Criminal Minds S06E06 Middle Man
I loved that Garcia attempted to update the team by providing them with electronic files (all on tablets/ipads or something of the sort) excepting Reid - because he's very stuck in his routine. I found this episode to be very intriguing because it showed not only the pack structure but also its slow breakdown.
The actor playing the 2nd in command seemed the exact same as his previous gig, except he was the bad version of Wendell on Bones. Unfortunately, the ending was really sad even though I found his loyalty admirable.
Showing posts with label Criminal Minds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Criminal Minds. Show all posts
11/09/2010
11/01/2010
Haunted by the Past
Criminal Minds S06E06 Devil's Night
This was a nice episode of just profiling the unsub, with many mistakes and other guesses being made that didn't quite fit. I don't quite understand the 'remember' technique used by the agents because I've tried remembering things that happened...and I never remember in as much detail as the victims/witnesses do, especially not when the needed details are part of the background, not something that was focused upon.
The story behind this unsub was revenge for all the wrongdoings that were waged upon him by people in his life. I didn't understand why one of the people set on fire was alit in the middle of the road, with cars everywhere, even hitting the poor guy on fire. There was some definite scariness going on with the scenes where the baton was whipped out - and it happened quite a lot.
The cutest part of this episode was seeing the interaction between Hotchner and his son, Jack. The choosing of Jack's costume and the way the tie was tied was perfection. However, it made me sad to see that their Halloween plans were messed with because Hotch needed to fly to Detroit for this Halloween case.
This was a nice episode of just profiling the unsub, with many mistakes and other guesses being made that didn't quite fit. I don't quite understand the 'remember' technique used by the agents because I've tried remembering things that happened...and I never remember in as much detail as the victims/witnesses do, especially not when the needed details are part of the background, not something that was focused upon.
The story behind this unsub was revenge for all the wrongdoings that were waged upon him by people in his life. I didn't understand why one of the people set on fire was alit in the middle of the road, with cars everywhere, even hitting the poor guy on fire. There was some definite scariness going on with the scenes where the baton was whipped out - and it happened quite a lot.
The cutest part of this episode was seeing the interaction between Hotchner and his son, Jack. The choosing of Jack's costume and the way the tie was tied was perfection. However, it made me sad to see that their Halloween plans were messed with because Hotch needed to fly to Detroit for this Halloween case.
10/26/2010
Fighting for Family
Criminal Minds S06E05 Safe Haven
There was a nice little twist that caused me to believe one of the later victims was the murderer, although I'm unsure whether that was deliberate or not. It may have been that I was too used to correctly guessing the murderer, so by the time the BAU team was discussing what type of person it could be, I already had some ideas - and the victim had the exact job description I had in mind for the murderer.
The actor who played the murderer definitely was overacting - that was the worst part of the show. Also I hate his smile - it's very ingratiating and very fake. However, there was a great shot of him looking disturbingly at the knife cutting the chicken.
I felt as though the ending scene with the Spicers was so forced and out of place in this show. First, I absolutely HATE Ellie's hair, it still looks as though it was randomly chopped off with a knife, and it should have been several weeks since then - in the show's timeframe. Also, I don't understand why she would have been stuck in foster care when Garcia could have tracked down her mother in no time at all.
Then, her mother and Morgan talked about personal issues IN FRONT OF THE CHILD!! Get real...he's a profiler and should know better than that. Also, the letters - why did the mother not send them, instead of writing them down in a journal? And why did Ellie trust Morgan so much, that just because he said it was okay, everything was all right and she was immediately liked and trusted her mother. UGHHH
The best part about this episode is that it showed me a new band, Fitz & the Tantrums. I love when shows do this...and the last time was during the first season of Castle for the band Minnutes. However, Criminal Minds didn't just use the music in the episode, it showed clips from a music video, which had me wondering whether it was the actual music video - and it was. Not only that, the introduction of the video was very strategic.
There was a nice little twist that caused me to believe one of the later victims was the murderer, although I'm unsure whether that was deliberate or not. It may have been that I was too used to correctly guessing the murderer, so by the time the BAU team was discussing what type of person it could be, I already had some ideas - and the victim had the exact job description I had in mind for the murderer.
The actor who played the murderer definitely was overacting - that was the worst part of the show. Also I hate his smile - it's very ingratiating and very fake. However, there was a great shot of him looking disturbingly at the knife cutting the chicken.
I felt as though the ending scene with the Spicers was so forced and out of place in this show. First, I absolutely HATE Ellie's hair, it still looks as though it was randomly chopped off with a knife, and it should have been several weeks since then - in the show's timeframe. Also, I don't understand why she would have been stuck in foster care when Garcia could have tracked down her mother in no time at all.
Then, her mother and Morgan talked about personal issues IN FRONT OF THE CHILD!! Get real...he's a profiler and should know better than that. Also, the letters - why did the mother not send them, instead of writing them down in a journal? And why did Ellie trust Morgan so much, that just because he said it was okay, everything was all right and she was immediately liked and trusted her mother. UGHHH
The best part about this episode is that it showed me a new band, Fitz & the Tantrums. I love when shows do this...and the last time was during the first season of Castle for the band Minnutes. However, Criminal Minds didn't just use the music in the episode, it showed clips from a music video, which had me wondering whether it was the actual music video - and it was. Not only that, the introduction of the video was very strategic.
10/18/2010
Sleeping with a Swinger
Criminal Minds S06E04 Compromising Positions
This week's episode prominently displayed Penelope Garcia as she attempted to cover not only her own role in the FBI but also JJ's. Although she clearly was in over her head, seeing her step up to the plate showed a new aspect of her personality. It was refreshing to see her version of 'toning down' and dressing as a normal agent presents themselves to the public, but masking that aspect of herself also dulled her sparkly personality.
I enjoyed the subtle buildup to the idea of swinging. Although I had never heard the term before (and ended up looking it up afterwards even though they had an adequate explanation in the episode itself), it was a completely new story arc, which was good because it's very difficult to find new material after so many seasons.
Only one shot completely stood out - the scene where they captured the unsub. It was unexpected, even though there were some clues...and I love twist scenarios. I'm not going to give it away, so I'll just say this episode isn't one to miss.
This week's episode prominently displayed Penelope Garcia as she attempted to cover not only her own role in the FBI but also JJ's. Although she clearly was in over her head, seeing her step up to the plate showed a new aspect of her personality. It was refreshing to see her version of 'toning down' and dressing as a normal agent presents themselves to the public, but masking that aspect of herself also dulled her sparkly personality.
I enjoyed the subtle buildup to the idea of swinging. Although I had never heard the term before (and ended up looking it up afterwards even though they had an adequate explanation in the episode itself), it was a completely new story arc, which was good because it's very difficult to find new material after so many seasons.
Only one shot completely stood out - the scene where they captured the unsub. It was unexpected, even though there were some clues...and I love twist scenarios. I'm not going to give it away, so I'll just say this episode isn't one to miss.
10/10/2010
Old Memories...and Killers
Criminal Minds S06E03 Remembrance of Things Past
The episode got off to a great start with a very spooky beginning. Open doors, creaky floors, and the obligatory door slam were all present and I completely expected to see the woman abducted. Only...it never happened, and instead a phone call introduced the unsub.
However, I was eerily reminded of the episodes of Max Ryan (Unfinished Business back in Season 1) and the reminder of old killers (Birthright in Season 3). Both those episodes talked about new cases that seemed eerily similar to old ones, especially very profilic ones.
There were some awesome shots, like the old guy in the store looking super perverted and creepy (great actor btw). Also, when the FBI pull up to the abandoned building, the graffiti on it really stood out, especially that super bright blue. It was a great location and shot.
The ending was kind of depressing - repressed and lost memories. But we all grow old someday, even killers.
The episode got off to a great start with a very spooky beginning. Open doors, creaky floors, and the obligatory door slam were all present and I completely expected to see the woman abducted. Only...it never happened, and instead a phone call introduced the unsub.
However, I was eerily reminded of the episodes of Max Ryan (Unfinished Business back in Season 1) and the reminder of old killers (Birthright in Season 3). Both those episodes talked about new cases that seemed eerily similar to old ones, especially very profilic ones.
There were some awesome shots, like the old guy in the store looking super perverted and creepy (great actor btw). Also, when the FBI pull up to the abandoned building, the graffiti on it really stood out, especially that super bright blue. It was a great location and shot.
The ending was kind of depressing - repressed and lost memories. But we all grow old someday, even killers.
10/01/2010
JJ's Promotion
Criminal Minds S06E02 JJ
This is the saddest episode of Criminal Minds I have ever watched, mainly because I adored AJ's role in the show. With an official job title of Media Liaison, she was the face of the BAU to the world, and thus had to be more sympathetic and emotional than the rest of the team. After the birth of her baby, she was allowed even more freedom, this time to show the parent's struggle to the rest of the team, if they ever lost the plot.
While I can understand why the producers needed her to be written out (budget crisis means cuts of non-essential personnel), not having her will be a struggle that the writers need to work around without making the rest of the team lose its effectiveness. I liked that the writers chose to portray her reluctance to leave the team, paralleling the reality of AJ not wanting to leave the show, and yet not having her contract renewed - a decision made above her head.
The way this episode was written and acted was very deceiving. Usually in these shows, I can suss out who the unsub was simply by certain items/acts the director(s) portray to complete the picture. In this episode, I constantly kept changing my mind because the good-looking guy was so indifferent, the follower guy was so quiet, and the father was so reluctant to leave, that it came off as though he knew something and wasn't telling anyone. Overall, superb acting.
Some nice ideas were used to smooth the edit cuts. Using the closing of the elevator doors to allow for the intro to the title credits was a great idea because the title credits have an effect that looks like they're opening up from the middle so the audience gets a sense of the doors closing and the titles opening. Another good cut was the use of yelling to switch scenes. The prisoner reacted to the sound of the yelling and took the audience along with him.
One great thing about this episode was seeing the contrast between the staid clothing of the BAU unit and the colorful splash of Penelope Garcia. Props to the wardrobe department!
This is the saddest episode of Criminal Minds I have ever watched, mainly because I adored AJ's role in the show. With an official job title of Media Liaison, she was the face of the BAU to the world, and thus had to be more sympathetic and emotional than the rest of the team. After the birth of her baby, she was allowed even more freedom, this time to show the parent's struggle to the rest of the team, if they ever lost the plot.
While I can understand why the producers needed her to be written out (budget crisis means cuts of non-essential personnel), not having her will be a struggle that the writers need to work around without making the rest of the team lose its effectiveness. I liked that the writers chose to portray her reluctance to leave the team, paralleling the reality of AJ not wanting to leave the show, and yet not having her contract renewed - a decision made above her head.
The way this episode was written and acted was very deceiving. Usually in these shows, I can suss out who the unsub was simply by certain items/acts the director(s) portray to complete the picture. In this episode, I constantly kept changing my mind because the good-looking guy was so indifferent, the follower guy was so quiet, and the father was so reluctant to leave, that it came off as though he knew something and wasn't telling anyone. Overall, superb acting.
Some nice ideas were used to smooth the edit cuts. Using the closing of the elevator doors to allow for the intro to the title credits was a great idea because the title credits have an effect that looks like they're opening up from the middle so the audience gets a sense of the doors closing and the titles opening. Another good cut was the use of yelling to switch scenes. The prisoner reacted to the sound of the yelling and took the audience along with him.
One great thing about this episode was seeing the contrast between the staid clothing of the BAU unit and the colorful splash of Penelope Garcia. Props to the wardrobe department!
9/23/2010
An Unwilling Participant Changes the Rules
Criminal Minds S06E01 The Longest Night
My lovely Shemar Moore is back in a prominent role as Derek Morgan for the 6th season. The last season left off with Derek getting hurt in the process of trying to save a cop's little girl, and the cop dying.
Spencer Reid's hair on this show has had many different looks, but I don't really like this newest one. It looks as though he allowed it to grow crazily and messily...it actually kind of reminds me of The Mentalist's hair LOL.
Some really cool scenes were the memory scenes of the Prince of Darkness, in which his mother and him are dancing around in a circle. It had several layers of opacity fading in and out, with a yellow tint, and the director wisely used it several times, and also showed how it was just in his dreams, not reality.
Also some really good choices were made to enhance the horror the little girl felt by being with the killer. The sound fading out when she accidentally gets the father killed, and the slow motion wiping of the spit off her cheek. Smart editing.
I'm really sad that the producers have cut the female leads...hello, that'll make it a boys only club GRR. As if to make up for the fact that AJ Cook, who plays JJ, has been cut from the cast, she gets a prominent role in this week's episode. Unfortunately I think it placed a bit TOO much focus on her - a good several minutes is spent just focusing on her phone call frustrations and her talking to the unsub over the radio. It kind of ruins the flow of the show, which I'm guessing is because the writers needed to work in more screen time for her before her cut and weren't prepared.
In any case, I don't understand why they cut AJ and reduced Brewster's episodes, while keeping Mantegna and making a spinoff of CM *sigh.* At least Vangsness is still in the show full-time.
My lovely Shemar Moore is back in a prominent role as Derek Morgan for the 6th season. The last season left off with Derek getting hurt in the process of trying to save a cop's little girl, and the cop dying.
Spencer Reid's hair on this show has had many different looks, but I don't really like this newest one. It looks as though he allowed it to grow crazily and messily...it actually kind of reminds me of The Mentalist's hair LOL.
Some really cool scenes were the memory scenes of the Prince of Darkness, in which his mother and him are dancing around in a circle. It had several layers of opacity fading in and out, with a yellow tint, and the director wisely used it several times, and also showed how it was just in his dreams, not reality.
Also some really good choices were made to enhance the horror the little girl felt by being with the killer. The sound fading out when she accidentally gets the father killed, and the slow motion wiping of the spit off her cheek. Smart editing.
I'm really sad that the producers have cut the female leads...hello, that'll make it a boys only club GRR. As if to make up for the fact that AJ Cook, who plays JJ, has been cut from the cast, she gets a prominent role in this week's episode. Unfortunately I think it placed a bit TOO much focus on her - a good several minutes is spent just focusing on her phone call frustrations and her talking to the unsub over the radio. It kind of ruins the flow of the show, which I'm guessing is because the writers needed to work in more screen time for her before her cut and weren't prepared.
In any case, I don't understand why they cut AJ and reduced Brewster's episodes, while keeping Mantegna and making a spinoff of CM *sigh.* At least Vangsness is still in the show full-time.
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