Episode reaction to 4xI'mterribleatrememberingnumbers

[jadesfire]

Everyone seen "Amplification"? What did you think? I've put my own thoughts under the cut and the comments seem like a good place for discussion, but if you've got your own post somewhere on Dreamwidth, just drop me a link and I'll put it up here as well.



The first thing that struck me about this episode was how strong a team feel there was to it. Everyone was there, all doing their jobs as we expect them to, and all having the issues we know they have. One thing I love about Criminal Minds is the emotional continuity and the strength of these characters. We know how they're going to react because we've seen them do it before, not to mention the literal continuity that bubbles away under the surface.

Let's see, we've got Hotch's continual dilemma over whether/how much to tell his family (and how much do I love him for not *saying* that to JJ, keeping it about her not him), Morgan's protectiveness of Reid, as well as his refusal to let anyone take one for the team (Hotch might have been right, but his job was a lot easier with Morgan on the station as well), Garcia's constant worries and fears at the dangers everyone faces (and her 'happiness bubble' that Rossi points out so sharply in 'Penelope'), and Rossi's detachment in contrast to Prentiss' compassion (I love how they keep getting partnered together, because they contrast and compliment each other really well).

And oh, Reid. Generally speaking, I prefer Reid not to be the victim of these things, just because he's so often put in that position in fanfic, but this hardly pushed any of my sigh-buttons at all. I really liked his determination to stay in control - the message to his mother, going on working rather than to the hospital, refusing narcotics, sending Morgan away - and the feeling that this happened to him because it happened to him, not because he's Reid and that's what the writers do to him, if that makes any kind of sense.

For my taste, some of the Rossi & Prentiss conversation felt unduly laboured. It felt very 'company line' but coming from the writer rather than Rossi. In fact I could have lost the whole of that scene and not really regretted it much, unlike losing Hotch calling Jack on the phone, which feels like the first time we've seen him smile in half a season. Also, I don't know that much about Anthrax, but the way the doctors were talking about 'a cure' made me think that the writer hadn't quite found time to finish his research. Does someone who knows more about these things know if that's realistic terminology or not? I was expecting 'treatment' or even 'antidote' but that could just be me and language having issues again.

Overall, I really really enjoyed this and it felt like a return to the strong teaminess that I so enjoyed in S3. What about everyone else? Everyone who enjoyed watching Reid getting hosed down raise your hands, although complaints about where the scene was cut should be passed to the production team, not me...

Comments

[aoibhe]

Thanks for posting this honey. I know it was my week, but things went to hell. Again. ::g::

[kate]

and the feeling that this happened to him because it happened to him, not because he's Reid and that's what the writers do to him

Yes, this.

I liked the episode - and I haven't been fond of the back half of this season. You're right, the teaminess of it really makes it work.

Nice review!

[triggerhappy]

I liked it, a lot. The team feel was definitely there.
And I love the things they do to...to continue a characters story or show pieces of who they are. Sometimes it's a big deal, and sometimes it just is.

JJ's worry and near panic was well done - as was Hotch's response to her. He has to toe the line, and he's right to do so, and yet without saying a word, Gibson got across how much Hotch knows what she's going through. And that he remembered when he had to make that same decision. (can't remember which episode, but it was something to do with a bomb at a mall and Haley was going to take baby Jack to have pictures taken)
Hotch made the same decision then, as JJ did in this episode.

JJ and Garcia's talk was wonderful as well.

And seeing Hotch smile while talking to Jack? That was golden. It really has been a long time since we've seen him really smile.

Emily, who hates lying, who was uncomfortable when Hotch lied to the dying burn victim in Ashes and Dust because she hates it so much, lied. Flat out lied.
Woah.
I'm still kind of in shock over that - and yet it was realistically done.
This season is stomping all over Prentiss in all sorts of ways and I love it. And I love the continuity that she was the one that had the big problem with hiding things from the public. Politics are making their way into her job and boy, does it piss her off. hee!
The last conversation with Rossi was a bit heavy handed, though.

Even liked all the Reid peril and I was a bit wary about that - it just seems like he's always in peril. But it was well done and I really loved when he emphatically stated he did not want narcotics.
More continuity! Yay!

Morgan was Morgan and of course he's not going to leave Reid or Hotch.

The one thing I had a problem with was the end hospital scene. The rest of the team should have been there. Or at the very least mentioned having been there or something.
It makes sense that Morgan would be there, that he would stay there, but...it just doesn't seem right that no one else was there.