criminal Minds optimist... with the Garbage that's on TV these days i'll take a "bad" episode of Criminal Minds over a good episode of literally anything else, any day! (except Person of Interest and maybe Homeland if I'm bored) but... yeah lol Haben Merker should go back to writing rap videos as H.I.M. lol "Wheels Up" was awesome... maybe if he got Breen and Sharon to mentor him things could work... anyhow I am sooo stoked that we are getting a Sharon Lee Watson episode next week with a creepy ass plot and a director who's been with us since 109 "Derailed" ..good ol' Félix... can't wait for the next two!
LONG LIVE CM
Thanks Barb for doing the research! I knew it didn't all add up. As usual.
DeleteGood ol' CM continuity.
This "writer" has no other writing credits and is only listed as production staff on 5 episodes. It seems all one has to do to be a writer on Criminal Minds these days is just hang around the set for a while. This is shameful. How about putting some money into getting decent writers and getting a fresh, new FBI consultant that can give them some better ideas about real cases. I'm sick of the crap they've been turning out.
DeleteI wasn't going to post a comment because it was a pitiful episode...first, they showed the unsub almost from the beginning, and he was boring as hell the entire show; second, the presentation of Rossi's second wife was pathetic and their backstory was so boring I almost went to sleep; and third, JJ agreeing with his ex-wife's reason for keeping Rossi's child away from him was laughable and shows JJ's intelligence, and fourth, and worst of all, Hotch's/Thomas's appearance on the episode was probably "about" 5 minutes and I'm probably stretching it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with someone else on these postings, if this absence of Hotch continues, I won't be watching much longer...I love the team concept, but that concept has to include a goodly portion of Thomas Gibson.
I really hate to say this not knowing whether he has written anything for CM before, but the writer for this episode did not pen a very good episode. I usually sit glued to my TV while CM is on, but I barely could stay focused on this one. I've read many fanfiction stories that were way better than this episode.
Yikes! What a terrible episode! Bad writing, bad direction, very bad editing, Hotch disappeared without explanation (taken by aliens??), JJ was uber irritating just when I thought they were beginning to redeem her character and we got the clunky soap opera bookends that were ridiculous. There was no way it was right for Rossi's ex to conceal the pregnancy nor for Rossi to just roll over and get back with her after 30 years! The only things I found good about this were the make up for victim zero - the way they did those tumours was very believable - and Reid was sporting some shirts that made me smile and reminded me of his shirts in the early years. And it was so frustrating because you know that in the hands of a decent writer this could have been a half decent episode. It was completely lacking in suspense, too much unsub, too much unrelated personal soap story and Hotch vanished without trace. It's almost as though they are deliberately self sabotaging the show. What a terrible season this has been - I'm still hanging on,just barely, by my fingertips for MGG.
ReplyDeleteForgive my ennui, Mary, I'm so dispirited by this episode I will just ditto everything you said.
Deletei must be blind but i saw Hotch acting as a boss. It's episode centered in Rossi's life...
ReplyDeleteThe Rossi's life part were the awful bookends. In between there was a case story and Hotch disappeared without explanation about a third of the way through that. I'd guess TG got about 3 minutes screentime tops.
DeleteFrom the 22 minute mark... Hotch was gone except for 1 scene and one line IF TG has 5-6 minute screen time I will be shocked..
Delete* Truly, truly awful unsub storyline and personal dreck.
ReplyDelete* Hayden and Haley – long lost whiny sisters kvetching about their husbands' oh-so-demanding jobs of saving men, women and children from certain death. Hum "Evil Woman."
* Kai is off the cute scale.
* She gets into his van – his VAN.
* JJ and Tara need an appointment with Reid's hair stylist.
* Death wasn't the goal for the unsub – pain was. Obviously, for the viewers too.
* Sarah pleaded with unsub not to leave her in the park, she panicked and killed herself. Hope that bottle of wine was worth it.
* I would love to be grilled by TG in the interrogation room.
* There is a higher power in that TG disappeared for the last half.
* TG – think "cable."
Grey, you hit the nail on the head.... And I'm with you on
Delete"TG ---- Think cable!"
I'm still stuttering over this ep. TG needs to show viewers just how good he is.
DeleteCount me in on "TG---Think cable!". I understand staying for excellent pay and benefits...easy money, but I can see this show spiraling down the toilet and hurtng his career if it continues as it's going now.
DeleteI never wanted TG to leave the show and settled with what they dished out, but after last night, I really want him to move on now.
DeleteNo amount of on-screen talent can accommodate for a poorly written and conceived story. Especially when, as happened with Hotch, said talent disappears in the middle of the episode.
ReplyDeleteWe've been told that renewal is hung up in a disagreement between CBS and ABC, with the show's high production costs at the heart of the matter. Why on earth would a show spend money on production, and skimp on scripts? What a waste of money and talent.
It passed the Reid-meter, but only with the sound off.
And please don't let Joe Mantegna offer any more story ideas.
Ditto
DeleteDitto from me also
Delete