Season 5 is not as good as the first four seasons, but is a mostly well done season, with most of the episodes being decent to great, some outstanding ones and some misfires.
"Reckoner" is one of Season 5's decent ones, better than the likes of "The Fight", "Hopeless", "The Performer" and "Parasite" but inferior to "100", "...A Thousand Words", "The Uncanny Valley" and "Mosley Lane". "Reckoner" is decent and does a lot right, but just lacks the extra something for it to be even better.
As always, the production values are very high in quality, with some of the most stylish and atmospheric camera work of the season that gives the episode a suitably dark, ominous tone. The music is haunting and melancholic, and the direction shows good direction of the actors and mostly solid pacing.
The script is intelligent and thought-provoking, with a great job developing Rossi and some welcome humour with Reid and Garcia. The story is interesting enough, and held together by the team's tight and adorable bond, the touching chemistry between Ray and Sean and especially the awesomeness of Rossi, whose story is gripping and beautifully interwoven with the case without overwhelming it. Love Garcia and Reid, a more professional Morgan and the interrogation stuff is intriguing.
Nothing can be faulted with the acting either, Joe Mantegna brings a perfect amount of the bad-ass and the soft-heart. Matthew Gray Gubler and Kirsten Vangsness are amusing, and there are great supporting star turns from Vincent Guastaferro (good balance of eager and bemused), Cynthia Watros (bringing tension and pathos to her role), Lawrence Pressman (suitably world-weary and vengeful) and from William Sadler and Glenn Keogh.
On the other hand, "Reckoner" could have had more tension and suspense, the production values set the tone wonderfully but the tension and suspense could have been more consistent. This would have been helped by slightly tighter pacing (at times) and more development and personality for the hit man unsub (the Judge was handled pretty well though, though still not among the most interesting) which was sketchy at best, his fate at the end was a bit of a damb squib too. While the team chemistry and personalities were done very, very well, there could have been a little more of Hotch and Reid.
In summary, decent if lacking greatness. 7/10 Bethany Cox
"Reckoner" is one of Season 5's decent ones, better than the likes of "The Fight", "Hopeless", "The Performer" and "Parasite" but inferior to "100", "...A Thousand Words", "The Uncanny Valley" and "Mosley Lane". "Reckoner" is decent and does a lot right, but just lacks the extra something for it to be even better.
As always, the production values are very high in quality, with some of the most stylish and atmospheric camera work of the season that gives the episode a suitably dark, ominous tone. The music is haunting and melancholic, and the direction shows good direction of the actors and mostly solid pacing.
The script is intelligent and thought-provoking, with a great job developing Rossi and some welcome humour with Reid and Garcia. The story is interesting enough, and held together by the team's tight and adorable bond, the touching chemistry between Ray and Sean and especially the awesomeness of Rossi, whose story is gripping and beautifully interwoven with the case without overwhelming it. Love Garcia and Reid, a more professional Morgan and the interrogation stuff is intriguing.
Nothing can be faulted with the acting either, Joe Mantegna brings a perfect amount of the bad-ass and the soft-heart. Matthew Gray Gubler and Kirsten Vangsness are amusing, and there are great supporting star turns from Vincent Guastaferro (good balance of eager and bemused), Cynthia Watros (bringing tension and pathos to her role), Lawrence Pressman (suitably world-weary and vengeful) and from William Sadler and Glenn Keogh.
On the other hand, "Reckoner" could have had more tension and suspense, the production values set the tone wonderfully but the tension and suspense could have been more consistent. This would have been helped by slightly tighter pacing (at times) and more development and personality for the hit man unsub (the Judge was handled pretty well though, though still not among the most interesting) which was sketchy at best, his fate at the end was a bit of a damb squib too. While the team chemistry and personalities were done very, very well, there could have been a little more of Hotch and Reid.
In summary, decent if lacking greatness. 7/10 Bethany Cox