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Season 5, Episode 9, Aired
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8.8
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When The Reaper returns to Washington for a final showdown, the team works frantically to catch him before he reaches SSA Hotchner's family.
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Fan Episode Reviews (49)

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  • High expectations

    10
    "Perfect"
    By squad78, Jan 13, 2012
    @babyface95 I can't answer all your points - some of these mistakes are essential to the plot of the show and if all the protective custody measures were taken there would be no risk.

    I think you're mistaken on a couple of points: the phone call between Hotch and the Reaper is initiated by Hotch calling the Marshall phone - at that point Hotch does not have the Reaper's number. I'm pretty sure the Marshall is reaching for a weapon of some kind when the Reaper shoots him - remember, the first shot is a complete surprise to Sam.

    There is a flashback near the end of the show that helps to explain Jack "working the case" and the reason Hotch tells Jack to do it when he is on the phone is as a coded way of telling him to hide in a place only the two of them know.

    As others have said, I find this one of the most gripping and emotional episodes of the show and a great culmination of the long battle with the Reaper.moreless

  • There were high expectations for this episodes with it being the 100th episode but it failed to deliver.

    5.5
    "Mediocre"
    By babyface95, Nov 27, 2011
    The writers of criminal minds failed to deliver a gripping episode, but left the viewers asking why certain things happened that lead up to the final event of Hayle being killed. The script was full of flaws that did not make sense to the storyline. The first was if Hayle and Jack were in protective custody why was the marshall not constantly with them, it would have made more sense that the reaper attacks the marshall whilst Hotch's family are in the house with him. When the marshall is attacked he never once takes out his gun, you would have thought he had a weapon to protective himself and Hotch family. Another questionable scene is why does Hayle not know what the reaper looks like? Should she have not been shown a picture at some point when she was taken into custody so she would have known who was after her and Jack. Also why is she just walking around the streets without any protection, and when she answers the phone alarm bells would have gone off when he uses her real name, should Sam have not told her want to do if anything was to happened to him. Then there the scene with Hotch and the reaper on the phone, if Hotch had the reaper number all the time, why was that line not being traced instead of the marshall phone. And these are just a few of the mistakes the writers made, but the strangest thing was when Hotch tell Jack to go work the case, what does that child think his dad does lie in a box all day. Overall the build up was very disappointing and you don't really understand why they killed Hotch's wife off unless they are planning to write Thomas out like they did with Mandy.moreless

  • 100

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By pretty_sure, Oct 11, 2011
    Now, first I hear alot of complaining that this didn't live up to the hype, but I never saw the promo's for this. I just saw this on DVD with no build up, and I thought this was great.

    I really hate the Reaper. I hate his guts.

    This episode had great acting from all the actors, especially the woman who plays Haley, they all had me in tears. And Hotch searching his house was amazing. It was beautifully filmed, and the silence made it more intense! All in all I think that this was one of the greatest episodes in Criminal Minds history. In fact I'm watching it for the 3rd time right now!moreless

  • If there has ever been an episode of a show which deserves a "10", this is it. I can't fault the scripts, the casting or the acting. If only every show could still be this riveting when reaching the 100 episode mark.moreless

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Lady_Lancaster, Oct 08, 2011
    Aaron Hotchner has never been under the illusion that George Foyet (superbly played by C. Thomas Howell) was ever going to just stop and leave himself and his family alone but he just may have thought that the attack on him and having Hayley and Jack in protective custody might have been enough to keep everyone safe while the team continued to hunt the ellusive Boston Reaper.

    He was wrong.

    The opening sequence of this episode (after the 'previously on Criminal Minds part) was excellent, the slow motion, the music and the brilliant way in which we saw the various members of the team and yet saw nothing at the same time. Brilliantly done. As we pick up the story via interviews with Strauss (Jayne Atkinson) we can see that she (as usual) is looking for an angle she can use to take extreme disciplinary action against Hotch and that the team are steadfastly standing by him in every way. No surprise there. I particularly liked the way that J.J. and Rossi handled their interviews, she certainly didn't get her way with them!

    I can't praise the performance of C. Thomas Howell highly enough. Every time he has taken on the role of George Foyet he has been amazing, but for this episode, he pulled out all the stops. Then again, he was able to do the same thing as a very young actor in thing such as 'The Outsiders' and 'Ordinary People' so it's obvious he hasn't forgotten his craft. The same can be said for Thomas Gibson, his portrayal of a man trying to be everything at once in this episode was worthy of an Emmy nomination.

    The cutting from the past to the present throughout the episode was done with great skill by the writers and the camera people. It was never confusing and never boring which can often happen with this type of filming. Kudos also to Meredith Monroe. I've never been a big fan of the character of Hayley Hotchner but she did a marvellous job here, particularly in Hayley's final conversation with Hotch.

    One of the most riveting moments for me was when Foyet pulled the trigger and we saw everybody's reaction to the reality of what had taken place. To not have done this would have ruined the episode completely. Garcia's shock was palpable and mirrored how the audience felt, even though we all knew what was going to happen. As for young Jack, I defy anyone not to have been brokenhearted when they saw that angelic little face looking up at his dad from the spot where he was 'working the case'.

    If you haven't seen this episode of 'Criminal Minds', put it right at the top of your 'must watch list' or you will be missing out on a superb piece of television.moreless

  • There is only one word to describe this episode:- EPIC!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By vicky24c, Sep 27, 2011
    In this episode of Criminal Minds, the following happens. The Reaper returns in this episode for one final showdown between him and the BAU team. Soon we learn that he has managed to trick Haley into thinking that he is a US Marshall and manages to get her to agree to meet him. He also tells her that Aaron is dead. But when she speaks to Aaron, she realises that he lied to her and that he is in fact The Reaper. Terror soon takes over; when we learn that he plans on killing her. Aaron speaks to his son Jack and manages to get him to go into another room, and hide. As they speak on the phone for the last time, we hear the gunshots and we know that Haley is dead. As Aaron gets to the house, he finds Haley's body and soon he and The Reaper, fight in a battle to the death.
    Aaron kills him with his own bare hands, and has to be pulled off of him by Morgan when the rest of the team turn up. He then goes to find Jack and finds Jack hiding. As the episode draws to a close we see Aaron holding his dead wife in his arms. This has to be one of the best episodes of this show ever. It was so powerful and very emotional. Even if you don't like the show would still recommend this episode to anyone and everyone.moreless
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  • TRIVIA (1)

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  • QUOTES (4)

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    • Jack Hotchner: I worked the case, Daddy, just like you said.
      Hotchner: You did a great job, buddy.

    • Prentiss: It makes sense to stay close to Hotch. He [The Reaper] stuck around Boston to watch Shaunessy deteriorate... not that you...
      Hotchner: That's all right. I know he's been watching me. That's part of the reason I stepped down... so he'd think I was falling apart.

    • Hotchner: Poet Haniel Long said, "So much of what is best in us is bound up in our love of family that it remains the measure of our stability because it measures our sense of loyalty."

    • Hotchner: "He who fights with monsters might take care, lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." Friedrich Nietzsche

  • NOTES (5)

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    • The song heard in this episode was "Evil Is Alive and Well" by Jakob Dylan.

    • In an early draft of the script for this episode, Hotchner was written to kill George Foyet with his own knife. However, Ed Bernero and Thomas Gibson believed the scene would be more powerful if Thomas used his bare hands.

    • The Nietzsche quote that discusses fighting with monsters heard in the beginning of this episode was nearly identical to the quote used in the pilot episode, "Extreme Aggressor."

    • This episode marks the 100-episode milestone for the series.

    • The writer of this episode, Bo Crese, is actually an anagram using the first initial of each member of the writing staff (Breen + Oanh = Bo and Chris + Rick + Erica + Simon + Ed = Crese) because each writer wrote a section.

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