"Ashes and Dust" Episode Discussion Post

[laguera25.livejournal.com]

Here is the discussion post for tonight's episode. Squee and speculate to your hearts' content, but no flaming. Remember, comments might contain spoilers.

Comments

[sevs-girl72.livejournal.com]

YAY!!! It has been way to long since the last new ep!!
I am soo pumped for this!!
45 more minutes.....GAH! I don't know if I can last this long.
I think Gideon is going to go crazy. He hasn't handle fire very well in the past.
Hurrahs! for crazy Gideon!

[beatriceeagle.livejournal.com]

It was his mom. This is my sole coherent thought. I think. I need a few moments to process...

[tsiankiio.livejournal.com]

The thing is, even if his dad died, it still could have been him. Married mothers rarely abuse with either the father participating, knowing, or at least highly suspecting and choosing not to do anything about it. Which is not to say that they wouldn't subvert the paradigm, it's just that sometimes I channel Reid, and I may spend the next fifteen minute googling numbers for ya (or, err, would that be Garcia?)

[beatriceeagle.livejournal.com]

Something of a combination, I guess. XD

This show's big on subverting paradigms. Really, really big on it. It's obvious that he has some background in abuse, and he looks back on his father fondly, as we've seen in "The Tribe" and now "Ashes and Dust." His father could be the abuser, depending on how Hotch's mind works, but it seems much more likely that it was someone else, and the most obvious candidate, after his father, is his mother.

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

Or a stepdad.

Hotch takes the bullet for Gideon at the beginning, and Gideon takes the bullet for Hotch at the end.

Also, Hotch tucking the picture of mom and baby into the folder at the beginning was something else.

And again, Hotch makes time for other people's families.

Nice.

[canetr.livejournal.com]

I didn't understand your comment about "his mom". Can you clarify? Thanks.

[tsiankiio.livejournal.com]

Oh, Aaron. Uhm, I'm not sure I have anything else constructive to say, beside enjoying the look between Gideon and Reid while Reid was talking about fire being the addict's drug of choice.

[beatriceeagle.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I kind of shouted at the TV, "That was poignant, Reid!"

[scsquidsnaps.livejournal.com]

I really liked this episode.
I loved all the focus on Hotch, especially his explanation of his family life.
I also really liked this guy who played Abby. I thought he did really well. I really believed his part.

And, of course, I adored the little moment with Reid and Gideon. It was just perfect that the episode wasn't focused on Reid, but there was still that subtle reminder that not only does he have a problem, but Gideon is helping him. I thought it fit really natural into the flow of the episode and it didn't take away at all from the Hotch centered episode, but it still showed the viewers what was going on.

And of course, I'm so happy we have a new episode. Its been far too long.

Also, I didn't see an episode preview. Is there not a new episode on next week?

[beatriceeagle.livejournal.com]

I don't think there's a new episode until April.

I still haven't made up my mind about Reid.

[palpableparadox.livejournal.com]

I was slightly disappointed with the lack of Garcia and Reid in this episode, but I really enjoyed the Hotch heavy episode. It's rare.

[scsquidsnaps.livejournal.com]

I was too, but I did really like having Garcia at the table. I think it shows that she's a part of the team so I'm glad they had her there.

I wasn't as dissapointed with the lack of Reid, because I think they really need to have some back story/characterization of someone else now, because Reid has been the focus for awhile now.
Not that I'll ever complain about a Reid heavy episode ;)

[kelmendi.livejournal.com]

Loved the episode... but was I the only one wondering why the first family chose to crawl through a fiery inferno rather than climb out of their first-story bedroom window?

Loved the Hotch and Reid stuff.

[scsquidsnaps.livejournal.com]

I was too, but later when Morgan was acting as the unsub, he pretended to pour kerosene in front of the windows and said the unsub did it to make sure the front door was the only way they could get out.

[tsiankiio.livejournal.com]

Oh, that I caught, and was trying hard not to yell at them. But if the guy was in the house, he probably would have gone after them or something?

[marykaykare.livejournal.com]

No, you are not the only wondering that. I noticed it immediately. Annoying.

MKK

[randomclassact.livejournal.com]

I was upset that there was not to much of Reid in this episode. But I'm really happy that it was a Hotch centered episode. It gives me more insight into what I can put into my other blog, alongthereids.livejournal.com

And I loved, loved, loved the part where Reid called fire the unsub his drug. And there was no Garcia/Morgan love

[mint-chan.livejournal.com]

Ah, sorry, but the icon you are using is mine, can you please credit?

[polgarawolf.livejournal.com]

Alright. So. Reid seems to have assembled enough of the pieces of himself into a shape approximating what he used to be for the team to've mostly stopped doing their oh-so-careful not-watching routine. (Morgan not really being an exception given that he never bothered to really hide the fact that he was watching Reid.) Hotch, on the other hand, seems to be approaching a crisis point of some kind at home, while Gideon seems to be becoming . . . oddly quiet. Is it just me, or was Gideon oddly quiet this episode? Almost too quiet. Hmmm.

My heart gave a little jolt there when I saw all of them gathered around the round table, Garcia and JJ included. You know it's been a while since a show's been on when you get an adrenaline rush just watching a mostly typical opening.

And this may sound a bit callous, but does anyone else think it was rather idiotic of the people who were killed this episode to've panicked the way they did, in each instance? There were windows in that house. The people in the car could've driven over the arsonist and through the garage door. The person on the phone should've dropped instead of running about in circles screaming. Doesn't anyone teach basic fire safety anywhere anymore???

[tsiankiio.livejournal.com]

I think Gideon has a thing about fire, probably something from before Boston, or at least he had a thing and then Boston made it about fire. Hotch has obviously twigged to this fact, and I think the two of them don't need to actually talk that much to communicate what's going on. (I actually think that they'd pass the broccoli test, though sometimes Gideon would come back with scotch instead, saying he thought it was a better idea).

All I can say is panic is a strong motivator and it really robs you of a lot of common sense. I'm pretty sure the cell phone guy would have died no matter what he did, and the car people were still stuck in the car even if they made it out of the garage.

[scsquidsnaps.livejournal.com]

Yea. I was screaming "Stop! Drop! And roll! You idiot!" at the screen when the guy caught on fire. When he hit the car I was first thinking that they should run him over, but the dad eventually said that he couldn't start the car, so I figured the guy did something to the engine.
And yea, I thought they probably could've jumped out the window, but I guess the writer's just wanted to get them to the front door.

[mint-chan.livejournal.com]

That's what I was thinking at first, but the UnSub made it so the fire was around all the windows, making it so the door was the only way out, I'm pretty sure.

And the ones in the car. The guy said he had already tried to start the car, but it wouldn't start.

[beatriceeagle.livejournal.com]

So there was some definite Prentiss focus during the dying woman scene. I'm not sure if it was just the enormity of what they were doing or if she has more personal issues with it, but she was definitely freaked. And Prentiss is not a getting-freaked kind of person. Usually. (Exceptions: dead prostitute, any time Reid acts oddly, and a little bit the rape greenscreen from "Jones.")

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

LOTS of good Prentiss this ep.

Did you notice she cracked the case?

[carinvdd.livejournal.com]

I loved the episode but I was watching it with a different eye than I usually do. I saw so much of it being taped so I was watching it more to see how the finished product would look. I liked that we had a Hotch centered episode. Actually I liked it all except the lack of any real Garcia. :) Jill

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