TV Review: February Round-Up - 24, CSI, Heroes, Lost and More - Page 2

Criminal Minds

“The Big Game”

James Van Der Beek is this week’s serial killer, murdering wealthy couples in their homes. It’s a good episode with the cast all on excellent form but as the first part of a two-part story, it really only serves to set things up for the cliff-hanger ending that puts Dr Reid in the killer's hands.

“Revelations”

With Reid in the killer’s clutches it’s a race against time to save him. James Van Der Beek is surprisingly good as the killer who suffers from multiple personalities but the real star is Matthew Gray Gubler as Reid. His character really gets put through the wringer and the repercussions are still being felt. This episode really highlights why the series has improved this year; putting as much emphasis on the characters as on the plot has really paid dividends.

“Fear and Loathing”

This is a more by the numbers episode than recent entries, with only the racism angle setting this apart. It feels like someone’s read that serial killers are mostly but not always white males and decided to give us a black killer. The cast do their best but they really have little to work with. The worst episode of this season.

“Distress”

I think this is the first time the series has had us rooting for the killer, a war veteran suffering from PTSD who thinks he’s back in a war zone. It’s up to the BAU to find him before the local police do. You get the feeling almost from the start that things will end badly but you’re hoping against hope that you’ll be wrong. There’s always a sense of sadness about Gideon but this episode you really feel the weight he bears. Mandy Patinkin is never less than good but his work at the end here is stunning. He doesn’t have to say anything, we read it all in Gideon’s face.

“Jones”

This is similar to "Fear and Loathing" but instead of a black serial killer we have a female one. It’s better than that episode, although it could have done without the overused Jack the Ripper copycat idea. The ultimate responsibility for the murders falls to a cop, who, while not doing the killing, is indirectly responsible for them and the message is clearly that the law must treat everyone equally. As with "Distress" we feel some sympathy for the killer and the resolution is nicely played out. Also notable in this episode is the introduction of a possible love interest for JJ; whether this will be followed up remains to be seen.

CSI

Article Author: Ian Woolstencroft

Ian Woolstencroft was brought up on a diet of John Wayne movies and Marvel Comics and still has a passion for both. Now as a blogcritic he finally understands what Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben meant when he said ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ …

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