Criminal Minds

The B plot of the doctor and his son could have used more time and attention in order to get the fullest sense from it. I liked the doctor - he was professional, decent and believable (apart from the moment where he went to treat Reid with the blood of the unsub still dripping from his hands and wrists). The school corridor scenes were well done with the perspective of the crowds transformed into both potential enemies and potential fellow victims. The isolation of knowledge, that's what the kid showed us and that's a good parallel for the BAU team with their dark specialism. Actually I'm wrong about the B plot needing more time and attention. For this reason. I loved the feeling of the emergency room tension getting into the investigation as they struggled to sort through the files before the school bell. It was the trying to impose order on a situation that was still evolving. I loved the way when the kid bolted off to do the right thing that the focus shifted from keeping him in to keeping him out. And the fact that you couldn't keep everything in view at the same time. The Hotch business and the case were stretching the team very thin. The doctor's dilemma was made full use of in all this - the need to limit and focus your attention even though your hastily-made decisions affect lives, and even though you may lose a friend. That was the big success of the writing. And of course Matthew Grey Gubler did for his knee and forced a late change, so that was a further constraint given to Mundy. My main quibble about the episode is personal, because I am not persuaded by Gibson to connect to his character. But Hotch's issues could bring in interesting matter for the rest of the team as their leader struggles with physical and emotional stuff. The vacuum created by his failings, just like when Gideon left, should make room for further growth for the team. I am interested to see what happens with that.

I had higher expectations for this episode, mainly because the Reaper was such a compelling unsub in last seasons episode, Omivore. Then again, I am a very hard person to please.



I did find the surgeon storyline somewhat interesting. I admired his son for going to school to send a message to the unsub who was stalking his father. I sympathized with the surgeon who had very little time to recall anyone who had a grudge against him. One again, Reid proved just what a great profiler he is by using his highly developed reasoning skills to narrow down the list of potential suspects who were nameless and faceless. The subplot with Hotch and The Reaper had some very subtle suspense. The most distrubing part about the flashback scenes is what was left to speculation. If what I'm suspecting did happen to Hotch, I think the show is on the verge of jumping the shark.



I did find the hospital scene between Hotch and Jack touching. Hotch finally showed some long overdue emotion when he thought about the prospect of the Reaper remaining elusive for a long period of time just so Hotch wouldn't get to see Jack grow up.



The only thing about the episode that truly annoyed me was Haley. While I did empathize with her for having to leave her job, friends, and family to go into witness protection, I was less than impressed with her lack of feelings toward Hotch. Granted, they are divorced but I still think she could have shown more concern for Hotch. I also liked the shows ending, with Rossi reminding Hotch of just how good his team is and that if anyone can catch the Reaper in record time, his team can. All in all, not a bad way to start the season.

This was a great episode it kept you on the edge of your seat with two different storylines going on. The BAU team goes to save a doctor's son, when it's really the doctor in trouble. And, we see Hotch getting attacked by The Reaper and surviving, and Haley and his son going into protective custody, while The Reaper escapes. Giving the promo for the season 5 premiere it was good I gave it a 10 because of how well the balanced the two stories in one and left you waiting for more!! I believe it's going to be another great season for CM

the season opener for criminal minds couldnt be better!! i really loved how after the events of last season, the opening scene is police alarms as you think its because of hotch BUT, its actually another case the BAU have to work on!! for the first 28 minutes the case is really fast-paced and exciting because along the way the suspense is building up for the missing hotch!! prentiss was awesome, worried for hotch!! hotch in the hospital, what happened to the reaper?? i love how you find out in flashbacks!! what really made this episode even more exciting is that the reaper has taken the details for hayley and jack's house!! rossi's talk to hotch at the end made sense with the case because it shows the viewers how the BAU can work without hotch!! overall it was an exciting episode and i think this season will be a very promising one!!



AND i'm really looking forward to the RETURN of the REAPER in a later episode!!

Ok, how many times have we seen one of the members of the team in danger but saved in the end? Many but particularly I don't mind seeing them in danger because these turn to be the ebst episodes in this amazing series. We had Hotch threaten my a stranger in the last episode of the 4th season and I knew nothing was going to happen to him, but what I was wondering was how the members of the team were going to help him. I liked to see how Emily was worried about Hotch and goes to find him to his place and stays next to his bed at the hospital.



The scene between Hotch, Jack and Haley was heartbreaking because you inmediatedly realise he's not going to see his little boy in a long time... or at least until the BAU gets The Reaper (I'm sure they will) and the last scene between Hotch and Rossi (this guy convinced me in season four) is really good.



The case abut the doctor and the son is only for me a minute-killer, with this I mean it's only in the episode to create tension because while Dave, JJ, Derek and Reid are trying to protect or discover who is theatening the doctor's son, Emily is triying to discover something about Hotch. A very good one to watch.

This review is mainly about the encounter between Hotch and The Reaper;



this episode was deeply disturbing when you really think about how The Reaper used his talent on Hotch. I've read once that humans really enjoys intercourse because it allows their egos to be reflected right back at them. Now take this and paste it on the situation going on between Hotch and The Reaper. When The Reaper was cutting Hotch, it felt as if he was actually cutting himself, obviously aroused, from his own memories, from his own need for power and control, in other words, he was aroused by none other than himself. The prideness he felt when showing his scars, the tremours in his voice, the omnipresence of domination over his pray. Everything was all about him, his goal and his greatness. Of course, the ultime win was to destroy Hotch's intelligence and efficiency, just by the act of, what apparently seemed, stealing his virility while using this as a way to spit on the work of his Profilers, his team. What actually worries me is to see how the show will deal with such delicate issues. In the first episode Hotch really appears destroyed, ashamed, sad and the most important of all, impotent. However, the following episodes aren't mentionning much about his newly condition. Sure they do hint here and there that he seems to have nothing to lose or, on the contrary, he possesses the strengh caused by the desire of finding The Reaper, but how will they bring up all the "after effects" to the team, to us the watchers? Facts are there, biologically, it should have a tremendous impact on his life, unless they "fixed" him at the hospital.



As for the rest of the show, I disapprouve of the "side" story. This was build up as a quick and ridiculous crime solving case, where most of the actions by the team, the "son and dad" and the unsub were way far fetched and uninteresting except for the small link that was exposed by the end when Hotch and Dave. And talking about that, even Dave's script highlights my "far fetched" statement like so : "No other group in the world could have pulled off what your team did in a matter of hours..." I mean, obviously, this script was not meant to be sarcastic, but it does appear so, to me at least. As for the moment with Hotch and his family, I have to say, it was quite powerful, although it comes back to the basic where a cute sad little boy often brings great emotions, for those who can feel them. I won't even talk about the ex-wife and her highly frustrating lack of acting skills.



I am done and looking forward to see the whole "Reaper" story unfold during this season.



(My first language being French, if you do see grammar mistakes, simply be so kind as to point them out with courtesy or if it's out of your capacity, don't write anything about it.)



Élise

This episode opens innocuously. We don't pick up where we left off (Hotch facing the reaper with a gun to his face, followed by the screen going black and the sound of a gun shot), which was a good twist. We find out gradually what happened with Hotch and Foyet. The internet was rife with speculation all through the summer, but none of the guesses I saw went in the direction the writers did so that was a great job on not being predictable. I liked the way the story was told, starting with a case almost on the tail of the last (brutal) one, and Hotch doesn't answer his phone. The team continues and we get little spots of everyone being worried about him. This was all very nicely done. Once the intial case is solved, it's all about Hotch. I love that they when they focused on Hotch's story, they really focused there - I think after that cliff hanger, anything other plot line would have been lost if they tried to intertwine them too much. Great acting all around. Matthew Gray Gubler's (Reid) real life injury was written into the episode quite nicely. Those not aware of it wouldn't have noticed that he never stood, not once, during the episode. Those who didn't know could remain blissfully unaware. Wonderful set up for what's too come.

In this episode of Criminal Minds, the following happens. After having finished their last case, just the night before the BAU are called in on a serial killer case. A doctor was told that his son, Jeffrey is going to be killed and so hides him. For every day he is hidden the killer kills another victim. The killer calls himself L.C. Emily asks where Hotch is, but he isn't answering leading them to believe that his phone is on vibrate and that he is simply sleeping. We soon learn that Jeffrey is 15 years old, and he doesn't know about the threat that has been made on his life. He is also being kept in the house by his father, after being told that someone is after his father. When Hotch doesn't get in contact, Emily and JJ are the only ones who seem worried. Then the doctor gets a phone call from Jeffrey saying that he is at school and everything is ok. And so the team head to the school, whilst Emily and Reid stay with the father. At the school, the team lock down the building and Jeffrey is taken out of class. The situation is explained to him, and that Derek will be following him for the rest of the day. Anytime he steps out of class, Derek will be there waiting for him. Since they have hundreds of files to go through, Emily suggests that she and get Hotch to help. And so she leaves to go and get Hotch. When she gets to his apartment, she finds that the door is open. As she enters with her gun drawn we see that Hotch is not there, but his phone, keys etc are all still there. There is also a pool of blood on the floor and signs of a struggle. She phones Garcia and tells her that something has happened to Hotch, and she needs FBI, crime techs etc to go to his apartment. Emily tells her to phone Reid as he is expecting her back, but not to tell the rest of the team, as they need to remain focused on the case.

We soon learn that Hotch's car is still there so the Unsub must have taken him. Also when his address book is checked, the letter B section is missing. When Morgan speaks to Garcia he can tell something is wrong, but she tells him that she's just tired, as she can't tell him about Hotch. We then see Garcia as she phones round hospitals, looking to see if Hotch has been admitted. She seen gets a hit, and rings Emily to let her know that a John Doe was dropped off by FBI Agent Derek Morgan. And then it hits Emily, the reaper. He took Morgan's credentials. And so Emily heads to the hospital, to make sure that it is Hotch. Soon the doctor remembers something and someone who could be the Unsub after his son. Emily soon makes it to the hospital, and we find that the John Doe is Hotch and that he was stabbed 9 times. But luckily he will be ok. When Emily looks at Hotch's chart she sees the letters L.C. written next to his name. Soon Emily asks someone and phones Reid to tell him that L.C. stands for living children. And so Reid believes that the doctor is in fact the target. As the doctor leaves, the Unsub is standing there waiting for him with a gun. Then we see a stunt double (who is suppose to be Reid), pushing the father out of the way of the gun fire. Emily then loses Reid on the line. And so we see that the doctor is ok, but Reid has been shot in the leg. He won't put the gun down and as he goes to shoot the doctor again, Reid has to shot him. The doctor then jumps into action and saves the Unsub's life. Then as the doctor checks on Reid's injury, we see the team arriving back with Jeffery. As the team race to Reid, he tells them that something has happened to Hotch, and then we see Emily sitting by Hotch's bed. The team then arrive at the hospital, and then Hotch starts to wake up. Then he talks then through what happened when he arrived home. He asks what he took, as he always takes something from his victims. When Emily mentions the missing pages from his address book in the B's section, then when he is handed his wallet, inside is a photo of Haley and their son Jack. Then it all makes sense, he says that Haley's maiden name was Brooks and that was how he listed her in his address book. He now knows where they are living. So SWAT is being sent there since Haley isn't answering. So the team also head there, but Emily stays with Hotch. We then see Hotch flashing back to what happened to him, what the Unsub did to him.

As SWAT and the team make it to the house, they enter quietly and quickly. We soon see that Haley is in the house, but is listening to her iPod and so doesn't hear them when they enter. She says there is no one else in the house, and that Jack is at a friend's house. So Morgan goes to pick Jack up and Haley asks what has happened to Aaron. Soon Emily tells Hotch that they are safe. Haley has to pack a bag for her and Jack. Then we see Haley in Hotch's hospital room. We learn that she and Jack are going into protective custody until the Unsub is caught. Hotch apologises and says that when they come back he will forever be making it up to them. She asks if he will be safe, and he says he will. Haley asks how she is suppose to keep Jack safe all by herself. He promises he will catch him. Jack then comes in to say goodbye to his father. Watching Hotch say goodbye to his only child was heartbreaking. We learn that Reid is going to be ok, but he has to be on crutches for a while (since the actor is injured in real life). As they watch Jack and Haley being taken into a car and driven away, I wonder how long they will be gone for. I always thought, deep down, that one day Haley and Hotch would get back together.

As the episode ends, Rossi tells Hotch about the case from that morning. And Hotch admits that they may never be able to catch the Unsub. As the reality of never seeing Haley and Jack again hit him, he starts to cry. As the screen fades to black, Rossi promises him that they will catch him.

When Foyet shot Hotch (the writers seem to like putting his life on the line) at the end of last season, it was very unpleasant but the scenes in this episode as Hotch flashes back to the time Foyet spent with him after that are superb. Again, both Thomas Gibson and C. Thomas Howell did a fantastic job. It was also a good ideato have the team, after only four hours sleep following the Canada debacle to have to come back to work on another case. Unfortunately,I found this case to be just a little dull in comparison. It may have been ok in a separate episode but it felt like the writers had 'squeezed' it in just to fill in some time when an emergency room doctor is targeted by a grieving father when he believes that the doctor in question failed to do enough to try and save his son. Very definitely sad, no doubt about that, but very predictable as well.



I was more puzzled than anything by the fact that the ever so upright and leader-like Aaron Hotchner did not answer his phone and the team simply assumed he would be sleeping after the Canada thing. Surely they should have known better? As if the Aaron Hotchner we all know would EVER turn his phone off or not answer it! That just isn't in his nature. A rat should have been stinking up the place immediately and they should have gone to check on him much sooner rather than much later.



Somewhat unsettled by Foyet displaying his scars to Hotch and the whole comment about how, after Foyet had finished, Hotch would change the way he profiled ... Foyet dropping Hotch at the hospital didn't fir his usual pattern either, but, then again, at least he used Morgan's credentials. (Didn't anyone at the hospital notice that the photos didn't exactly match or didn't they look?) The scene between Hayley, Hotch and Jack was very touching, especially when poor Hotch was trying to hold it together in front of his little boy.



We know 'The Reaper' is going to be important in Season 5 and it's fairly easy to guess who he will target.



Bring on the next episode.

This was a terrific premiere to Season 5 of Criminal Minds! Wihle the case featured throughout tonight's episode was cleaerly sub-standard, that was easily compensated by the phenomenal back-story offeedr with regards to the Season 4 Cliffhanger.

The storyline in the regard of the Reaper has been absolutely brilliant, and that continued once more tonight. This was definitely a very interesting episode, and I don't want to spoil it any further, but it was highly enjoyable and very suspenseful!

All up, a very intriguing start to Season 5, and I can't wait for the continuation of the Reaper storyline!

Seriously, don't do it. Think again.



Last season left us with a serial killer staring down Hotch and a loud bang. Many were worried that Hotch was dead, or that we'd be subjected to the come to be standard Criminal Minds loss-of-consciousness white-out flashbacks until we're allowed to determine if he lives or dies. I wasn't worried. Two years in a row Hotch's survival is in question? Fooled me once and all that.



So the choice to show the team immediately called in on a new case and a missing/out-of-touch Hotchner was a good one. Some suspense was building. And, interesting twist, only Garcia, Prentiss, and Reid were told.



Here's the problem: Plot B. I loved Plot B, the brave son goes to school so that no more innocent people are targeted by the nutso that hates his father. I loved the scenes at the school, the way the kid almost lost it but a soft question from JJ and Morgan's stabilizing presence pulled him back. I loved Dr. Reid calmly and patiently figuring it out all by himself even if it was a conceit to let him sit down the entire ep. The grieving killer, unfortunately, fit the profile so well that he wanted Reid to kill him, but, luckily this time Reid takes the non-lethal shot and there just happens to be a doctor nearby. Father and son are reunited, killer survives, Reid bleeds all over the grass but pooh-poohs it - and it's only 30 minutes past the hour.



Huh? Okay, my mind recovers, now it's time to hunt down the baddie and find Hotch. But, no, Hotch isn't missing anymore – he's been dropped off at the hospital by The Reaper and is recovering nicely from his nine stab wounds, thank you. Ooooookay. Taps fingers. Glances at watch. What do we do now?



Plot C – Haley and Jack are in danger. Even though the Reaper has never done that before, never targeted a loved one, never dropped a victim at the hospital, never only stabbed someone nine times (did I say only?) we're going that route. A sedated Hotch seems to be the only one who remembers that The Reaper leaves something and takes something from each victim. He leaves a picture of Jack and Haley - ??? – that's just a little bit obvious, isn't it? It's usually watches or glasses or such, this was one big honking clue bus, wasn't it? And we're to believe that he left it because they were his last victims BEFORE he attacked Hotch. But he stole their address from Hotch's address book to find them. Color me confused.



The scene between Haley, Hotch, and Jack was beautifully acted heartfelt schmaltz, but I so want the writers to give this guy a break.



Three plots in one hour? A little much. Frankly, the doctor story should have gotten its own ep; I was feeling very let-down when the scenes shifted from that great suspenseful build-up to Prentiss with the techs in Hotch's apartment. Ruined the pacing for me. Everything crashed to a halt at 9:35 – I know the writers wanted me to worry about Haley after that, but, frankly, I wasn't.



And here's my point about the whole "not going there" thing. Foyet was scarier than scary in this one. Clearly the writers beefed up this character seeing viewers' reaction from Omnivore last season. He was scary, creepy, GREAT in Hotch's flashbacks. His dynamic was real and threatening and violent. And then they had to go one step too far. I don't know anything else to infer: Foyet takes off his shirt to show Hotch his scars, talking about their beauty. He lies on top of him. He takes intimate pleasure in shoving his knife into Hotch's body. He talks about impotence. And, finally, he tells Hotch he'll never profile someone who uses a knife the same way again. No. Let me just say, in a loud, clear voice of a devoted, devoted fan. No. Do not go there. Do not do this. It is a step too far. This is damage on much too great a level. This is much worse than playing with a drug addiction for Reid. This is a deal-breaker.



Mundy, Bernero, Mirren – let it go. Let Hotch's lie be about something else. I'll watch our team struggle in finding Foyet this season, but I won't sit through the ruination, the essential annihilation of the character of Hotch.

This was an amazing episode for the excellent Criminal Minds team. The writers for this show have a teriffic grasp of how to present the actors and material in the very best way. Hotchner was great...Prentiss teriffic, Dr. Reid focused (as ever), and the entire team worked as one. Garcia functions as the sweet glue that holds the team together show after show. I was horrified at the terrible stabbing that Hotch had to endure at the hands of this truly horrible bad guy. But almost worse than that...there seemed to be a suggestion of something more (and perhaps worse) that the bad guy did to Hotch. Hotch pretended he did not remember much of what had happened to him and this makes me wonder if I am right. Time will tell on that point. Look forward to another amazing season from Criminal Minds.

A very, very routine story here. I expected a bit more. The whole man with a grudge against a doctor who may or may have saved a patient's life has been done numerous times before Criminal Minds. There were no surprises here.



Then with that my attention was seeing how would they play the whole Hotch storyline. Again a rather routine expected outcome...Hotch didn't die.



The Criminal Minds writers seem afraid of pulling the trigger and giving their characters a shock. Killing Hotch off right now would be an intriguing storyline.



However, having merely be attacked by the Reaper, so he can tell the story isn't enough. Playing it safe in a TV show like this labels the show as rather routine especially after four seasons.



It was an entertaining episode, but I feel they could have done much more. If not kill Hotch, then go after his personal family and have Hotch go through that whole scenario of blaming himself.



Again so many possibilties dumped off to play it safe.

I've been eagerly anticipating this episode since the season 4 finale. Overall I was a little disappointed that the Foyet/Hotch situation wasn't the main focus, but the scenes between them were intense, frightening and brilliantly acted. Foyet makes an excellent and chilling nemesis for Hotch and the team.

I love the way it was written because it's now open for speculation as to what truly happened between them and we'll no doubt be fed more information as the season continues.

For me, the scenes between Foyet and Hotch were Criminal Minds at its best and most frightening; it was a stark reminder of why I love this show above all others.

I was nervous after watching last seasons' finale, but it really was a good season premiere. I don't know what the "perfect" premiere would have been, but it sure had every component of what a good beginning should be!



I REEAAAALLLLY hope they DO NOT kill Hotchs' son or ex-wife...for some reason I can see that developing into the storyline, to make Hotch even more serious in nature; maybe his ex-wife gets killed and he has to take care of his son? Something with that storyline is bound to develop!



Excited to see the following episodes, yh Reed getting shot kinda sucked, because it was completely overshadowed by Hotchs' bigger problems!

This was quite an interesting season opener, which takes place only about three hours after last season's season finale. The team takes a case where a father is threated by another upset dad who is out for revenge. The case is kind of mediocre in comparision with what the team has handled before, but it keeps you entertained.



The real interest in the episode, which is what was primarily advertised for the last couple months, was the return of George Foiyete a.k.a. The Reaper. The Reaper was and is probably my favorite out of all the serial killers the team has had to go up against. Tobias Henkle was good too, but he was primarely just very creepy and sadistic. The Reaper however was a movie-worthy villian and the episode "Omnivore" is what primarely drew me into the show. I thought it was some movie that I had missed when I first saw it, and i was surprised that it was actually an episode of Criminal Minds. I began watching the other episodes after that and feel in love with the show. As you can guess, I was pretty relieved that they didn't catch or kill the Reaper in this episode, and that he was free to haunt the team. I love that this guy is so smart and that he can trick the team every time.



As for the team itself, it is nice to see them again, but I worry for Hotch and Morgan's psyche. Both of them have been through a lot, especially in such a short amount of time. I wonder what this is going to to do to them. Emily, my least favorite character, again got on my nerves. Penelope is usual, and so is JJ and Rossi. My favorite character, Reid, is his usually self, even though his hair seems to have gotten longer since last time...was "To Hell...and Back" supposed to only have been a few hours before? While I guess if everything else about Reid is accelerated, why not his hair? LOL



Well, I can't wait till the next episode and what's going to happen now. I can wait for the Reaper to show up later, every experience with him has to be savored...

A great start to a great show. Sure I agree with some that the plots were a bit heavy. But, the actors and actresses execute their roles brilliantly. I give a 10 because I am so glad the show is back for another season. It is refreshing too to see Hotch's vulnerability aside from the serious, authoritative side of the BAU chief. The scene between him and Jack is priceless. We don't see much of Jack in the past seasons. Having him in the fifth installment of the show's first episode was a smart move. Jack's goofy smile and innocence should capture the hearts of many parents and adults alike. The father-and-son bond is refreshing to watch too. Also, the Unsub Foyet is just deliciously diabolical. C Thomas Howell is by far the most evil unsub whom we just love to hate and couldn't wait for his next diabolical move to upset the order of things in the BAU. Some found the scene of him taking off his shirt to show his scars to Hotch to be quite disturbing. But, that what set apart Criminal Minds from other psychological thriller drama shows. The writers are willing to push the boundary and the mind of the sickest criminals is always very disturbing. Hence the scene of the shirtless Foyet leaning down to Hotch as he drove the knife slowly. Foyet's character is oozing with evil and the flashbacks of the attack with him claiming to be an expert in inflicting injuries without killing his victim was priceless. Many Criminal Minds fans including myself cannot wait for what the show will offer in the new season. I know one thing though, the show fans just need to buckle up and brace themselves for the wild ride ahead. Welcome back Criminal Minds. Kudos to all.

Okay, the show was a little jumpy for me, but i was starved for more CM, so I overlooked that. One can survive on reruns for so long.(Thank you A&E for the hook up.)

Hotch is hurt...sadness.

Haliey is a (____)*Fill in the blank.

I really dispise her.

Reid gets shot in the Knee.(How convinent)

Anyone bothered how he showed no pain. I love the Gube, but come on! Be more convincing.

Other than that...I welcome them back.

Yay!

I'm just wondering how long Reid/Gubler has the brace for. I heard, like, three epi's? I'm excited to get back in the game with them. This is GREATNESS!

Oh.. I think the main thing that troubled me with this episode was the way they packed so much into one episode. I really liked the first half of the episode - I mean.. the doctor and his son thing. That was something that was really exciting, that had a profiling and the way they were figuring it all out.. I mean. The boy goes to school and they have possibly very explosive situation on their hand. And on the background (only few of the team) know about the Hotch being missing. That was fantastic and intriguing story and I really thought that the moment Prentise got to the hospital and heard Hotch is going to be ok, I was looking my clock, thinking, that's the ending and realized - what.. so much time left. What will they do now?



I really would have liked that they had kept that story in this episode. That had promised (but in the end, somehow still promises) season long hunt for that Reaper. It had build a great base for the other storylines. But somehow it looked like they tried to put too many of them into this episode. I mean.. Hotch could have get his memory back step-by-step turning the episodes and then remember something important. They could have discovered later than Hotch's family may be in danger. The start was fast paced and it was exciting. I think they had managed to keep the pace and make it a brilliant episode without overcrowding it with too many and different storylines.

It looks like the script planned that the show would not come to a conclusion. At the end, it really left me puzzled about why it ended as it did. No doubt that Criminal Minds is a great show with a lot of potential. The storyline of why Haley was rather cold and distant just didn't make much sense, especially for those who haven't continually watched the show. Something mentioned would have been nice.



The other storyline really didn't fit into this one. It seemed to be unrelated. It just seemed to be filler for the Hotch storyline. Maybe someone can explain it to me.

With the mystery of what exactly happened between Hotch and The Foyet last season in the mix of a new case, which the team has to solve w/ an extremely minimal amount of sleep, the series 5 opener keeps you alert and on your toes. Originally I was annoyed with the B story altogether, and yes, it was the B story, but after Rossi's comments at the end it made sense why they'd put a case into the mix. Hotch, the team, and we as the audience needed to see how strong they can be w/o him... not that we'd ever want that. The case was pretty basic and the un-sub was caught and delt with, Reid having to shoot him after being shot in the leg. (To, of course cover for MGG's real life injury.)



Thomas Gibson was amazing as usual and It was at times hard to watch him being so weak and... un-Hotch-like in the hospital and being assaulted by Foyet through flash-backs. Though, I LOVE the way Hotch didn't flinch when Foyet but a bullet hole in the wall next to his head... hope Hotch's ears are fully recovered, but they must be seeing as it was never addressed and it didn't seem to phase him. Although Haley was technically cooperative, she couldn't've made Hotch feel worse and that's what really made me angry. It's understandable to be upset about leaving your friends and family behind for who knows how long, but ripping on Hotch because he apparently chose to be stocked, stabbed, and torched was cold even for the "high and might Haley EX-Hotchner". Rossi's right, they will catch him; Jack will not grow up w/o his father.

A terrible start to the new season.



Very disappointed. Here the team leader, Hotch, gets caught so to speak by an old villain,

Intermixed with another story line, not connected, wraps the one story line up then goes to the Hotch situation. Here he is the boss so to speak, ends up in the hospital, not killed, family threatened, and ends with the wife and son going to witness protection, the villain "not caught"……and scenes for the next episode goes on as if nothing happened to Hotch…….And why was the wife so cold to Hotch in the hospital. Here he was knifed, hurt, yet the wife gives him no hug, kiss for affection……just the son gets the hug, love you affection. Why? Again, not a very good start to the new season at all.

gret way to start a season. sometimes unpredictable but really great season start which means to me a great season to watch. cant wait to see wat happends when they get the unsub or it is great to see they have somthing to go along though out the season. still wondering y only one of the team members r the target which makes it really wonderfull season oppener. one of the best season oppeners i have watched in a loooong time. DEFENTAILY a great way to start the year. If the keep it goin i'll try to watch every evening.