User Reviews

A top episode, Spenser Reid centric, a very emotional one. 9/10 A little mistake spotted, in season 1 Jason Gideon teach chess to Spencer, and Gideon Beat Reid everytime. But in this episode we learn that Spencer play till he s a kid and was already better than adult. He sould have cruch Gideon. Nobody can notice that, but Im a chess player so 😛

I love this programme, although I am sure that there is some poetic justice to make it suitable for TV viewing it is still a wonderful programme to watch. I would like to take Dr Reid home, as a genius he would be an interesting person to talk with, with all the knowledge that he has accumulated in his quite short life. Do the real BAU staff like the way this programme portrays what they do? Do the producers and story/script writers of the programme make up the stories are do they have access to Freedom of Information as we do in England after a specific amount of time has passed, go look at the types of cases that the BAU would actually consult on.

"Memoriam" and "The Instincts" were returns to form after (from memory) being disappointed in "Catching Out", and among the best episodes of Season 4. When 'Criminal Minds' have focused mostly or entirely on one character, results have varied.

Some have been great (like a lot of the Reid-centric episodes, like this, "The Instincts", "Entropy", "Revelations" and "Elephant's Memory", "100" for Hotch and "Zoe's Reprise" for Rossi). Others have been underwhelming ("200" for JJ, "The Black Queen" and "Burn" for Garcia and "Derek" for Morgan).

The story was an incredibly powerful, intense and moving one, dealing with the dark sides of Reid's past and the present-day Reid goes through some very complex emotions here. The dreams are still as eerie as they were in "The Instincts" and perhaps even more so. The script was thought-provoking, intelligently written and taut, especially with Reid and Diana, profiling may be little but this is a case where it didn't necessarily matter. Also loved the sweet and touching part at the end when JJ gives birth and names Reid as godfather, a welcome uplifting side to a dark case, and Rossi and Morgan's concern and compassion.

Matthew Gray Gubler's acting is truly superb in "Memoriam". This is also the case with Jane Lynch, harrowing and affecting in a serious role. In fact, everybody is great and the chemistry between the team still delighting.

Production values are impeccably done as always, and there is nothing to fault the music or directing.

Overall, a high point of Season 4 and along with "The Instincts" saw the season (a vast majority of which has been a strong one, one of the show's better seasons) and the show in general returning to form. 10/10 Bethany Cox