(S02E23) "Frank's back." - Morgan
Just like last year, Criminal Minds knows how to properly handle a season finale. This was a spectacular episode, and even thought it ended with a cliffhanger that came completely out of left field, I still ate up every second of it.
Frank, the most prolific serial killer ever, has returned and this time he's out to get Gideon. First off though, I have to say - I am terrified of Keith Carradine. Man... that guy is creepy. However, he played his part to perfection and it made for a thoroughly engrossing chase.
He's back, and unless his love Jane is returned, he plans to begin killing people Gideon has saved in previous cases. Things are complicated though when Gideon can't properly assist in the case because Frank murders Gideon's girlfriend making him a suspect. Sneaky, huh? I loved how the whole episode felt like a big season long culmination though. A melding of all these previous cases. Frank got to the young woman the BAU team saved in the season premiere from The Fisher King, but they were able to save the young girl Tracy Belle (again). Remember her? She was in the episode "The Boogeyman."
In the end Frank got his way, got his Jane, and the two of them jumped in front of a moving commuter train. Slightly anti-climactic but it felt satisfying. Frank isn't exactly the type of character that could keep showing up because eventually it would just be the same thing over and over again. He kills people, we get it. I'm glad it ended this way.
Now, on to the cliffhanger. Jayne Atkinson guest-starred as some sort of FBI director named Erin Strauss. For whatever reason, she has it in for the BAU team. Especially Hotch. She thinks the team is reckless and it stems from poor leadership. She's got ammo though. Elle's dismissal, Morgan's run in with the Chicago police, and Reid's drug issues all stand out. You gotta love Hotch though. The second that Strauss questioned his abilities, he expertly began to profile her and you know he was right because she immediately got defensive. Then he went on to profile his entire team, to perfection. It was an awesome scene and he owned every second of it. She was literally speechless and she realized Hotch wasn't just going to bend over and "quit." Then came the cliffhanger. Strauss went to Prentiss. Asked her to help get rid of Hotch.
So as I said, it definitely came out of left field. But it leaves plenty of questions for us to ponder. How devoted is Prentiss to the BAU team? In his assessment of her, Hotch made it clear that she still doesn't feel like she's part of the team. That could cloud her judgment, especially if she sees this as a way to further her own career. It could be interesting to see things take that route and get some dissension and tension amongst the team members. I don't think Prentiss would sell Hotch out like that though. Thus far, she's proved to be a good person. Which makes me wonder why Strauss would go to her. Is there something we don't know about Agent Emily Prentiss? I'm intrigued to say the least and I look forward to the answer. 6 out of 7. Not bad for what some people still consider to be just another "cop show."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-17-2007 @ 10:46AM
RedPen said...
I agree wholeheartedly... I was engrossed from opening scene to end fade out (I did surface for air during those annoying commercials, though). Keith Carradine is phenomenal! Talent of that caliber (Carradine vs Patinkin) just builds so wonderfully...
I knew it, I just KNEW it... I haven't been able to put aside this niggling distrust of Prentiss ever since she came barging in unannounced. And now to find out that this woman essentially "planted" her. Ooooh, things are gonna get ugly when the rest of the team finds out...
And the super-kudos award this ep go to Thomas Gibson!! Wow. Just wow. We've been watching Hotch slowly burn out all season, and now this... but what a spark to reassure us he's not going anywhere without a fight.
I like the little things that were covered in this ep: JJ's comment to Reid about NOT splitting up... Garcia's mini-bonding session with Gideon... the recap of cases... and all sewn together beautifully via concise, well-paced writing and direction.
Brava!! I shall now await eagerly the undoing of Hotch's new nemesis... whoever that might specifically be.
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5-17-2007 @ 10:46AM
Whitney said...
I missed the season finale!!!!
any word on an online post or a re-run of this episode?
help!!!!!
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5-17-2007 @ 10:46AM
wendy said...
I never missd a show this yr. with my daughters n they r 16 n 20 if they dont have to work. The season finale was awsome it had me on my seat, I knew she would go back with the goof. I felt ssoooo bad for Giddeon and his date.I will try to fight and keep agent Hotch for next year and of course the rest of the team. I think Elle will somehow let the team and hotch now what is going on and they will take maters into their own hands next season. Hey it would not be CRIMINAL MINDS without the minds of all our FBI AGENTS. thats what I think.
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5-17-2007 @ 10:46AM
radwimp said...
amazing episode. i'm glad there was so much gideon in it, is it just me or was he kind of in the background for most of the season? i kind of missed the season one gideon until this episode.
the whole bau/hotchner review kind of came out of left field... and it was strange that the woman would go to prentiss. i've always felt she was hiding something about herself ever since she came on. i hope she doesn't decide to stab hotchner in the back though.
kudos to thomas too, he has been great. in a character that first appears to be a cardboard cutout FBI agent, he manages to bring something special. i can't wait until next season!
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5-17-2007 @ 10:46AM
cajun63 said...
this is why this is the best show on TV........a great show last nite.....
thomas gibson is the real deal.........i say best actor of the year.........
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5-17-2007 @ 10:46AM
sw said...
I thought this episode was kinda dull. They rehashed an old story in a fairly predictable way. Same killer, same victims, same everything. Then they throw in some sort of internal office politics, who cares!
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5-17-2007 @ 11:11AM
keepitreal said...
sw, im on your side. i was curious to see how it was reviewed (not expecting a 6/7 although obv we're the minority). while i thought the ep was done well in some ways, i just found myself not into it.
still love the show, but something about last night didnt click.
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5-17-2007 @ 5:01PM
Flutesong said...
I was away from home and missed the first 5 minutes. I was hoping the ending was in reference to what I missed and that it made sense for the FBI assistant director to have it in for Hotch. From the comments, I gather this is not so.
I think what I liked best, other's than Hotch's responce to the director at the end, which was awesome, was that when Gideon'd had enough and is on his way to blow the serial killer's brains out, that the team was waiting and had the guy at pistols drawn - already. The whole massive police presence was also good. They were NOT being reckless at all.
I am not sure I buy the idea that Jane was the murderer's mom image though. But if they saw so, I can go with it.
I was freaked out entirely that he killed Rebecca, I mean, hadn't she suffered enough?
I am very glad the little (Fanning) cutie was saved, nothing could be more pathetically appealing than her thank you to Gideon, and Hotch knew that. So he had Gideon listen to her.
I do love this show and hate that it will be months before a new one comes again.
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5-17-2007 @ 5:01PM
Jo Ann said...
this show is really good. I had not watched most of the shows, don't remember why not. However, I hate to think of CSI's finale.if Sara dies I will never watch this program again. If they want tokill someone off they should eliminate Marge - have never liked her, even in movies she made. She thinks she is hot, and she's really not -hahaha
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5-17-2007 @ 7:40PM
KSS said...
I too missed the finale :( Where can I watch it on the internet? I have tried everywhere and found nothing. PLEASE HELP ME FIND A SITE!
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5-18-2007 @ 9:06AM
CC said...
My one pet peeve about the show - the train coming through Union Station, killing Frank and Jane. In real life, if there was a "situation" at a train station, they would not have trains coming in or out. And they definitely wouldn't just be passing by at full speed.
I enjoy Criminal Minds and obviously, you have to have a certain bit of suspension of disbelief (considering they almost always catch the bad guys) but that was one ending that was just didn't make sense.
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5-19-2007 @ 12:50PM
Vicki said...
I also missed the season finale, would like to know if it will air again.
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5-21-2007 @ 3:35PM
vicky said...
yo vivo en Republica Dominicana, y me encanta Criminal Minds, yo creo que hasta ahora es la mejor serie de suspenso en la television, y no me pierdo ninguno de los episodios
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5-21-2007 @ 3:36PM
Ricky said...
Yes CC (11), the arrival of the train -- and the ability of the evil/wacky couple to evade all those cops in order to commit their "romantic" death leap -- made for one weak, implausible, cliche-ridden climax.
For months now, I've found that the show has been cranking up the blood and gore content, while sinking from it's earlier high level of intelligent writing. This episode nudged mediocre "teen slasher flick" territory.
Gets a 4 from me.
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5-23-2007 @ 4:38PM
Jan said...
I LOVE THIS SHOW! PRENTISS HAD BETTER NOT DO IN HOTCH - THE WHOLE TEAM WORKS SO WELL TOGETHER, IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO DESTROY THEM
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5-28-2007 @ 7:44PM
John said...
What's the setting for Criminal Minds?
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5-26-2007 @ 1:22PM
John said...
What is the setting for criminal minds?
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5-28-2007 @ 8:11PM
Spence said...
I enjoyed this season finale. It was very nice to get some actual criminal profiling in, instead of all these episodes about culture, or the victims and them fighting back (Anyone else notice that happening lately?)
I particularly enjoyed the scene in which Reid took a moment to go and look at the body of Frank's mother. Brief, but powerful. You could imagine a number of expressions he might have had on his face.
I would be a very sad viewer if anything were to happen to Hotch. Personally, I prefer Elle to Prentiss, and I wouldn't mind if Emily were to hit the road. I remember in "Revelations" she mentioned that Hotch didn't trust women as much as men... character flaw though it may be, it seems he might have a reason to, if she goes to the dark side...
Can't wait for next season.
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