Saturday, September 30, 2017

Criminal Minds 13x01 "Wheels Up"

SPOILERS

Wheels Up” was a great season opener, resolving the cliffhanger and definitely setting up for some interesting times ahead.

The episode picks up where the last one ended, the aftermath of the trap set up by Peter Lewis, AKA Mr. Scratch. Walker is dead and Emily is missing, but everyone else is sent to the hospital with treatable injuries. It is up to Garcia, new agent Matt Simmons, Luke, and Spence to use Walker’s and Emily’s research into Scratch to find his location and rescue Emily. They use the radio frequency from the trap to track down his “IT department” and from there his hideout. There is a chase and Scratch ends up hanging off the side of the building. Luke makes the decision to not help him and lets him fall to his death. One more monster gone.

There are so many little details in the episode that just resonated with me. I was surprised at how much they managed to pack in. For example, Rossi’s little scheme to get Luke and Spence into his office was definitely worth a laugh. JJ and Will’s little conversation about what the future could be like, her as a full-time mom and him owning a breakfast place was so cute. Spence so frustrated at how he’s lost his touch was so jarring, a big hint as to where his character is going to go this season as he deals with his PTSS from prison.

Emily flatlines as Scratch tortures her.
Of course I have to talk about the scenes with Emily and Scratch. I didn’t figure out it was all a delusion until she did, so I was right there with her the entire time. My heart was pounding constantly and I had to look away for some stuff. I thought it was very clever how they used Emily’s previous brush with death to be the thing that brings her back and out of the delusion. I also liked how they brought back up the idea of Hotch again; I thought I heard somewhere he might be coming back, but maybe they squashed that rumor in this episode. However, I think using Scratch was a very mature and not too abrupt way of getting Hotch out of the story.

I am sad to see the character of Stephen Walker go. I really did like him. But I do like Matt Simmons so far and I will keep an open mind with him going forward in the season. The team is mostly back together, and I think the last scene is going to set the tone for the whole season. Emily shares the mantra that kept her grounded, two simple words, “Wheels up”. Their words, their little battle cry, their reason for existing, their strength. Last season they were a bit torn apart, with Hotch leaving and Spence in prison. I hope this means this season is going to have them even more grow closer as a family, referencing this episode whenever possible.

Wheels up.


10/10

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