'Criminal Minds' has always been one of my most-watched shows and was a personal favourite for a while. Seasons 1-5 was its best period, Season 4 was especially great. It did get hit and miss from Season 6 onwards, with a mix of good and more episodes and disappointing and less episodes. Season 11 was, apart from about 5 episodes, pretty weak. Season 12 was inconsistent but generally an improvement, its weakest episodes nowhere near as bad as the low-points of Seasons 6, 9 and especially 11.
Season 13 so far has not been too bad, in fact it's been quite good. It is already so much better than Season 11, which started off well actually but quickly went downhill, and has generally settled quicker than Season 12. As far as the previous Season 13 episodes go, "Wheels Up, "Killer App" and "Dust and Bones" were particularly good. Up to this point, only "To a Better Place" and "Neon Terror" were a little disappointing, with a lot of admirable qualities but also an over-familiar and not much special case.
"False Flag" actually for me was one of the better Season 13 episodes. The case has enough nice and surprising turns to stop things from being too familiar and a lot of creativity. In fact, it is the most unpredictable and unique case of the season up to this point and one of the most unpredictable and unique of the season overall.
The team work, the procedural aspects and how it's all solved evokes prime 'Criminal Minds', there is lots of each and it's all thought-provoking and delightful. It doesn't make the mistakes that many latter season episodes made (i.e. too much unsub, unsub revealed too early, problematically executed cases, too much reliance on convenience, lack of balance, too many soapy personal life subplots, team underuse and not enough procedural/delving into the criminal's mind). In fact, there is a sense that "False Flag" didn't forget what made 'Criminal Minds' work so well in the first place. The twists keep coming, many genuinely shocking, and the unsub reveal was not an obvious one at all.
Plenty of room for little character moments within the team, one of my favourite things about 'Criminal Minds' and something that lifts even the lesser episodes. There are not enough of them, but everybody shares the disbelief and what the heck reaction to Melissa's absurd theory. Am usually not a fan of Tara, she being one of my biggest problems with Season 11, but really liked her no-nonsense approach and saw her point of view.
Everybody does a great job with the acting, all the regulars are strong as ever and Zelda Williams is simply delicious as Melissa. Really liked the colourful character of Bob too.
Visually, "False Flag" is stylish and atmospheric, while the music is haunting without being over-bearing while having presence still, the script is taut with a touch of sweetness and poignancy here and there and Joe Mantegna's directing is some of his best for the show, the interrogation scenes having effective claustrophobia.
Would have liked more team character moments in a flashback and interrogation heavy episode.
But for me the only big criticism was the motive for the crimes, with such a surprising unsub, a creative case and twists that genuinely shocked the motive underwhelms in how clichéd and ordinary it is.
Overall though, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Season 13 so far has not been too bad, in fact it's been quite good. It is already so much better than Season 11, which started off well actually but quickly went downhill, and has generally settled quicker than Season 12. As far as the previous Season 13 episodes go, "Wheels Up, "Killer App" and "Dust and Bones" were particularly good. Up to this point, only "To a Better Place" and "Neon Terror" were a little disappointing, with a lot of admirable qualities but also an over-familiar and not much special case.
"False Flag" actually for me was one of the better Season 13 episodes. The case has enough nice and surprising turns to stop things from being too familiar and a lot of creativity. In fact, it is the most unpredictable and unique case of the season up to this point and one of the most unpredictable and unique of the season overall.
The team work, the procedural aspects and how it's all solved evokes prime 'Criminal Minds', there is lots of each and it's all thought-provoking and delightful. It doesn't make the mistakes that many latter season episodes made (i.e. too much unsub, unsub revealed too early, problematically executed cases, too much reliance on convenience, lack of balance, too many soapy personal life subplots, team underuse and not enough procedural/delving into the criminal's mind). In fact, there is a sense that "False Flag" didn't forget what made 'Criminal Minds' work so well in the first place. The twists keep coming, many genuinely shocking, and the unsub reveal was not an obvious one at all.
Plenty of room for little character moments within the team, one of my favourite things about 'Criminal Minds' and something that lifts even the lesser episodes. There are not enough of them, but everybody shares the disbelief and what the heck reaction to Melissa's absurd theory. Am usually not a fan of Tara, she being one of my biggest problems with Season 11, but really liked her no-nonsense approach and saw her point of view.
Everybody does a great job with the acting, all the regulars are strong as ever and Zelda Williams is simply delicious as Melissa. Really liked the colourful character of Bob too.
Visually, "False Flag" is stylish and atmospheric, while the music is haunting without being over-bearing while having presence still, the script is taut with a touch of sweetness and poignancy here and there and Joe Mantegna's directing is some of his best for the show, the interrogation scenes having effective claustrophobia.
Would have liked more team character moments in a flashback and interrogation heavy episode.
But for me the only big criticism was the motive for the crimes, with such a surprising unsub, a creative case and twists that genuinely shocked the motive underwhelms in how clichéd and ordinary it is.
Overall though, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox
