Okay. So, I’ve decided to join into the conversation. I am sure I’m going to piss somebody off. Whatever. The Gathering (8X17) was a great episode. I loved the ending scene between Hotch and Reid. Yes, I am a Reid fan, but Criminal Minds is not the Reid show. Those of us that have emotionally invested in the team/family dynamic since Gideon was on and we have a connection with each of the characters and the dynamics between them.
Why was the ending great? Because Hotch FINALLY took the extra leap in the person relationship with Reid. The last time we saw this it was on Revelations (2x15). At least twice a season, it get’s pointed out that they all are not just a team, but also a family. That has been shown with each of the characters except when it comes to Hotch and Reid. Since Revelations (2x15), it has been Boss/Friend dynamic. Not mentor, father, older-brother. None of that. Just it’s either I’m your friend or I’m your boss. Reid got somebody killed. Okay. I know that everyone thinks that’s some big deal, but it isn’t. They all have done it in the 8 seasons this show has been on. When Gideon has his meltdown, he got two people killed. Elle shot someone in cold blood. Prentiss just left. Dealing with emotional issues of his team members hasn’t been a long-suit of Hotch’s except with Rossi of course. The scene with Reid and the guy at the pool, was more of a warning that maybe he is losing faith in the system. Each of the meltdowns in pervious seasons that resulted in someone leaving, there is this moment of warning. What happens? Nothing. No one mentions anything, except the one time Reid tried to talk to Elle in the hotel. Imagine my shock and elation that hey finally, the big man in the suit took the warning for what it was and stepped in for the first time in years.
Now, I’m sure you all are thinking. What? Think about it, where was Hotch with the drug addiction? Where was Hotch when the headaches got bad? Who does Reid confide in this season? The new agent, Alex. The last big screw up that Reid did was in Elephant’s Memory (3x16). What did Hotch do there? Do it again and you’re fired. Not, why in the heat of the moment, did a valuable member of my team/family not trust us as individuals or a unit to do the right thing concerning the kid? When it comes to the emotional support of the youngest member with a predisposition to mental illness, it has fallen on Morgan and J.J. mostly. But, neither of them are the head of the team/family. Okay. Technically, Rossi and Hotch are supposed to be equal, but Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner has always been the true leader of the B.A.U. based out of Quantico, Virginia. He stepped up.
Okay, many people keep pointing out that Reid is not 12 years old. No he’s not. But every season it gets pointed out that working for the FBI causes people to destroy their lives and themselves. How many marriages has Rossi had? Look what happened to Hotch, Gideon, Elle, and even Strauss. Let’s not forget the “marital issues” that get hinted all the time between J.J. and Will.
I liked it because it was nice to see that Hotch actually cares. The last big issue Reid had that could of destroyed his life and career; nobody said anything and this time he stepped in. Especially since this could be used as a precursor to a loss of empathy and then the writers could take it to the whole Reid as an UNSUB plot, which would end his time at the B.A.U. Which would be cool, but really sad because I like the Reid character. I don’t want him to leave.
Yes? No? Think I’m crazy.
