Had mixed expectations for "Luke". The story on paper wasn't the most exciting and Alvez was not one of the most interesting BAU team members, though it did interest me to have an episode that finally saw some development. There were gleams of optimism though, being someone that likes watching 'Criminal Minds' from time to time, was close to blown away by the previous episode "The Tall Man" and who loves Joe Mantegna as Rossi and likes him as a director (although his 'Criminal Minds' episodes with him directing overall are variable, more writing and story-wise though).
"Luke" was something of an uneven episode for me. Personally don't think it is quite as bad as the previous reviewers have made out and there for me there was plenty to like. It is a big step down from "The Tall Man", just as much as "Starter Home" being a (bigger) step down from "300". The development for Alvez was appreciated and the episode did much better than expected at doing so, but the case could have been a lot more than it was.
Will start with the many good things. Adam Rodriguez does a great job here and gives some of his best acting he ever did for Alvez, his intensity really shines here in a way that hasn't done for a while and shining even more is his vulnerability. His grief is absolutely heart-wrenching. All the acting is great, but acting wise this is Rodriguez's episode. Was very pleasantly surprised by his personal life subplot, on paper it sounded really soap-operatic and over-sweet but not so. Could really feel the love and it was rootable, especially later on when one sees how such a traumatic event affected Alvez. Was expecting it too to be too at odds tonally with the rest of the story, but actually it ties in nicely.
Mantegna does provide some nice directing, namely visually when heightening up the tension where there are some unsettling-feeling camera angles. The team work so well together and have a great close dynamic, did like that there was a chemistry between Prentiss and Alvez that indicated that they "got" each other. "Luke" is well made visually, has some thoughtful scripting and has some nice atmosphere in the scoring. The case's outcome is anxiety inducing.
For me though, the case itself wasn't as successful. Too many over-familiar plot tropes lifted from other episodes that did them a lot better, meaning that it was excessively high on the predictability factor and offered no real surprises other than the unsub's real target revelation. The case also felt bland from a lack of tension and suspense, even what sounds so horrifying on paper (and the crimes do sound horrifying but fairly tamely executed for such execution-style murders) was far more harrowingly done in other 'Criminal Minds' episodes and in episodes for other shows. At least the unsub has a backstory and one does hate one of the victims, but when it comes to having menace or feeling sympathy the unsub is too ordinary, is not menacing enough and the crimes are just too cruel to make one feel for him.
Phil doesn't have enough development, so the admittedly shocking revelation concerning him comes over as rather sudden. What happens to Alvez after the case wraps up is unrealistically harsh, namely because other BAU agents in other 'Criminal Minds' episodes did far worse than he did when cases got personal for them and committed actions that were beyond unprofessionalism (we are including Prentiss here, and Hotch being a big primary example). Yet Alvez was treated more harshly and his predicament was just as personal as theirs. Will agree that the whole thing with the guns was sloppy.
Overall, liked the personal life subplot and Alvez's development but didn't care enough for the case, and it is the case that one sees a 'Criminal Minds' episode for. 6/10
"Luke" was something of an uneven episode for me. Personally don't think it is quite as bad as the previous reviewers have made out and there for me there was plenty to like. It is a big step down from "The Tall Man", just as much as "Starter Home" being a (bigger) step down from "300". The development for Alvez was appreciated and the episode did much better than expected at doing so, but the case could have been a lot more than it was.
Will start with the many good things. Adam Rodriguez does a great job here and gives some of his best acting he ever did for Alvez, his intensity really shines here in a way that hasn't done for a while and shining even more is his vulnerability. His grief is absolutely heart-wrenching. All the acting is great, but acting wise this is Rodriguez's episode. Was very pleasantly surprised by his personal life subplot, on paper it sounded really soap-operatic and over-sweet but not so. Could really feel the love and it was rootable, especially later on when one sees how such a traumatic event affected Alvez. Was expecting it too to be too at odds tonally with the rest of the story, but actually it ties in nicely.
Mantegna does provide some nice directing, namely visually when heightening up the tension where there are some unsettling-feeling camera angles. The team work so well together and have a great close dynamic, did like that there was a chemistry between Prentiss and Alvez that indicated that they "got" each other. "Luke" is well made visually, has some thoughtful scripting and has some nice atmosphere in the scoring. The case's outcome is anxiety inducing.
For me though, the case itself wasn't as successful. Too many over-familiar plot tropes lifted from other episodes that did them a lot better, meaning that it was excessively high on the predictability factor and offered no real surprises other than the unsub's real target revelation. The case also felt bland from a lack of tension and suspense, even what sounds so horrifying on paper (and the crimes do sound horrifying but fairly tamely executed for such execution-style murders) was far more harrowingly done in other 'Criminal Minds' episodes and in episodes for other shows. At least the unsub has a backstory and one does hate one of the victims, but when it comes to having menace or feeling sympathy the unsub is too ordinary, is not menacing enough and the crimes are just too cruel to make one feel for him.
Phil doesn't have enough development, so the admittedly shocking revelation concerning him comes over as rather sudden. What happens to Alvez after the case wraps up is unrealistically harsh, namely because other BAU agents in other 'Criminal Minds' episodes did far worse than he did when cases got personal for them and committed actions that were beyond unprofessionalism (we are including Prentiss here, and Hotch being a big primary example). Yet Alvez was treated more harshly and his predicament was just as personal as theirs. Will agree that the whole thing with the guns was sloppy.
Overall, liked the personal life subplot and Alvez's development but didn't care enough for the case, and it is the case that one sees a 'Criminal Minds' episode for. 6/10