30 days of CM take two: day 11
Day 11 - fandom loved it, I hated it
Garcia episodes in seasons 5-6
Honorable mentions: "Somebody's Watching" and "Reflection of Desire," pretty much the grossest examples of fanservice at the expense of good storytelling that this show has to offer, but which I've ranted about enough already; "JJ" which fell flat to me because of the combination of excessive fanservice/too little too late/writers and creators covering their own asses, but that's more about behind-the-scenes stuff than it is about the actual canon
Before I get started, let me make one thing abundantly clear: I like Garcia. Really, I do. "Penelope" still remains one of my favorite episodes. Unfortunately, I think the writers peaked on good Garcia storylines with that one, because every other Garcia-centric episode has fallen flat.
Part of the problem is that given Garcia's job as a technical analyst, there are only so many believable reasons for bringing her out from behind a computer screen. "Penelope" worked because the very skill she's known for and is essential to her characterization--computer hacking--is what got her into trouble and what eventually got her out of trouble. The episode played to her strengths and made perfect sense for the kind of character she is. But future attempts to feature her became more and more contrived. In later centric episodes, she: witnesses a crime, interviews an emo kid (because apparently Morgan and Reid are so incompetent at their jobs they can't even interview a teenage boy), tried taking on JJ's job as well as her own (I'm calling pod!Hotch, because there is no way real Hotch wouldn't see exactly how that was going to turn out), and gave a press conference/posed as unsub bait despite having no training in that area and not matching the victimology at all (pod!Hotch strikes again).
Furthermore, it's clear that Garcia was never meant to be more than a supporting character, and it shows. In the early seasons, she appeared mainly to perform her technical analyst duties as well as provide comic relief and a nice bit of lightness to counteract the show's generally somber tone. Her most readily identifiable traits aside from computer skills are quirkiness, a sunny disposition, and a big heart. The writers are determined to keep these traits intact, as despite all of the darkness and depravity she encounters working for the BAU, she still wants to see the best in people and has neither the desire nor stomach to handle the kind of things her colleagues do. This was a highly effective way of positioning her as a foil to the team, as she functioned outside of the show's dominant narrative of the struggle against the darkness--its other characters are constantly navigating that space between letting enough darkness in to do their jobs but not so much they become consumed by it. Placing Garcia as a character who refuses to deal with darkness, who helps with the mission without becoming the mission, made the character unique and her role necessary.
Unfortunately, it's a role that depends, to an extent, upon remaining outside the action. Garcia's distance--both physical and occupational--keeps her pure, keeps her as the team's most immediate link to humanity. The other, of course, would be their families (this is especially true of Hotch), but we see less of them, and Garcia is a much more facile device in that respect. She occupies the unique space of being both part of the team and outside of it, not only professionally but thematically as well. She is the "heart," the emotional center, the representation of love and lightness that stands in direct opposition to the depravity and darkness the team sees with every case. Yet, this role also keeps her character rather static. She doesn't want to change, and she's not going to change--but without change, how can you keep a character dynamic? Yet if Garcia's character is moved into the team's narrative and appropriately "darked up" then we lose the lightness her presence outside that narrative provides. And that lightness really has no place in that narrative--these episodes have shown that. Her Elle Woods moment in "Compromising Positions" when she sheds her preppy gear and runs out in classic Garcia regalia (pink, even!) was just a massive wtf and completely pulls the viewer out of the story (granted the case did a good enough job itself, but I suspect it was supposed to be taken seriously, and that moment did not help).
Finally, the team needs its technical analyst... analyzing. It does not need her taking on random duties that would normally go to a trained field agent--which, um, they had. Distributing JJ's duties among the rest of the team while increasing Garcia's role (mostly by having her take on duties once performed by JJ) is bar none the worst narrative decision this show could have made. It completely throws off the balance of the team and renders previous arcs stressing JJ's importance entirely pointless--why train and pay Jordan Todd when the team could've scraped by without a media liaison? Bringing in a replacement would've made the most sense from a narrative perspective, despite being problematic as hell in its implications outside the narrative, but that's another rant altogether. "Compromising Positions" should've made the point this paragraph is trying to make, but then "Reflection of Desire" happened, so I don't even know anymore.
And now this essay has devolved into rambling so I think it's time to end. ;) Till next time, kids.
Garcia episodes in seasons 5-6
Honorable mentions: "Somebody's Watching" and "Reflection of Desire," pretty much the grossest examples of fanservice at the expense of good storytelling that this show has to offer, but which I've ranted about enough already; "JJ" which fell flat to me because of the combination of excessive fanservice/too little too late/writers and creators covering their own asses, but that's more about behind-the-scenes stuff than it is about the actual canon
Before I get started, let me make one thing abundantly clear: I like Garcia. Really, I do. "Penelope" still remains one of my favorite episodes. Unfortunately, I think the writers peaked on good Garcia storylines with that one, because every other Garcia-centric episode has fallen flat.
Part of the problem is that given Garcia's job as a technical analyst, there are only so many believable reasons for bringing her out from behind a computer screen. "Penelope" worked because the very skill she's known for and is essential to her characterization--computer hacking--is what got her into trouble and what eventually got her out of trouble. The episode played to her strengths and made perfect sense for the kind of character she is. But future attempts to feature her became more and more contrived. In later centric episodes, she: witnesses a crime, interviews an emo kid (because apparently Morgan and Reid are so incompetent at their jobs they can't even interview a teenage boy), tried taking on JJ's job as well as her own (I'm calling pod!Hotch, because there is no way real Hotch wouldn't see exactly how that was going to turn out), and gave a press conference/posed as unsub bait despite having no training in that area and not matching the victimology at all (pod!Hotch strikes again).
Furthermore, it's clear that Garcia was never meant to be more than a supporting character, and it shows. In the early seasons, she appeared mainly to perform her technical analyst duties as well as provide comic relief and a nice bit of lightness to counteract the show's generally somber tone. Her most readily identifiable traits aside from computer skills are quirkiness, a sunny disposition, and a big heart. The writers are determined to keep these traits intact, as despite all of the darkness and depravity she encounters working for the BAU, she still wants to see the best in people and has neither the desire nor stomach to handle the kind of things her colleagues do. This was a highly effective way of positioning her as a foil to the team, as she functioned outside of the show's dominant narrative of the struggle against the darkness--its other characters are constantly navigating that space between letting enough darkness in to do their jobs but not so much they become consumed by it. Placing Garcia as a character who refuses to deal with darkness, who helps with the mission without becoming the mission, made the character unique and her role necessary.
Unfortunately, it's a role that depends, to an extent, upon remaining outside the action. Garcia's distance--both physical and occupational--keeps her pure, keeps her as the team's most immediate link to humanity. The other, of course, would be their families (this is especially true of Hotch), but we see less of them, and Garcia is a much more facile device in that respect. She occupies the unique space of being both part of the team and outside of it, not only professionally but thematically as well. She is the "heart," the emotional center, the representation of love and lightness that stands in direct opposition to the depravity and darkness the team sees with every case. Yet, this role also keeps her character rather static. She doesn't want to change, and she's not going to change--but without change, how can you keep a character dynamic? Yet if Garcia's character is moved into the team's narrative and appropriately "darked up" then we lose the lightness her presence outside that narrative provides. And that lightness really has no place in that narrative--these episodes have shown that. Her Elle Woods moment in "Compromising Positions" when she sheds her preppy gear and runs out in classic Garcia regalia (pink, even!) was just a massive wtf and completely pulls the viewer out of the story (granted the case did a good enough job itself, but I suspect it was supposed to be taken seriously, and that moment did not help).
Finally, the team needs its technical analyst... analyzing. It does not need her taking on random duties that would normally go to a trained field agent--which, um, they had. Distributing JJ's duties among the rest of the team while increasing Garcia's role (mostly by having her take on duties once performed by JJ) is bar none the worst narrative decision this show could have made. It completely throws off the balance of the team and renders previous arcs stressing JJ's importance entirely pointless--why train and pay Jordan Todd when the team could've scraped by without a media liaison? Bringing in a replacement would've made the most sense from a narrative perspective, despite being problematic as hell in its implications outside the narrative, but that's another rant altogether. "Compromising Positions" should've made the point this paragraph is trying to make, but then "Reflection of Desire" happened, so I don't even know anymore.
And now this essay has devolved into rambling so I think it's time to end. ;) Till next time, kids.