Criminal Minds (TV Series) Unfinished Business (2006) User Reviews

The BAU" Noble Work, But An Unhealthy Profession?

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 13 January 2007]

A retired BAU man, "Max Ryan," who a lot like Jason Gideon, is giving a talk with the presentation of a his book about a serial killer from 20 years ago. The "Keystone Killer" murdered seven women in Philadelphia and was never caught. After the talk, the lecturer is given a letter. Apparently, the killer was sitting right in the room and apparently he's back killing again as one of the women he mentions in the note is found dead.

This was a very good episode as the tense ex-BAU is emotionally involved and the current team is not as they try to figure out who this guy is and why he stayed silent for 20 years before resuming his killing with a different MO.

Without spoiling anything, I have to say this killer sure didn't look like one!

On the personal side "Ryan," I presume was supposed to show what years on the BAU team can make you into; something with no life. no family...and way too serious. His behavior doesn't go unnoticed, especially by "Elle" who worries this will happen to her.

Good episode but hair problems!

[moysant · 7/10 · 1 November 2006]

A retired profiler has just released a book about the one who got away nearly 20 years earlier, when, Lo and Behold, the serial killer leaves a note at one of his book chats, and later leaves a fresh victim, to show he's back. Gideon, who just happens to be present at his old friend's seminar, gets in the BAU team to track the killer down.

A good episode with the emphasis on main character interactions. Gideon has to smooth the waters as his old friend, Max Ryan, drives the younger team members nuts with his snarkiness. OK, it's strange that they take the hardest road to track the serial killer (with Reid's super-human code breaking and Garcia's super-sonic computer hacking ability do we really need the other team members at all?) and I suspect just a full investigation of the first suspect's past would have lead them to the real killer, but it is quite suspenseful. It shows how important it is for investigators to distance themselves emotionally from the crimes or they could end up like Ryan - an obsessed and bitter old man.

There are more than the usual continuity problems of the type where actor's arms change pose when a different camera angle is used, but the really strange one is Elle's hair. Not since Babylon 5 (where the blonde psicorp cop's blunt-fringed short do changes next scene to the usual one length side-parted bob) has a female hairstyle changed mid-show, with no explanation, and backwards! At the start Elle sports a new badly cut puffy fringe, but it then morphs back to her usual one length side-parted shoulder length do. An experiment that went wrong that the show's hairstylists successfully hid in later scenes? A mid-show taping hair cut before earlier scenes were shot? Or is it code for...something? Elle certainly seems less than cool this episode (she's really cranky at having to work a weekend and lets Hotchner know it twice). It's not important, I suppose, but it is odd.

Even with a rather familiar idea, "Unfinished Business" is still an extremely good episode

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 15 October 2016]

While there are better episodes in Season 1, such as "The Fox", "Plain Sight", "Compulsion", "Charm and Harm" and "Riding the Lightning" (in a season where the only less than mediocre episode was "Machismo"), "Unfinished Business" is nonetheless an extremely good episode.

"Unfinished Business" very easily could not have been as good as it was. The basic idea of a serial killer resurfacing again after a long period of time is very familiar territory, meaning that the episode faced the danger of being tired, routine and predictable. While the idea has been done better elsewhere, it is done surprisingly well here (as does most of the 'Criminal Minds' episodes, yes this is not the only episode in the show with this concept, exploring this concept, especially Season 4's "Omnivore").

However, "Unfinished Business", while not doing much new, has enough twists and turns to stop it from predictable and has enough tension and suspense to keep it from being tired, especially in a quite hair-raising climax. The interplay between the team and the welcome supporting addition of Max Ryan also helps keeping things fresh, and the identity of the unsub is one of Season 1's most unforeseen or shocking, reminding that seemingly normal people are not what they seen which is what makes the unsub particularly chilling here.

My only problem here actually is Elle. Never have been her biggest fan (and that's putting it mildly), and while seeing her more developed than usual was appreciated she is still annoying (especially with her getting cranky over trivial things and being reminded too many times of it throughout the episode) and played with not much personality. The rest of the team are very interesting, with nobody dominating too much or feeling too much in the background, so the interaction and dynamic does feel more balanced.

Production values as ever are very high in quality, while the music is haunting without being melodramatic, the direction is solid and the script-writing tight and thought-provoking. The acting is very good, lead and supporting.

All in all, extremely good episode that does a surprisingly great job making such a familiar idea feel much less stale than it had potential to be. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Interesting

[lottiemarshalllm · 8/10 · 30 July 2020]

Disclaimer:I am no expert reviewer, I just need a show to binge watch and I'm going to Write a review for every episode I watch.

I really like this episode Because it shows what happens when you let this really taxing career take over your life as you see in Ryan's character. I also think since they had to get Ryan to basically join the team it showed how they all work together really well to solve crimes and it's not just about one person's ideas.

I thought the plot was really interesting and the only time they ever went after a incorrect suspect they still help save a life instead of just wasting time.

But oh my God I have to talk about Elles bangs. They are not good and scream 2006 but by the end of the episode they're gone so I guess it's not an issue.

Garcias pic?

[twistedhumboldt · 8/10 · 11 July 2019]

On the list of victims, I believe that the last photos of the victims shown is in fact our superstar Penelope Garcia. Is it true?