Final Finale! (pt 2)

[dysfunkshunell1.livejournal.com]

This is the discussion post for Episode 9x24 - "Demons". Watch out for SPOILERS in the comments.

Comments

[philstar22.livejournal.com]

So I've been binge-watching earlier seasons for the past couple of weeks. And I think that this season, minus a few duds, is actually closer to the quality of earlier seasons than I think the few seasons before it were. It feels like they've found their stride again. I'm currently on season 6, and while I enjoyed the Doyle storyline, the rest of the season felt noticeably worse than the season before. And I think 7 and 8 were the same. But I'm really liking 9.

[mycha-kk.livejournal.com]

I'm with you. While neither season 7 and 8 are my favorite (with few exceptions I suppose) season nine has a lot of gems imho. I will definitely rewatch s 9 (and I had no desire to do so with regards to s7 and 8 heck even 6).

[mzkitteh.livejournal.com]

I have a feeling it's going to be Morgan. Mainly because of Shemar Moores new project. I hope it's not though. But I haven't really heard much about contract renewals. :\

[diemme.livejournal.com]

I've heard that MGG is the only one who hadn't renewed but I can't be sure how current that news is.

[runriggers.livejournal.com]

I don't know....

[mzkitteh.livejournal.com]

Yeah I don't even know at this point now. All I know is OMG.

[runriggers.livejournal.com]

Did Blake just call Reid Ethan?

[diemme.livejournal.com]

I heard it too.

[diemme.livejournal.com]

Oh, Rossi, I love you!

[runriggers.livejournal.com]

Yeah Garcia!!!!

[mzkitteh.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD!

[diemme.livejournal.com]

Garcia FTW!

And yay for Hotch beating the crap out of that guy.

[runriggers.livejournal.com]

Kinda saw this coming, actually.

[ruralstar.livejournal.com]

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. A bit over the top to think that pretty much the whole police force was dirty but I suppose people do stranger things for money.

I had heard that MGG was the only one with an open contract. I'm not surprised that he has apparently renewed. I am very glad that Reid actually got some screen time even though he spent a lot of it nodding off in bed or in a chair. The final scene was touching. It humanized Alex in a way the ep set in her home town did not. Her leaving the shield in Reid's bag...yeah, full circle moment. It's easy to forget that Reid knew Alex before she joined the team. I like how Hotch kept the resignation quiet on the plane. I wonder if JT really did break her contract and leave the show, or if we will see Alex in a limited way next season?

I never worried for Morgan. Shemar is on board for at least one more year. I hope CBS wraps the series with suitable warning next season. It would be hard to lose an original character at this point. NCIS did it, and IMO they loused it up badly.

I loved Garcia in action. Purely an instinctive move but well done. The moment with Reid was too sweet. As for the rest... JJ and Hotch kicking ass and taking names, and our steady Rossi pulling it all together. Very satisfying ending to the season.

[sentinelsoul.livejournal.com]

I really liked this. As a two-part episode on its own it was great, and as a season finale it was great as well. I'm bummed about Alex leaving as I really like her character, so hopefully she'll still pop up now and then. At least her leaving was her choice and for a good reason, and there weren't any stupid shenanigans like faking deaths or being shipped off to the state department.

I can believe the whole force or most of it being in on corruption, especially in a smaller town. A police chief or sheriff, I forget which, was arrested in a nearby town years ago for running drugs. It wasn't exactly a surprise, either, practically an open secret. When you mix small town ties, money, and authority, it's always a recipe for corruption thicker than molasses.

[sentinelsoul.livejournal.com]

Oops, that actually wasn't supposed to be a reply. Sorry!

[diemme.livejournal.com]

It was a good finale and quite worth being put through the emotional wringer for the past week. Every member of the team got the opportunity to be awesome in this episode. I'd like to think I'm not a violent person but I do love it when Hotch starts kicking ass.

The final scene was touching. It humanized Alex in a way the ep set in her home town did not. Her leaving the shield in Reid's bag...yeah, full circle moment.

I liked when she said that her son would have been like Reid. There was an element of concern and affection on her part in some of their interactions and this explained it. They did her exit justice but I hope we do get to see her again. I'd love it if season 10 showed glimpses of all the old team members but I doubt that will happen.

[freakingdork.livejournal.com]

JT's contract was up for renewal, as is MGG's. no one is sure if it was her choice to leave or if she was pushed out/not asked back by TPTB. it's been real quiet, esp on JT's front.

as of today, MGG has still not renewed his contract, so there's a possibility that Reid could still leave early in s10. I mean, I don't see MGG as someone who would let his character just drop off without saying goodbye and lord knows TPTB would never force him to like they did with Rachel Nichols, so if he doesn't renew, I think that's what'll happen.

[ruralstar.livejournal.com]

I love the CM core cast. I can't imagine the show without MGG/Reid. I agree that Matthew does not seem like the type of guy to just pitch a fit and walk. Even though Reid is not universally popular among fans, he is popular enough and unique in what he does and how he does it. I'm guessing if MGG gets to direct a couple next year and they offer him reasonable money, he will be back on board.

As for JT, I read an interview from the showrunner stating that she discussed the Blake character with JT and they mutually agreed it was time for Alex to leave and that it should be a quiet exit and not a splashy death. Maybe she'll be back for a guest spot. I honestly could care less as I could never warm to Alex. I think if we had seen her human side more early on things might have been different.

[runriggers.livejournal.com]

Spoilers




Why would they leave an unsecured loaded gun in a hospital room?

[ruralstar.livejournal.com]

It's a fair question. I suppose it's possible that no one thought to look in Reid's bag for something like a gun. It was his personal affects and with Morgan, Alex and later Garcia hovering it could have gotten overlooked by hospital personnel.

[runriggers.livejournal.com]

But the hospital personnel would have been the ones stripping him for surgery and bsgging his personal effects. You'd think that Blake or even Morgan would have grabbed it

[ruralstar.livejournal.com]

I rewatched today. Alex had the bag with his affects in it. She kept it with her the whole time. And in fact the paramedics probably would have removed the gun, along with the vest, at the scene. They would have given the gun to Morgan or even Alex. Someone on the scene who could have put it back in Reid's bag. It's possible but it's also a plot hole :)

[wagrobanite.livejournal.com]

I knew it was going to be either Reid or Alex leaving because both of their contracts were up for renewal. I hadn't heard that MGG signed his but after the end of the first part of the finale and it being Reid shot, I figured it was Alex that was leaving. I'm not all that heartbroken about it. I mean I liked Alex and thought she brought something to the team but I didn't really connect with her. I mean two seasons is hard to do that. So I'm okay with how it turned out.

Frankly the first part of this finale was one of the best in the last couple seasons, specifically this season. Rick has listened to the fans and not shown the Unsub's face in the first 5 minutes.

[la-loony.livejournal.com]

I mean two seasons is hard to do that. So I'm okay with how it turned out.

I actually think it's sad that the writers really failed Alex in that regard, because 2 seasons is enough time to build a character and have viewers care for them/connect to them. I mean that's how it's supposed to be, movie writers make me invested in characters within 90 minutes, it should be doable on a tv show in like half a season when the character is on the main cast.

Sorry for the rant I have a lot of feelings about yet again a female character leaving the show.

[philstar22.livejournal.com]

So totally agree on your feelings about losing another female character. I'm wondering if the execs played a part this time too. That being said, I feel that I actually did connect with Alex. I liked her linguist background and the history she had. I thought they did a pretty good job of integrating her with the team. Maybe not quite as well as they did with Prentiss, who became my favorite almost from her first episode, and Rossi, who I also loved from the beginning. But then again I like the more action oriented characters better in general. Unlike most people, I wouldn't call Reid one of my favorites.

One factor I think is that the longer a show is around, the harder it is to introduce a new character. Prentiss was introcuced 2 seasons in and Rossi 3. Alex was introduced 8 seasons in, which makes it harder for an audience to engage with a new character being added to a team we've come to love. Especially with all the stuff surrounding Prentiss' departure that people were still upset about. I actually think that the lack of anger at her introduction, as opposed to the reactions to Seaver, speaks to the writers doing a much better job with Alex's introduction.

[la-loony.livejournal.com]

I can actually see JT saying she wants out. I certainly am no actress, but maybe she wasn't having that her character wasn't that developed if you look at it closely? I wouldn't compare her to the others of course since we know them for much longer, but I realized when I watched that episode that we know so little about Alex after 2 seasons.
Prentiss is my all time favourite, I really miss her on the team. Reid was cool in the beginning, but somehow I am mostly indifferent to him these days. Maybe because he got too much exposure on the show instead of the other characters.

I always felt sorry for Seaver, because her intro was at the worst time ever. Fans were mad at everything the show did and they jumped at the character for that. I would've liked to see more of the mentoring between her and Emily, but it was just a bad time and the story was a bit weak how she could get into this sort of elite team.

[freakingdork.livejournal.com]

there was actually a ton of anger at Blake's introduction though. not as much as Seaver, but trust me, it was there in full force on tumblr and I made good use of my block button so I could go into her tag without seeing people spewing hatred at her. just cuz it's been quiet on lj doesn't mean it wasn't happening on other sites (some of the comment sections on articles about her have been bad too, esp the early ones).

and idk that the # of seasons has as much to do with it as it does that she's a woman. Rossi has never received the same levels of vitriol that Blake, Seaver, Jordan, and yes, back in the day, Prentiss have received.

[full-metal-ox.livejournal.com]

A question for you: any idea what might make Garcia one of the very few female fictional characters out there to enjoy Sue-calling immunity? My hypothesis is that she's a popular audience placeholder.

[philstar22.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I kind of connected with her. I liked that she was older, and I liked her linguist background and what it brought (even if the show didn't use that as much as I would have liked). I liked the history she had with Strause. It felt like her background worked without the show trying too hard the way they kind of did with Seaver (even if I actually liked Seaver).

And it kind of bugs me given this show's track record with women being the disposable cast members. I hope we get someone new because I like the balance better when there are three women. So as much as I don't want Reid to go, I think I would have preferred him leaving.

Still, I did enjoy the final and at least Alex's ending was well written.

[full-metal-ox.livejournal.com]

This show puts departing team members (of whatever gender) on the Bus, rather than in the Refrigerator--which I have to say I appreciate. (At least two canon love interests haven't been so fortunate...)

[blue-sunflowers.livejournal.com]

So. Reid was shot. Again. His mentor left. Again. Yawn.

Looks like I didn't miss much this season.

[eiko82.livejournal.com]

Wow, I did not expect the entire police squad to be this dirty O__o