The BAU must determine what connects six people that each received a mysterious package in order to identify the Unsub. Also, Simmons and his wife Kristy must deal with their son, who got su... Read allThe BAU must determine what connects six people that each received a mysterious package in order to identify the Unsub. Also, Simmons and his wife Kristy must deal with their son, who got suspended from school.The BAU must determine what connects six people that each received a mysterious package in order to identify the Unsub. Also, Simmons and his wife Kristy must deal with their son, who got suspended from school.
Photos
- Byron Maddock
- (as Jeremy Mitchell)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe title, "Rule 34", alludes to a generally accepted agreement on the internet, that if a thing or an idea exists, somewhere on the internet there is porn about it (often followed up with Rule 35, that if there isn't porn about it, there will be).
- GoofsWhen the team deduces where the unsub is holding his latest victim (in a warehouse in Rockville, MD), Simmons says he and Reid are on their way, since they're already traveling between sites of interest. Rossi tells them he'll meet them there. However, Rossi is still at BAU headquarters in Quantico, VA, which is about an hour away. The unsub should have already murdered his victim by then, but the next scene show Rossi arriving before and murder is committed.
- Quotes
Matt Simmons: [closing quote] "Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them" - James Baldwin
- SoundtracksKill You
Performed by The Spiffs
Played just before the unsub starts cutting his next victim, just before the opening credits
The third episode "Rule 34" is an improvement over "Starter Home", briefly comparing it to the previous two episodes of the season, but is still not a patch on "300" which set such a high standard that there was always going to be the possibility that the high quality wouldn't be maintained and sadly it wasn't in that episode or here. "Rule 34" is not bad at all, and has a lot to like. Anybody that likes subtlety and coherence are best finding another 'Criminal Minds' episode though.
As said a lot works here in "Rule 34". It is shot slickly and there is a lot of atmosphere, the way the episode is lit adds a good deal to the creepiness. The music is suitably ominous without being over-the-top. The writing and team exchanges provoke thought and the episode's portrayal of the team is back to the close family like one that work with cohesion, with competence and like they care for each other. Their skills aren't underused. The performances are all great from leads and guests, Izabella Miko doesn't overdo the eccentricity and Shane Coffey is eerily unhinged. Joe Mantegna gives my favourite performance of the regulars and Daniel Henney does a nice job in his subplot.
Which could easily have been very soapy, but just about avoided that and will be relatable for any parent. It was a bit of a disconnect when balanced with one of the season's most gruesome cases but was sympathetically handled. The episode does start off very well and is genuinely creepy. Particularly well done of the character moments are Rossi and Galina's interaction, the anxiety inducing takedown and how the episode deals with Garcia's trauma which was quite moving.
Did feel that the case was rather muddled though with a lot going on, too much in the latter stages for my liking, but not fully explored. It also got increasingly too sadistic, can take disturbing well but the more that was revealed it did induce after watching the episode a long period of stomach churning and nausea.
Furthermore, the unsub's actions and motivations were rather all over the place and one does get in a tangle trying to keep up with the next motive and revelation put to us. The unsub is on the underdeveloped side and is very erratic, for such gruesome crimes the overall motive did have a "that's it?" feel.
Summarising, above average but not great. 6/10
- TheLittleSongbird
- Oct 5, 2020
- Permalink
Details
- Runtime41 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 HD