CM's Season 6

[danikos-realms.livejournal.com]

I’ve reached episode 16 of Criminal Mind’s last season, and I can sum it up in a couple of words: what the fudge? I’m not trying to offend anyone’s sensibilities, but I though this show was a huge deal in the USA. What the heck are they doing lately? And what’s up with the spin-off?

The Rant

From the very beginning, the season has seemed rushed, overly dramatic and very little about the team and the criminals — as it was, as it should be, and the reasons why I even bother to watch when it’s not even aired in my country at decent hours.

Whatever, I thought, they’re focussing more on the team itself this season; I could live with that. But then they stopped showing the team! JJ is gone (I liked her, although I was not a huge fan), and Prentiss is on the same track . . .

Or, at least, that’s what I hear. I’m willing to pay good fic to anyone who tells me it’s a lie and means it.

Plus, the criminals stopped being interesting psychos to being simply psychos (bonus points for the one with the mummy’s issues, though), and everything is getting more and more makeshift by the episode. I only watch out of sheer loyalty for the veterans and hope it’ll change.

Furthermore, they simply won’t develop any of the main character’s stories. They throw us a bone every now and then (Morgan’s Ellie and Reid’s headaches and Garcia’s struggle with the job and Prentiss’s past) but where is the development, the background, the cathartic scenes these lovely actors do so well? When I think of Thomas Gibson in episode 5.09...! This season is seriously lacking.

Then, behold, the final blow that wrenched my heart: Ashley Seaver. I feel like crying.

The actress is beautiful, nice and competent so far (sort of aiming at replacing JJ, though, isn’t she? With the way she looks and all. . .), but where the hell does her character fit?

Ashley has no experience whatsoever, despite her rather dramatic background, which leads me to the conclusion that the whole plot is to get a pretty face to replace JJ and get Reid laid. Which I do not appreciate, because this show used to have standards and now they’re trying to convince the audience (an intelligent audience, I might add, if they enjoy this type of production) that this is believable.

They called her for her unique insight? She was profiling in her second episode! Not even Reid did that!! And the big boys – Hotch, Morgan and Rossi – actually listened? Please . . .

Plus, what kind of writers present a character’s whole back story in a single episode and get her involved in the main plot, before we even got to care for her? Which, admittedly, I totally could, IF SHE WAS BELIEVABLE. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but, “Hello, Mary Sue.”

I hope – I really do, with all my CM-loving heart – that they back on the horse before the mess it all up (and that they kick Ashley Seaver back into the Academy, where she should have stayed).

Now, what do you think? Am I being unreasonable, picky, bitch-y? I really do welcome any kind of opinions, because this cannot seriously be as bad as it looks . . . Anyway, that’s my two cents. I’m really disappointed with this season.

Comments

[sugakane-01.livejournal.com]

My two cents (or half cent or whatever its worth :D)

Seaver, for me (and a lot of fans) is a giant, flashing neon sign that represents everything that's going downhill with the show. She's a symptom, not the problem, but unfortunately she's a symptom that was pretty much forced on the audience at the worst possible time in the worst possible way. Forcing a character on an unwilling audience is unfair to the actress, the character and the audience. Forcing a poorly written character on the audience is just seven different types of unfair.

Seaver has no business in the BAU period. From the very first show they've told us the BAU is supposed to be an ELITE group of FBI agents and they only take the best of the best. When Prentiss showed up in his office Hotch's EXACT words to her were "Profiling is a specialty, we can't just let anyone who wants to give it a whirl." And Emily was a FULLY qualified agent with experience AND the proper paperwork and he STILL didn't want to let her on the team. But Seaver, whose only claim to fame is her time on the obstacle course and her childhood trauma gets accepted easy as pie? Sorry but that flies in the face of the show's history and the character's history. Look at how little trust he put in Jordan Todd and she was an accomplished agent. Hotch wouldn't want Seaver near his team, period, end of story. ESPECIALLY after how she screwed up in her first outing with the team. Exceptions are being made for her and they aren't showing WHY exceptions are being made for her.

Then there's the fact that she brings NOTHING to the table. Everyone on the team has a specialty. Rossi's is interrogation and negotiotion, Hotch has SWAT and tactile experience, Morgan's is bombs and obsessional crimes, Emily's is interrogation, Penny is the tech genius, Reid is their "expert on everything" but more specifically he rocks the geographical profile like nobody's business, Seaver...is just there. She serves no purpose at this point and that's the problem. We knew who everyone was and what they did from the word go(even JJ outlined her purpose when she introduced herself to Elle...heck we knew Elle's area of expertise was sex crimes five minutes after we met her!) And yeah, there HAS been enough time because we knew what Rossi and Prentiss were experts in by their second episode! It just feels like the writers don't know what direction to take Seaver in (she CAN'T replace JJ because she can't fill that emotional role for the team but she can't be what would be her "natural" role as the one they protect and are protective of because Reid's got that spot on lock, she's got no point and no place as of yet) and as a result I don't know how I'm supposed to see her and quite frankly, haven't been given a reason to invest in or be interested in her. Sorry if I offended any Seaver fans but that's how I feel.


Seaver is a symptom of a much bigger problem. Criminal Minds has gotten away from what made it awesome in the first place. Outside of The Reaper arc there has been very few shining moments recently. Core relationships between the characters have put on the backburner in favor of the UnSub of the Week type storytelling. There's almost no real bonding moments anymore (when was the last really good Reid/Hotch moment or Prentiss/Rossi?) yet they keep telling us how much of a "family" they are. If you came late to the CM party you'd never be able to tell. And the UnSubs themselves used to be more interesting...there hasn't been a truly interesting UnSub in FOREVER. Foyet is about the best they've had recently. It's like they're going for a gimmick of the week format one week its the "Natural Born Killers" couple, one week its Annie Wilkes from Misery...uh I mean a "motivational" speaker. Its eyeroll worthy.

I love CM, but the train has been sliding off the track for awhile now. Most of the problems are rooted in the writing and the direction they are choosing to take the show in (cheap, gimmick plots over character driven stories). Watch a couple of reruns then watch the newer episodes and its almost like watching two completely different shows. :(

[thecowboycliche.livejournal.com]

FWIW, I do agree with everything you've said about Seaver here. It makes perfect sense to me. I think what I like about her is actually the actress, who seems really awesome, so it's helped the character to grow on me. But you're not wrong at all. She IS just there, I agree. She could have been written into the show a hundred times better. I don't see why she couldn't have been a full fledged agent when she entered at least.

Also, fantastic point about Prentiss. It's probably due to the fact that most of the writers now are new and it seems like they haven't watched any of the older episodes, so they have no clue.

[sugakane-01.livejournal.com]

LOL I think part of why I'm so frustrated with Seaver is because I actually do like Rachel Nichols..she rocked it out on Alias and I wanted to like her on CM but this character...its just bad. Bad timing, bad conception, bad writing, just bad all around. And I've NEVER not liked anyone on CM before. I FLOVED Gideon and Elle but didn't have a problem with Prentiss or Rossi.

I get that some people are so ticked about the backstage drama that it made it impossible for them to like Seaver but for me I figure cast changes are part of the game, they happen and sometimes the way they happen suck but its the nature of the beast. I could have embraced Seaver same as I did Prentiss and Rossi if the character were half decent. But for me she's not and THAT is the problem. Also they are compromising not only show history but character history in order to make her "fit" and THAT irritates me to no end. I want to like this character because I like the actress and I love the show but they made it an uphill battle.

[thecowboycliche.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of the bitterness is that AJ was fired but Mandy and Lola left of their own accord. It SEEMS like AJ was pushed out in place of a female who does look remarkably like her. However, I've tried to move beyond that and not see Seaver/Nichols in that way. I certainly don't want her to die (the actress or the character haha) or get kicked off or anything.

What majorly pissed me off was how they had to degrade Reid in order to believably get on the team by saying that HE got a waive on his cadet training too. That's not fair to him at all.

It's bad writing, and as someone else mentioned, I think Seaver is more of a symptom than the actual problem. I'm trying to give her a chance, because I think she does have some redeeming qualities maybe somewhere in there, I just want the writers to DO something with her. It's like she's just HERE now.

[tearbos.livejournal.com]

YES to your point about Reid! I almost turned off the episode at that point because they've worked so hard previously to show how hard Reid works to earn his place, and then they counter-act that so insanely just to make new girl feel better.

Character development has been seriously lacking this season-with possible exception of Prentiss-and it's to the point where they're actually harming the characters with inane comments and plotlines.

[westmoon.livejournal.com]

What majorly pissed me off was how they had to degrade Reid in order to believably get on the team by saying that HE got a waive on his cadet training too.

Don't even get me started on that one. And on all his physical training????!!!! Gimme a break.

[bc-girl.livejournal.com]

Thanks. This pretty much sums it up for me, too. Well said.

[calendae.livejournal.com]

Seaver is there to be an apprentice? Not everyone starts out as elite. I don't see there being that much of a problem with them saying, hey, so we have teams of people that are great, here is this new character we are going to show engaging in the process of what it means to become elite. That's how I see Seaver's role and that is why I'm invested in her in a way I never was for Prentiss. Prentiss had one or two episodes wherein there was some conflict and interesting directions. I want to see what happens with Seaver.

Watching perfectly competent people doing above average work in a formulaic way has gotten old for me. I applaud them for doing something new. I know not everyone agrees with that.

[yaba324.livejournal.com]

@calendae: I totally don't have a problem with Seaver joining the team, I just feel like she's been there for about five or six episodes in total now and except for the first one, they haven't given her much to work with. I don't think it would be a problem for her to join if she had a say more active role or there was a tiny bit more character development, but they brought her back and they haven't really integrated her as well as they have with past characters.

I really am excited to see what they have planned for her, because it must be something and I think it'll be really interesting, I just think it's been really slow for her character so far and a lot of that is due in part to focus on others, which I don't have a problem with, it's just sort of weird.

I'm definitely not writing her off just yet if at all, I like the idea of someone else joining the team, especially someone with a back story as interesting as Seaver, I just hope they do something with it, ya know?

[calendae.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think they've been a little hamstrung by the Prentiss exit storyline eating up the little time (very little time) they've parceled out for "character development." They used to be much better at integrating it into cases in an organic way, but haven't for the last two seasons.

I don't disagree that her introduction hasn't seemed to go anywhere, but I'm not willing to write her off until there's actually some sort of time to work with Seaver.

[yaba324.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I think we need to wait and see what happens. I'm kind of hoping it'll be something totally awesome :D. Great to find people who don't straight up just say F*** Seaver, she's useless lol.

[sharingcoldfeet.livejournal.com]

What happened to all the crazy-ass killers that fed people to pigs? Or the all the prostitutes that hit on Reid? Those were the good old days... ;)

[tearbos.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. We might as well be watching any other crime drama series for as much as this season resembles the original show.

[icy-imaginary.livejournal.com]

I agree with everything you said.

About Seaver, I try to like her and so far I do but the writers start making it impossible because of the things you pointed out. She has no special part in the team. She is just standing around, asking questions instead of being any helpful. There is also nothing new from the academy she can bring in. I don't see how she could be any help and why Hotch would let her join the team at all.
It's just sad how the write her character ._.
And it is like they have no idea what happened during the former seasons and that is the worst thing for me.

[danikos-realms.livejournal.com]

*nods* and *nods* It's much better phrased than mine, but yes. I totally agree.