Limelight

[a_blackpanther]

This is the discussion post for episode 3x13 "Limelight". Watch out for SPOILERS in the comments.

Sadly this is our last new Criminal Minds episode completed before the writer's strike began. However the writers and the producers are now negotiating again. Hopefully this strike will end soon, and we'll get to see the rest of our season.

Comments

[unmellow-yellow.livejournal.com]

I had a feeling that the agent planted fake evidence. Why else would she mention it at the end, as a last resort?

I'm really starting to like Rossi, he's growing on me.

Hotch lecturing about misogynism. Oh the irony.

We need an ep with only male victims. Other shows have that (NCIS, Life, Cold Case). Although I know CM focuses on sex crimes, which are overwhelmingly committed against women, but I know there are serial killer that killed only men (still putting them in the sex crimes category).

[babyleah15.livejournal.com]

there was an episode with male victims... the one with the woman killing men in new orleans.

[ohshiznaps.livejournal.com]

I think there should be more less focused on sex crimes episodes.
some of the better CM episodes had nothing really to do with sex crimes.
LDSK for example, is probably one of my top 3 episodes

[ubervirgin.livejournal.com]

I think the reason why there are more focused on sex crimes because they base their shows on actual crimes/criminals, with some facts changed to make them television appropriate.

Also, let us not forget that most serials have a sexual component to their crimes.

I, personally, would like to see more diversity in the crimes, but I would settle for less diversity and more Reid.

[dragonladyk.livejournal.com]

Hotch lecturing about misogynism. Oh the irony.

What do you mean by "irony?" Are you saying that it's ironic because you think Hotch is misogynistic, or because the show he's on (and other crime shows) make their money often depicting crimes against women and are therefore misogynistic?

DragonLady

[unmellow-yellow.livejournal.com]

Both. I wouldn't say misogynistic though, but close.

[dragonladyk.livejournal.com]

I really don't think "misogynistic" is the exact word you're looking for.

Going to Mirriam-Webster, mysogynistic is found under the heading "misogyny," "a hatred of women."

Hotch spends 80% of his working hours rescuing women or putting the men who hurt them in jail. Hotch has three women on his staff who he treats with great respect, and when Rossi dared to say, "we didn't have that back in the day" in reference to JJ's ass, Hotch called him on it immediately. He also defied all protocol in having the BAU work no other cases until Penelope's assailant was caught. He works very well with the female Cop of the Weeks (the woman in "A Real Rain" springs foremost to my mind, and again the CotW in "What Fresh Hell"); he doesn't exclude them or run ahead of them. If Hotch hated wome he would display none of these behaviors.

What clashes Hotch does have with women are situational (ie with that particular woman): Prentiss's mysterious appearance combined with Congresswoman Steyer's inside information; Strauss's attempt to wreck his beloved career; Haley's passive-aggressive (and then outright aggressive) demands; and then Agent Limelight's self-serving nature (she was thinking up names for the killer, for crying out loud).

As for Criminal Minds itself, while most of the victims are women, it includes competent and capable female CotWs, victims like the women in "3rd Life" who looked out for each other under the worst possible circumstances and had the strength not to blame a baby for the sins of the father and to put an end to two murders' sprees -- how one feels about vigilanteism aside. The suffering the women who are the victims endure is never glorified or cast in a positive light. The show also includes mini-PSAs, like Emily looking through the peephole in "In Birth and Death" or the prostitute with the mace & the whistle in "Sex, Birth, Death." "Sex, Birth, and Death" also humanized the prostitutes themselves, giving them character, sympathy, and making their lives more important than the campaign of a senator.

Women are ten times more likely to be the victim of violent crime than men. We just are. A crime show is going to reflect that. Again, however, the suffering of the women is never portrayed as anything but monstrous and tragic on CM. The "good guys" -- Morgan and Hotch especially -- treat women with respect and whatever protection they can provide.

For Hotch I think the words you're looking for are "headstrong" ("directed by ungovernable will") and "old-fashioned" ("adhering to customs of a past era"). Hotch is pretty much unstoppable once he gets an idea into his head no matter who stands in his way, and his "protect and provide, stiff-upper-lip" mentality hasn't been in since the fifties.

For the show I think you're looking for "verisimiltudinous" ("depicting realism (as in art or literature)"). I can understand not wanting too much verisimiltude. ^^;; "Million Dollar Baby" was way, way too close to real-life for me to enjoy it.

DragonLady

[maisontv.livejournal.com]

- Are they bidding on a storage unit full of crap? (Well, this is Criminal Minds, so it's probably got a dead body or something in it, but still.)

- "ROAD TRIP!" OMG Reid you just made me snort hot chocolate. XD

- This agent is looking for something to shop around to the publishers; she's doing this for all the wrong reasons. (Which she hinted at earlier with her enthusiasm that just came off really wrong to me.)

- Ah, the righteous justice of Hotch. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for ambitious women and I totally get her need to prove herself, but to go so far as to manufacture evidence and hold a press conference? Totally out of line.

- I like that Morgan's calling Garcia "Penelope" now, like they're closer since she was attacked.

- Wait, that's the same house as before, but not the same guy. How did he get in?

- I like that in the end, she ended up making the choice to continue down the path she was on.

[chelseabagel.livejournal.com]

- "ROAD TRIP!" OMG Reid you just made me snort hot chocolate. XD

Holy shit- I was eating my dinner and nearly choked on my pita.

My dad gave me a funny look as I nearly died laughing... XDD

[gloriatraveler.livejournal.com]

I have liked Rossi from the start. He just clicked for me.

Gubler, he is so interesting to watch.

I don't know if it is just because I ship them, but there is something so intimate in his voice when he talks to Penelope. It just sounds like love, even when they are saying anything mushy.

[gloriatraveler.livejournal.com]

"he" being morgan in that last comment. LOL

[midvalley]

Bah I missed the first few minutes. Gonna have to watch it on TiVo later, but from what I did see:

Yeah, I just knew that lady was going to get nabbed. Right from when she held the press conference, it was like she had "KIDNAP ME" stamped on her forehead.

Really. Really didn't like her. And she had scary eyebrows. >| GRRR.

I'm... not sure how I feel about Rossi yet, but he redeemed himself a bit at the end of the episode there.

[chandlerina.livejournal.com]

LMFAO, I heart your icon! SILENCE! I KILL YOU! Bahahaha!

[midvalley]

lol Thank you!

[lynner-k.livejournal.com]

OMG !! I LOVE Achmed !!!!

I need one of thouse...*pouts*

[midvalley]

I got mine from punkette4vab. They have lot's of bases, I just mucked with the contrast a bit.

[ohshiznaps.livejournal.com]

Very happy start to a very disturbing episode... probably one of the worst i'd say. worst being disturbing, not quality.

ROAD TRIP! NICE! god i love reid.

[atari363.livejournal.com]

I love Rossi. And Prentiss.

And the AC/DC killer is not a bad name. They did have the Tommy Killer on the show too.

But the episode itself...I'm not impressed. Where have all the great episodes of seasons past gone?

[unmellow-yellow.livejournal.com]

I know, really. Season one was the jackpot of great eps!

[midvalley]

They've gone on strike, apparently. *bricked*

[baggy7.livejournal.com]

But the episode itself...I'm not impressed. Where have all the great episodes of seasons past gone?

That's exactly what has bothered me this entire season. Apart from Scared To Death, Lucky & 3rd Life, I really didn't like any of the cases this season.

It has been gold for character development this season(and ships :P), but the cases have been really blah!

[atari363.livejournal.com]

My favorite was Seven Seconds, because what I miss most is the element of suspense that we got from episodes earlier in the season. Limelight almost did that for me, but I think the end was a little anticlimactic.

BTW, I love your icon.

[baggy7.livejournal.com]

I liked SS for team interaction. So much love <3 But the cig lighter comment by the aunt early on made me very suspicious because that kind of a comment comes from someone who isn't empathising, rather sypathising. Since she was family, and obviously someone in the family had dunnit, it ruined it a little for me :-/ Or I'm just being anal, heh!

Thanks, I love it too, hehe :P I wish I were as talented as _impress_me though. She made it :)

[tya-rc.livejournal.com]

Yup. We seem to constantly get OK episodes those days. Like, good enough to remind us how great CM can be, but kind of bleh so we wish it was another episode reminding that to us.

[daydreamer1984.livejournal.com]

THE EPISODE ON LAST NIGHT WAS THE LAST!!! aaaaahhh i thought there was one more! bbooo

[lynner-k.livejournal.com]

This was an ok episode..definately not one of my favs..

I don't feel Rossi or his history enough to make me understand his empathy for the ambitious "agent" ... the whole "I WAS HER" thing...just wan't believable for me...*sigh* I'm trying to like Rossi's character...I really am...

love Reid ! such a goober !!

[szeretni.livejournal.com]

I liked the episode even though it felt slow, maybe perhaps it felt slow, I'm not sure. It was really philosophical in a way, it made me associate to lots of things which I can't really express but I really liked it.
Good acting too, I felt. Rossi is really growing on me. Hotchner was awesome, he is awesome when angry and yelling, for some reason. :)
And Reid, so dorky and adorable. Whished to see more of Prentiss though but, oh well. I can't have everything. :)

[mariemjs.livejournal.com]

Not sure about this episode, it felt like all the drama developping between Rossi and that woman "happened" in 10 min, that was way too fast IMO...
Well the episode felt like it was 20 min long, so its strange... I wish we had finished this short season with a stronger episode.

Except for that, I like angry Hotch, mmm sexy :D
And Morgan calling Peneloppe by his name was just too cute... *sigh*

[sherina.livejournal.com]

I liked it but it was too predictable for me - there was no surprise at all. Eh.