Seven Seconds

Season 3, Episode 5, Aired
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Episode Summary

The investigation turns to the family as the BAU and local authorities in Virginia race against time to locate a young girl who has disappeared from a Potomac Mills shopping mall.''
8.8
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Fan Episode Reviews (17)

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  • I must be the only person on the planet who was bored senseless by this episode. When a young girl disappears from a shopping mall while with her parents, aunt, uncle and cousin, the BAU are called in to find her as it seems like a pattern.moreless

    5.0
    "Mediocre"
    By Lady_Lancaster, Sep 22, 2011 Report Abuse
    When a little girl disappears from a large shopping mall, the BAU think they may be dealing with a potential serial killer as just a short time previously, a child was abducted and murdered in a similar fashion and they know they only have a brief time to find her before she troo dies.

    For me, every part of this episode was as predictable as though I had already seen it (which I hadn't.) I knew that Aunt Susan of the daggy clothes was responsible, and as soon as the gold necklace was found and it was noticed that it had been ripped from the child's neck, I knew that either her uncle (husband of daggy Aunt Susan) or her father had been abusing her. It is a tragic and all-too-common reality that such things take place and that innocent children are at risk from strangers. When they are not safe even with their own families, we have to wonder what kind of a world we live in.

    The premise and concept of the episode were spot, it was just the script and the acting which was, to me, nowhere near up to the usual standard of the show.moreless

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    2 4

  • The plot in this episode, the acting and the overall rating.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By ClaudiaKraatz, Mar 24, 2011 Report Abuse
    This episode was AMAZING and not just because of the great acting. First off, this episode's plot, I have to say was just dark and genious!The writers did a great job on this one!Now, for the actor/ress'. first off, Paget Brewster, well done! The interogation of the aunt, that was just speechless, cliffhanging art!A definate highlight in her criminal minds career! Matthew Gray Gubler, that was suberb! It' s great that he explained why he was doing the thing he was to the 13 year old boy and the execution of it was amazing also.Shemar, that was some dope acting. He really fits in with playing Morgan and he really goes deep with it too. Thomas, a great leader and actor as always. What more can I say about Thomas? It' s thoas gibson!A.J., always great, but i didn't see her act as much though. Kristen, lovely and believeable as Garcia as always and just a beauty to watch. As for the " bad guys" and others, well done!It really made me feel for the characters, all of them, espically the uncle, god did I wanna hit him! Lastly, for the directing the camera shoots, lighting and other thing was actually really good.the directing, was presmptualy good, considering. The young actors involved, they did a great jod also and this episde was juat all around FANTASIC, great job Criminal Minds!moreless

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  • good episode...

    8.1
    "Great"
    By Fwirrel, Feb 11, 2011 Report Abuse
    The team is called in to find a missing little girl that disappeared in a shopping mall. The investigation leads to her parents and their relatives. The uncle apparently malested the girl while the aunt kidnapped her. They had a son which was definately neglected. It was a sad story, but it wasn't that interesting and it was predictable. I've seen similar stories in NCIS and Without a Trace and this one was no better, well, actually, it was worse. Overall, it was good though. I loved the end when Hotch went to go see his son. I love his character.moreless

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    0 3

  • A little girl goes missing in a shopping mall, sounds like a case for the BAU

    8.4
    "Great"
    By Ema82, Feb 11, 2011 Report Abuse
    If you are a frequent viewer to this show, then you have a good idea of the format so it's quite obvious early on that the unsub is someone in the girls family. Although I didn't manage to figure out which one.
    I enjoyed the bit with Prentis when she worked it out and also her interigation, she was really fired up, she is having some good character development this series along with Hotchner and J.J who also had a good part in this episode. It focused again on Hotchner's personal life, the break up of his marrige and how he misses his son. It was a bit to far fetched having him resusitate the girl when their were medics around, he had to be a hero in this because it led on to the final scene. Overall though it was a classic, love the team and that we are getting more insight into them as people.moreless

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    1 0

  • A great episode with extra tension.

    9.8
    "Superb"
    By tsar_luke30, Feb 11, 2011 Report Abuse
    Once again Criminal Minds proves why it ranks on my top favorite shows on T.V. After last week's phenomenal episode, Children of the Dark, I was not too sure if this eppy could match it. Well I was wrong. This episode was nearly just as good as last week's eppy. The tension was great and put into all of the right places. I was glad that they didn't turn it into an episode with a pyscho serial killer who killed the girls. I thought JJ played a good role as the barrier between the family, you got to see another side of her.

    When Prentiss was interrogating the aunt it was amazing. Prentiss really drilled into her and it was so exciting to watch. I loved her last line of, "Where is she"?

    This was a superb episode that definitely ranks on my top episodes.moreless

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    1 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • Although shown as a multi-level indoor mall, Potomac Mills is a one-floor outlet mall located in Prince William County, Virginia, approximately 10 miles north of Quantico. Edit

  • Notes

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    • The song heard at the end of this episode was "The Moment I Said It" by Imogen Heap. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES

    • Beth Jacobs: Do you have kids?
      JJ: No, not yet, but everyone that needs us, we think of as our own.

      Edit

    • Reid: 99% of abducted children who are killed die within the first 24 hours, 75% within the first three hours, and - what only law enforcement knows - Jessica Davis joined the 44% of children who are abducted and killed within the first hour.

      Edit

    • Agent James Franklin: It's all chance, really. Wrong place, at the wrong time, no logic, no sense. How does a parent reconcile that?
      Hotchner: They never do.

      Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Hotchner: We'll treat the mall like a neighborhood, and we'll separate into areas of control. Potomac Mills Mall contains over 220 outlet stores, a food court and an 18 theater Multiplex. It is organized by breaking up the huge single level into numbered "neighborhoods." Edit
    • Morgan: David Westerfield kidnapped Danielle Van Dam out of revenge when her mother rejected him. In February, 2002, David Westerfield, a neighbor of the Van Dams, kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered 7-year-old Danielle Van Dam, dumping her body by a roadside in San Diego. He was convicted of the crimes, and sentenced to death. He is currently in San Quentin prison, awaiting execution. Edit
    • Reid: Richard Allen Davis strangled Polly Klaas just to prevent her from identifying him. Richard Allen Davis abducted 12-year-old Polly Klaas from her home in Petaluma, California while she was having a slumber party with friends. Davis had a long history of criminal behavior, including robbery and sexual assault. He was sentenced to death for the Klaas murder and is currently awaiting execution at San Quentin. Edit

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