Shark Bytes

The moment Gideon left the show, it significantly changed tone. Although its still a superior show, it definitely lost a LOT of heart and soul. Gideon was the character to put perspective on the horrible stuff. He was the show's emotional center. Mantegna didn't fill this role, I'm not sure what role he fills except having a movie star in the cast. They haven't given his character anything interesting to do but be a bit standoffish. I mostly miss the relationship between Gideon and Reid. Reid has pretty much become a depressed character since Gideon left, and none of the other characters have really stepped in to be his friend. Ah well... It also seems that the producers retooled the show to have a much more pronounced 'slasher movie' feeling when Gideon left. What used to be the edgiest crime prodecural on tv has become a standard slasher/thriller. Its full of standard 'killers eye view' shots and screaming victims. I still watch it though. But its not nearly as good.

Really great show, holds interest until end; however, lately Reed is getting more and more wierd. He may be brilliant but watching his character takes something away from the whole effect

I think the show just keeps getting better and better. It hasn't even come close to jumping. I love all the characters, but I don't want to see any of them get together. The work place isn't like high school - people don't feel the need to pair up with their co-workers. The romance needs to be left in fan fiction.

CM has never jumped! As long as they can keep digging up creepy cases, they'll be great. Hopefully they'll get Garcia & Morgan together too and then it'll be perfect.

BTW... to the poster who said this is a sick show who gives criminals ideas...read a paper sometime. All the same details are there, CM just has the balls to put it in Primetime.

Sick. Gives criminals ideas.

My opinion is that Criminal Minds admirably dealt with Mandy Patinkin's sudden departure, trying their best to rework episodes and create misdirection with Hotch’s personal problems, however the real issues lies with Joe Mantegna’s character. David Rossi lacks the physcological insight of Gideon and is out of place with the BAU team. The contrast of his approach shows how well the team work to solve the crime, though the shows structure has effectively been flipped. Gideon would lead these talented people, drawing on each of their unique talents, as well as offering his own high level perception. Now there is a sense of struggle between the team and Rossi, the audience isn’t left with the initial sense of awe as to how they cracked the case because the complex analysis has been somewhat reduced.

The cases have become a little generic, like a C.S.I / Without a Trace puzzle so Rossi doesn’t appear to be too far out of his league. This is still a good production, though the edge has been lost somewhat. Perhaps a story mirror to Gideon’s initial set up can be found in a new character, because the tone of the show relied upon Gideon’s astute perception, the narrative his character conveyed via journal entries and his personal thoughts. The sense of understanding and power the audience acquired after each episode about physcology has not been so informed this season, and a retooling is perhaps necessary to return that edge which made the show so dynamic.

I've only seen one episode of this show, and it was terrible. Some religious fanatic was supposedly re-enacting the story of Jezebel from the Old Testament, but the writers kept getting the historical details wrong, and if they had gotten them right there would have been no murder mystery. I haven't watched any more of the show.

I love the show, but they just made themselves the ultimate in pathetic season cliffhanger stereotypes. It no longer affects me in any way other than getting teed off when a show feels it has to put a character into mortal uncertainty just before going off for the summer... I think Criminal Minds just managed to find the most exaggerated extension of that tired device, putting all the characters in mortal peril with a minimum of one presumably gone. What a let-down move for an otherwise impressive show to survive other past setbacks (like Patinkin leaving).

I was afraid the quality of the show might drop after Patinkin left (I didn't think it would go so far as to jump). But I think Mantegna is great. I really enjoy his character and I really love the whole cast. I totally agree with needing to get Hotch to smile. Thomas Giblon has some lovely dimples, and we never get to see them. The show has not jumped, it is going strong!!!

Like a lot of people, I thought the show would jump when Elle and Jason took off. But it's actually gotten a lot better. Rossi and Prentiss are much more interesting and less self-absorbed. This show is just A+ now. Now if we could get Hotch to smile once in awhile...I mean, he got rid of that BITCH he was married to. She was a JTS moment all on her own.

Great cast, good scripts (love the psychology angle that many other crime procedurals never touch upon), and it's back to back with CSI:NY, another kick-ass show. Hope it's on for many more years.

Will someone on series "dress down" Reed and have him do one of two things:
1) Take his weapon off and place it in the department's armory.
2) Take a "weapons retention and firearm safety class" and learn the proper and safe way (for him AND his partners) to carry a firearm. If I was one of his partners, brain or no brain, I'd be climbing all over him regarding this.
Look, I know that "C/M" is a TV show, but this "look, here's my side arm, please take it" attitude on Reed's part is driving me nuts!
Other than that, this one of my favourite TV shows.

This Is rele the best show iv ever seen i love it so mch.

jumped when the idiot Reid was talking down the teenage killer running around shooting everyone. That was just so cliched good guys have to save one in the end.

This show had promise, but looks to be recycling old crime show ideas and is lacking alot of excitement. Last week two agents were trapped in a room with a dangerous serial killer. It looked exciting but fizzled into boredom. (This was a subplot, the main crime wasn't very exciting either.) The writerss will have to read more criminology books to get ideas and step up the game in the highly competitive world of crime drama tv.

Okay JJ, most of the time I won't argue about someone's personal opinions. However, when you take shots at Prentiss, I will defend. When have you ever seen her wear either a sundress or a gown to an interrogation? She's a cargos and combat boots type woman. She kicks in doors and gets her head cracked open with 2x4s. I think she is so much better than Elle it just makes me weep that she wasn't around sooner. Despite how it may sound, I did kind of like Elle. Sure, she acted like someone with something to prove most of the time, but I didn't dislike her. Anyone who didn't see the violent freak out coming just wasn't looking. Out with the psychotic old and in with the much cooler new.