observations

[ohshiznaps.livejournal.com]

I was watching some early-season re-runs on A&E last night, and the early episodes of the show make me smile. i'm glad to see the show progress to where it is now.

here are a few things i noticed that are different from now, feel free to add on/ discuss:

Hotch and Elle chemistry. 

Reid's combed back, shorter hair

Reid's short sleeved button up plaid shirts

Morgan with hair.

Hotch making jokes

"Spence" / oddly maternal JJ

green screen flash backs to unsub behavior while explaining

Comments

[oddestoneout.livejournal.com]

I used to love the green screen flashes, I don't know what anybody else felt about them, but I definitely miss them.

and a happy, joking Hotch is something that I miss dearly. And I too noticed the Hotch and Elle chemistry.

[infinitycluster.livejournal.com]

lol, sup icon twin. I like yours better actually.

I liked the green screen flashes too.

[xmwuahharry.livejournal.com]

I loved the green screen flashbacks.
They should definantly bring them back.

[akitron.livejournal.com]

I miss Spencer's old hair. It was so sweet.
And RIP joking Hotch :( Life has been so shitty for him of late.

[call-me-ps.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I picked up on how young, relaxed, happy and smiley Hotch was in those first few eps, too. Man, oh man I had completely forgotten he ever WAS that way. Now he's more Gideon. Old, tired, seen it all... Makes me sad.

Also, rewatching Extreme Aggressor I realized that Haley suggested Dharma as a name for their child and it made me LOL IRL.

[infinitycluster.livejournal.com]

I noticed some things too, even though I'm not sure if we saw the same episodes.

I noticed Jason setting up Reid to ask JJ on a date with the redskins tickets, like a father-figure giving Reid the chance to "practice" talking to women in a different way. In that episode Reid seemed particularly upset by Morgan picking on him saying he can't get a date, and I thought it was sweet that Jason picked up on that.

I never saw Morgan with hair, I missed that.

I noticed Penelope openly leering at Morgan at a bar, rather than the friendly flirting they generally do. It was kind of sad to me for some reason.

I noticed that Reid seemed a lot more nerdy with the original hair and demeanor, and a lot more clueless. Now Reid looks exactly like Matthew does off-set. I'm not complaning, I think he's baeautiful, but its harder to see him as awkward when he is in character but still looks like a fashion model.

[call-me-ps.livejournal.com]

Haha. I said almost this exact same thing. SO with you on that.

[failegaidin.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it wasn't just me who noticed the Hotch/Elle chemistry. 'Cause seriously...sometimes it was uber strong.

[let-it-linger21.livejournal.com]

I'm all with you on that. Especially in Elle's last episode where Hotch says, "I'll miss you too" after she walks away.

Without Elle, I've moved on to Hotch/Prentiss. I think that there's something there. But I would love to see Elle come back, if only for a short visit. There are so many parallels between herself and current day Hotch.

[call-me-ps.livejournal.com]

In the first few eps, at least, Morgan wears suits. Now, the only one who regularly wears suits is Hotch. Reid's sense of fashion has also progressed to the point where they now have him dressing pretty nicely which actually as much as my eyes enjoy it sort of irritates me from a character continuity standpoint.

[infinitycluster.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he looks amazing but it just seems somehow less Reid. I mean, they have a turbo-hottie running around with a gun, and the other agents all treat him like a reject from Revenge of the Nerds.

It reminds me of how no one sees that Clark Kent is Superman because of the glasses.

[cloudzrshibby.livejournal.com]

I loved the green screen stuff.

I never really saw Hotch/Elle chemistry, but that's mainly because Elle annoyed the crap out of me and I like to believe those where the happy times Hotch had with Hayley.

I also loved Hotch joking. He smiles a lot in the first season, too. He's just all around not as tense/boarder-line douchey.

Reid's hair bothered me so much. Like, I know he was sick and everything at the time, but it really only made him look worse. Of course, right now I'm not diging MGG's hair either, as its also making him look sick. I think between seasons 2 and 4 were the best times of his hair.

Also, I still kinda wish JJ refered to Reid as "Spence". It totally cut some of the show's tension. It also added to her motherly character.

[call-me-ps.livejournal.com]

She still does. In one of this season's eps I noticed it for sure.

I also greatly miss the Morgan/Garcia banter which got lost somewhere between the beginning of S4 (hello "Girl you are my God given salvation. Don't you EVER stop talking to me") and now. I don't know what happened.

AND AND AND the witty way Garcia answered the phone. She is all just "Garcia here" or "speak" nowadays. Lazy writers. Lazy. Our girl is far cooler than that.

[kissmecait17.livejournal.com]

mainly because Elle annoyed the crap out of me

Agreed. My mother is an Elle uber-fan and I don't get it.

[imadoctornotalj.livejournal.com]

I totally miss the green screen unsub behavior! I used to think it was so cool. I also miss Gideon. Because, um, I'm secretly in love with him his character made the show for me. It doesn't completely seem like the original Criminal Minds without him (as badass as Rossi is.)

I also miss Reid's original style. Don't get me wrong, he is so totally hot with his current one, but he doesn't seem so much like a total geek genius. Like he seems to know what he's doing in the looks department, and it's weird nobody around him notices it. Though, he's been through a lot more than that young, naive little nerd back in the first season, so I don't totally blame him for changing hairstyles.

And Hotch, his happiness. It was the best. <3

[infinitycluster.livejournal.com]

I also think it would kick ass if they wrote in more moments where Reid does magic tricks.

[eiko82.livejournal.com]

THIS!

Actually, I wouldn't mind a bit more group fun/relaxed moments like this or when they all watched Charlie Chaplin in Gideon's office.

[iamtheliquorr.livejournal.com]

Hotch and Elle chemistry.

YES YES YES

I have never been able to get on the Hotch/Prentiss bandwagon b/c Hotch/Elle will be my OTP forever. And I think I actually started shipping them even harder after the arc when she went vigilante and left. It would be such hot and dysfunctional drama, omg. It's still fresh in my mind since I just marathoned the whole series a month ago, so perhaps I'd feel differently if I'd been watching all along, but i doubt it.

I love that someone else sees it.

Hotch making jokes

I miss this, too! Poor guy. He's really had a hard time. I'd be more than happy to comfort him, however

[nytekit.livejournal.com]

Are you kidding me?! I was watching it, too, and doing the exact same thing! Making comparisons with then and now, with the "Spence" thing being at the top of the list. I also noticed we get a lot less team-fun episodes now. They don't party or go out together much anymore.

[poucelina79.livejournal.com]

I never saw the Hotch/Elle chemistry. There was one???!!
And for me, i'm happy that Elle's gone, never liked her. Emily's much better than her, totally happy that she joined!
Hotch making jokes, I toally miss that nowadays, really hope that he will open up more next season.
And Morgan without hair, looks a lot better than with.:)

[brabbel.livejournal.com]

Totally agree with the Reid comments - his hairstyle (although I prefer his season 2-4 haircut rather than the overly geeky short hair of season 1), his clothes, his behaviour that comes across as far more self-assured nowadays (small wonder, I mean it's been 4 years, but I guess I never saw the transition)...

And Hotch joking: Boy, do I love his introduction of the team in "Extreme aggressor". He's much more relaxed, actually smiles on the job. But then again, it's a believable development, given all that's happened to him: his private life's in a shambles with the estrangement and separation from Haley, Gideon leaving the BAU put pressure on him, then of course the whole Foyet story... It's sad to see, but I guess I love his character all the more for it.

Gideon: I still miss him. Although he was never really a part of the team like Hotch or Rossi (at least now) are his contributions were unique.

What I miss most so is the focus on the psychological side - I loved the interrogations done by Gideon or Hotch. Nowadays they just let Morgan do his thing in intimidating the witnesses and/or suspects, but there are rarely cases where the interviews actually lead to suspects/victims any more. They're usually found via routine (i.e. otherwise often portrayed in TV) investigation and/or Garcia's doing her magic. But I'd love to see more episodes like "Lessons Learned" or "Riding the Lightening". Actually, come to think of it, I prefer the episodes where the perpetrator's known from the start and has to be convinced to give up his secrets so to speak...

Elle: I don't miss her. I'd like to know what happened to her afterwards, but Prentiss fits better into the team IMO. I never saw much chemistry between Elle and Hotch (neither between Prentiss and Hotch, TBH), but I liked their parting scene in "Boogeyman". I didn't mind her straight-forwardness - but she practically had no facial expression, it was like she wore a mask all the time. And that got a bit tiresome.

[alyssa22.livejournal.com]

Morgan with hair is about 10 kinds of wrong...

[renee7931.livejournal.com]

I'm not an Elle fan either. She seemed to have a somewhat superior air about her that I didn't like. The only one she seemed to care for was Morgan. Hotch was definitely much more relaxed in earlier seasons, but they seem to function better as a team now. Before it seemed like Gideon was always front and center with a team scene here and there. Now they all get a chance to shine, imo.

[djan31.livejournal.com]

Man, I loved the green screen flash backs! Need to make a comeback.

[let-it-linger21.livejournal.com]

Agreed! That's part of what helped set it apart from other shows.

[elysciafields.livejournal.com]

Never saw the chemistry between Hotch and Elle but the laughing Hotch.... that's a sight for sore eyes though I believe we got to see a glimmer of it when he tackled that Unsub ala Morgan in Season 5 (the smirk he gives Prentiss is a thing of beauty LOL)

I think I prefer Reid's hair mid-length between the 2 extremes (uber short and the length he has it now) but I half think that maybe the fact that fashion has swung round to that which we now see Reid is, that he as a fictional shopping character now has greater options style-wise??? Just keep him out of the full suits and I'll survive "P ... we'd definitely be hearing the sound of a hundred fangirls fainting then LOL

[elysciafields.livejournal.com]

Oh! Just saw smiling Hotch!!!! In the episode with Wally Brisbane and Gideon on crutches!!!

Even had Hotch give us a little laugh .... good things come to those who ask....

[songparodygirl.livejournal.com]

These earlier episodes have turned my grandma into a Elle/Gideon, JJ/Reid and Garcia/Hotch shipper...I'm getting scared.

These earlier episodes have turned my grandma into a Elle/Gideon, JJ/Reid and Garcia/Hotch shipper..

[gsyh.livejournal.com]

Your granny is pretty cool.

Well, I suppose Elle and Gideon could have gotten together off screen, drinking maybe (neither of them were in a good place).