As far as Season 8 episodes, "The Apprenticeship" is not as good as "The Lesson", "God Complex" and "The Good Earth" but it is far superior to "Magnificent Light" (the weakest of the season), "Through the Looking Glass" and "The Replicator", "Zugzwang" was not a bad episode but really frustrated me with that slap-in-the-face ending.
Overall opinion is that it is a good episode, but a few things stop it from being great. It is not 'Criminal Minds' at its best, and when it was at its best great doesn't describe it, but there is far worse in the show, with some episodes not feeling like 'Criminal Minds' at all or without a lot or all of the ingredients that makes the show so good.
There are, as aforementioned, a few things that could have been done better. Profiling does make a very welcome return, and mostly it is very thought-provoking, but some of the case does take too quickly to solve at times and it did feel strange that the team took so long to realise the type of unsub they were looking for (being much younger than thought) when it was very obvious to the viewer early on, at least there isn't any without proof or hasty conclusion jumping though. There are a couple of parts that suggested some really cool twists were going to happen but they didn't, the start wasn't that much of a shock to me.
Morgan was occasionally a bit too taunting and demeaning to Reid, which was a bit of a turn off when he has shown in episodes like "Elephant's Memory" (one of the show's best ever episodes") that he is a big brother figure that is sympathetic and protective. The mother's indifference towards getting obligatory help for her son rubbed me up the wrong way and felt so callous and cold, while the younger unsub's motivation for how he came to be that way seemed too extreme and unrealistic.
However, the case was a gripping and creepy one (especially the brilliantly twisted bond between the unsubs and that unsettling ending), with an idea rarely seen before on 'Criminal Minds', if ever. The team dynamic on the whole is great, with a hugely satisfying scene with Reid and baseball and the scene on the plane talking about and doing the little competition on past cases and crimes. It was lovely to see Hotch smiling, Rossi sarcastic and sassy and Blake not being as cold or disconnected. The script is thoughtful and intelligent, while the pacing never rushes or drags.
Production values are high in quality as always, and the music is suitably mood-enhancing, with the right balance of the haunting and the melancholic. The acting is very good, all the regulars are without fault and Matthew Lillard does incredibly well in a completely different departure role from his mostly goofy and comedic roles. Toby is also very well played.
In conclusion, good and well done episode that could have been better. 7/10 Bethany Cox
7 out of 11 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
