User Reviews

At last; an oddity in "Criminal Minds". Well, to be absolutely fair there have been a few in the seven seasons that have deviated slightly from the established formula but this one is a breath of fresh air.

I like the show. It's one of those that I can pop an episode in right before I turn in. Granted; it's a little more disturbing than many others of it's ilk but you know what you're in for and you can always count on the guilty party getting nailed by this crack team of Behavioral Specialists.

Here we have Rossi delivering a lecture in a university on how the BAU functions. The rest of the team have joined him as they backtrack a case that goes back 20 years. A nasty serial killer nicknamed "The Womb Raider" managed to outmaneuver the authorities for 17 years before being caught. Yet after capture and a death sentence the killer has an ace up his sleeve and a firm grip on Rossi for the unforeseeable future.

Rossi is an interesting character and he offers a wealth of possible background information that can be spotlighted at any time. For instance; early on after his character came aboard; he revealed that an old case had stumped him and he always felt responsible for the children whose parents had been murdered. But after the team gets involved; this age old mystery got solved in a matter of hours. This was cheap and severely undermined Rossi's investigative intelligence early on. This is a pretty common thing on "Criminal Minds"; the team simply looks to be TOO DAMN intelligent for viewers to fully accept.

But the Seventh Season has used Rossi's background history in better ways. We were introduced to one of his ex-wives who was suffering from a terminal disease. Mantegna is mostly on auto pilot in the stand-alone episodes, delivering fair but unimpressive performances, and when you see his character go through much personal turmoil as is the case with his ex-wive; you're reminded just how solid an actor Joe Mantegna can be.

Spoiler Alert

We're treading new territory (so to speak) in this episode here. When the killer reveals he has murdered over 100 people and authorities only know of 40; that simply means the team didn't come close on wrapping this case. In the end; Rossi and co. mostly failed despite capturing their Unsub. The killer's ace up his sleeve; revealing the dumping ground for one victim each year on a specific date in exchange for a life sentence instead of death penalty is a macabre one indeed. And choosing Rossi's birthday is quite devilish to boot. Rossi honors the deal, goes to see him every year and gets a name so families of the murdered can get closure.

End of Spoiler

"Profiling 101" is an exiting oddity in the "Criminal Minds" canon. Mantegna gets a meaty episode and he does well and the ending manages to be both chilling and immensely sad. Terrific episode in an overall above average suspense series.

When on form, and even better at its best, 'Criminal Minds' is one of my most watched and most re-watched shows and is a personal favourite. It is nowhere near as good now, but there are still good to great episodes made every now and then when the show doesn't forget what it's about, but Seasons 1-5 was its prime period.

"Profiling 101" is one of the best episodes of Season 7 (a very hit and miss season, with some good episodes, plenty of in between ones and a few lacking ones), along with the likes of True Genius", "The Foundation" and "Dorado Falls". Not only is it the most unique episode of Season 7, with a beautiful concept, some of the richest profiling of a season prone to be lacking in it (or at least not to classic 'Criminal Minds' standards) and some terrific character development and interaction, but it was also one of the most unique episodes of the show in a good while.

My only complaints really are a slight lack of suspense and Rossi's frightful wig in the mortuary scene (not trying to be shallow but that was not a good look for him and was actually more frightening than a number of post-Season 6 unsubs). Garcia not knowing it was Rossi's birthday was also a bit odd, considering her role in the team. Otherwise, "Profiling 101" is a great episode, memorable for its uniqueness, how closely it recreated the essence of classic 'Criminal Minds' that is sadly lacking in too many Season 6 onwards episodes and the brilliant execution of that uniqueness.

Visually, the production values are without complaint. It's very well shot and lit and is overall stylish, gritty, classy and atmospheric. The music is moody in the haunting and melancholic sense and fits well, without either enhancing or distracting from it. The direction keeps the momentum going but lets the case breathe. The script throughout is thought-provoking, tightly structured and well-balanced, with a healthy balance of funny moments, touching moments, thoughtful moments and creepy moments.

Loved everything to do with the undergraduate criminology class, scenes that provoked thought and were incredibly entertaining, like the playful interaction between Rossi and the outspoken pupil. Likewise with how well integrated the whole team were, their roles in the profiling and the class were fresh and so much fun, like Reid and Garcia's response to the genius comment. The profiling was cohesive and the closest Season 7 came to evoking the classic profiling of 'Criminal Minds' in its prime, the reasoning and explanations were fascinating, and the flashbacks were beautifully staged, stylishly shot and added a lot rather than come over as gimmicky, interesting to see Hotch's younger self.

The case is a great one, often very disturbing (the unsub's "happy birthday" sends chills down the spine,) and also very poignant, advantaged by one of the season's creepiest and most interesting unsubs, whose twisted mind games and taunting with Rossi is an episode highlight. The episode is Rossi-centric, and sees some of the richest and most subtle character development he has ever been given (big praise for one of the show's best characters) beautifully done.

Acting is very good, Joe Mantegna's acting here in particular is a pure masterclass in complex subtlety. Matthew Gray Gubler does wonders with material that he can easily sink his teeth into and Adam Nelson is chilling as Yates.

Overall, unique episode and a great one. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I know most people like when the show changes it's formula for a bit, but unlike a few others who have left reviews, this episode doesn't grab me at all. I hate when they have flashbacks, but the old characters who left aren't there. I understand why they aren't, but it kills any realism the scene could have. Plus, the case they are talking about just isn't interesting. The episode really doesn't have an ending, and it turns out they mostly failed. It's just sad and boring.