Zugzwang

From the very title of this episode, which is both explained incorrectly and mispronounced, everything about this episode made me tear out my hair in frustration. The show has repeated continuity errors over the seasons, but to have such blatantly jarring ones just a few episodes apart really insults the audience's intelligence. Reid said he was reaching out to a geneticist because of his headaches, suddenly in this episode he says they "met" when she wrote him a letter complimenting one of his articles. He never knew her full name, yet they conversed through letters. Maeve is initially portrayed as somewhat of an agoraphobic, afraid to leave the house because of her stalker, which works as explanation as to why she is always at home, readily available for Reid to reach by way of phone booth. So how did she come to these letters? What good to pseudonyms do when the address is your home? In 8x10 at the restaurant, Reid says the reservation is under his name. Suddenly in "Zugzwang" she was the one to make the reservations, because the writers needed a way for the fiancé to find her. So much bad writing in this, it also makes it hard for the actors to do their job and portray the characters authentically. Also there are too many similarities to the Lila Archer case in episode 1 for this storyline to work. I wish CM had ended with Season 6.

The show has been Building this character and it's arc with Reid for some time , we were all excited for the next step for them.

And to end it like that , it's just a very bad writing and emotional blackmail. There is a few bad episodes in this show , but this is one by far is the worst .

I have been active in this website for almost 9 years , and this is my first and only review . That should tell you something about how I'm feeling right now.

i will not explain much but i must say this episode actually caused me to loose all hope in criminal minds and i no longer want to watch these series again they need not to add sadness in the story line also they are adding to much blood and gore to these shows ........why not add some episodes that don't involve non stop murder or etc .....like hacking causing accidents or something else.......the plot on this story how ever was very interesting it was like i almost felt as if i was in the same mind and concept as the young man but after everything started to take place it kinda throws out of the loop and makes you wonder if this show is even worth watching anymore .....all you see on criminal minds anymore is death,,,rape,,,,kidnapping nothing new or exciting even a terrorist attack would be interesting .

"Zugzwang" has often been described by 'Criminal Minds' fans as one of the worst episodes of the show. To me, it is a lesser episode, and one of the most frustrating ones too.

The episode as always does look great, 'Criminal Minds' has always been a well-made series, with plenty of gritty but classy style and atmosphere, and "Zugzwang" is no exception. The music is haunting and devastatingly melancholic.

A lot of the writing is tight, very thought-provoking and genuinely emotional, one really does feel for Reid here. The stalker/kidnapping story-line dominates the episode, but that doesn't mean that profiling and criminal psychology are completely side-lined, though they have been much more interesting before.

In "Zugzwang", the team dynamic is always enjoyable and the characters well-established, Maeve finally getting some meat to her character which Beth Riesgraf does quite well with. The acting is very good on the most part, with Matthew Gray Gubler especially being a revelation, his heart-break and devastation is emotionally devastating.

Generally "Zugzwang" was quite decent, though it does kick off with a very strange and awkwardly sappy dream sequence. Also, although there was very little to complain about with the acting, this reviewer didn't really care for Michelle Tratchenberg here, she seemed rather bland and evokes neither menace or sympathy.

But the biggest let-down is the badly botched, no let's rephrase that as slap-in-the-face ending, which is emotionally manipulative, implausible, ridiculous, forced and a cheap way of not only writing out a character that seemingly fans were not warming to but reminding us that Reid can't be happy (or that's how it felt).

In conclusion, a decent episode marred badly by the worst ending in 'Criminal Minds' history. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Ending was the only part worth watching in this episode. The rest was simply poor and very, very trivial. Well, Michelle Trachtenberg was nice, and did everything she could to look psychopathic. Matthew Gray Gubler delivered his part as gracefully as usual. But. The plot was a disaster, so predictable and plain, and totally unbelievable! It was stupid from the beginning, when Reid first heard about stalker and did not do anything about it, but it got much more stupid with all the soapy garbage like "you will never have HIM" or "and now tell her you don't love her". I wanted to hide under my bed from all these pathetics. I love the show, and season 8 is good, and I will just try to wipe this episode out of my memory.