Open Season
- Episode aired May 2, 2007
- TV-14
- 42m
The team is called to investigate when bodies of missing people are discovered in the Idaho wilderness.The team is called to investigate when bodies of missing people are discovered in the Idaho wilderness.The team is called to investigate when bodies of missing people are discovered in the Idaho wilderness.
- Luke Hamilton
- (as Scott Allen Rinker)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThough it is not implied, the plot is similar to the case of the serial killer Robert Hansen in the 1980s. Hansen would kidnap his victims and hunt them in the Yukon wilderness with a Ruger Mini-14 rifle. The primary source of the idea comes from the 1924 work of man-hunts-man fiction, "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell.
- GoofsThe Boise National Forest is just north of Boise. Spokane, where the victims are taken from, is a good 7 or 8 hour drive northwest along what is mostly a two-lane highway, U.S. 95, that offers access to much more rugged, less-accessible wilderness areas.
- Quotes
Emily Prentiss: [Brings beer and Brad from the bar] Ladies, this is Brad! A real FBI agent!
Penelope Garcia: Really?
Emily Prentiss: Really!
Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau: No way!
Penelope Garcia: That's exciting! What's it like in Quantico?
Brad: It's, eh, quite impressive!
Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau: What department are you in?
Brad: That's classified
[winks to Garcia & Emily]
Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau: it must be really tough keeping all those secrets
Brad: It's a skill like anything else. Carpenters are good at building stuff, measuring. FBI is good at keeping secrets and kicking criminal ass!
Emily Prentiss: Well, somebody has to do it! Oh, do you have to carry your gun and batch with you everywhere you go?
Brad: Affirmative
Emily Prentiss: Can we see it?
Brad: See what?
Emily Prentiss: Your badge
Penelope Garcia: Please
Brad: I am sorry, that's...
Penelope Garcia, Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau, Emily Prentiss: Classified of course
Emily Prentiss: [takes out her badge] Tell me Brad, does it look anything like this?
Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau: [takes out her badge] Or, uh, this?
Penelope Garcia: [takes out her badge] Or maybe this?
[Brad walks away]
Better than "Honor Among Thieves" however? Absolutely. That episode was the one big disappointment of a generally solid season and in the top 10 worst of 'Criminal Minds' Seasons 1-5 episodes. "Aftermath", "The Perfect Storm", "Empty Planet", "The Big Game" and "Psychodrama" could have been a little better too, but they all managed to still be good episodes, whereas "Honor Among Thieves" was overall only average at best and parts even strained to be that.
"Open Season", going back on track, was a very good episode with signs of greatness. It is let down only by two things really. One is the acting of the victims, to me they seemed a little too indifferent in such a terrifying situation and rather too accepting of their fates. The other is that more could have been done with Prentiss knowing the woods so well, that was very strongly hinted at and given short shrift somewhat.
However, "Open Season" had a very tense and suspenseful case, helped by a genuinely frightening scenario and two intriguing and well-played unsubs. The team interaction is really enjoyable and they work well as a team, being caring about solving the case, being used well, well balanced in dynamic, serving a point and actually not acting clueless or slow on the uptake (it was the bungling of the team work and dynamic that was one of the biggest flaws of "Honor Among Thieves").
Two parts are especially great here. One is the opening bar scene, a very funny, hilarious even, and refreshing scene that sees some adorable bonding and brings some welcome humour to a tense case and a dark show. The other is Gideon's interaction with the dying youngest unsub, that was very touching and somewhat surprising too.
Visually, "Open Season" is still very stylish and atmospheric, with magnificent woodland scenery, the music haunting and melancholic and the direction taut but also accommodating. The script is nicely balanced and thought-provoking.
Apart from some patchy work from the victims, the acting is very good. Oh and that look that Morgan and Reid shared, reminding one of their brotherly and protective bond, is subtle and very sweet.
Concluding this review, a very good episode. 8/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Feb 4, 2017
Details
- Runtime42 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
- 16:9 HD