This is not going to be a popular review from the looks of it, though "200" has garnered a very mixed reception with those who disliked it being particularly vocal.
As a 'Criminal Minds', speaking as someone who has been a great fan for 7 years or so now, episode, this will (and has done) leave a lot of fans short-changed (unless one is a die-hard fan of JJ), one could say it's a slap in the face. So much so that it is hard to judge it from a standalone episode, as something standing on its own two feet.
Credit is due. The acting is very good, AJ Cook in particular doing a fantastic job, JJ's pain, anguish and determination coming over incredibly powerfully. Production values are high, with a superb stark and claustrophobic atmosphere created, that one wishes was matched by the writing. The music is suitably haunting too, with a touching use of "Blackbird".
"200's" biggest problem, especially considering that it's an anniversary special (very like "100" was, except that it was unquestionably 'Criminal Minds'), is that it didn't feel like an episode of 'Criminal Minds'. If it weren't for the throwing in of the rest of the team who come and go within the episode it would have felt like something else entirely. Despite it being a JJ episode (in a situation that realistically she shouldn't even have been in the first place), even with her situation it did feel like too much focus was given to her and the rest of the team were given a back-seat. This does hurt the dynamic of the team and of the rest of the characters properly shining, as their screen times are far too short and their personalities seemed dumbed down and out of character.
Even the much touted return of Emily Prentiss feels wasted. Lovely to see her again, but again screen time is too short and in a way it didn't seem like there was much need for her and that anybody could have been in her role. The writing lacks its usual tightness, light humour, sense of dread and suspense, while the storytelling is implausible, contradictory (going against what we were already told in Seasons 6 and 7, rather than filling in major gaps, and doesn't fit within the 'Criminal Minds' timeline) and rushed in an episode that should have really been a two-parter. Apart from the acting and the production values, there was little urgency or momentum here. The climax and final scene (which also ends abruptly) are pretty intelligence-insulting and like the rest of the episode and JJ's predicament had never happened.
In conclusion, for a milestone episode "200" was a sad waste of great potential. 3/10 Bethany Cox
