I fear I may have inadvertently given all of you Criminal Minds fans the wrong impression … fear not! I haven’t gotten off the psycho bus just yet. But life prevented me from reviewing last week’s episode, and it continued to intrude this week, disrupting my ability to catch the finale when it aired on Wednesday. As for yesterday? My son wouldn’t go to sleep, and my wife seemed to think that the show might not be for him; over-protective much?
Anyway, I did finally manage to watch the finale, so let’s get to it. First of all, a week behind or no, I have to mention Reid’s haircut. He looks so unlike himself now, doesn’t he? Certainly he appears more like an adult, but I think the team had it right last week when they asked him if he’d joined a boy band.
How creepy was it that the media-dubbed Prince of Darkness, aka Billy Flynn, was played by none other than Tim Curry, best known by me as Rooster from Annie? That is one villain I won’t forget for the rest of my life, and whenever I see him I imagine a little girl climbing a really tall ladder, or pole, or staircase, or whatever it was that Annie ran up. Maybe Matt Spicer’s (Eric Close) daughter will escape like that next season. Talk about an homage!
The final cliffhanger was okay, but I’m not sure how much it resonates when it has nothing to do with our team. I’ll grant you that Morgan now has a personal stake in this, as he certainly needs to regain some face — at least as far as I’m concerned — after getting ambushed and left helpless on the floor as Flynn killed Spicer and left with the little girl. But as far as comparing it to last year’s Hotch-centric mystery? This time, if the bad guy wins all he’ll hurt is Morgan’s pride.
The one window that this situation opens is the possibility that Flynn’s psyche will have to be fully dissected in order for the team to catch him. That necessity would return to the show a lot of what we’ve felt has been missing for much of this season — namely, behavioral analysis. Criminal Minds is actually capable of great character development while our gang is busy getting into a crazy’s head … the two pursuits are far from mutually exclusive.
But I also wonder what hooks the creative team is working on for the coming season. Hotch’s story was developed well this year, until it was dropped sloppily as soon as his wife was murdered. Reid’s NA story has gone MIA. Rossi’s past is a treasure chest of goodies waiting to be explored. And Morgan and Prentiss carry demos from their past — the former I’m sure of, the latter I’m willing to bet on. And, of course, JJ and Garcia can contribute in ways relevant both to their little-explored pasts and presents.
But there’s also a finite number of killers that can be created while still seducing that side of us titillated by crazy. Longer, more intricate stories would help retain the integrity of the bad guys, and necessitate further analysis by the team, thus allowing the time for our characters to let their guards down more often.
Certainly, something must be done to keep the passion alive. Let’s see what Criminal Minds has in store for us when it returns this fall.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on May 28, 2010 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
I’ve been waiting for your review to see what you thought. I liked this episode and felt it went back to the oriignal roots of Criminal Minds. In the beginning I kept my hands up, ready to cover my eyes. I haven’t done that for a long time. It was creepy and scary, just like the old days.
Tim Curry makes a great serial killer. He comes across as the perfect person for whatever role he plays.
What do you think about the writers dropping all personal stories and just concentrating on the case of the week?
*POST AUTHOR*
You mean the fact that they have done so, or the idea of doing it? Either way, I don’t think it would work for the show — one of its strengths is the cast, which is why Gideon leaving was such a big deal. I think the show would collapse into itself without strong personalities keeping it afloat.
I was very disappointed in this years season final, because I didn’t care. I didn’t care about Spicer dying, I didn’t car about the previous victims, and I don’t care how this cliffhanger end next season. Usually the season final leaves me wishing from summer to be over so I can see what happens next, this year’s final left me with no desire to see next season premier.
And as for scary, I didn’t find it scary at all. I thought they used cheesy horror movie gimmicks to try and make it scary. I don’t really go for that stuff, what makes Criminal Minds scary is that it is a physical thriller, and I didn’t get that from this episode. The night that I watched this episode I woke up in the middle of the night to find that the power had gone out, given the subject mater of the episode I usually would have been scared to death, but I wasn’t at all.
Criminal Minds in one of my favorite shows, and I hope that this final is not a taste of what is to come next season, because if it is I don’t see myself watching for much longer.
*POST AUTHOR*
That would have completely freaked me out, regardless. Your power going out right after watching the episode? Wow.
I haven’t seen Annie since I was probably, oh, 3 or so so I don’t remember Tim Curry in that role. I did however think of his role in Home Alone (2..I think?) I should also mention that I didn’t even recognize it was him until about halfway through the episode! It’s so weird to see him now, and especially even more uglied up, compared to his Dr. Frank N Furter days. I prefer to remember him that way :) One thing is for sure, he is an amazing character actor. It was actually nice to see him doing something on a show I love instead of stuck in crappy B movies – Congo, anyone?
As far as cliffhangers goes, I thought it was a good one. Even my husband was frustrated with it, which is saying a lot because he doesn’t really like the show! The thing is, they really outdid themselves with Hotch and the murder of his wife, and I just don’t expect anything to live up to that episode anytime soon. I’m not worried though, Criminal Minds always has a way of coming back around to the storylines you thought had been forgotten about. I’m sure next season we’ll see more of his personal life and struggles again.
*POST AUTHOR*
I didn’t get that it was him until towards the end when he spoke. He looks a lot older. But man is he creepy!
I would think this would mess with Morgan’s head but the writers have a maddening tendency to drop that sort of thing – Reid, Hotch, and Garcia all have their demons but they are rarely explored, Heck even a throw away line from Garcia about having nightmare would be nice now and then.
Need time to completly digest this years stories. Writers need to work harder. I’m looking forward to some summer shows like Drop Dead Diva. I’ve said all along its the writers and I can’t seem to change my mind at this time. Like most of C.I., but something still seems missing. Have a good summer.
*POST AUTHOR*
Thanks, you too! :)