After watching "Hostage", it is now up there easily with "Entropy", "The Job" and "The Witness" (a tied second best with "The Job") as among the best episodes of a mostly disappointing Season 11, which has had of any season of 'Criminal Minds' the highest number of bad episodes.
"Hostage" doesn't commit any of the mistakes that many of the episodes of the season did. Even when showing the unsub upfront early on that is in no way an issue because the unsub is an intriguing character and one of the show's most repellent in recent years and because the story really hit home with me. My only minor complaint really is the very ending being slightly abrupt but that's it. The ending is a very sad and tragic one but a case of the actions being somewhat understandable due to the awful nature of the crimes and how repellent the unsub was.
Profiling is much more prominent and intriguing, there is a much more balanced team dynamic and less emphasis on the personal lives that dragged other episodes down and took up too much of the duration. JJ's personality is toned down and much closer to the sympathetic character that she was in the earlier seasons and Garcia is far more mature than she was in Season 9 for example and also much more professional. The lack of Tara Lewis is another big plus.
The case is very tense and suspenseful, and the fate of the victims being harrowing and poignant. The script is taut and thought-provoking and absolutely loved how JJ and Reid were written here, JJ being comforting and compassionate and Reid showing a lot of emotion and empathy which allow for some very welcome sweet moments.
Furthermore, "Hostage" looks great, and the music has a good deal of atmosphere. The acting is as ever very good and often excellent, AJ Cook and Matthew Gray Gubler are standouts with some of the episode's meatiest material, while the victims are movingly played and one feels really sorry for them. Daniel Roebuck makes the skin crawl as an unsub that is impossible not to detest.
In summary, one of the best episodes of Season 11 easily and one of few of that season too where there is little to fault. 9/10 Bethany Cox
"Hostage" doesn't commit any of the mistakes that many of the episodes of the season did. Even when showing the unsub upfront early on that is in no way an issue because the unsub is an intriguing character and one of the show's most repellent in recent years and because the story really hit home with me. My only minor complaint really is the very ending being slightly abrupt but that's it. The ending is a very sad and tragic one but a case of the actions being somewhat understandable due to the awful nature of the crimes and how repellent the unsub was.
Profiling is much more prominent and intriguing, there is a much more balanced team dynamic and less emphasis on the personal lives that dragged other episodes down and took up too much of the duration. JJ's personality is toned down and much closer to the sympathetic character that she was in the earlier seasons and Garcia is far more mature than she was in Season 9 for example and also much more professional. The lack of Tara Lewis is another big plus.
The case is very tense and suspenseful, and the fate of the victims being harrowing and poignant. The script is taut and thought-provoking and absolutely loved how JJ and Reid were written here, JJ being comforting and compassionate and Reid showing a lot of emotion and empathy which allow for some very welcome sweet moments.
Furthermore, "Hostage" looks great, and the music has a good deal of atmosphere. The acting is as ever very good and often excellent, AJ Cook and Matthew Gray Gubler are standouts with some of the episode's meatiest material, while the victims are movingly played and one feels really sorry for them. Daniel Roebuck makes the skin crawl as an unsub that is impossible not to detest.
In summary, one of the best episodes of Season 11 easily and one of few of that season too where there is little to fault. 9/10 Bethany Cox
