{ Criminal Minds, 4x06, The Instincts. }

[delga]

All the scenes of people advancing swiftly with guns? It's crass, I know, but I really love that stuff. Especially the opening dream sequence (which I'm sure everyone pegged; the centre-shot focus on Reid and the never-ending corridor kind of gave that one up) where I felt everyone was rather wonderfully badass.

Reed Diamond! And the actress who played the mother is one that I recognise from somewhere. I loved that scene where Reid has the nightmare and the mother sort of... empathises? And then all the scenes with Mrs Reid (another brilliant actress).

Morgan was kindly through and through, and I liked seeing JJ with the mother. I also liked Emily and Rossi partnering up (in fact, I like that whenever it happens because they work well together) and I really liked the interrogation scene. Comparing that to the episode I watched earlier this week (girl in mall; Paula Malcolmson), these rare moments of aggression from Emily are well-paced. She is insistent, like a jackhammer. It's details: one, two, three, straight after the other, with every line another layer against the unsub. It's not an uncommon feature from any of the characters, but it always strikes me when she does it, and not just because of my bias. It strikes me because whilst Reid may be the reader, and Rossi may be the writer, Emily is the linguist. There's an immense power to the language she chooses - and to all the words she doesn't choose, or doesn't say.

On the shallow end: JJ/AJ Cooke is looking wonderful. And Garcia's hair actually made me exclaim out loud (true story). Plus, when I was talking about the opening sequence, you should know that I was also talking about Emily. (Bad. Ass.)

I liked the way the story progressed; I liked how they managed to get the Reid story in there; I'm looking forward to next week's episode. I only pegged that it would be his father after the end montage (which, again, wonderful: people laughing! Smiling! Oh gosh). Dad? Oh, Reid.

I was thinking: parents are a big deal for Reid and for Emily. Until now the focus has been on mothers - visible mothers. The fathers are silent and anonymous. I wonder if next week will mark a change on more than one front?

--

Why, yes. I am ever-more obsessed with this show. Could you tell?

Comments

[asemic.livejournal.com]

The mother is Kari Matchett who is a consistently awesome actress. And Kellerman!

The first scene felt so exaggerated. Everyone seemed to move in a parody of themselves which added to the surrealism of the dream.

Reid may be the reader, and Rossi may be the writer, Emily is the linguist.

This analysis is why I love your meta and commentary. I have nothing else to say except, yes.

And yes, I agree with you on the growing inclusion of fathers. It seems like they are going to be just as ruinous or misunderstood as the mothers. For Reid's sake I can only hope that his father's involvement with this child was not violent. If there is one thing this show emphasizes it is that nothing is as it seems.

[asemic.livejournal.com]

And another thing. There is such a heavy emphasis on children this season. Specifically tonight's episode highlighted JJ's child, Diana's choice between her son and her medication, the loss of a mother's child, and the baby crawling in Reid's dream. And don't forget Emily's genius babies question.

It feels like there's a theme of completion of the family going on. We are learning more about Reid's mother and will understand more about his father. Emily's mother was introduced and I'm sure the issue of her father will come about. We have two aborted families and JJ beginning one. I don't know if I'm making any sense, but it feels like we are coming full circle.