Criminal MindsBrothers in Arms
Original Air Date: 10 Dec 2008
JD - TwoCents Reviewer
JD@thetwocentscorp.com
Well, they can't all be winners. Brothers in Arms was a perfectly fine episode, but it seriously lacked something. I honestly haven't quite put my finger on what yet, so I'd love to hear your opinions. I've heard people say it was rushed, that it was predictable, and that the ending was trite. I would agree with every single one of those points. It had its moments, but not enough of them to redeem a tired story. So! Here we go! Watch as I skillfully attempt to spice up a recap of this one. Will I do it? Place your bets now.
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[photo: CBS.com]
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Well, they can't all be winners. Brothers in Arms was a perfectly fine episode, but it seriously lacked something. I honestly haven't quite put my finger on what yet, so I'd love to hear your opinions. I've heard people say it was rushed, that it was predictable, and that the ending was trite. I would agree with every single one of those points. It had its moments, but not enough of them to redeem a tired story. So! Here we go! Watch as I skillfully attempt to spice up a recap of this one. Will I do it? Place your bets now.
ReplyDeleteWe start off in Phoenix, Arizona, where two police officers are responding to a domestic violence call. Veteran Cop One is chatting with Bumbling Newbie Cop Two, schooling him on various aspects of the job. Bumbling Newbie Cop (henceforth to be referred to as BNC, because typing that out each time is tedious), well, is a bumbling newbie. Was there anyone who didn't see this next bit coming? They get to the house they were heading to, get out of the car, and BNC forgets his flashlight. Smart kid. His partner goes in ahead of him, gets shot, and BNC tries to radio for help, but doesn't know where he is. Seriously, don't they train these guys before they put them out on the streets? He proceeds to flail about like a fish out of water in the cop car for a bit, and then he gets shot too. Somehow, I was not particularly woeful.
Apparently, this was the third such murder in four days. All of the cops were shot in the neck. What makes this a serial killer and not a gang thing? The killer is taking trophies, stripping the cops of their badges. So the team is off to Phoenix, Garcia whispering sweet nothings in their ears the whole way. Or maybe she was telling them that they were going to hit resistance from the local PD when they got there. Yeah, that was probably it--but I think the first option would have made this episode more interesting for at least a minute.
Either way, Garcia was right, and when they get to Phoenix, the liaison, Lieutenant Evans (Mark Pellegrino), is a snarky bastard. Commander Marks (Joseph Regalbuto) is... well, spineless. If you don't get that in his first scene, in which he tries to send the BAU back home because all his cops think the crimes are being committed by gang bangers and are mad at him, you'll get it by the end of the episode. Poor Marks just wants to be loved and adored by his boys in blue, and the poor thing bends under the pressure of damn near every ounce of pressure placed on his shoulders. 'You don't understand; I'm under a lot of pressure,' should be tattooed to the man's forehead, along with a 'kick me' sign taped to his back.
The local PD are convinced this is the work of gang bangers (as Evans tells Morgan and Prentiss), one in particular, a very nice fellow who goes by the rather ridiculous moniker of 'Playboy'. Something tells me that is not his given name.
And then we have another assault call. Two officers give chase, one is shot, and in commiserating with the officer who lived, Evans tell him not to worry; they'll catch Playboy. Morgan has to set them straight, which of course, doesn't work because Playboy is promptly taken into custody without evidence.
Dear fictional Phoenix PD,
1. Please don't put every Barney Fife that walks into your training academy on the streets.
2. Please be sure your Officers' skulls and the earth's mantle are not comparable in thickness.
3. Please make sure your Commanders have back bones made out of something a bit more sturdy than jam.
Sincerely,
JD
Things just go from bad to worse when another shooting goes down while Playboy is in custody. Anyone else smell the red herring? Actually, was there anything in this episode that surprised anyone? Okay, maybe the appearance put in by Tyler Durden's scrawnier and more weirdly-named third cousin, twice removed, was unexpected, but I'm not sure it really added anything to the episode other than to cram in more plot than there was time for.
Oh well. At least it was Hotch-heavy, which usually helps. The climactic scene, while, again, predictable, at least gave us a nice shot of Hotch looking fierce with his gun.
The episode was Morgan-heavy too, which, while normally a good thing, just wound up being trite. All the lingering looks at the photos of orphaned kids seemed to be leading up to something meaningful, and I hear we were promised a flashback scene of Morgan and his dad (who was a cop killed in the line of duty), but if that spoiler was truthful, it apparently got cut. As a result we got a rather banal closing scene that put the final nail in this episode's coffin for me.
So my over all impression? Meh. It wasn't bad, really, but it was incredibly lackluster, and maybe I expect too much from my show, but I don't watch the show for its mediocrity. I watch it for its usual brilliance.
What do you guys think? Am I a heartless and unforgiving viewer, or were you equally unimpressed? Give me your two cents!
I personally felt the episode was VERY rushed, and while there was nothing terribly WRONG with the episode, I felt like they were cramming too much in. It could have been much more powerful if they'd written this as a two-parter with flashbacks to Morgan's losing his father and even his time in uniform himself. Personally I felt that he had more emotional investment with the Cop of the Week in the Season Two episode "Fear and Loathing", and there was more punch when that cop was killed, than when we saw cop after cop killed in this episode.
ReplyDeleteAnd by an unsub we barely SAW? That's also unusual for the show. I admit, I didn't see the Jack Ruby moment coming. Maybe I was the only one. Heh.
There were some good moments. Hotch's performance was great, and I myself enjoyed Mark Pellegrino's switch from Dexter to Criminal Minds. But this was definitely an episode that didn't live up to its potential.
Oh, that would have been FANTASTIC writing it as a two parter. They could have done SO much more with this plot, but it just fell flat. And I agree, nothing terribly wrong with it (no matter how much I make fun), but 'nothing wrong' is a far cry from 'good'. Oh, and yes, Fear and Loathing was so much better, but the cop in Fear and Loathing was five-hundred times more sympathetic than any of these cops, I think. Maybe that was another reason I found it hard to care here, because these cops didn't really care about getting it right either.
ReplyDeleteHotch's performance was great, and I myself enjoyed Mark Pellegrino's
When is Thomas Gibson's performance NOT great?! ;) Amazing episode? Hotch is great. Crummy episode? Hotch is still great. I have to admit I'm not overly familiar with Pellegrino, but he was very good. I mean, I hated the character, but I was supposed to. The acting was good, though. ;) Actually, the supporting cast was all very good!