Legit this episode was an imitation of Bonnie and Clyde. Two people in love, marry and go on a killing spree. The ending of Bonnie and Clyde was the same, they were gunned down by police repeatedly in a car.
8 Reviews
Mickey and Mallory much?
bennymothershed7412 March 2015
My favorite show. One of my favorite movies, but the 2 just do not seem to mesh at all well. Interesting enough I guess.The characters are kind of lackluster for such an incredible show and even the flirting between Penelope and Derek leaves something to be desired. What about Reid and his aching head that was almost dropping him in his tracks. No follow up there. I know that the rest is the drain has been great and I'm sure they'll be better episodes on down the line. Oh well, back to binge watching on Netflix. This thing keeps saying I don't have enough lines of text even though I've said all I want or need to say. So,I'll just say this Derek is the man, Penelope is the woman and without them the show would tank for me. Let's see if that's enough now.
One of the best of Season 6
nicofreezer3 July 2021
Bonnie & Clyde meets Natural Born Killers
rovinnomire3 September 2023
This episode was another "step" in the increasingly ramped up violence of Criminal Minds. By this time it had seemed to be more violence for shock value than to carry a good story.
The reality with television is after a 4th or 5th season its a challenge to keep a show's creative force up to speed. As you look at many dramas by this point you'll see a pattern of a few solid story lines {usually at the beginning and end of each season, and during sweeps months} surrounded by many that are far less memorable. It has been no different with CM.
The only two reasons this one gets a "6" for me: First, the actress who played Syd. She was absolutely phenomenal in her portrayal and raised the bar with her performance, I cant imagine anyone doing it better than Adrianne did it, she really nailed it. As far as I can recall, this was my first encounter with her work.
The second? I have worked with abuse victims, and can attest that the damage inflicted upon them is severe, and can lead to a myriad of bad outcomes, both for them personally, and for the lives they impact. Only a deep and genuine healing from those psychological scars can bring a lasting hope.
The reality with television is after a 4th or 5th season its a challenge to keep a show's creative force up to speed. As you look at many dramas by this point you'll see a pattern of a few solid story lines {usually at the beginning and end of each season, and during sweeps months} surrounded by many that are far less memorable. It has been no different with CM.
The only two reasons this one gets a "6" for me: First, the actress who played Syd. She was absolutely phenomenal in her portrayal and raised the bar with her performance, I cant imagine anyone doing it better than Adrianne did it, she really nailed it. As far as I can recall, this was my first encounter with her work.
The second? I have worked with abuse victims, and can attest that the damage inflicted upon them is severe, and can lead to a myriad of bad outcomes, both for them personally, and for the lives they impact. Only a deep and genuine healing from those psychological scars can bring a lasting hope.
A step in the wrong direction for 'Criminal Minds'
TheLittleSongbird15 July 2016
Even though it became hit and miss in its later seasons, 'Criminal Minds' still is one of my favourite shows, and makes for compulsive viewing at its best.
"The Thirteenth Step" is very much to me a lesser 'Criminal Minds' episode, a contender for the weakest Season 6 episode as well.
As someone who always looks for good things in stuff she dislikes, "The Thirteenth Step" is not a complete travesty. The acting from the regular team is very good with no exceptions (good to not see useless and uninteresting Seaver, my opinion that is, in this episode), there are some stylish moments visually, some haunting and suitably explosive scoring and while it is predictable the scene with Prentiss at the end is quite tense and gives a sense of foreboding as to what would come later on in the season.
However, "The Thirteenth Step" is chiefly hurt by something that dooms other lacking 'Criminal Minds' episodes... it doesn't feel like 'Criminal Minds'. Profiling and psychology take a literal back-seat and we don't see anywhere near enough of the team or the great dynamic or little character moments that add so much to the show's appeal. Instead feeling like an attempt at imitating 'Natural Born Killers' or 'Bonnie and Clyde' but succeeding only as that, a bland and trying-and-failing-for-shock-value imitation with a gross overuse of tasteless and unneeded violence (tame compared to those two films, but too much even for an episode of 'Criminal Minds') and gratuitous and sleazy sex that constantly feels thrown in and misplaced.
As the team are not in it enough, you'd think that a good unsub would help lift it. "The Thirteenth Step" focuses on not one but two unsubs, for a vast majority of the running time, but very little is done to make them interesting or make them characters that one feels scared of or feels sorry for. They are just two people killing for the thrills and not much more, the twisted relationship is not twisted enough, the chemistry between them is bland and when it comes to the acting Jonathan Tucker underplays while Adrianne Palicki is the opposite.
Unfortunately a strong story is not present all that much either. The story meanders all over the place, with a lot of unexplained (missing an opportunity to explain Reid's headaches and hallucinations) and confused scenes that make the episode meandering, underdeveloped and incoherent, and no tension or suspense whatsoever and going overboard on the violence and sex doesn't help matters. The script goes through the motions emotionally and constantly has a sense of awkwardness. While there are some stylish moments, there are some very amateurish-looking and nausea-inducing moments too in the scenes involving the unsubs.
In summary, has moments but is a step in the wrong direction for such a great show overall. 'Criminal Minds' became hit and miss from mid-Season 6 onwards, and "The Thirteenth Steps" is one of the biggest missteps. 4/10 Bethany Cox
"The Thirteenth Step" is very much to me a lesser 'Criminal Minds' episode, a contender for the weakest Season 6 episode as well.
As someone who always looks for good things in stuff she dislikes, "The Thirteenth Step" is not a complete travesty. The acting from the regular team is very good with no exceptions (good to not see useless and uninteresting Seaver, my opinion that is, in this episode), there are some stylish moments visually, some haunting and suitably explosive scoring and while it is predictable the scene with Prentiss at the end is quite tense and gives a sense of foreboding as to what would come later on in the season.
However, "The Thirteenth Step" is chiefly hurt by something that dooms other lacking 'Criminal Minds' episodes... it doesn't feel like 'Criminal Minds'. Profiling and psychology take a literal back-seat and we don't see anywhere near enough of the team or the great dynamic or little character moments that add so much to the show's appeal. Instead feeling like an attempt at imitating 'Natural Born Killers' or 'Bonnie and Clyde' but succeeding only as that, a bland and trying-and-failing-for-shock-value imitation with a gross overuse of tasteless and unneeded violence (tame compared to those two films, but too much even for an episode of 'Criminal Minds') and gratuitous and sleazy sex that constantly feels thrown in and misplaced.
As the team are not in it enough, you'd think that a good unsub would help lift it. "The Thirteenth Step" focuses on not one but two unsubs, for a vast majority of the running time, but very little is done to make them interesting or make them characters that one feels scared of or feels sorry for. They are just two people killing for the thrills and not much more, the twisted relationship is not twisted enough, the chemistry between them is bland and when it comes to the acting Jonathan Tucker underplays while Adrianne Palicki is the opposite.
Unfortunately a strong story is not present all that much either. The story meanders all over the place, with a lot of unexplained (missing an opportunity to explain Reid's headaches and hallucinations) and confused scenes that make the episode meandering, underdeveloped and incoherent, and no tension or suspense whatsoever and going overboard on the violence and sex doesn't help matters. The script goes through the motions emotionally and constantly has a sense of awkwardness. While there are some stylish moments, there are some very amateurish-looking and nausea-inducing moments too in the scenes involving the unsubs.
In summary, has moments but is a step in the wrong direction for such a great show overall. 'Criminal Minds' became hit and miss from mid-Season 6 onwards, and "The Thirteenth Steps" is one of the biggest missteps. 4/10 Bethany Cox
Incoherent
severu527 January 2011
Where to start; this episode is terrible. With no continuity from the previous episode, cliché story and hardly no screen time for the main characters, it's hard to see any good points of this episode.
The story cuts and swaps incoherently and the BAU seems to just magic up a profile with little to no investigation. here's hoping the next episode has greater depth. As this is generally quite a good show.
I can understand how the writers would have difficulty coming up with new plot points for so many episodes; however they can overcome this by focusing in on characters as the characters that make up the BAU is what makes criminal minds so interesting in the first place. don't bother with this episode.
The story cuts and swaps incoherently and the BAU seems to just magic up a profile with little to no investigation. here's hoping the next episode has greater depth. As this is generally quite a good show.
I can understand how the writers would have difficulty coming up with new plot points for so many episodes; however they can overcome this by focusing in on characters as the characters that make up the BAU is what makes criminal minds so interesting in the first place. don't bother with this episode.
CM Circling the drain
Newbie199227 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
If you're a fan of the movie Natural Born Killers and you wouldn't be bothered by watching a copycat, made for network TV version; then you'll enjoy this senseless shoot 'em up, blow 'em up offering.
Good writers capture our imagination without having to resort to gruesome, violent images. When the writers resort to shock value there's often no story to back their work. That's the case of the The Thirteenth Step. The unsubs are poorly developed, the camera work is "new and different" (code for annoying) just for the fun of it (much like the killings in this episode) and the story is stale. In this episode our favorite BAU profilers phone in their on-screen time much like the writers and producers are phoning in the season so far.
If you don't watch this episode you won't miss much. The only thing you MIGHT need to know (for the upcoming episodes) comes at the end of the show when the name Ian Boyle is mentioned. This makes Emily Prentis (a seasoned BAU agent) shake to her core. Ooh the boogie man is coming! So lame; in my opinion this show is circling the drain and this episode is further proof.
Good writers capture our imagination without having to resort to gruesome, violent images. When the writers resort to shock value there's often no story to back their work. That's the case of the The Thirteenth Step. The unsubs are poorly developed, the camera work is "new and different" (code for annoying) just for the fun of it (much like the killings in this episode) and the story is stale. In this episode our favorite BAU profilers phone in their on-screen time much like the writers and producers are phoning in the season so far.
If you don't watch this episode you won't miss much. The only thing you MIGHT need to know (for the upcoming episodes) comes at the end of the show when the name Ian Boyle is mentioned. This makes Emily Prentis (a seasoned BAU agent) shake to her core. Ooh the boogie man is coming! So lame; in my opinion this show is circling the drain and this episode is further proof.
sickening episode
Ophelia_Chennai16 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This one must be the most sickening episode of Criminal Minds, and we've seen some gross stuff here.
They have 2 shooters who randomly and brutally gun down people. Though the episode tries to portray them as psychos, the making conveys something entirely different!
When the shooters are shown, they're in slow motion, with stylish shots of them shooting ppl, and close-ups of passionate kisses & lovemaking, and an erotic bgm! Seriously??? It's like the makers were trying to romanticize these 2 maniacs. Look at the scenes when they walk in shooting... showing that the characters enjoy gunning down people, and showing the characters itself in an enjoyable way are 2 different things!
The making reeked of 'they lived their life high and went down in blazes' feel, like the 2 murderers were some swashbuckling gunslingers! What was even running through the mind of the producers???? I wonder how this episode even got telecast in the US??!!?!
When the shooters are shown, they're in slow motion, with stylish shots of them shooting ppl, and close-ups of passionate kisses & lovemaking, and an erotic bgm! Seriously??? It's like the makers were trying to romanticize these 2 maniacs. Look at the scenes when they walk in shooting... showing that the characters enjoy gunning down people, and showing the characters itself in an enjoyable way are 2 different things!
The making reeked of 'they lived their life high and went down in blazes' feel, like the 2 murderers were some swashbuckling gunslingers! What was even running through the mind of the producers???? I wonder how this episode even got telecast in the US??!!?!
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