I don't want to spoil anything (even though I believe one of the user-submitted synopses gives plenty away on its own), so I will try to keep this purposefully vague.
Let me start by saying that I never watched this series when it was originally on air. Several years ago, I decided it was high time for me to start watching the series back when it was on Netflix and had far fewer seasons-but I ended up stopping the binge watch sometime shortly after season 2. My husband worked nights and I was almost always home alone with our young children during late hours (which was also the only free time available to watch the show!!), and so many episodes hit too close to home during that time, I couldn't take it.
Fast forward to about 1-2 months ago, when I randomly had the urge to pick it back up again (and by that I mean "start from S1E1 because my memory is awful and it had been too long"). Paget Brewster is probably a huge part of my return to the series; I just love her so much and when I realized she is in fact still on the show when so many others have left over the years, I decided I must get back into it!!!
So here I am, creeping along in the early seasons, many many great episodes already seen before this one, but tonight I watched this episode for the first time and it made me fall in love with the show even more. In all the worst, saddest, most tragic ways, unfortunately, but the writing and acting from start to finish, top to bottom, are-while horrifyingly, desperately sad-easily the best of the short binge watching I've done so far. Previously I would've ranked another episode as the best; I believe it was the finale for either S3 or S4, when Hotch's SUV is blown up right outside of the federal building and his old friend/crush/ex-wife lookalike is killed after suffering horrific injuries. That episode, to me, was phenomenal, as was the one immediately preceding it when all you're left with is an explosion and don't know whose car it was until the following season premiere (thank goodness we can binge these now without waiting!!)
But tonight I completely stand corrected and have to say that this is definitely the best episode thus far. There have been a handful so far that have made me teary-eyed, usually the ones involving children, but THIS one made me bawl my eyes out because it was so terrible and tragic yet so perfectly executed on ALL LEVELS. If I meet anyone who hasn't watched this series before, this will be one of maybe 4 episodes that I vaguely reference in a spoiler-free effort to convince them that they should drop everything and start watching the show NOW.
10/10 stars. Would and will watch again-though I think next time I'll prep myself with a Xanax.
Let me start by saying that I never watched this series when it was originally on air. Several years ago, I decided it was high time for me to start watching the series back when it was on Netflix and had far fewer seasons-but I ended up stopping the binge watch sometime shortly after season 2. My husband worked nights and I was almost always home alone with our young children during late hours (which was also the only free time available to watch the show!!), and so many episodes hit too close to home during that time, I couldn't take it.
Fast forward to about 1-2 months ago, when I randomly had the urge to pick it back up again (and by that I mean "start from S1E1 because my memory is awful and it had been too long"). Paget Brewster is probably a huge part of my return to the series; I just love her so much and when I realized she is in fact still on the show when so many others have left over the years, I decided I must get back into it!!!
So here I am, creeping along in the early seasons, many many great episodes already seen before this one, but tonight I watched this episode for the first time and it made me fall in love with the show even more. In all the worst, saddest, most tragic ways, unfortunately, but the writing and acting from start to finish, top to bottom, are-while horrifyingly, desperately sad-easily the best of the short binge watching I've done so far. Previously I would've ranked another episode as the best; I believe it was the finale for either S3 or S4, when Hotch's SUV is blown up right outside of the federal building and his old friend/crush/ex-wife lookalike is killed after suffering horrific injuries. That episode, to me, was phenomenal, as was the one immediately preceding it when all you're left with is an explosion and don't know whose car it was until the following season premiere (thank goodness we can binge these now without waiting!!)
But tonight I completely stand corrected and have to say that this is definitely the best episode thus far. There have been a handful so far that have made me teary-eyed, usually the ones involving children, but THIS one made me bawl my eyes out because it was so terrible and tragic yet so perfectly executed on ALL LEVELS. If I meet anyone who hasn't watched this series before, this will be one of maybe 4 episodes that I vaguely reference in a spoiler-free effort to convince them that they should drop everything and start watching the show NOW.
10/10 stars. Would and will watch again-though I think next time I'll prep myself with a Xanax.