Criminal Minds thoughts (mid-S3)
Sep. 14th, 2008 01:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ginny_tI've been watching Criminal Minds. I'm not as attached to it as ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hysteriachan is, but once I reached the point where I could read matociquala's reaction posts, my interest picked up. I go in spurts.
I like the damage all the characters carry around with them. Heh, me, liking a show with broken people--who'da thunkit? Yeah, I know.
I'm super curious about Hotch's damage. It sure appears that it didn't come from his father. Has there been any mention of his mother? I don't recall any. One of the things I love him for is part of the beginning of his reveal. I'm paraphrasing: he tells someone they've just caught that sometimes people who are abused as children grow up to abuse others and others grow up to catch the abusers. I take that half a step further to "sometimes people who are seriously fucked up a children grow up to be seriously fucked up adults; sometimes, they shake themselves off and become perfectly acceptable human beings (for varying definitions of "acceptable")." This makes me happy.
There are a couple of things I've noticed. In the very first episode, the guy they've just caught taunts Gideon with his disbelief in MPD/DID. Later, in the "let's break Reid more" episode, there's no mention of "huh, real DID". Just a little thing. Also, in the same episode, no mention of the previous taunt that CPR works only 7% (or other single-digit) of the time. Little bits of continuity that would've made me happier. Sure, I watched two years worth of show in less than 4 weeks, what of it? They have a bible and writer brains.
The first part of the "let's break Reid more" two-parter had my geek scoffing a bit. Sure, I often leave my laptop open, but that's because I'm *ahem*ing something. When I'm not, it's closed. (Also, new desk tucks the laptop away behind a door. I love new desk; it saves my life!) Some of those computers had external webcams. People really leave their laptops open with external webcams clipped into place to be spied upon? On top of that, ain't no dude I call up on the phone going to get control of my 'puter! And then there was the "what kind of computer is it?" question. I've called tech support (after much frustration and gnashing of teeth first because that way lies further gnashing of teeth). The first thing they say? "Click on the Start button." Um, no.
I also didn't like the Frank episodes. I understand they were a bit of an X-Files homage, which is probably influencing me, as I was not an X-Files fan. They didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the narrative. For one, Frank's in charge, making the team dance on his strings (I was also a little meh about The Fisher King's premise, but that was acceptably explained for me). For another, Frank's evil is just too much. The other unsubs are more believable in their monstrosity. Frank seems too much.
Another thing that's keeping me from loving the show unreservedly ('cause let's face it: broken boys & girls fight crime? That's tailor-made for Ginnys) is the emphasis on childhood trauma and psychology. Their profiles are awfully detailed and accurate; I know from my intro psych course that that's not realistic. It's why I love the Hotch thing: it's an acknowledgement that the path is not straight; there are exits, and you can just go off-road, to stick with the analogy. Predisposition is not predetermination. There is a combination of nature and nurture and self. You cannot remove self from the equation.
There are some things I'd like to see: I'd like to see more casual smoochies that don't end in death, usually of the female half of the smoochies. Casual smoochies don't lead to death near as often as this show would indicate--always. I'd also be happier to see random person-the-show-starts-with end up dead or seriously screwed less often. It seems like any time the show starts with an unfamiliar face, that person will be in peril or more usually dead by the time the credits roll. There's no incentive to become emotionally invested in that person. On the other hand, I do like the percentage of people who are rescued in time. I like that some of the victims fight back and are active in their own rescue. That makes me happy.
Finally (maybe--I got rambly), I would've been much happier with the three-girls-in-the-cellar episode if it had been three sons. There we had one narrative where the endangered people didn't have to be female. Considering the number of women endangered, harmed, and killed in the show (which is the nature of the show--I get it), when we had a storyline that didn't require women/girls in jeopardy, why not have men/boys in jeopardy? I've thought about that one quite a bit, about the children used against their parents, about the friendship between the girls, about the football backdrop to the whole thing. Okay, maybe I've thought about that one more than I should've. I think it would've been a better and stronger and very different episode if it'd been boys they were trying to rescue.
I know most people focus more on the team than the plot. That's because that's where the better storytelling is, so I understand it. I know it's among the better shows on television. I get that. I'd still like it to be a little better. Better than the dreck isn't necessarily good enough.
Oh yeah. I'm sad that Kate Jackson's (great choice there!) episode was so weak. I have a soft spot for her. ^_^
In other news, I am yet another convert to the awesome of Penelope Garcia. JJ also rocks like a mad rocking thing. I'd snuggle either (or both) of them. ^_^
People who comment with spoilers will be bitten. Hard.
hysteriachan is, but once I reached the point where I could read matociquala's reaction posts, my interest picked up. I go in spurts.I like the damage all the characters carry around with them. Heh, me, liking a show with broken people--who'da thunkit? Yeah, I know.
I'm super curious about Hotch's damage. It sure appears that it didn't come from his father. Has there been any mention of his mother? I don't recall any. One of the things I love him for is part of the beginning of his reveal. I'm paraphrasing: he tells someone they've just caught that sometimes people who are abused as children grow up to abuse others and others grow up to catch the abusers. I take that half a step further to "sometimes people who are seriously fucked up a children grow up to be seriously fucked up adults; sometimes, they shake themselves off and become perfectly acceptable human beings (for varying definitions of "acceptable")." This makes me happy.
There are a couple of things I've noticed. In the very first episode, the guy they've just caught taunts Gideon with his disbelief in MPD/DID. Later, in the "let's break Reid more" episode, there's no mention of "huh, real DID". Just a little thing. Also, in the same episode, no mention of the previous taunt that CPR works only 7% (or other single-digit) of the time. Little bits of continuity that would've made me happier. Sure, I watched two years worth of show in less than 4 weeks, what of it? They have a bible and writer brains.
The first part of the "let's break Reid more" two-parter had my geek scoffing a bit. Sure, I often leave my laptop open, but that's because I'm *ahem*ing something. When I'm not, it's closed. (Also, new desk tucks the laptop away behind a door. I love new desk; it saves my life!) Some of those computers had external webcams. People really leave their laptops open with external webcams clipped into place to be spied upon? On top of that, ain't no dude I call up on the phone going to get control of my 'puter! And then there was the "what kind of computer is it?" question. I've called tech support (after much frustration and gnashing of teeth first because that way lies further gnashing of teeth). The first thing they say? "Click on the Start button." Um, no.
I also didn't like the Frank episodes. I understand they were a bit of an X-Files homage, which is probably influencing me, as I was not an X-Files fan. They didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the narrative. For one, Frank's in charge, making the team dance on his strings (I was also a little meh about The Fisher King's premise, but that was acceptably explained for me). For another, Frank's evil is just too much. The other unsubs are more believable in their monstrosity. Frank seems too much.
Another thing that's keeping me from loving the show unreservedly ('cause let's face it: broken boys & girls fight crime? That's tailor-made for Ginnys) is the emphasis on childhood trauma and psychology. Their profiles are awfully detailed and accurate; I know from my intro psych course that that's not realistic. It's why I love the Hotch thing: it's an acknowledgement that the path is not straight; there are exits, and you can just go off-road, to stick with the analogy. Predisposition is not predetermination. There is a combination of nature and nurture and self. You cannot remove self from the equation.
There are some things I'd like to see: I'd like to see more casual smoochies that don't end in death, usually of the female half of the smoochies. Casual smoochies don't lead to death near as often as this show would indicate--always. I'd also be happier to see random person-the-show-starts-with end up dead or seriously screwed less often. It seems like any time the show starts with an unfamiliar face, that person will be in peril or more usually dead by the time the credits roll. There's no incentive to become emotionally invested in that person. On the other hand, I do like the percentage of people who are rescued in time. I like that some of the victims fight back and are active in their own rescue. That makes me happy.
Finally (maybe--I got rambly), I would've been much happier with the three-girls-in-the-cellar episode if it had been three sons. There we had one narrative where the endangered people didn't have to be female. Considering the number of women endangered, harmed, and killed in the show (which is the nature of the show--I get it), when we had a storyline that didn't require women/girls in jeopardy, why not have men/boys in jeopardy? I've thought about that one quite a bit, about the children used against their parents, about the friendship between the girls, about the football backdrop to the whole thing. Okay, maybe I've thought about that one more than I should've. I think it would've been a better and stronger and very different episode if it'd been boys they were trying to rescue.
I know most people focus more on the team than the plot. That's because that's where the better storytelling is, so I understand it. I know it's among the better shows on television. I get that. I'd still like it to be a little better. Better than the dreck isn't necessarily good enough.
Oh yeah. I'm sad that Kate Jackson's (great choice there!) episode was so weak. I have a soft spot for her. ^_^
In other news, I am yet another convert to the awesome of Penelope Garcia. JJ also rocks like a mad rocking thing. I'd snuggle either (or both) of them. ^_^
People who comment with spoilers will be bitten. Hard.