Network: CBS
Time: Wednesdays, 9:00-10:00pm
Cast: Thomas Gibson, Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, Shemar Moore, Matthew Gray Gubler, Kirsten Vangsness
Summary: The team profiles a serial killer who targets married couples.
Review: Despite the fact that I'm still mad at Criminal Minds for kicking off JJ, there was a moment at the end of this episode (right about when Hotch was turning both Garcia and me into goo) where I remembered why I first fell in love with this show. As interesting as I find forensic psychology and profiling, that isn't the reason I tune in every week. I don't look forward to seeing how each killer will commit their crimes and why. The fact that I like the subject matter is a nice perk, but the reason I keep coming back is because of the wonderful chemistry between the actors and the stunning moments where they remind you that they're a family.
What I liked most about this episode was that it focused a little bit on every character. It was primarily about Garcia and her desire to fill JJ's shoes, but everyone had their moment in the spotlight. Most CM episodes go one of two ways: they're either completely case-driven and the team works together without anyone being in the spotlight, or they take on a more personal approach where one character is more important than the others. This episode broke the mold a little, where it blended the crime and the personal, but still made everyone significant. Aside from JJ's departure, almost all the episodes since the 100th last season have been very case-driven. It was about time for an episode that made the audience feel good at the end. I don't know about all of you, but I definitely got some warm fuzzies.
Speaking of the characters, Kirsten Vangsness was totally on her game for this episode. Every once in awhile, they do a Garcia-centric episode, and I'm always blown away by the vast array of emotions Vangsness exhibits. Garcia, by nature, is a happy-go-lucky character, despite what she sees everyday. But in this episode, she ranged the spectrum from quirky to super-professional to overeager to overwhelmed and back again. It was weird to see Garcia away from her computers for a change (though not for long, since she was still doing her job on top of JJ's), but it made complete sense for her to try to step up this way, almost as if she wanted to lessen the blow of JJ's departure. And even though Morgan seems to be turning into a Hallmark card, Shemar Moore stepped up wonderfully to create a really touching scene between the two.
I find the cases in CM to be more interesting than most other crime shows, possibly because they don't feel the need to try to trip you up. The point isn't to be a mysterious as possible and keep the audience guessing until the last minute; it's to show how they reach the conclusion that we (usually) already know. There are plenty of things about the UnSub that we don't know, and the real mystery is why he committed the crime, not who he was.
I also liked that, despite this being a more character-driven episode, the case didn't play second fiddle. Most of the episode still revolved around solving it, especially since people kept dying throughout. It used the characters' personal moments (Reid showing off his interrogation skills, Emily trying to seduce the UnSub) to further the plot, not detract from it. Not all shows can find a way to blend the two sides, but CM did a particularly good job in this episode.
It's been a long time since a Criminal Minds episode really stood out in my mind, but I think this is one I'll rewatch a few times so I can really appreciate it. Did you feel the same way? Leave a comment below and let me know.
For more crime TV news, follow NewarkCrimeTV on Twitter.
Email me at NewarkCrimeTV@gmail.com.
My Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Time: Wednesdays, 9:00-10:00pm
Cast: Thomas Gibson, Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, Shemar Moore, Matthew Gray Gubler, Kirsten Vangsness
Summary: The team profiles a serial killer who targets married couples.
Review: Despite the fact that I'm still mad at Criminal Minds for kicking off JJ, there was a moment at the end of this episode (right about when Hotch was turning both Garcia and me into goo) where I remembered why I first fell in love with this show. As interesting as I find forensic psychology and profiling, that isn't the reason I tune in every week. I don't look forward to seeing how each killer will commit their crimes and why. The fact that I like the subject matter is a nice perk, but the reason I keep coming back is because of the wonderful chemistry between the actors and the stunning moments where they remind you that they're a family.
What I liked most about this episode was that it focused a little bit on every character. It was primarily about Garcia and her desire to fill JJ's shoes, but everyone had their moment in the spotlight. Most CM episodes go one of two ways: they're either completely case-driven and the team works together without anyone being in the spotlight, or they take on a more personal approach where one character is more important than the others. This episode broke the mold a little, where it blended the crime and the personal, but still made everyone significant. Aside from JJ's departure, almost all the episodes since the 100th last season have been very case-driven. It was about time for an episode that made the audience feel good at the end. I don't know about all of you, but I definitely got some warm fuzzies.
Speaking of the characters, Kirsten Vangsness was totally on her game for this episode. Every once in awhile, they do a Garcia-centric episode, and I'm always blown away by the vast array of emotions Vangsness exhibits. Garcia, by nature, is a happy-go-lucky character, despite what she sees everyday. But in this episode, she ranged the spectrum from quirky to super-professional to overeager to overwhelmed and back again. It was weird to see Garcia away from her computers for a change (though not for long, since she was still doing her job on top of JJ's), but it made complete sense for her to try to step up this way, almost as if she wanted to lessen the blow of JJ's departure. And even though Morgan seems to be turning into a Hallmark card, Shemar Moore stepped up wonderfully to create a really touching scene between the two.
I find the cases in CM to be more interesting than most other crime shows, possibly because they don't feel the need to try to trip you up. The point isn't to be a mysterious as possible and keep the audience guessing until the last minute; it's to show how they reach the conclusion that we (usually) already know. There are plenty of things about the UnSub that we don't know, and the real mystery is why he committed the crime, not who he was.
I also liked that, despite this being a more character-driven episode, the case didn't play second fiddle. Most of the episode still revolved around solving it, especially since people kept dying throughout. It used the characters' personal moments (Reid showing off his interrogation skills, Emily trying to seduce the UnSub) to further the plot, not detract from it. Not all shows can find a way to blend the two sides, but CM did a particularly good job in this episode.
It's been a long time since a Criminal Minds episode really stood out in my mind, but I think this is one I'll rewatch a few times so I can really appreciate it. Did you feel the same way? Leave a comment below and let me know.
For more crime TV news, follow NewarkCrimeTV on Twitter.
Email me at NewarkCrimeTV@gmail.com.
My Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
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