While many movies have been made concerning serial killers
it wasn’t until the release of SILENCE OF THE LAMBS that a face, a character
was attached to a kill. It also introduced many to the world of the elite FBI
unit that used profilers, agents who used analysis of the psychological make up
of the killer, something we rarely heard of before. In 2005 we were introduced
to that group on a weekly basis with the series CRIMINAL MINDS.
For 15 years now we’ve witnessed the ups and downs of the
BAU, the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. We watched as their leader Aaron
Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) led the team composed of Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin),
Elle Greenaway (Lola Glaudini), Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore), Spencer Reid (Matthew
Gray Gubler), Jennifer Jareau (A.J. Cook), and Penelope Garcia (Kristen
Vangsness) on a weekly pursuit of criminals across the country.
During that 15 year period we watched the team work together
as a cohesive unit, saw members of the team die, members leave and new ones
appear in their place. We got to know them not just as cardboard cutouts but to
see their family lives as well. One storyline even placed the lives of
Hotchner’s family in jeopardy resulting in the death of his wife at the hands
of an elusive serial killer. We saw them get married, have children and deal
with family issues that everyday people have. But that’s because behind all of
the work they did the characters were real people, not Teflon coated
superheroes.
But after 15 seasons, most of which found them at the top of
the ratings, the series ended this year. The BAU didn’t shut down but
characters were going on to different aspects of their lives and by the last
episode we were allowed to bid a fond farewell to the entire group, including
seeing scenes of past members once more there in spirit if not in person. It
was a nice wrap up to a series that kept us all watching for 15 years.
Watching that last episode was and can be an emotional time
for viewers. When a show airs for that many years and you watch it on a weekly
basis, you invest yourself into the characters. You find that even though they
are fictional people in over the top situations you care about what happens to
them. When one gets shot or attacked, you find yourself hoping for the best and
worried until you find out what happens. And when one dies you find yourself
feeling as if you’ve been punched in the gut.
Long running shows do that to us, the viewers that are there
every week. It’s easy to turn off for shows that run a couple of years but 15
years is enough time to get married, to have a child and in some cases to watch
a child that was 5 when the show began move out for the first time. It becomes
a familiar routine, a part of your weekly schedule. To see that show gone
leaves a hole behind that perhaps a new show will fill but it just won’t be the
same.
At the same time it’s odd to see this show as one of those
types of series. I mean we watched the most deviant groups of killers,
kidnappers and criminals ever seen on TV. Torture for some was the norm. Some
would find ways to single out favorite characters like Spencer Reid and
literally try to dismantle his mind as well as attack his mother. But there was
also hope in the fact that each week a solution was found, the bad guy was
caught and we could feel safe even if our own world didn’t tie things up in a
neat bow like they did here. That is gone now.
But you don’t have to stop watching CRIMINAL MINDS just
because it’s no longer airing on TV. Past seasons have been available on disc
as each one ended. That holds true today as the final season, CRMINAL MINDS
SEASON 15, arrives on disc this week. Shortened to only 10 episodes it brings
events that were left open to a close. It’s a fitting bookend to a fantastic
series.
If you haven’t been buying each season as they’ve come out
not to worry. This week also sees the release of CRIMINAL MINDS THE COMPLETE
SERIES featuring every season in one nice box set that contains all the
episodes from start to finish. If you came along late to the show, like I did,
this provides a way of seeing it progress from start to finish and to
experience one of the most well written, well directed and well-acted series
ever to find its way to television.
I’ve said before that owning the complete series of any
favorite show is something to be enjoyed and watched repeatedly. For me this
show will be one I will be pulling from the shelf to watch. Who knows, if I
start from episode one and watch just one a week I have at least another 7
years of enjoyment out of it. If you missed ever seeing the show or miss
watching it, you might want to add this to your collection. It’s well worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment