I'm watching these in order from the beginning for the very first time. After almost 200 episodes, THIS has to be the most disturbing so far. Wow!
2 Reviews
Disturbing
whoman215 June 2021
Good, if standard, episode with many truly great elements
TheLittleSongbird16 August 2016
'Criminal Minds' is a favourite show of mine. It is not perfect, seasons and episodes are better than others and the last season has generally been very weak. When it was at its best though, in Seasons 2-5 it was really fantastic.
"The Good Earth" is not quite a great episode, a small step down from the very good if imperfect "God Complex" and is not among the best of 'Criminal Minds'. At the same time it is a long way from the worst. For me it is towards the top end of Season 8, which had a solid if slightly disappointing start (especially due to Blake) and fizzled badly on the solution to the Replicator story arc.
Sure, there are definitely things that could have been done better. Still haven't warmed to Blake (a character this reviewer has already been mixed on), she's gelling better and her chemistry with Reid is enjoyable but she does lack personality and is still disconnected. She also definitely should have been called out for her actions in the denouement, which wasn't just lies or trickery, it was deceitful.
Other areas of sloppy writing are the pointless and completely out of place attack of the pregnant woman and the lack of medical research for the disease Scleroderma, which is incurable and life-threatening, the opposite of what is said in "The Good Earth".
However, "The Good Earth" gets off to a very eerie start and the ending with Henry as mini-Reid is simply adorable, a cute and charming end to a very grim case. In between, we get an unoriginally standard but still very atmospheric and eerie case, terrifying treatment of the victims which really makes the viewer squirm in their seats and a shocking motivation for the unsub's actions. Sometimes the team taking so long to solve a case can be a big hindrance, but this time it wasn't a problem seeing as the writing for the victim's unspeakable suffering and the unsub is so good.
Even better are the little character moments within the team that one looks out for all the time in 'Criminal Minds' as they are such a large part of the show's appeal. Particularly enjoyable were the funny exchange between JJ and Reid and Rossi's hilarious quip about Reid's high pitch IQ, as well as the adorable ending. Also really appreciated the toning down of Morgan and Garcia's banter, which tends to be unrealistically overly-flirtatious and annoying.
"The Good Earth" is also very high in production values, nicely directed with a lot of tension and suspense, thoughtfully and smartly scripted and hauntingly and melancholically scored. The acting is very good from all the regulars, apart from the lack of personality for Blake, and Ann Dudek is absolutely fantastic as Emma, who is convincing in her love for her daughter but also chilling in the treatment of the men, one also feels sorry for her for her condition, which despite the lack of research has some harrowing moments.
In conclusion, some truly great elements though the episode itself is just good. 7/10 Bethany Cox
"The Good Earth" is not quite a great episode, a small step down from the very good if imperfect "God Complex" and is not among the best of 'Criminal Minds'. At the same time it is a long way from the worst. For me it is towards the top end of Season 8, which had a solid if slightly disappointing start (especially due to Blake) and fizzled badly on the solution to the Replicator story arc.
Sure, there are definitely things that could have been done better. Still haven't warmed to Blake (a character this reviewer has already been mixed on), she's gelling better and her chemistry with Reid is enjoyable but she does lack personality and is still disconnected. She also definitely should have been called out for her actions in the denouement, which wasn't just lies or trickery, it was deceitful.
Other areas of sloppy writing are the pointless and completely out of place attack of the pregnant woman and the lack of medical research for the disease Scleroderma, which is incurable and life-threatening, the opposite of what is said in "The Good Earth".
However, "The Good Earth" gets off to a very eerie start and the ending with Henry as mini-Reid is simply adorable, a cute and charming end to a very grim case. In between, we get an unoriginally standard but still very atmospheric and eerie case, terrifying treatment of the victims which really makes the viewer squirm in their seats and a shocking motivation for the unsub's actions. Sometimes the team taking so long to solve a case can be a big hindrance, but this time it wasn't a problem seeing as the writing for the victim's unspeakable suffering and the unsub is so good.
Even better are the little character moments within the team that one looks out for all the time in 'Criminal Minds' as they are such a large part of the show's appeal. Particularly enjoyable were the funny exchange between JJ and Reid and Rossi's hilarious quip about Reid's high pitch IQ, as well as the adorable ending. Also really appreciated the toning down of Morgan and Garcia's banter, which tends to be unrealistically overly-flirtatious and annoying.
"The Good Earth" is also very high in production values, nicely directed with a lot of tension and suspense, thoughtfully and smartly scripted and hauntingly and melancholically scored. The acting is very good from all the regulars, apart from the lack of personality for Blake, and Ann Dudek is absolutely fantastic as Emma, who is convincing in her love for her daughter but also chilling in the treatment of the men, one also feels sorry for her for her condition, which despite the lack of research has some harrowing moments.
In conclusion, some truly great elements though the episode itself is just good. 7/10 Bethany Cox
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