Criminal Minds (TV Series) Wheels Up (2017) User Reviews

Strong start

[LoveIsAStateOfMind · 9/10 · 22 October 2017]

This is what I thought I knew for certain going into this premiere:

✔ Walker would die ✔ The rest of the team would be basically fine ✔ Reid would have PTSD ✔ Simmons would be an awesome addition to the BAU X The Scratch arc would hang over the whole season, much like it did last season (except for real this season, not like last year's red herring)

I was right on four out of 5 counts.

I definitely did not foresee Prentiss getting kidnapped and tortured. I have to say the part of me that loves seeing my usually fighting fit awesome Heroines suffer a bit of whomp was relishing the prospect of more Prentiss-torture. I knew she wasn't going to be killed due to her being front and centre in this season's promo poster but I thought for a little while that TPTB were going to be really really bold and have relegated to a wheelchair and maybe leading the BAU from behind a desk for at least half a season. The fact that it is all explained by the fact that Prentiss is hallucinating the torture leaves me conflicted. On the one hand hats off to the writers for wrapping it all up in a nice, neat bow and bringing in Scratch's MO and use of hallucinogenics. On the other hand I was really hoping for some more longlasting Prentiss angst.

The mentions of Hotch and Jack and the team dangling that as a bait were a pleasant surprise as well, though I find it hard to believe that someone has smart as Scratch would truly believe that someone has smart as Prentiss would make such a mistake as to use Hotch's initials in a text ..

I loved the Will/JJ moment. The fact that they touched upon a past worry that Will had for her safety and the fact that they talked about "calling it" when things got too dangerous. I love it when the writers treat us to a glimpse into JJ's family life.

Rossi was on fine form in this episode with his "asshats" comment and general Rossi-ness. Walker's wife was a lot more gracious than I would have been if I had been in her situation. There may be no Scratch arc throughout Season 13 was Reid's PTSD is definitely going to be hanging over the rest of the season which should give MGG a lot of material to work with.

The ending of the episode was perfect. Having our superhero crimefighters agree to take time off from casework is usually only mentioned when the writers want to use that old plot arc where one of them discovers a crime whilst on holiday and has to call in the team.

The whole "Wheels Up" moment was an epic nod from the writers to the fans. Lovely of them to indulge us this way, especially since we may be embarking upon one of my favourite team line-ups yet. (Yes, I am aware that I said the same thing this time last year )

Criminal Minds has been through some weak periods in recent seasons but this show always manages to bring its A game when it counts. Fantastic premiere and start to the season and the end of Scratch practically wipes the slate clean.

Nice ending for a fresh start, but I miss Hotch so much

[xiaorho · 9/10 · 4 September 2021]

So, basically did Luke let Scratch die or he was just about to help when the omnipotent killer fell and died so easily due to the law of gravity? Such a silly way to die for such an intriguing serial killer, but he has been prolonged too long anyway. A bit sad for Stephen, though he bored me sometimes and the new addition member of team seems give more promises. It is nice to have a fresh start after some dragging episodes! Again, I miss Hotch and his cool ways of delivering lines. Wish he were back then.

Wheels of powerful emotion

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 4 May 2018]

'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.

Luckily, Season 13 gets off to a very promising start with "Wheels Up", after feeling apprehensive getting round to watching the season with a little excitement. "Wheels Up" is not perfect or a 'Criminal Minds' classic, but it was definitely one of the better episodes post-Season 10 or so. A large part of it being its enormous emotional impact.

Would have liked a little more procedural aspects, being a huge part of why 'Criminal Minds' was so great and what it's all about. It's certainly there and there is more of it than a good deal of episodes Season 6 onwards. It just felt it wasn't as prominent as the aftermath of the events at the of the twelfth season's finale or the Mr Scratch storyline.

My biggest problem was the Mr Scratch climax. It felt rather rushed and anti-climactic and too easily and patly resolved, was expecting something more explosive to conclude such a big on-going storyline and it didn't quite do justice to one of the show's most chilling and memorable unsubs.

That is it for the problems though. "Wheels Up" begins where the finale of Season 12 left off, with a terrifying and heart-breaking opening (one of the show's most emotionally impactful openings). The aftermath was equally tear-inducing and tense. Even more harrowing is the Mr Scratch storyline, which simmered with uncompromising brutality and unbearable tension. Mr Scratch is even more chilling than in his introductory episode, Season 10's "Mr Scratch", one of the show's best latter season episodes. They feature prominently, but everything is balanced well, not too much of the other and it doesn't repeat the mistakes present in too many of the latter season episodes.

On top of all that, there are a handful of wrenching-the-gut moments (Reid's struggles and how he deals with it all, the references to Doyle), occasional humorous ones (Rossi), sweet ones (JJ and Will and Will and their chemistry, both of which tended to be bland previously, mentions of Hotch and Jack) and truly emotional ones (Monica in the morgue). The team member loss (won't spoil) is handled beautifully, with acknowledgment of their contribution to the team. Simmons makes far more of an impression than in 'Beyond Borders', settles in nicely and the team chemistry is spot on.

All the actors deliver, especially Paget Brewster, heartfelt Tracie Thoms and genuinely frightening Bodhi Elfman.

Visually, "Wheels Up" is atmospheric and stylish. The music is neither too intrusive or too low-key, with some haunting moments and great use of "Burden" in the funeral scene. The writing and direction are taut, it's never dull and the story is on point.

In summary, a very good episode, much better than expected. 8/10 Bethany Cox

yes Emily, wheels up!

[dorsaisthebest · 10/10 · 28 September 2017]

when you wait for the new season of a TV show this is what you expect to see. it's impossible for me to describe how i felt when the episode was finished. walker's death was so sad but it wasn't pointless. Mr. Scratch finally got where he deserved. Emily is so inspiring and amazing and honestly Paget Brewster did a fabulous job in this episode. all i can say is well done dear writers, after 13 years you still managed to write one of the best season premieres in the whole show, unlike other CBS' TV shows' ( like the big bang theory) premieres which were so disappointing criminal minds was so amazing and i honestly can't wait for the next episode. wheels up!

Still a fan

[bodiddleydi · 10/10 · 16 October 2017]

I liked Stephen. But I'm okay with his replacement. I liked beyond borders. All in all, I haven't had an issue with the cast changes over the last 3 seasons. It's good. It needed the change. As much as I liked Hotch and Morgan I was getting mildly bored with the same old. Still loved it hugely though . The cast changes give the show opportunity to evolve without becoming something different. I'm a content customer.

Wheels Up

[bobcobb301 · 7/10 · 27 November 2017]

Please don't do the "Wheels Up" bit again. That was lame, it was bad, there are a host of other words one could use to describe it, but you get the idea.

This episode was kind of entertaining, but when you know Emily has no chance of dying it is hard to buy into the craziness of her kidnapper.

At least they had one death from last season's craziness, but this was pretty underwhelming overall.

Finally!

[Itmightbeworse · 6/10 · 27 February 2020]

Spoilers- Thank God finally Scratch met his fate! The whole story with this mighty villain that could do anything and remain free and untouched had lasted too too long and it already became annoying many episodes before this final one

Climax and disappointment

[kpk_cioby · 4/10 · 4 October 2017]

Apparently this old trend, used by Prison Break most notably, to keep people on edge at the end of an episode and then make a predictable boring resolution the very start of the next episode, also now applies to seasons. Tho they have done it in the past, it was so poorly executed this time, I had to write this down.

Minor Spoilers ahead. So even tho, the smartest guy that eluded the FBI for a long time and played even their smartest guy, as a toy (tho praying on his feelings and we all know he's emotional) finally had the team at his mercy, he decided not to kill anyone (intentionally) and to kidnap the only person that knew where Arron Hotchner presumably was (because of a text). Even tho, a smart agent wouldn't just write the initials of the person he/she was communicating with at the end, they don't even say goodbye after talking on the phone for crying out loud! All of a sudden he/she got emotional and decided to write in her private message with only that person on the receiving end, his initials. And yet Mr. Scratch didn't figure it out.

Leaving that behind he had multiple hostages to take in, obviously no goody goody agent would tell the location of their beloved leader, so he could've hurt one to get the answer, since selfless agents would give their life to keep A.H. and HIS KID safe. Duh? He didn't. He just took one. Leaving the rest to come after him, regardless of the fact that even he could've seen that every case, every episode, they find the bad guy at the perfect second. Always. And yet he just went to a shitty location, close to where it all happened with no backup plan and not even an escape route.

Major spoiler ahead. And of course it all adds up that if the agent isn't afraid of death and pain, he/she will clearly tell him the location if he fakes his/her death. ONLY, *shocking*, he had the one agent that had a death experience and saw nothing, thus he/she realized it was all a game since the agent already saw death and it was dark, blank, nothingness. And thus spoils Mr. Scratch's plans. And so the long chase after their biggest enemy, comes to an end.

Maybe it's time to close this series or just turn it into a simple "one episode story" in which the team doesn't keep arriving at the scene, at the perfect time, so we actually have something to watch without knowing the ending 100%.

And since they couldn't let the bad guy win for once, Aaron, not dead, still won't return, which is the dumbest excuse for a cut out character, I've ever heard. And honestly, his serious and calm voice, were the best thing this show had.

Hate it

[Jackbv123 · 1/10 · 21 August 2019]

Still have an unbelievably omnipotent criminal. I don't mind badass villains, but this is too far and it just continues