Where did everybody go?

[a_blackpanther]

This is the discussion post for Episode 9x03 - "Final Shot". Watch out for SPOILERS in the comments.

Comments

[mzkitteh.livejournal.com]

That's what I've been wondering. I came here to post about last week's episode but the place was pretty much deserted. :\

[a_blackpanther]

This gives me such a sad.... But them most of LJ seems a bit... tumbleweedy.

[dreamabella.livejournal.com]

I am here! I just hope this community doesn't get shut down. Last night I went to the spn_party community a little while before the season premiere of Supernatural started and the mods said they weren't going to run the community anymore.

:0(

[saralindstrom.livejournal.com]

Have you heard of http://all-spn.livejournal.com/? Super-active community.

Haven't had a chance to watch CM yet, we have meetings Wednesday nights so we have to dvr it, but I'm looking forward to it!

[a_blackpanther]

It won't - if I (and the other mods) can't do it anymore I'll turn it over to someone else. It belongs to you guys much more than it ever did to me.

[philstar22.livejournal.com]

Wish I could watch it live, but my tv is on the fritz. I'm still trolling for spoilers though. I can't help it.

[a_blackpanther]

Oh man, just avoid the spoilers. That was fantastic twist.

[dreamabella.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to step away from my computer for the duration of the show, but I will be back afterward! Enjoy. :0)

[diemme.livejournal.com]

Garcia's dress and legs, FTW!

[luscious-words.livejournal.com]

My thoughts exactly! ♥♥♥

[runriggers.livejournal.com]

I really wish they'd go somewhere different in their cases.... How often have they gone to Dallas? There are 50 states, how many cities and towns are there in the States? Not all crime occurs to the major cities. If nothing else, there's 50 state capitals.

[a_blackpanther]

Yeah, but you need more people for mass shootings. Pretty sure they've been to Nowhere, USA quite often, too.

[diemme.livejournal.com]

I quite liked this episode. I wonder if there's going to be a storyline with JJ this season. She was a bit jumpy in this episode.

[dreamabella.livejournal.com]

I got that impression as well. I can't see it being a domestic abuse storyline though (at least, that's what I got from that scene).

[a_blackpanther]

I think there will be. Something about her and the new boss, from what I've read.

[ruralstar.livejournal.com]

Well I was never a regular before last year but I'm dropping by to post about tonight.

I honestly didn't care all that much for the twins in the first two eps of the year. While I agree that going to Dallas again feels a bit like a retread, I actually really enjoyed this story. I guessed that the guy with the girl was the sniper but I did not guess that their whole interaction was a fantasy. I like how it played out. Loved Reid breaking down the timing of the shots to figure out who the targets actually were. His analysis of victim behavior was a direct reference to Maeve. Nice to see that her death still resonates without it being intrusive, tonight much like the nod in last week's episode regarding children. Garcia doing her thing was cool as always. Morgan getting in the face of the white supremacist in prison was AWESOME. JJ with her hand on his shoulder...oh yes way to bait the guy. I thought it was a good team episode with everyone having something to do, with the exception of Rossi who seemed to be there more as a commentator than active participant. Not everyone can have a moment in every episode. Hotch being the badass and taking out the sniper was a nice touch and wrapping the whole thing up with the JFK quote worked nicely.

All and all I would call this a win.

[dreamabella.livejournal.com]

I agree!
Loved the bit between JJ and Morgan with the prisoner. And Hotch at the end was pretty awesome.

[diemme.livejournal.com]

Yes, this was a really well crafted story with a clever twist. I like the idea of the UnSub being more "killing is my business" than psychotic break, sociopathy or hideous childhood.

[meepalicious.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my mind was totally blown by that twist. I tend to be the trusting sort, so I didn't guess that he was the sniper, let alone that their whole escape together was a fantasy.

[dreamabella.livejournal.com]

Tonight's episode was so much better than the first two episodes IMO, simply because it wasn't full of gory details. I enjoy these kinds of episodes more. Hotch is a good shot! The interaction between Reid and JJ has me wondering about stuff now, so I'm interested to see where that goes.

Next week's episode looks like it will go back to the gory stuff though. I hope not. We'll just have to wait and see.

[a_blackpanther]

This episode was full of throwbacks! Hotch being a sharpshooter was established in the first few seasons and then forgotten, the LDSK thing. And then Reid doing the greenscreen walktrough. Awesome! Hope they do more of this. I've really missed these bits.

[runriggers.livejournal.com]

I quite liked the episode as well, definitely the scene with JJ and Morgan in the prison, I agree curious about JJ and her reaction to the abuse angle. Definitely liked the nod to the first seasons where they would 'walk us through the scene' so to speak. And Hotch could be a sniper.....

[periantari.livejournal.com]

So the whole Maya/ sniper was a fantasy? She was hiding out all along?
And what was the link between Maya and Rebecca Shroeder? I didn't get that part.

Otherwise very solid episode-- i like the non gory ones as well. This was quite mysterious and i liked the trying to save the case.

Best parts: JJ&Morgan with the prisoner and Spencer breaking down the time of the shootings. I thought that it was going to be a white guy killing but the black South African was a twist.

[ruralstar.livejournal.com]

Rebecca was Maya's "Angel". She went from the shelter to Rebecca house and then was smuggled out by the delivery guy who didn't know her name.

I'm not a huge fan of the gore either. Loved the psychological mind twisting going in the prison and with the whole Maya/Sniper fantasy.

[mycha-kk.livejournal.com]

I'm glad some more people came here for this episode. I've become an active/regular fan of the show last year and ever since I've been checking this community for post episode discussion. I joined lj only for the communities and as of now I'm involved only with this one. I hope it won't get shut down...

about the episode. I'm glad people commented on it, because I have a very different opinion on this episode. Don't get me wrong I DID enjoyed it quite a lot, but I was not impressed with it at all. I knew who the unsub was from the beginning (and i hate those kind of episodes), and the twist with the fantasy was not that surprising. Also Hotch as a sniper was kind of out of the blue... were there any hints in previous storylines he's got a background/is that a good shooter? (I might be influenced by Bones, so don't mind me that much). Also as I'm not that big fan of JJ (seems I'm in the minority...) I don't care much for her storylines....

BUT! I AM curious what TPTB has planned for JJ (hopefully no domestic abuse/violence, as it's going to be VERY hard to make me believe Will is a bad guy). I thin it might be connected to the mention of the suicide of the helper - that was what has irked JJ. What does we know about JJ's sister? could there be any connection?

Also, I LOVED Reid walking us through the first crime scene. I love those sequences and this one was done very well. I miss those and I hope the see more of them. Another good point of the episode was JJ/Morgan at the prison. I like their partnership and teamwork. They are definitely efficient, can read each other very well and act accordingly. (btw, some fans are squeeing over them being partnered much - there is nothing wrong with that of course - but i just don't see the romantic tension between JJ/Morgan as it's implied by those fans. I wouldn't mind hear some thoughts on this :) ).

And speaking about romantic stuff. one of the things i love about the show it's that it doesn't focus on ships much. but as I am involuntary shipper (it just happens...) I'm inclined toward Morgan/Garcia. (I love their banter and even more so their very close friendship). While I like how their relationship is portrayed and I DO NOT want them the become suddenly the couple, I've been wondering if there might be going something between those two behind the scenes... Some moments are a little too personal even for them and i'm getting confused... Any opinions, guys?

To sum up, I liked the episode, i'm interested in JJ's story, but I was not hyper about it all after, like i was last week - Imho, that was the best episode this season so far.

[a_blackpanther]

Not shutting down! And if I decide I don't have time for this anymore someone else will get a chance to take over. The community belongs to the people using it, not to me.

Hot was special forces or something at some point. It's a thing that was established sometime in the early seasons, quite possibly in LDSK when he was teaching Reid how to shoot. This whole episode felt like one of the earlier seasons, more profiling, the greenscreen walkthrough, JJ being awesomely JJ and bluffing her way through that interrogation.

I must say, I did not see that twist coming. I was really confused for second there.

[meepalicious.livejournal.com]

This is the second unsub (of, y'know, two) motivated by feelings of resentment towards or ownership of women. I know that that's a real thing in the real world (remember that man who shot up an aerobics class? or something, trying to get revenge on his ex-wife or ex-girlfriend?) but I would like to see some other reasons … politics? money?

All that being said, I liked this episode a lot because it felt more like the early seasons, had a twist(s) I never saw coming, and Criminal Minds always handles sexism better, imho, than any of the other crime dramas out there on TV.