'Criminal Minds' has always been one of my most-watched shows and was a personal favourite for a while. Seasons 1-5 was its best period, Season 4 was especially great. It did get hit and miss from Season 6 onwards, with a mix of good and more episodes and disappointing and less episodes. Season 11 was, apart from about 5 episodes, pretty weak. Season 12 was inconsistent but generally an improvement, its weakest episodes nowhere near as bad as the low-points of Seasons 6, 9 and especially 11.
Season 13 so far has not been too bad at all, pretty good even actually. It is already so much better than Season 11, which started off well actually but quickly went downhill, and has generally settled quicker than Season 12. As far as the previous Season 13 episodes go, only "Submerged" properly underwhelmed. There aren't any classics yet but also no low points, most episodes up to this point were decent to very good.
"Miasma" is another very solid episode if not one of the season's best. The case may not be mind-blowing or unique, but it is very compelling and eerie (the mass grave is really creepy) with an unpredictable nature when needed. There are also enough nice and surprising turns to balance it all out. There is a good deal of suspense but also sympathetic emotion.
The team work, the procedural aspects and how it's all solved evokes prime 'Criminal Minds', there is lots of each and it's all thought-provoking and delightful. It doesn't make the mistakes that many latter season episodes made (i.e. too much unsub, unsub revealed too early, problematically executed cases, too much reliance on convenience, lack of balance, too many soapy personal life subplots, team underuse and not enough procedural/delving into the criminal's mind). In fact, there is a sense that "Miasma" didn't forget what made 'Criminal Minds' work so well in the first place. The twists keep coming and those towards the end are shocking. The climax avoids being clichéd and goes a different direction, and one that made just as much sense as what it could have been, to what is expected.
Plenty of room for little character moments within the team, one of my favourite things about 'Criminal Minds' and something that lifts even the lesser episodes. Prentiss (lovely to see more of a focus on her and in a way where it's easy to root for her), Rossi (sassy and sympathetic) and JJ (showing a lot of authority while not being too much of "the JJ show") are particularly well written.
Everybody does a great job with the acting, all the regulars are strong as ever and the support is more than acceptable. The unsub's identity does shock, and the unsub is one that gives one the creeps but with one of the season's most tragic back-stories there is a touch of the sympathy factor towards the end.
Visually, "Miasma" is stylish and atmospheric, while the music is haunting without being over-bearing while having presence still, the script is taut with a touch of sweetness and poignancy here and there and the direction is alert and accommodating.
Didn't think "Miasma" was perfect. Some of it did veer towards the weird, the unsub's motivations and justifications were somewhat all over the place and nonsensical. Was also expecting them, considering how tragic their plight and back-story were, to show more anger towards their target at the end.
Also felt that the climactic take-down could have had more tension and less of the "know what's going to happen" vibe, didn't find it plausible that back up was little despite having a team member that has had their lives at risk many times. Not sure what my stance is on Barnes, a somewhat cold character and her role within the team didn't quite gel.
Overall, solid. 7/10 Bethany Cox
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