There is nothing wrong or new to a series losing members of
its cast and either replacing them with someone different or just dropping the
character count. It’s happened before and it will happen again. But in the case
of CRIMINAL MINDS that character change up revolved around controversy and took
out not just a cast member but the central figure of the series, team leader
Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson). There from season one on behind the scenes
frictions resulted in the producers of the show firing Gibson. This stunned
fans and resulted in an outbreak of support for Gibson that went ignored.
So who was going to take his place as the season went
forward? Fortunately for those same producers Paget Brewster was able to come
back in her role as Emily Prentiss, and given the temporary assignment of
heading up the BAU (Behavior Analysis Unit). Good thing to since there were
still issues bleeding over from previous seasons to be dealt with here.
The most pressing of these was the continued round up of top
level criminals who escaped at the end of the previous season with the help of
Mr. Scratch. The arch nemesis of the team was still free as well. In addition
to this longtime foe the team also has to contend with Tommy Yates, a serial
killer put away by agent Rossi (Joe Mantegna) years ago. Yates made a promise
to Rossi to reveal the location of a different body every year on Rossi’s
birthday. This year will be different as Yates is one of the escaped criminals.
The year also found the team still reeling from the loss of
agent Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) and the addition of agent Stephen Walker
(Damon Gupton). If that isn’t enough to cause your head to reel an intense
storyline involving agent Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) revolved
around his being arrested for murder and sent to prison taking several episodes
to deal with his potential long term imprisonment should the real killer not be
found.
As with most CBS series I’ve noticed that the concept of the
extended family runs throughout and will probably make note of that in reviews
of other series. In the case of CRIMINAL MINDS that concept has run through
from the very beginning with each character taking on the various roles of
father, brother, sister, mother, uncle and such. The closeness that these
characters feel for one another transcends to role of employer and employee, of
a superior to his team. There are moments when the team will bypass regulations
to help one another while catching the criminal being sought at the same time.
As this season shows the cast and crew of this show are
still running strong after 12 seasons. Those who’ve remained from the start
remain fresh as always. Those who have left and returned, either permanently or
on a show by show basis, do so with an ease that makes it seem like they never
left.
Season 12 takes us on journeys set up in the past, placed in
front of us to deal with in the present and always keeps the viewer in suspense
before the conclusion of each episode. There is no individual performance to
single out as this group works together like the pieces of a finely crafted
Swiss watch. To do so after all this time is an accomplishment worth noting.
That it makes you eager for season 13 to begin is saying something.
Fans of the series will want to make sure that this season
is added to their collection. Events that take place will have an impact on the
show and its characters down the line. To pass this one up is to find yourself
at a loss when those moments occur. Pick it up and don’t set yourself up for
that to happen.
Click here to order.
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