Criminal Minds

Tonight, Agent Morgan is in the spotlight as CBS replays “Profiler, Profiled.” He returns to his hometown for a visit only to have a murdered child show up. He becomes the focus of the police investigation, and his BAU team members are working to clear this up. He refuses to talk about his past, which leads them to the conclusion that he’s hididng something. This episode from season two is a good one if you missed it the first time around, and good for giving some background and depth to Shemar Moore’s character. “Profiler, Profiled” on on at nine tonight.

“3rd Life,” guest starring Gina Mantegna, will air on January 9. This has been pushed back a few weeks from its original airdate. This episode is eagerly awaited for two reasons: one, star Joe Mantegna is the father of Gina, who plays the missing teenager. Also, it’s the last of the new Criminal Minds episodes for the foreseable future.

(The picture above is from People Magazine - which named Shemar Moore as one of the sexiest men alive. He came in at a very respectable #10.)

Mandy Patinkin returned to CBS in the form of a Criminal Minds rerun. CBS reaired season two episode, “Distress.” CM won the night in total viewers, but a rerun of Law and Order: SVU won the 18-49 age group.
The only original programming CBS aired Wednesday night was the Kennedy Center Honors, whose ratings dropped by 37% from last year.

Happy Day After Christmas!!
Tonight, CBS will reair an episode from season two. If you missed Mandy, this is a good time to tune in. “Distress” takes the BAU to Houston to investigate a series of murders surrounding construction sites, believed to have been done by a homeless person. This is the one where the homeless man turns out to be a former soldier. This was a sad episode, but good. There is a little more info at Criminal Minds Wiki.
Also, this is shortly after Reid was kidnapped and tortured so there are some differences in his character. This, by the way, is bugging me about season three. They have made very little reference to his supposed drug problem - so is it a problem? There’s not a lot going on with his character in season three. Anyway, hopefully, we can get some new episodes soon that look into him a little more.

This episode is at 8:00. At 9:00, the Kennedy Center Honors are on.

I just watched “Ashes and Dust” from season two. The first part of the episode shows a boy waking his parents because there’s a fire in their home. They hold each others’ hands as they try to escape. They finally reach a door and cannot open it. As the father and son succumb to the smoke, the mother tries to open the door. A man in a fire protection suit comes into the room and stares at her, then slowly leaves. Her hand drops from the door as she passes out. This is such a horrifying scene. The music playing in the background makes it haunting. I was struck immediately by its eerie sound, so I looked online to find out what the song was. It turns out that it’s by Enya. It’s called “Boadicea.”
As a side note, when I was in labor, I was listening to Enya. After a few songs, I wanted to throw the CD player out the window. But normally I like Enya. And this song is great. It was a perfect choice to play during this scene. It made it more memorable for me, and somehow more personal.
Here’s a YouTube of the scene from “Ashes and Dust.”

Rewatchability is very important to me. We just recently got cable, so for a long time, we watched DVDs in the evenings…over and over and over. There are movies you can watch all the time and ones where once is enough or more than enough. I like tv shows on DVD (because my attention span is ridiculously short), and since they can be expensive to buy, being able to watch the episodes many times is important. I got the first season of Gilmore Girls two years ago, and that has the best rewatchability factor. I never got sick of them. I’d get all the seasons and watch them back to back (I bet you wish you had so much time on your hands, huh?).

Anyway, Criminal Minds came out with their second season DVD set on October 2. I watched them over the course of a few days - for work purposes. As I watched them, I worked on a fleece and flannel blanket I’m making. That’s what it was perfect for - to have on almost as background. I could look up and watch or go back to sewing. It wasn’t so exciting that I had to sit on the edge of my sheet and chew my fingernails.
I did stop sewing to watch “The Big Game” and “Revelations.” The episode set in New Orleans was good. They were all good, but there are some that I can watch many times and others that I’m happy seeing once on tv, and then maybe in a summer rerun.
Having already seen the episodes does, of course, take a lot of the tension out of the episodes. They’re still interesting to watch, especially if they deal with the characters’ lives. Watching the episodes for the first time is definately better because there is a lot of suspense -will the team get to the victim in time, what happens? (This makes it a perfect show for new viewers too - it’s excting and easy to get into.)
I haven’t watched the bonus features yet, which look interesting. They include: “Profilers, Profiled” which discusses the second season’s focus on the characters’ lives. “The Physical Evidence” talks about the making of the series. “The Behavioral Science of Criminal Minds” covers the real-world profilers and how the job is done. And finally, you can get to know Kirsten Vangsness a little better in her own six minute featurette.

(Don’t forget to get your entries for the Jump Cut contest in…all you have to do is email me with your favorite episode and why you liked it. If you don’t know the episode’s name, no problem. Just describe it a little.)

It’s a harsh world we live in when television shows are awarded because of their portrayal of torture. Human Rights First chose to create their Excellence in Television award because of the prevalance of torture on tv. According to their statistics, incidents of torture on tv have increased greatly since 2000.

I became aware of this because of its connection to Criminal Minds. Of course, the episode that was recognized was “Lessons Learned,” in which Gideon interviews a Guantanamo Bay detainee. Also nominated were The Closer, The Shield, Lost, and Boston Legal. On HRF’s website, you can view clips of each of these shows, as well as a 14 minute feature on torture in television. (This is very interesting.)
What I found equally as interesting was all the criticism surrounding 24 and torture. I should say that I have never seen 24 - in which a season follows the course of events of one single day- so this was surprising to me. Everytime I would read about torture and television, 24 inevitably showed up.

Joel Surnow is the executive producer of 24. In his office is an American flag that once flew in Iraq. It was presented to Surnow by soldiers who had shared a collection of 24 DVDs.
In a recent New Yorker article, Surnow says:

The military loves our show. People in the Administration love the series, too. It’s a patriotic show. They should love it….Isn’t it obvious that if there was a nuke in New York City that was about to blow—or any other city in this country—that, even if you were going to go to jail, it would be the right thing to do?

24 creates a sense of urgency - each hour of the show represents an hour in the lives of the characters. Without a digital countdown clock, split screens, and immenent disaster, tension builds until it seems logical, patriotic, and even necessary to torture information out of people.
Surnow acknowledges that the show is formed from people’s anxieties, their fear of being attacked. “America wants the war on terror fought by Jack Bauer. He’s a patriot.” Of course he always saves the day. Why wouldn’t we want someone like him working on our side?
This attitude reaches all the way up - as Surnow says, the Bush Administration loves the show.
From the New Yorker: “Not long after September 11th, Vice-President Dick Cheney alluded vaguely to the fact that America must begin working through the ‘dark side’ in countering terrorism.”
This dark side is sanctioned by the Bush administration. Through secret memos and decisions, harsh interrogation tactics have been authorized. They found that “combined effects” were allowed. This means that the interrogators could use physical measures along with psychological ones to extract information. Among the physical tactics are head slapping, simulated drowning, and frigid temperatures. “Enemy combatants” are sometimes short-chained to the floor or in a fetal position with out food or water. Sleep deprivation and extremely long interrogations are also allowed. The New York Times has an extensive article on this.
But still, if a little sleep deprivation and a day without food or water is necessary to prevent an attack, why not? Professional interrogators agree that it does not work. It is not an effective means of getting information. And, oh yeah, it is inhumane. But concentrating on the effacacy: even the co-creater of 24, Bob Cochran, acknowledges that the situations in the show are not true to life.

Most terrorism experts will tell you that the ‘ticking time bomb’ situation never occurs in real life, or very rarely. But on our show it happens every week

Col. Herrington, a veteren interrogator, said on NPR that in his entire career he’d never come across a “ticking time bomb” type of situation. They simply do not happen, he says.

By using talking and nonviolent techniques, and by treating the detainee as a person, information is more forthcoming. This may sound naive but it’s said again and again by military interrogators who have done this for decades.
It is true that it is entertainment - it’s a television show. But the harm comes when young soldiers or recruits watch 24 and shows like it and think that’s the way the world works. And they do watch it, as Surnow proudly states. In Rachel Thomas’s TV Dramas blog, she writes:

Some U.S. soldiers have even gone so far as violating the Geneva Convention, citing the entertainment industry as the catalyst.

U.S. Army Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan, the dean of the United States Military Academy at West Point, flew to California in November to meet with the producers of 24. He believes that the show adversely affects American soldiers.

The kids see it, and say, ‘If torture is wrong, what about “24”?’ ” The disturbing thing is that although torture may cause Jack Bauer some angst, it is always the patriotic thing to do.

Another interesting point that I read was that extremists will not talk. If they are willing to die for their cause, they will not break down during torture.
Jane Mayer, in her New Yorker article writes:

Cochran (24’s co-creator) demanded to know what the interrogators would do if they faced the imminent threat of a nuclear blast in New York City, and had custody of a suspect who knew how to stop it. One interrogator said that he would apply physical coercion only if he received a personal directive from the President. But Navarro (an FBI expert on questioning techniques), who estimates that he has conducted some twelve thousand interrogations, replied that torture was not an effective response. “These are very determined people, and they won’t turn just because you pull a fingernail out,” he told me. And Finnegan argued that torturing fanatical Islamist terrorists is particularly pointless. “They almost welcome torture,” he said. “They expect it. They want to be martyred.” A ticking time bomb, he pointed out, would make a suspect only more unwilling to talk. “They know if they can simply hold out several hours, all the more glory - the ticking time bomb will go off!”

This is why, in “Lessons Learned,” Gideon has to lie to the detainee. He knows that he will not give up any information otherwise. Not through talking, and definatley not through torture.

There is a lot of information out there on this topic - it’s so important. How the US treats detainees influences the rest of the world’s opinion of us. It seems like the current administration thinks that life is a tv show and that they have to get the bad guys before they get us - and so they can use whatever method they want, including severe physical and emotional pain to get answers to their questions. It’s a scary world that we live in and we live in fear of a terrorist attack. We should also fear losing our humanity.

I read an essay in college on why torture should be allowed in certain situations. Say the suspect has a victim who will die unless the police get information from him. Or if a bomb will go off and kill many innocent people. If it can prevent a larger loss, why not? The essay was persuasive, and I found myself thinking, “Yeah, why not, if it will save people?”
Why not? Because it doesn’t work. This year Human Rights First created an award for awareness of human rights and torture on television. This award is intended to combat the image of torture we get from tv. Mentioned specifically is 24. In shows like this, torture is almost glamorized. The good guys need information and a few minutes of torture gets this for them so they can save the day. In reality, this intense, agonizing pain lasts and lasts.

Nominated are:
Criminal Minds episode “Lessons Learned.” In this episode, Agents Gideon, Prentiss, and Reid travel to Guantanamo Bay to interrogate a detainee who has information on an imminent terrorist attack. The CIA had been unable to get the detainee to even speak to them, even though they used violent measures. Gideon talks to the man, and by using his intellect, is able to get the man to talk to him.
Human Rights First nominated “Lessons Learned” because it depicts sophisticated techniques garner more information than torture.
The Closer is also nominated for this reason.

On the flip side, The Shield is nominated for depicting torture in a realistic way. Vic Mackey, the show’s main character, is a cop who on occasion bends the rules (by “bends,” I mean he kills people and works with drug dealers and stuff). Anyway, he is torturing a man whom he believes has information on who killed his partner. He beats him with a chain. I haven’t seen this episode, but The Shield can be very disturbing, so I’m sure it’s hard to watch.

The winner of this award will be named on October 15, so I’ll update you on who wins. Among the judges are two former interrogators: Joe Navarro (formerly with the FBI) and Tony Lagouranis (formerly with the Army). So when they say that the nonviolent techniques are more effective, they have the experience and knowledge to know what they’re talking about.

The Human Rights First website is very informative - and they have a section called “Take Action,” where you can read about Human Rights issues and actually do something about them.

National Public Radio also had a story on this subject, with the producer of The Shield episode which was nominated, Adam Fierro, as well as intelligence expert Col. Stuart Herrington. If you go to the NPR website, you can hear the story (just click on National Public Radio above). One interesting thing on this program was when they talked about shows like 24. In them, there is always an emergency and they need the info right away, so they have to resort to torture. Col. Herrington said that he had never been in a situation like that during his entire career. It just didn’t happen like that, he said, but young recruits watching the shows get the idea that is exactly how it happens. That’s another reason Human Rights First created this award - in reality, talking and nonviolent strategies will get more information than torture.

(I had no intention of insulting 24 - check out Watching 24 for more info on the show)

Last night, “Scared to Death” aired on CBS. This was Criminal Minds first Mandy-free episode, though his character was mentioned several times. When the show opens, Spencer is sitting at his desk rereading his letter. They quickly move on to other matters - a serial killer in Portland, Oregon. The team travels there to investigate and eventually figure out that the deaths had to do with phobias. From there, they need to figure out who is responsible. Through a lucky spotting of a flier in a laundromat, they are led to Dr. Howard (aka Dr. Goodman), in time to save his latest victim from being buried alive.

I really like Criminal Minds, I write a blog about it. But did anyone else think “Scared to Death” was kind of…boring?
The doctor was torturing these people, recording their responses, while having flashbacks to his mom making him sleep in the dark. Michael O’Keefe as Dr. Howard was kind of creepy, but it seemed like they crammed all of his motives into 45 minutes, and it didn’t quite work. It did cover all the bases; his abusive childhood, his naggy wife, his change in behavior, his treatment of his daughter. But it seemed like they hurried to put this all in so it’d make sense at the end.
Criminal Minds can be very creepy - like in “Revelations” or “North Mammon,” from season two. This one didn’t have the same feeling to it. It also felt like the characters were kind of wooden; they didn’t seem as dynamic as they usually are - with the exception of Spencer and Morgan getting stuck in the elevator…that was pretty funny.

What was interesting, though, was their response to Gideon leaving. Spencer is clearly upset. He talks to Emily at one point and says that Gideon confronted the most violent, dangerous criminals in the world. If he had enough courage to do that, why did he just leave a letter? Emily tells him to read it again and figure out why the letter was written to him. Out of all the people he left behind, why did he only bother to explain to Spencer?
Morgan also brings him up. On the flight home, he says that the team is doing just fine without Gideon.
Besides Gideon leaving, the only personal note was when Hotch tells Morgan that Haley has left, and he didn’t know if she was coming back.

“Scared to Death” was all right. It wasn’t one of their best episodes, but it was still entertaining. I’m looking forward to Joe Mantegna’s debut (on October 31 - Halloween) to bring some tension to the team and move some action along.

Season Two of Criminal Minds is coming out on DVD tomorrow, October 2. This review appeared in IESB the Movie Reporter:

I must be honest and say that I have never seen “Criminal Minds” until I was asked to review it. I sat down in front of my TV and put the second season DVD on. From the second the first episode started I was hooked. In fact, I sat in front of my TV every chance I could until I finished the entire second season and that only took two days. I then ran to the store and bought the first season.

The featurettes look pretty interesting - I’m always fascinated by the real-life profilers and the cases they work on. I have season two on my Netflix que, so I’m looking forward to seeing the episodes again. Hopefully, season three will expand on the development of the characters’ personal lives.

“Criminal Minds” is a very well written crime series with action and suspense in all the right places. I am a fan of other crime related shows that air on television, but I am very excited to have found something new. Very fast I became a devoted fan. If you are in the mood for one hell of a good ride this could be your lucky day. Strap off the belt, grab a pillow and get ready for the best television experience yet. My hands are up and clapping loud, to commend the brilliance of “Criminal Minds.”

IGN.com recently had a review of the second season DVDs. Hock Teh writes about the prevalance of procedural shows on televsion and how they have to compete for viewers. Criminal Minds does this, he says, by featuring increasingly grusome and violent crimes.

Criminal Minds’s only trick up its sleeve is to showcase really heinous crimes in such a gruesome manner that one really has to question if such horrific scenarios should even be suitable for primetime. As competition heats up for ratings, it seems that some shows are willing to go down the road of using violent crimes and the gritty depiction of violence as its calling card. Criminal Minds, it seems, is one of them. Other than that, everything else about this show is really just a rehash of every other TV crime drama already out there.

Teh also takes exception to the use of quotes by literary giants such as Faulkner, Hemingway, and Conrad. “To me, this seems like a pretty pretentious effort to make the show appear smarter than it really is.”

These criticisms have plauged the show since its debut but are by no means universal. DVDTalk also reviewed the DVD set. The reviewer, Francis Rizzo III, talks about the character development shown in the second season, as well as the interesting crimes the BAU team investigates.
Of the characters, Rizzo writes:

Each member of the main cast gets a chance to suffer, some more than other. One arc that puts Reid (Matt Gray Gubler) in danger, is particularly dark, though unfortunately without the hoped-for payoff, while “Profiler, Profiled” a story that casts Morgan (Shemar Moore) as the suspect, is particularly touching and emotional as he revisits his troubled childhood.

And though certain crimes felt overused to Rizzo, overall the villains and crimes were well-developed in only 44 minutes.
Another advantage Criminal Minds has is that people who have never seen the show can catch up with the DVDs and then hopefully watch the new episodes on tv. They can judge for themselves if it is too grusome (I don’t think so) or unoriginal (I also don’t think so).

The set comes on six disks with 23 episodes, with four episodes offering commentaries. There are also four featurettes on the last disk. “Profilers, Profiled” discusses the second season’s focus on the characters’ lives. “The Physical Evidence” talks about the making of the series. “The Behavioral Science of Criminal Minds” covers the real-world profilers and how the job is done. And finally, you can get to know Kirsten Vangsness a little better in her own six minute featurette.

For more information on your favorite crime shows, check out Crime Drama TV. To see what new on DVD, check out TV on DVD Buzz.