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Criminal Minds Season 6 Episode 1

The Longest Night

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AIRED: Sep 22, 2010

8.8

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EPISODE REVIEWS
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Episode Summary

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In the conclusion of last season's cliffhanger, the BAU pursues Billy Flynn, who has kidnapped Det. Spicer's daughter and continues his murder spree throughout the city of Los Angeles.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (9)

I wasn't expecting a lot from this episode because I didn't enjoy the previous season finale all that much but I guess this was marginally better than "Our Darkest Hour", which isn't really saying a great deal.moreless

6.0

By Lady_Lancaster, Oct 14, 2011

With all of the hoopla surrounding the firing of A.J. Cook and the limiting of Paget Brewster's role this season, I really was wondering what they would do with this episode. For me, the answer is, not much. Again, while I concede that it was an improvement on the Season Five finale in some ways, in others, I was not at all impressed.

For me, A.J.Cook, Tim Curry and Matthew Gray Gubler had this episode in the palm of their hands and everybody else was pretty close to 'second string'. With A.J.leaving after next week's episode, I suppose the producers thought they should give her some strong stuff to do in her last two appearancesand so, the writers did that as A.J. was terrific all the way through, showing that she can do anything that is required of her if given the opportunity. Unfortunately, that has been denied her for the rest of the run of "Criminal Minds" following the decison by CBS.

Tim Curry was good in 'Our Darkest Hour' and even better here as Billy Flynn, the unsub who has been practicing his craft for so long. While I enjoyed watching him work with Spicer's daughter, the child herself didn't do a lot for me in terms of my feeling her pain or any actual sympathy because she didn't seem able to capture what would be necessary to make me have those feelings and that's a shame, but the actress is young, so maybe she will learn.

The idea of Morgan taking on a certain amount of responsibility for the child doesn't work for me. The writers have given us too many single parents and I think we need something a little different. Plus, apart from "Profiler Profiled", I don't think I've actually seen Morgan 'connect' well with a child, in fact, sometimes, he has no idea how to interview them at all and can be quite abrasive without meaning to be. I would prefer him not to have the added distraction of responsibility for the child as I think the writers should just let Morgan be Morgan.

Matthew Gray Gubler echoed the feelings of thousands of fans when Reid was astonished, hurt and horrified at the idea of J.J. leaving the team. I imagine that was a deliberate action by the writers to try and make us all feel better about the fact that someone else understands our sadness. It's a pity that the decision makers at CBS didn't understand a little bit better because they are messing big-time with a winning formula and I can't think of a single, plausible reason for wanting to do that. It makes no sense at all.

Some parts of this episode, particularly the flashbacks involving Billy Flynn were understandable, but they were also time consuming and it isn't usual to spend so much time on the background of an unsub, especially during a season premiere but kudos to Tim Curry for his performance.

I hope the writers can do better in future episodes this season but 'thank you' to A.J. Cook, Tim Curry and Matthew Gray Gubler for doing such fine work here. Well done.moreless
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Hmm?

5.0

By Wolfinyoureyes, Oct 14, 2011

I have not actually not gotten a chance to see this episode. ION always goes backwards after 'Our Darkest Hour'. I had enjoyed the episode however and Matt Spicer as I am a 'Without a Trace' fan(The actor who portrayed Matt Spicer, Eric Close is a main team member on WAT, Martin Fitzgerald). I hate to judge, I have a history of being quite wrong when having done so. I had come here looking for this episode's name intending to look for it online as the first one always intrigues me so, leaving me very interested in the conclusion. After reading the description of this episode however, I am afraid I am not quite so anxious to see it anymore. I was somewhat disappointed in what I read.

I'd still give it a try but will no longer go looking for it.moreless
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Isabella Murad - flawless performance in overall perfectly realized television drama.

10

By livbloggr, Sep 16, 2011

Your diatribe against Isabella Murad is absolutely clueless. Don't you get the clue that she was playing the character the way she was told to, which was moreover that way it should be played? Didn't you get that clue, that the serial killer considered her like a granddaughter because he had let her father live in 1984? Didn't you get the clue that that is why he was so solicitous towards her, and that's what gave *her* power over *him*? Didn't you get the clue that she had some inner wisdom that made her understand the situation implicitly, and inner strength rendering her fearless? Didn't you get the clue that she looked like a tiny buddha in the last shot with the final show quote about a family being a garden from the buddha? There are even more clues that you obviously didn't get, but there's not enough space on the internet for them! I never, absolutely never, leave comments on anything on the Web because I consider it mainly a huge waste of time, but Your Cluelessness Left Me No Choice!!! From A.J. Cook's soliloquy over the radio to Tim Curry, to every closing shot of every cast member, to the interaction between Shemar Moore and Isabella Murad at the end to the, finally, one tear running down her cheek in his arms, this is one of the overall most perfectly realized television drama episodes in recent memory. And since I just about never leave comments about anything on the web, also I am not prone to exaggeration. Everyone from the casting producer to the director to the cameraman to the film editor deserves credit and praise for a perfectly realized hour-long television drama: and not least of all, Isabella Murad! Take a good look at her eyes in the screenshot from the show under her profile on imdb that this site won't let me post the url of, and tell me that's not acting!moreless
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Isabella Murad - out of her acting league...

8.0

By grossmusic, Sep 16, 2011

Maybe it's because I'm viewing it East Coast, but I'm shocked the boards aren't already abuzz about the terrible acting of the little girl way out of her league amongst the heavy weights that include superb maniac Tim Curry. Apparently doing well as a voice over artist, Isabella Murad is not camera ready & it's a shame that such an acclaimed show would force veteran actor Curry to share so much screen time with such a terrible actress.

Nothing disparaging about the kid. Her big problem is the inability to emote anything negative. Great thing in a Mouseketeer, but not in a victim of a serial killer! I honestly could not watch the whole episode because every scene with her made me switch the channel after suffering through her smiling as a man gets shot next to her, smiling as the evil killer yells at her, smiling with fake tears planted in her eyes as the nice people "comfort" her at the end.

Come on CBS - get a new casting director.moreless
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The Longest Night ...Disappointing

5.0

By hicks79, Sep 15, 2011

I had expected a lot from this episode and was sorely disappointed. The writing was unoriginal, trite hackneyed etc..From the death of the aunt which was telegraphed from the beginning of the episode (and unecessary to further the bond bwetween the girl and Shemar's character.)to the killer's background. The best part of the entire episode was the performance of AJ Cook..It is ironic that JJ, who imo has the most inner strength of anyone in the unit, is being written out..It appears to me that the series in venturing into "jump the shark" terrority. Shemar is a talented and skilled actor who was handcuffed with predicatble behavior by the script. The performance of Isabella was lackluster and curiously lacking emotion due more to the writing and directing than her acting skills. This show highlighted for me what is and has been wrong with hollywood for many years. Hollywood is in a recycling mode where originality has gone out the window. In addition they seem to be carrying on what I call the "vietnam war syndrome". If you examine the writing pre vietnam and after vietnam there is a noticeable trend. The killers story ( a prostitute mom and the child who watches her degrade herself) has been done numerous times...Sadly, this episode could have been a strong one allowing Derek to honor the memory of Det. Spicer in a memorable way, instead the writers and producers chose the cliched route. Lastly using an actor of Robert Davi's ability as window dressing is inexcusable. On the whole, the episode was a pathetic excuse for originality and creativity.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Thomas Gibson	Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner
Joe Mantegna	Senior SSA David Rossi
Matthew Gray Gubler	SSA Dr. Spencer Reid
Shemar Moore	SSA Derek Morgan
Paget Brewster	SSA Emily Prentiss
A.J. Cook	SSA Jennifer "JJ" Jareau

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

EDIT

Tim Curry	Billy Flynn	Guest Star
Robert Davi	Det. Adam Kurzbard	Guest Star
Austin Highsmith	Kristin	Guest Star

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Featured Episode Clip

Episode Photos

Prentiss (Paget Brewster) checks on a vi...

© 2010 CBS Corporation
Detective Kurzbard (Robert Davi), Rossi ...

© 2010 CBS Corporation
Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) and the rest...

© 2010 CBS Corporation
Hotchner (Thomas Gibson), Prentiss (Page...

© 2010 CBS Corporation

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- The number "62" on the jersey worn by Ellie Spicer in this episode was intended as a shout-out to Ed Bernero, who was born in 1962.
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QUOTES (3)
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- JJ: I'm not a hostage negotiator.
  Hotchner: I'm sorry, you are today.
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- JJ: There are monsters and it's okay to be afraid of them, but it's not okay to let them win and it's not okay to be one.
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- JJ: "A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another.If these minds love one another, the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But if these minds get out of harmony with one other it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden." The Buddha
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NOTES (3)
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- The songs heard in this episode were "Night Comes On," "Dance Me to the End of Love," "Sisters of Mercy," and "Who By Fire" by Leonard Cohen.
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- The original title of this episode was "Lights Out."
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- Original International Air Dates:
  Czech Republic – February 21, 2012 on Prima family
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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