Customer Reviews

Criminal Minds: Fifth Season

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Criminal Minds: Fifth Season" contains the 23 episodes of the latest dramatic season for this outstanding and unique TV police procedural, in which the FBI's Behavior Analysis Unit tracks down criminals by getting inside their heads.

The ensemble cast remains a strength of the show, returning Thomas Gibson as team leader Aaron Hotchner, Joe Montegna as Special Agent David Rossi, Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid, Shemar Moore as Special Agent Derek Morgan, Paget Brewster as Special Agent Emily Prentiss, A.J. Cook as Special Agent JJ Jareau, and Kirsten Vangsness as Analyst and computer whiz Penelope Garcia.

The Fifth Season opens with a disturbing episode in which Hotchner is tortured by the recurring villain and serial killer known as the Reaper. His ex-wife and son go into protective custody with the US Marshal Service while a healing Hotcher attempts to catch the killer. This multi-episode story arc culminates in a terrifying mid-season episode, in which the Reaper captures Hotchner's family, triggering a fight to the death with consequences for the whole BAU. Special Agent Derek Morgan will finally get his chance at a leadership position, while the team will adjust, for the moment, to getting along without Hotchner.

The Fifth Season rotates the spotlight so that each agent gets to lead an episode. Among the highlights: a case in David Rossi's hometown in New York state, where old friends are now members of a criminal family; and an episode set in Alaska, in which Penelope Garcia gets face to face with a serial killer in a very small town.

"Criminal Minds: Fifth Season" is very highly recommended to its fans, and to new viewers looking for a powerful and gritty police drama.

I just started watching Criminal Minds by accident about a year ago. I can't believe I never heard about it. Now I am addicted to it. It is one of the smartest and well cast series to date. The George Foyette episodes were brilliant. Thank god for reids new hairdo he looks more mature. I have watched almost all of series 1-4 and cannot wait for season 5 I never tire of watching it. I am so glad Joe Mantanga was added he completes the package. There was more humor in this season especially from Hotch. Why this show is not nominated for and Emmy I'll never know. I love that everyone is allowed to be themselves and helps each other work through personal situations. I don't know if they can top this season.

I just started watching Criminal Minds in January 2010 and am completely addicted to it. I have purchased all 4 seasons and watched them through at least twice. Each episode is creepy and interesting and keeps me riveted to the last moment. I love each of the characters and the way that they relate to each other. One of the other reviews mentioned the fact that none of them outshines any other and I completely agree! Can't wait to get this season since I missed several of the early episodes.

CRIMINAL MINDS, despite some intermittent cast changes through the seasons (yes, we all miss Mandy Pritikin) continues to bring us smart television. The dialogue may at some points seem like a roundtable dissertation on aspects of abnormal psychology, passing from one character actor in the investigative team to the next, but the information they disclose in these sessions is fascinating and makes sense to the viewer. Each segment begins with a significant quote and each ends with one and this seemingly small technique shows respect for the viewer. The cases more often than not are those of serial killers, showing us how these criminal minds are created by their background, what constitutes their behavior, and how examining that studied behavior as each new case develops leads to their capture.

The cast still includes the magnetic Shemar Moore, Paget Brewster, the intense Thomas Gibson, A.J. Cook, Matthew Gray Gubler as the would be nerd but brilliant thinker, Joe Mantegna and Kirsten Vangsnes (often the brains behind the breaks!). What a team - with enough chemistry to keep us all involved over the weeks of each season. And then there are often guest stars as the Unsub (Unknown Subject of an Investigation), stars of the caliber of Jason Alexander. This is a thinking person's show and a well produced one at that. Keep them coming! Grady Harp, August 10

Criminal Minds has been a rollercoaster in some resects because the Behavioral Analysis Unit is not one of those 9-5 jobs. It scars its members and it sometimes leaves them in pieces, checking them out and tattering them much like a library would do to books it keeps on shelves. The only problem with this is exactly what happens to the people. With Gideon (Seasons 1-3) you had a change that happened as he progressed and saw loss. He was not the same, hurting me to watch, and he became a shell that needed to walk away. The same can be said for other member,s like the one who came back despite the turmoil and the career in books and the problems in places like Ruby Ridge. Then there is the doctor with the family, the tech that had a lead problem (I'm allegic to bullets, they break me out in all kinds of badness), adn now Hotch.

Of all the people that ever have anything happen, Hotch has it the worst. He already has problems within his family and it has played out, from the married to the wanting to leave to the way things played out and the seperating. The worse comes later than that, here, and it is bad. The Ripper is called back from the brink and he makes a little dancing debut, and that thing isn't one of those band-aid things that happens in a few episodes. It changes everything and it hurts to see.

As far as the episodes, more darkness and more serial killing mingles into the stories. There are staples that are here as well, from the arson that occurs to the other bits, but you have a storyline that follows hotch as well. It occurs in the last season a little and then at the end, and you see the pain it all brings. You see the violation at the end last time and you see the way things break, and you wonder what wil occur. C. Thomas Howell is great in causing it, too, and the Ripper character is one of those things you know will always second-guess the best and the brightest.
I like it.

As for extras and whatnot, I was not overly amazed. I do not expect a lot, either, but some things ar enice. I personally like the deleted scenes but never th elooks back, and I say that because they are spoilers in a nutshell.
5/5 for it and a thanks for your time. You could read other reviews - I appreciate you seeing what I think and I hope this helps.

Episodes:
Faceless, Nameless (Part 3)","Haunted","Reckoner," "hopeless," "Cradle to Grave, "the eyes have it," "The Performer," "Outfoxed," "100," "The Slave of Duty," "Retalitaiton," "The Uncanny Valley," "risky Business," "Parasite," Public Enemy," "Mosley Lane," "solitary Man," "The Fight," "a rite of Passage," a Thousand Words," "Exit Wounds," "the Internet is Forever,' Our Darkest Hour"

love all these sereies and movies alike. amazon really makes it easy to get and price is right

I liked the whole season. Some were very sad and I cried. In a whole I enjoyed the entire season and would give it the highest rating.

This is a fine series but definitely not for kids nor people with weak stomachs. It focuses on the BAU a group of FBI investigators specifically seeking out serial killers. One interesting difference compared to other criminal investigative shows is that CM focuses on the criminal and almost nothing on bringing the criminal to justice. A lot of these episodes are based on real life incidents in the history of serial killers. The strength of this show is the serious tone and intricate details of how said serial killers elude local authorities for long periods and continue to acquire victims (sometimes they are especially clever) and even when the BAU shows up it isn't always a happy ending. Just watch the finale of this season or look at the impact this career has had on several of former and current characters in the BAU if you disagree. Some of the character relationships are pretty strong but the nerd jokes on poor Reed are getting a bit old so they need better jokes or to just let it go because it's old. Each episode does a nice job of opening and closing with an intelligent quote which reflects the incidents of the particular episode. Of the 23 episodes for this season I would say the creepiest to me were: "Mosley Lane", "Our Darkest Hour", "Haunted" and "Cradle To Grave". There was a short lived spinoff from this series called Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior with Forest Whitaker in the lead. The show is going on its 7th season and a video game is coming out this year for it. CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B minus to B; STORY/PLOTTING: B plus to A minus; FOCUS ON THE MENTALITY OF SERIAL KILLERS: B to B plus; OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus; WHEN WATCHED: April to December 2011 (had to take breaks on and off as its so intense and horrifying at times and I had other shows on my list).

This season is just as good as the last. The season that was sent was in excellent condition. Would purchase more item from this person.

I've been collecting this show since I've seen the rebroadcasts around the fifth season. This is a ground breaking show. Not like your typical tv show, Criminal Minds gives you the perspective of criminal profiling.