Criminal Minds Forums

I have seen only a few episodes of criminal minds that had such graphic display of torture, it was truly blood chilling.. I assume they have one of these in every season to gather the audiance back.. and reid's response was very expected, I thought morgan would have shown some reaction as well.. anyhow it was a very strong episode, one of those that make you remember why this show is in its 7th season..

I really don't know what to think or feel. This episode was a crazy mixture, more in the negative sense that the show's in some sort of identity crisis.

At the beginning it felt wonderfully satisfying to have the team back and working together again, the little touches like the brief hesitation between JJ and Garcia over presenting the case helped push things into place. I'm loving having especially JJ back, and so far her character has really grown into her recent role as a profiler in a very fitting way.

However, I'm not sure how I feel about the way they're dealing with Prentiss's return. Especially with the ending scene, the episode left a really weird taste in my mouth. I found the last scene to be utterly cheesy, to be completely honest, very out of place, and with the whole side-story about Reid being angry, watching this episode made me feel like a very drunk person swaying from one side of the line to the other; from the gory criminal drama to the soapiest of soap operas.

There are so many things to be fixed.

One of which is the reccurring theme of telling us everything about the unsub and the crime from the start. It makes the plot completely uninsteresting, outright boring to watch the team try to solve it.

Another one is, like I said, this identity crisis the show seems to be having. Plot needs to be placed right in the center, because this is a crime procedural, this is Criminal Minds.Yes we do love character interaction, but there's no point turning this into a bad family drama. This is another bad choice that seems to be dragging from last season - exaggeration and overexposure. It felt so very weird to me to watch the little fight between Reid and JJ, all the bickering Reid did, and again, that last scene with the cooking.. Reid going to JJ's house crying for ten weeks after the funeral? Subtelty, writers. Belivability. Because you're destroying these wonderful characters in the process as well. Please go back and watch seasons one, two, three.. and remember how it's done.

What can I say? I'm not happy.

Wow, they couldn't have thought up a more gory way to die. Acid in the eyes! When I saw the poor girls faces in the morgue it made me cringe & swear & I'm not the swearing kind! Did we really need to see that?! I don't watch CSI because I don't want to see the graphic details. Please, CM, don't do that to me again!

And what a turn around for Reid this week. Last week, he was handling his gun & the senate committee & this week, I totally agree, he was a pouting little girl! What gives?! One week showing growth & maturity & the next behaving childishly. So disappointed!

I made a family analogy about last weeks episode but that was brought to a whole new level with the "family" cooking lesson at the end of this weeks show. So cheesy! And the doorbell ringing and a happy & apologetic Reid shows up. Awww, a happy ending! For who?!

Well, unfortunately, I have known people who lost a spouse or a best buddy, and it took months and months of recovery. Crying is a natural part of the grieving process, and 10 weeks isn't unreasonable or abnormal under the circumstances. Talking/crying/grieving on the should of a close buddy (who happened to be one of the girls in the group, btw - take note that it wasn't somebody like Morgan) is hardly equivocal to bawling at the rounding table in front of everyone for 2 months.

Point is - guys cry too, folks. I honestly don't think it makes somebody a wuss if they cry in privacy for awhile over the death of a loved one.

Now, should Reid have acted in a more professional manner while they were working the case? Sure, he should have. However, it wouldn't be the first time a professional person didn't put aside a personal problem or grudge to focus on the task at hand. It happens. It's a normal human reaction. Was I the only one who wasn't surprised that Morgan handled it better? He's much older and more mature. Reid still has a ways to go.

Last night's episode wasn't what I'd call "on par" with older seasons, but frankly, I was still far more entertained last night than I was during 95% of season 6. Have to start digging out of the deep hole sometime. Nobody promised that it'd be overnight.

WOW!..I guess I'm not the only one that thought this episode sucked.