Criminal minds "Top Ten" picspam!!!
Welcome to my boredom!
So yeah... I'm finally finished watching all five seasons of Criminal Minds, and a few days ago I watched the season premiere "The Longest Night". I've gotta say, I'm pretty psyched that the onset of my new obsession happens to perfectly coincide with the beginning of the show's new season. Perfect timing. I haz it.
However, it has recently been brought to my attention that I must now wait an entire week to watch each new episode.
Wait... wha? But... but... but I've been watching them back-to-back! This isn't fair! *sobs*
Well, seeing as how there isn't much that can be done at this point (I'm sadly devoid of Garcia's hacking skillz, and therefore do not posess the ability to infiltrate CBS.com to gain early access to next week's ep before it airs. Nuts!), I figured I'd bust on over to LJ and give myself a fix... NERD STYLE! Yeah... it's been a while since I've been this psyched about a fandom, so I thought I may as well take it all the way to the picspam level. Sweet! I'm super excited! You guys must be super excited too (ignores shifty sideways glances of concern/pity). Well, I know Dr. Reid's excited!
Yaaaayyyy!
So here it is: Jo's Top Ten Criminal Minds Sob-fest Moments! I wanted to do a "fav scenes" post (and I probably WILL in good time), but this seemed more manageable for the time being, plus I wanted to do this list because there hasn't been a show since Skins that has made me cry as much as CM has (Ooh... good idea! I should do one of these for Skins too. *geeks out*). So yes... these aren't just my picks for sad scenes, because there are PLENTY of those to choose from on this show... No, these are moments that actually made tears exit my eyeballs and travel down my face. Here are my choke-up moments... in their proper order.
10)Ending sequence (Season 4 - Episode: "The Instincts")
I must have been having an emotional day when I watched this string of episodes, because I swear they all made me cry. Lol. Well, at least this episode and the subsequent one did. This episode involved a young boy being abducted and almost killed, but in the end he's returned safely to his parents. Okay, Jo... this happens A LOT on Criminal Minds. Like... once every five episodes or so. Why this one? I have no idea, actually... I THINK it's just that the ending sequence is so well-edited. The shots of the team laughing and eating together, JJ touching her baby-bump, the crazy mother asleep in her jail cell, the parents taking their child home, Reid asleep on his mom's sofa... and it's all set to Bob Dylan's "Shelter From the Storm", which is one of my all-time favourite songs (There are select moments when the creators of this show just NAIL IT with their music choices). Anyway, this was just a beautiful, bittersweet sequence, and yes... it brought a tear or two to my eye.
9)Survivor (Charlie) tries to comfort dead child's parents (Season 5 - Episode: "Mosley Lane")
This one snuck up on me. I honestly didn't expect to break down at the end of this episode. Granted, it was definitely a sad one (this can easily be argued for any of the eps involving child abductions), but it was also decidedly creepy and disturbing for the first 90% of its duration (and really... I expected nothing less from MGG in his directorial debut). It was a two-second line at the VERY end of the episode that caught me off guard, wounding me like a bullet straight through the heart. When Charlie, the boy who's been missing for ten or so years, goes up to the parents of one of his deceased fellow abductees and tells them that their son died protecting a little girl who had only been abducted a few days prior, the dad gets extremely emotional and says (in shock) "He was alive yesterday?". For whatever reason, this just killed me. The thought that the parents had been looking for their child for SO LONG, and that he'd only died the day before all of the others were rescued??? How horrible is that!? I really thought that the actors did a fantastic job of portraying this despair. Actually, the child actors in this ep were quite good as well, which (as any TV-viewer can attest to) can be extremely hit-and-miss. Anywho, I couldn't find any screencaps of the moment I referred to above, so I thought I'd add a few from the epiode itself. I love the one with the children's shocked expressions as they stare at the crematorium oven. Freakin creepy!
8) Reid's "just in case" message for his mom (Season 4 - Episode: "Amplification")
Reid accidentally gets infected with Anthrax and is stuck in quarantine! Yeah, I know... a lot of bad shit happens to this kid. When he calls Garcia and asks her to record a message for his mother... y'know, "just in case something happens... (ie/ DEATH)" I was like, "Aaah shit! They're not actually going to make me listen to..." But they did. I think what really upset me about this scene was the fact that Garcia (being her wonderfully optimistic self) tries so hard to convince Reid that the message is a completely unnecessary precaution, and when she eventually concedes to his demand, you can see the hurt/helplessness on her face as she listens to his private goodbye. Also, Gubler is so good at the "I'm this close to crying" voice that he makes me cry. Hmph.
7) The birth of Henry (Season 4 - Episode: "Memoriam")
This is the episode that I mentioned above (the one that follows "The Instincts") that had me sobbing again just after I'd managed to clean up the mess from the previous ep. But this one was 100% happy tears. I'd say this is arguably the sweetest moment in all of Criminal Minds. The bulk of this episode has Reid struggling with his daddy-issues, and near the end his father even admits to being a bad parent for abandoning Reid with his schizophrenic mother when he was only a child. In previous episodes it's made apparent that Reid is terrified of inheriting his parents' negative traits, so I was overjoyed to the point of tears when, in the final few scenes of "Memoriam", JJ asks Reid to be baby Henry's godfather, thus proving to Spencer that he is nothing like his dad.
OMG how #$^%& cute is it that he holds the baby like he's just arrived at his neighbours' dinner party with a homemade pound cake? Lol. I thought this was a really adorable ending to an episode where Reid has to sift through some pretty heavy shit from his past. I could picspam this until the cows come home. :')
6) Prentiss's past comes back to haunt her (Season 4 - Episode: "Demonology")
I had been waiting a while for a good Prentiss backstory episode. It seemed like her character was one of the few that we knew the least about, other than the fact that he mother was a diplomat, and she traveled around a lot as a child. I adore Paget Brewster, and she did a fantastic job of bringing Emily's pain to life here. The sadness due to the death of her childhood friend, and the guilt she still harbors for "corrupting" him all those years ago are etched on Prentiss's face in every single scene.
The episode's final moment is the kicker, though. And can I just say... how BEAUTIFUL are these scenes? The wide, sweeping shot of Emily in front of the church, the snow, the absolutely broken look on her face... God, it's just so gorgeously sad. I think everyone can empathize with Emily: we've all had moments in our lives that continue to haunt us, and we've all had special people that helped us get through them. I really felt for her in this scene.
Then I had a mini-heart attack when she puts her hand up to her face only to realize that her nose is bleeding. I was like, "OMG CEREBRAL SINUS TUMOR!! NOOOO!!!" Then, after a brief moment of panic, I was able to calm down enough to laugh at myself when I realized that the X-files is (sadly) not the go-to template for every single show on Television. Oh, Jo... you so nerdy. But hey, if Prentiss does happen to develop an unexplained extraterrestrial brain tumor in Season Six... I CALLED IT!
5) Garcia gets shot (Season 3 - Episode: "Penelope")
This one blew me away (forgive the horrible pun). Garcia gets shot. GARCIA!? But she's invincible! She stays in her fotress, never goes out into the field, is all-knowing, all-powerful, hilarious, optimistic, lovely and all around wonderful. HOW CAN THEY SHOOT GARCIA!? Well, it turns out even the bubbliest of characters has their fair share of dark and sordid secrets. But Garcia's secret is probably the coolest out of everybody's: She's the Frank Abagnale of the BAU!! Is it possible for her to be more kick-ass? Anyway, the scenes that show her suffering/downtrodden just tore at my heart. Like I said, I was shocked that the writers had decided to take one of the show's most beloved (and seemingly "safe") characters and expose her to something so horrible.
The reactions of the other characters really tugged at my emotions as well, particularly JJ's and Derek's. I felt so bad for Mogran throughout the first half of this episode, since Garcia had gotten so angry at him in the previous episode for doubting her ability to legitimately attract a good-looking man (and boy, did she have a right to be angry!) The thing was, everyone can tell that Morgan's heart was always in the right place. He and Garcia have a very special relationship, and sometimes it's the ones closest to us who have the ability to hurt us the most. That's why, when Morgan refuses to leave her apartment upon her release from the hospital, I choked up just a bit. Then he had to go and say, "You know I love you, right?" and it was all over for me. This is one of the things I love most about Morgan's character: his compassion. He seems all tough and rugged on the outside, but he has this unique ability to comfort his colleagues that none of the others really possess (except perhaps Gideon... but... yeah). Anyway, TANGENT! Moving on...
Once again, it's the final few scenes that really hit the right bittersweet chord, in my opinion. Just when you think that maybe Penelope might not ever be her good old "always look on the bright side of life" self ever again, she turns to JJ and says, "Do you believe everything happens for a reason?" and my smile grows a mile wide through my tears. This is how we're introduced to Kevin, and I must say I love Kevin in all his awkward goofiness... and the way he stares at her and just barely whispers "Penelope" upon Garcia's introduction of herself... *shivers*. Love it. Also, the show once again nails it in the music department with the inclusion of "Heroes" during the pan-out. Dylan... Bowie... Cohen... seriously, what are these people trying to do to me? :')
4) Reid gets kidnapped/tortured/rescued (Season 2 - Episodes: "The Big Game" and "Revelations")
This is another one that I could picspam until the cows come home (and, just to give fair warning... I'm gonna), mostly because, in breaking the episode down into still images, it's easy to see how Reid slowly "devolves" from the sweet, naive young dork we all know and love into this utterly defeated, lifeless shell of a human being. It's SO SAD to watch.
Lol... this scene is classic. Reid: "Um... hai there creepy-house guy... can I use ur bathroom?" Tobias: "No." JJ: "Why didn't you say something in the car?" I've included this cap for no reason other than to serve as a nice reminder of the mildly silly moment that the writers allow to transpire right before Reid gets beaten into oblivion.
So by this point my heart is in my throat, and I KINDA want to kill evil!Dawson with my bare hands. But instead he kills Reid by drugging him heavily and throwing him on the floor where he proceeds to have a massive seizure/heart-attack or smth. Wait... SERIOUSLY!? HE KILLS REID!? WHAT THE FUDGESICLES!?
This is when the focus turns on Spencer's teammates, who are watching this all on live streaming video. The looks of absolute horror on the faces of the other BAU team members were what really got to me. Garcia and JJ in particular were looking downright distraught (JJ having a better reason than most to be upset). Derek looked like he wanted to skin someone (evil!Dawson) alive, even HOTCH was in shock. Not a good sign. But of course Reid doesn't die. He's given CPR (Wait... Spencer... what are the statistics on CPR? Isn't it only successful in like... 7% of cases? Okay, it's 5-10%. I Googled it. Wow, those odds are just about as shitty as drawing three cards to a full house...) and wakes up. It's too bad I didn't see this coming, and am therefore sobbing violently and wanting to hurl my laptop across the room.
I probably sound like a broken record by now, but the ending scenes of this episode were by far the saddest. "Revelations" imo, was to Reid what "Penelope" was to Garcia: I was TERRIFIED that he would never be the same again. I thought they had effectively destroyed him by making him finally accept the inevitability of his own death (not to mention making him literally DIG HIS OWN GRAVE). The difference here, though (and ultimately why I think this ep is sadder than "Penelope"), is that it DOESN'T have a happy ending. It has a downright miserable ending. Aside from Tobias's death, the sweet hugs, and Reid's "I knew you'd understand" to Hotch, there isn't much light at the end of this episode's dark tunnel. Looking back, I'm glad that the show's creators took the risk and chose to darken Reid's character for a few episodes, but as I was watching this I just couldn't get past how sad the whole messed up situation was. Again, the music fits like a glove (I'd discovered Band of Horses about a year prior, and had no idea that my FAV song of theirs had even been featured on primetime TV. Nice surprise), and all in all, it adds up to me feeling like I've been put through the emotional equivalent of a tumble-dryer. Thanks again, CM!
3) Sarah-Jean's sacrifice for her son (Season 1 - Episode: "Riding the Lightning")
This is another one that didn't really involve any of the central characters, but was more based on the AMAZING storytelling in this particular episode. The episode opens with a shot of Gideon smiling and watching a classical music concert, and I'm thinking "okay, so he's into classical music. No big shock there. We know he likes art etc..." It's only once I arrived at the END of the episode that this slow pan-out shot suddenly made sense, thus causing me to start sobbing almost uncontrollably.
In this episode we meet a mother who has been wrongly accused of killing her two-year-old son, but (strange as it may seem), she has taken full responsibility for the murder, and has been in prison for the past fifteen years.
In the end it's revealed that she in fact DIDN'T kill her son, but has been keeping this fact a secret in order to protect him from knowing who his real parents are, and what they did. The paintings are quite sad as well; the one of the young boy running through the field ends up being one of the clues that helps profilers determine that Riley is indeed still alive.
At this point I was like "OMG! SHE'S INNOCENT! GIDEON SAVES THE DAY! SHE CAN BE WITH HER SON AGAIN!! etc... etc..." but of course the writers of this show had previously decided that they had it in for me (and Sarah-Jean) this entire time. Nope, instead we get an extremely emotional "I get to see the stars one last time in the prison yard" scene, and then a lengthy "on my way to the 'lectric chair" explanatory speech to Gideon (who is DESPERATE to stop her from dying unnecessarily).
In the end Gideon CALLS OFF the order for Morgan to tell Riley who his birth mother is, and Sarah-Jean heads to the chair, making one last request: that Gideon's face be the last thing she sees. And he obliges, planting himself right at the front of the observation room as she gets all rigged up for the event. That's when the camera starts to zoom in on him... and THAT'S when the music kicks in and I lose my shit.
Of COURSE, her son has grown up safe and he is now a cello prodigy at the ripe old age of 17. And suddenly it makes sense why, at the beginning of the episode, Sara-Jean had said to Reid, "You're so young to be a doctor. Your mother must be very proud." She had been keeping tabs on Riley's progress throughout her entire stay in prison. She's always known he was better off. And now Gideon is AT THE KID'S CONCERT! Aaaaand *waterworks*. The beauty of this episode is that it really gets you to empathize with Sarah Jean, and in the end, I can almost understand why she would rather DIE than have her son know the truth about her and Jacob. She is saving his life in a completely unconventional way, but she is saving it all the same, just like she did when she abandoned him at the age of two. Guh. I don't think anyone who saw this episode can claim to have finished it without at least the tiniest lip-quiver. Brilliant.
2) Hayley's death / The funeral (Season 5 - Episodes: "100" and "The Slave of Duty")
The entire episode "100" was a nail-biter. Hotch's ex-wife Hayley and their son Jack have been relocated to keep them off the radar from the Reaper (George Foyet), who is hell-bent on mentally (and physically, as we saw in "Nameless, Faceless") torturing Agent Hotchner. We know that Hotch has no idea where his family is living in order to keep them safe, so when it becomes evident that Foyet has managed to find them, it's pretty clear things aren't going to end well. This character death (while a minor one), is SO crucial for Hotch's development. To quote Reid in Season 5 "I don't know if I've ever seen Hotch blink..." and it's true. Seeing him break down in his car as Hayley speaks her final words over the phone is all the more heartbreaking because... well... we realize that he DOES indeed have emotions. Thomas Gibson's performance in this episode is nothing short of superb.
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The final scenes with Hotch searching for Foyet in his house are just CHILLING; there isn't any music/background noise for a good five minutes. All you hear is his breathing. And then the subsequent episode? When little Jack places the white rose on his mother's coffin? And then Hotch tells him to give his mommy a kiss, and Jack kisses his little hand and... oh dear God... *tears up*
1) Gideon's goodbye (Season 3 - Episode: "In Name and Blood")
This is an easy number one for me. I was bawling the second Reid flicked his flashlight on and lit up the empty bookcase in Gideon's cabin. Some CM fans might find it odd that, out of all the moments in all of the episodes in all 5 seasons, this was the moment that affected me the most; after all, the show has doled out a decent number of deaths/near-deaths/injuries to its various characters. However, I'm a sucker for the sentimental, and the implied (heavily implied) father/son relationship between Gideon and Reid just touched my heart so much in the first two seasons of the show, especially since Reid is just so socially awkward in these episodes, and you can just tell he looks up to Gideon so much. That's why my heart first started aching when this episode opened with Reid being roused by JJ after having fallen asleep in a chair in Gideon's office. She asks him, "Have you been here all night?" and he simply answers, "We were supposed to play chess..." So basically Reid waited and waited, eventually nodding off after Gideon never showed up. Guh! My poor heart! Reid just seems way too clueless/hopeful in this moment, and I could already tell this wasn't going in a good direction.
In the previous episode, "Doubt", we hear Gideon narrating a letter as he writes it, explaining that the work has become too much for him, and that he's nearing the end of his rope. Of course, we aren't told who he's adressing the letter to, and there's a deliberate attempt on behalf of the writers to lead the viewer into thinking that he's contemplating suicide (and I'll wholeheartedly admit that I was one of those viewer-sheep who fell for it), so it's assumed he's writing to his estranged son Steven.
The closing scenes of "In Name and Blood" show Reid driving up to Gideon's super-duper-secret cabin getaway in the woods. When he goes inside, the place is empty, and the look on his face when he turns on the lamp just about tore me to pieces; for a split second I thought he had discovered his mentor's dead body.
Not the case, however. Instead we find Gideon's badge and gun, as well as an envelope, which has the name "Spencer" scrawled across it. At this point I'm a complete mess, because a) I realize that the letter was for Reid, b) The aforementioned narration of the letter specifically stated "I knew you'd be the one to come looking for me", and c) He's used Reid's first name, which (along with the relinquished firearm and credentials), serves to hit the situation home: Gideon is speaking informally; Reid is no longer his co-worker. The ending is bitter sweet... Gideon drives off into the sunset... blah blah blah "I want to believe in happy endings" etc... but I'm still left sniffling for poor Spencer, who has now been unceremoniously "abandoned" by both his biological father (when he was a child), and his mentor-figure.
Completely unrelated note: How much do I love that he wears his wristwatch on top of his Mr. Rogers sweater? Lol. Oh Dr. Reid. <3
In a subsequent episode (I think it's "Scared to Death"), Reid says he's still "confused" by the letter, pointing out that it seems cowardly to just walk away from everyone on the team. Emily tells him to read it more carefully and ask himself "Why did Gideon only feel the need to explain himself to one person?" It's this sort of naive defensiveness/subtle hurt in Spencer's demeanour that make these scenes work on such an emotional level. The connection between Gideon and Reid's father is SO OBVIOUS, as are Reid's blatant abandonment issues, and yet he just doesn't see it... or he chooses not to. Either way, I feel for his character during this transition phase. The fact that he never really gets the closure he wants just makes it that much more tragic.
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Whew! So that's it! If anyone has made it this far (Kelly), I'd love to know what you think. Were there any moments that you'd disagree with? Any that you think I left out? Are you willing to bet that, after this Wednesday, I'll have to do an ETA on this bad boy in order to add "JJ's departure" to the list? I've got a $20 on that atm.
Love and hugs,
Jo out.
So yeah... I'm finally finished watching all five seasons of Criminal Minds, and a few days ago I watched the season premiere "The Longest Night". I've gotta say, I'm pretty psyched that the onset of my new obsession happens to perfectly coincide with the beginning of the show's new season. Perfect timing. I haz it.
However, it has recently been brought to my attention that I must now wait an entire week to watch each new episode.
Wait... wha? But... but... but I've been watching them back-to-back! This isn't fair! *sobs*
Well, seeing as how there isn't much that can be done at this point (I'm sadly devoid of Garcia's hacking skillz, and therefore do not posess the ability to infiltrate CBS.com to gain early access to next week's ep before it airs. Nuts!), I figured I'd bust on over to LJ and give myself a fix... NERD STYLE! Yeah... it's been a while since I've been this psyched about a fandom, so I thought I may as well take it all the way to the picspam level. Sweet! I'm super excited! You guys must be super excited too (ignores shifty sideways glances of concern/pity). Well, I know Dr. Reid's excited!
Yaaaayyyy!
So here it is: Jo's Top Ten Criminal Minds Sob-fest Moments! I wanted to do a "fav scenes" post (and I probably WILL in good time), but this seemed more manageable for the time being, plus I wanted to do this list because there hasn't been a show since Skins that has made me cry as much as CM has (Ooh... good idea! I should do one of these for Skins too. *geeks out*). So yes... these aren't just my picks for sad scenes, because there are PLENTY of those to choose from on this show... No, these are moments that actually made tears exit my eyeballs and travel down my face. Here are my choke-up moments... in their proper order.
10)Ending sequence (Season 4 - Episode: "The Instincts")
I must have been having an emotional day when I watched this string of episodes, because I swear they all made me cry. Lol. Well, at least this episode and the subsequent one did. This episode involved a young boy being abducted and almost killed, but in the end he's returned safely to his parents. Okay, Jo... this happens A LOT on Criminal Minds. Like... once every five episodes or so. Why this one? I have no idea, actually... I THINK it's just that the ending sequence is so well-edited. The shots of the team laughing and eating together, JJ touching her baby-bump, the crazy mother asleep in her jail cell, the parents taking their child home, Reid asleep on his mom's sofa... and it's all set to Bob Dylan's "Shelter From the Storm", which is one of my all-time favourite songs (There are select moments when the creators of this show just NAIL IT with their music choices). Anyway, this was just a beautiful, bittersweet sequence, and yes... it brought a tear or two to my eye.
9)Survivor (Charlie) tries to comfort dead child's parents (Season 5 - Episode: "Mosley Lane")
This one snuck up on me. I honestly didn't expect to break down at the end of this episode. Granted, it was definitely a sad one (this can easily be argued for any of the eps involving child abductions), but it was also decidedly creepy and disturbing for the first 90% of its duration (and really... I expected nothing less from MGG in his directorial debut). It was a two-second line at the VERY end of the episode that caught me off guard, wounding me like a bullet straight through the heart. When Charlie, the boy who's been missing for ten or so years, goes up to the parents of one of his deceased fellow abductees and tells them that their son died protecting a little girl who had only been abducted a few days prior, the dad gets extremely emotional and says (in shock) "He was alive yesterday?". For whatever reason, this just killed me. The thought that the parents had been looking for their child for SO LONG, and that he'd only died the day before all of the others were rescued??? How horrible is that!? I really thought that the actors did a fantastic job of portraying this despair. Actually, the child actors in this ep were quite good as well, which (as any TV-viewer can attest to) can be extremely hit-and-miss. Anywho, I couldn't find any screencaps of the moment I referred to above, so I thought I'd add a few from the epiode itself. I love the one with the children's shocked expressions as they stare at the crematorium oven. Freakin creepy!
8) Reid's "just in case" message for his mom (Season 4 - Episode: "Amplification")
Reid accidentally gets infected with Anthrax and is stuck in quarantine! Yeah, I know... a lot of bad shit happens to this kid. When he calls Garcia and asks her to record a message for his mother... y'know, "just in case something happens... (ie/ DEATH)" I was like, "Aaah shit! They're not actually going to make me listen to..." But they did. I think what really upset me about this scene was the fact that Garcia (being her wonderfully optimistic self) tries so hard to convince Reid that the message is a completely unnecessary precaution, and when she eventually concedes to his demand, you can see the hurt/helplessness on her face as she listens to his private goodbye. Also, Gubler is so good at the "I'm this close to crying" voice that he makes me cry. Hmph.
7) The birth of Henry (Season 4 - Episode: "Memoriam")
This is the episode that I mentioned above (the one that follows "The Instincts") that had me sobbing again just after I'd managed to clean up the mess from the previous ep. But this one was 100% happy tears. I'd say this is arguably the sweetest moment in all of Criminal Minds. The bulk of this episode has Reid struggling with his daddy-issues, and near the end his father even admits to being a bad parent for abandoning Reid with his schizophrenic mother when he was only a child. In previous episodes it's made apparent that Reid is terrified of inheriting his parents' negative traits, so I was overjoyed to the point of tears when, in the final few scenes of "Memoriam", JJ asks Reid to be baby Henry's godfather, thus proving to Spencer that he is nothing like his dad.
OMG how #$^%& cute is it that he holds the baby like he's just arrived at his neighbours' dinner party with a homemade pound cake? Lol. I thought this was a really adorable ending to an episode where Reid has to sift through some pretty heavy shit from his past. I could picspam this until the cows come home. :')
6) Prentiss's past comes back to haunt her (Season 4 - Episode: "Demonology")
I had been waiting a while for a good Prentiss backstory episode. It seemed like her character was one of the few that we knew the least about, other than the fact that he mother was a diplomat, and she traveled around a lot as a child. I adore Paget Brewster, and she did a fantastic job of bringing Emily's pain to life here. The sadness due to the death of her childhood friend, and the guilt she still harbors for "corrupting" him all those years ago are etched on Prentiss's face in every single scene.
The episode's final moment is the kicker, though. And can I just say... how BEAUTIFUL are these scenes? The wide, sweeping shot of Emily in front of the church, the snow, the absolutely broken look on her face... God, it's just so gorgeously sad. I think everyone can empathize with Emily: we've all had moments in our lives that continue to haunt us, and we've all had special people that helped us get through them. I really felt for her in this scene.
Then I had a mini-heart attack when she puts her hand up to her face only to realize that her nose is bleeding. I was like, "OMG CEREBRAL SINUS TUMOR!! NOOOO!!!" Then, after a brief moment of panic, I was able to calm down enough to laugh at myself when I realized that the X-files is (sadly) not the go-to template for every single show on Television. Oh, Jo... you so nerdy. But hey, if Prentiss does happen to develop an unexplained extraterrestrial brain tumor in Season Six... I CALLED IT!
5) Garcia gets shot (Season 3 - Episode: "Penelope")
This one blew me away (forgive the horrible pun). Garcia gets shot. GARCIA!? But she's invincible! She stays in her fotress, never goes out into the field, is all-knowing, all-powerful, hilarious, optimistic, lovely and all around wonderful. HOW CAN THEY SHOOT GARCIA!? Well, it turns out even the bubbliest of characters has their fair share of dark and sordid secrets. But Garcia's secret is probably the coolest out of everybody's: She's the Frank Abagnale of the BAU!! Is it possible for her to be more kick-ass? Anyway, the scenes that show her suffering/downtrodden just tore at my heart. Like I said, I was shocked that the writers had decided to take one of the show's most beloved (and seemingly "safe") characters and expose her to something so horrible.
The reactions of the other characters really tugged at my emotions as well, particularly JJ's and Derek's. I felt so bad for Mogran throughout the first half of this episode, since Garcia had gotten so angry at him in the previous episode for doubting her ability to legitimately attract a good-looking man (and boy, did she have a right to be angry!) The thing was, everyone can tell that Morgan's heart was always in the right place. He and Garcia have a very special relationship, and sometimes it's the ones closest to us who have the ability to hurt us the most. That's why, when Morgan refuses to leave her apartment upon her release from the hospital, I choked up just a bit. Then he had to go and say, "You know I love you, right?" and it was all over for me. This is one of the things I love most about Morgan's character: his compassion. He seems all tough and rugged on the outside, but he has this unique ability to comfort his colleagues that none of the others really possess (except perhaps Gideon... but... yeah). Anyway, TANGENT! Moving on...
Once again, it's the final few scenes that really hit the right bittersweet chord, in my opinion. Just when you think that maybe Penelope might not ever be her good old "always look on the bright side of life" self ever again, she turns to JJ and says, "Do you believe everything happens for a reason?" and my smile grows a mile wide through my tears. This is how we're introduced to Kevin, and I must say I love Kevin in all his awkward goofiness... and the way he stares at her and just barely whispers "Penelope" upon Garcia's introduction of herself... *shivers*. Love it. Also, the show once again nails it in the music department with the inclusion of "Heroes" during the pan-out. Dylan... Bowie... Cohen... seriously, what are these people trying to do to me? :')
4) Reid gets kidnapped/tortured/rescued (Season 2 - Episodes: "The Big Game" and "Revelations")
This is another one that I could picspam until the cows come home (and, just to give fair warning... I'm gonna), mostly because, in breaking the episode down into still images, it's easy to see how Reid slowly "devolves" from the sweet, naive young dork we all know and love into this utterly defeated, lifeless shell of a human being. It's SO SAD to watch.
Lol... this scene is classic. Reid: "Um... hai there creepy-house guy... can I use ur bathroom?" Tobias: "No." JJ: "Why didn't you say something in the car?" I've included this cap for no reason other than to serve as a nice reminder of the mildly silly moment that the writers allow to transpire right before Reid gets beaten into oblivion.
So by this point my heart is in my throat, and I KINDA want to kill evil!Dawson with my bare hands. But instead he kills Reid by drugging him heavily and throwing him on the floor where he proceeds to have a massive seizure/heart-attack or smth. Wait... SERIOUSLY!? HE KILLS REID!? WHAT THE FUDGESICLES!?
This is when the focus turns on Spencer's teammates, who are watching this all on live streaming video. The looks of absolute horror on the faces of the other BAU team members were what really got to me. Garcia and JJ in particular were looking downright distraught (JJ having a better reason than most to be upset). Derek looked like he wanted to skin someone (evil!Dawson) alive, even HOTCH was in shock. Not a good sign. But of course Reid doesn't die. He's given CPR (Wait... Spencer... what are the statistics on CPR? Isn't it only successful in like... 7% of cases? Okay, it's 5-10%. I Googled it. Wow, those odds are just about as shitty as drawing three cards to a full house...) and wakes up. It's too bad I didn't see this coming, and am therefore sobbing violently and wanting to hurl my laptop across the room.
I probably sound like a broken record by now, but the ending scenes of this episode were by far the saddest. "Revelations" imo, was to Reid what "Penelope" was to Garcia: I was TERRIFIED that he would never be the same again. I thought they had effectively destroyed him by making him finally accept the inevitability of his own death (not to mention making him literally DIG HIS OWN GRAVE). The difference here, though (and ultimately why I think this ep is sadder than "Penelope"), is that it DOESN'T have a happy ending. It has a downright miserable ending. Aside from Tobias's death, the sweet hugs, and Reid's "I knew you'd understand" to Hotch, there isn't much light at the end of this episode's dark tunnel. Looking back, I'm glad that the show's creators took the risk and chose to darken Reid's character for a few episodes, but as I was watching this I just couldn't get past how sad the whole messed up situation was. Again, the music fits like a glove (I'd discovered Band of Horses about a year prior, and had no idea that my FAV song of theirs had even been featured on primetime TV. Nice surprise), and all in all, it adds up to me feeling like I've been put through the emotional equivalent of a tumble-dryer. Thanks again, CM!
3) Sarah-Jean's sacrifice for her son (Season 1 - Episode: "Riding the Lightning")
This is another one that didn't really involve any of the central characters, but was more based on the AMAZING storytelling in this particular episode. The episode opens with a shot of Gideon smiling and watching a classical music concert, and I'm thinking "okay, so he's into classical music. No big shock there. We know he likes art etc..." It's only once I arrived at the END of the episode that this slow pan-out shot suddenly made sense, thus causing me to start sobbing almost uncontrollably.
In this episode we meet a mother who has been wrongly accused of killing her two-year-old son, but (strange as it may seem), she has taken full responsibility for the murder, and has been in prison for the past fifteen years.
In the end it's revealed that she in fact DIDN'T kill her son, but has been keeping this fact a secret in order to protect him from knowing who his real parents are, and what they did. The paintings are quite sad as well; the one of the young boy running through the field ends up being one of the clues that helps profilers determine that Riley is indeed still alive.
At this point I was like "OMG! SHE'S INNOCENT! GIDEON SAVES THE DAY! SHE CAN BE WITH HER SON AGAIN!! etc... etc..." but of course the writers of this show had previously decided that they had it in for me (and Sarah-Jean) this entire time. Nope, instead we get an extremely emotional "I get to see the stars one last time in the prison yard" scene, and then a lengthy "on my way to the 'lectric chair" explanatory speech to Gideon (who is DESPERATE to stop her from dying unnecessarily).
In the end Gideon CALLS OFF the order for Morgan to tell Riley who his birth mother is, and Sarah-Jean heads to the chair, making one last request: that Gideon's face be the last thing she sees. And he obliges, planting himself right at the front of the observation room as she gets all rigged up for the event. That's when the camera starts to zoom in on him... and THAT'S when the music kicks in and I lose my shit.
Of COURSE, her son has grown up safe and he is now a cello prodigy at the ripe old age of 17. And suddenly it makes sense why, at the beginning of the episode, Sara-Jean had said to Reid, "You're so young to be a doctor. Your mother must be very proud." She had been keeping tabs on Riley's progress throughout her entire stay in prison. She's always known he was better off. And now Gideon is AT THE KID'S CONCERT! Aaaaand *waterworks*. The beauty of this episode is that it really gets you to empathize with Sarah Jean, and in the end, I can almost understand why she would rather DIE than have her son know the truth about her and Jacob. She is saving his life in a completely unconventional way, but she is saving it all the same, just like she did when she abandoned him at the age of two. Guh. I don't think anyone who saw this episode can claim to have finished it without at least the tiniest lip-quiver. Brilliant.
2) Hayley's death / The funeral (Season 5 - Episodes: "100" and "The Slave of Duty")
The entire episode "100" was a nail-biter. Hotch's ex-wife Hayley and their son Jack have been relocated to keep them off the radar from the Reaper (George Foyet), who is hell-bent on mentally (and physically, as we saw in "Nameless, Faceless") torturing Agent Hotchner. We know that Hotch has no idea where his family is living in order to keep them safe, so when it becomes evident that Foyet has managed to find them, it's pretty clear things aren't going to end well. This character death (while a minor one), is SO crucial for Hotch's development. To quote Reid in Season 5 "I don't know if I've ever seen Hotch blink..." and it's true. Seeing him break down in his car as Hayley speaks her final words over the phone is all the more heartbreaking because... well... we realize that he DOES indeed have emotions. Thomas Gibson's performance in this episode is nothing short of superb.
The final scenes with Hotch searching for Foyet in his house are just CHILLING; there isn't any music/background noise for a good five minutes. All you hear is his breathing. And then the subsequent episode? When little Jack places the white rose on his mother's coffin? And then Hotch tells him to give his mommy a kiss, and Jack kisses his little hand and... oh dear God... *tears up*
1) Gideon's goodbye (Season 3 - Episode: "In Name and Blood")
This is an easy number one for me. I was bawling the second Reid flicked his flashlight on and lit up the empty bookcase in Gideon's cabin. Some CM fans might find it odd that, out of all the moments in all of the episodes in all 5 seasons, this was the moment that affected me the most; after all, the show has doled out a decent number of deaths/near-deaths/injuries to its various characters. However, I'm a sucker for the sentimental, and the implied (heavily implied) father/son relationship between Gideon and Reid just touched my heart so much in the first two seasons of the show, especially since Reid is just so socially awkward in these episodes, and you can just tell he looks up to Gideon so much. That's why my heart first started aching when this episode opened with Reid being roused by JJ after having fallen asleep in a chair in Gideon's office. She asks him, "Have you been here all night?" and he simply answers, "We were supposed to play chess..." So basically Reid waited and waited, eventually nodding off after Gideon never showed up. Guh! My poor heart! Reid just seems way too clueless/hopeful in this moment, and I could already tell this wasn't going in a good direction.
In the previous episode, "Doubt", we hear Gideon narrating a letter as he writes it, explaining that the work has become too much for him, and that he's nearing the end of his rope. Of course, we aren't told who he's adressing the letter to, and there's a deliberate attempt on behalf of the writers to lead the viewer into thinking that he's contemplating suicide (and I'll wholeheartedly admit that I was one of those viewer-sheep who fell for it), so it's assumed he's writing to his estranged son Steven.
The closing scenes of "In Name and Blood" show Reid driving up to Gideon's super-duper-secret cabin getaway in the woods. When he goes inside, the place is empty, and the look on his face when he turns on the lamp just about tore me to pieces; for a split second I thought he had discovered his mentor's dead body.
Not the case, however. Instead we find Gideon's badge and gun, as well as an envelope, which has the name "Spencer" scrawled across it. At this point I'm a complete mess, because a) I realize that the letter was for Reid, b) The aforementioned narration of the letter specifically stated "I knew you'd be the one to come looking for me", and c) He's used Reid's first name, which (along with the relinquished firearm and credentials), serves to hit the situation home: Gideon is speaking informally; Reid is no longer his co-worker. The ending is bitter sweet... Gideon drives off into the sunset... blah blah blah "I want to believe in happy endings" etc... but I'm still left sniffling for poor Spencer, who has now been unceremoniously "abandoned" by both his biological father (when he was a child), and his mentor-figure.
Completely unrelated note: How much do I love that he wears his wristwatch on top of his Mr. Rogers sweater? Lol. Oh Dr. Reid. <3
In a subsequent episode (I think it's "Scared to Death"), Reid says he's still "confused" by the letter, pointing out that it seems cowardly to just walk away from everyone on the team. Emily tells him to read it more carefully and ask himself "Why did Gideon only feel the need to explain himself to one person?" It's this sort of naive defensiveness/subtle hurt in Spencer's demeanour that make these scenes work on such an emotional level. The connection between Gideon and Reid's father is SO OBVIOUS, as are Reid's blatant abandonment issues, and yet he just doesn't see it... or he chooses not to. Either way, I feel for his character during this transition phase. The fact that he never really gets the closure he wants just makes it that much more tragic.
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Whew! So that's it! If anyone has made it this far (Kelly), I'd love to know what you think. Were there any moments that you'd disagree with? Any that you think I left out? Are you willing to bet that, after this Wednesday, I'll have to do an ETA on this bad boy in order to add "JJ's departure" to the list? I've got a $20 on that atm.
Love and hugs,
Jo out.