I have to agree that this season has had it's share of problems, not the least of which is a trend toward exploitation-sado-pornishness. The Bonny&Clyde ep and the season finale come to mind, along with others. The show seemed to be on more solid ground with the team seeing the results (crime scenes) and aftermath (victim families) and (along with the viewer) trying to understand the unsub in order to prevent more of the same.
It used to be only the occasional episode that followed the unsub right from the start, but in the latest season it seems to have become commonplace - which doesn't work nearly as well, IMO.
Oh, and the gratuitous Prentiss bra scene... that was entirely pointless. If Doyle had used his little "soldering iron" to burn a design on Emily's chest she would have been in tremendous pain, no matter how well "she can take it". Yet, IIRC, we saw no indication of that at all; which goes back to AFTERMATH. The lingering effects of violent criminal acts, whether on families, surviving victims, and maybe most of all on Our Heroes themselves, used to be something that was (usually skillfully) presented, but they can't even seem to show the immediate aftermath in this scene. Which leads me back to the conclusion that there was no reason for it other than to show a flash of Emily's upper chest. It's not like PB hasn't been seen on screen in considerably less [Huff]; that's not the point - it was gratuitous because the context just didn't support it. /rant
no subject
It used to be only the occasional episode that followed the unsub right from the start, but in the latest season it seems to have become commonplace - which doesn't work nearly as well, IMO.
Oh, and the gratuitous Prentiss bra scene... that was entirely pointless. If Doyle had used his little "soldering iron" to burn a design on Emily's chest she would have been in tremendous pain, no matter how well "she can take it". Yet, IIRC, we saw no indication of that at all; which goes back to AFTERMATH. The lingering effects of violent criminal acts, whether on families, surviving victims, and maybe most of all on Our Heroes themselves, used to be something that was (usually skillfully) presented, but they can't even seem to show the immediate aftermath in this scene. Which leads me back to the conclusion that there was no reason for it other than to show a flash of Emily's upper chest. It's not like PB hasn't been seen on screen in considerably less [Huff]; that's not the point - it was gratuitous because the context just didn't support it. /rant
Sorry. I get wound up.