A professor from Lewis' past tips off the BAU to an alarming number of overdose deaths of patients who just completed rehab.A professor from Lewis' past tips off the BAU to an alarming number of overdose deaths of patients who just completed rehab.A professor from Lewis' past tips off the BAU to an alarming number of overdose deaths of patients who just completed rehab.
Matthew Gray Gubler
- Dr. Spencer Reid
- (credit only)
Melanie Lewis
- Kate Sullivan
- (as Melanie Laenani Lewis)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis is the second episode directed by Aisha Tyler, the first being The Bunker (2017).
- GoofsWhen the team finds Molly, she has only had benzodiazepines, not opiates, and the team knows this. Emily gives her a shot of naloxone anyway to undo the drugs and wake her up, but naloxone only works for opiates. It doesn't reverse the drugs she's already taken and wouldn't wake her up.
- Quotes
Dr. Tara Lewis: [closing quotation] "The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life." - Richard Bach.
- ConnectionsReferences The Matrix (1999)
- SoundtracksSober
(uncredited)
Written by Tapiwa Kudakwashe Mugadza
Performed by Tapiwa Kudakwashe Mugadza
[Played when the unsub is taken into custody]
Featured review
Less than angelic mercy
Part of me was a bit nervous before watching "Broken Wing". Not because of the subject matter, which is so true to life and will hit home with many people as well as being a very important subject to address. And actually the case didn't sound too bad on paper, even if it wasn't the most original. My reservations laid with seeing that it was Tara-centric, personally have never found her as interesting as the other team members and intensely disliked her even in Season 11.
On that front though, "Broken Wing" was so much better than expected. It may not have wowed me, it didn't always feel fully developed and other episodes are more creative and novel with their storytelling. But "Broken Wing" did a difficult and brave subject justice and it is an emotionally powerful episode that is going to be very personal for those who have gone through it in some way. It also did something that no other 'Criminal Minds' episode did beforehand, it made me care for Tara.
"Broken Wing" does fall a little short. There are aspects of the story that could have been better fleshed out. The unsub did feel underdeveloped, and while it was great that the identity was not an obvious one this is an example of an episode where it would have benefitted from the unsub being introduced a little earlier. With their backstory being barely flimsy, the motive wasn't buyable and felt like the writers were indecisive over what the motive should be in the writing stages.
Also things that didn't feel explored enough were the loved ones of the victims (though one cannot say that they weren't rootable), the idea of whether the deaths were accidental or not and of course the motive. The climax didn't do it for me either, pretty awkwardly staged and like it was written in a hurry to wrap everything up.
Having said all of that, "Broken Wing" does a lot right. The production quality is still high, as slick and atmospheric as can be. When the music is used it is appropriately moody, and the theme tune is a memorable one. The acting from all the regulars is very good to great, Aisha Tyler gives perhaps her best performance of her stint on the show. She is so much more comfortable and engaged and she moved me in a way that she didn't before. The other great performance comes from Gale Harold, Daryl and Tara have a fascinating and beautifully written dynamic together and Harold brings a lot of heart to the episode. The script is not too rambling and is well meaning. Of the supporting characters, Smith is the most colourful even if he is not a subtle character and one one hates immediately (a feeling that remains throughout).
Despite the story execution not being perfect, the story also has a lot that is commendable. Namely its "not holding back" and heart-wrenching approach to a tough subject that is heart-wrenching enough on its own as a topic. But for it to be done so hard-hittingly without being heavy-handed really made things emotional, being somone that did nearly lose someone close a few years ago in this way this did hit home. 'Criminal Minds' has to me always varied when it comes to team personal life subplots, some of them are very soapy and uninteresting and with the worst ones it can be like watching two episodes in one. Not the case here which was really surprising, Tara's subplot connected really well with the case and one movingly sees how much it means to her and was poignant too. Have said about the case not being original or fully fleshed out, but it was still very compelling and emotionally investable. And it did have surprises and kept one guessing, with it doing such a great job at making the viewer convinced of the unsub being someone else.
In summary, not great but well done. Not deserving in my view of being one of the season's lowest rated episodes here. 7/10
On that front though, "Broken Wing" was so much better than expected. It may not have wowed me, it didn't always feel fully developed and other episodes are more creative and novel with their storytelling. But "Broken Wing" did a difficult and brave subject justice and it is an emotionally powerful episode that is going to be very personal for those who have gone through it in some way. It also did something that no other 'Criminal Minds' episode did beforehand, it made me care for Tara.
"Broken Wing" does fall a little short. There are aspects of the story that could have been better fleshed out. The unsub did feel underdeveloped, and while it was great that the identity was not an obvious one this is an example of an episode where it would have benefitted from the unsub being introduced a little earlier. With their backstory being barely flimsy, the motive wasn't buyable and felt like the writers were indecisive over what the motive should be in the writing stages.
Also things that didn't feel explored enough were the loved ones of the victims (though one cannot say that they weren't rootable), the idea of whether the deaths were accidental or not and of course the motive. The climax didn't do it for me either, pretty awkwardly staged and like it was written in a hurry to wrap everything up.
Having said all of that, "Broken Wing" does a lot right. The production quality is still high, as slick and atmospheric as can be. When the music is used it is appropriately moody, and the theme tune is a memorable one. The acting from all the regulars is very good to great, Aisha Tyler gives perhaps her best performance of her stint on the show. She is so much more comfortable and engaged and she moved me in a way that she didn't before. The other great performance comes from Gale Harold, Daryl and Tara have a fascinating and beautifully written dynamic together and Harold brings a lot of heart to the episode. The script is not too rambling and is well meaning. Of the supporting characters, Smith is the most colourful even if he is not a subtle character and one one hates immediately (a feeling that remains throughout).
Despite the story execution not being perfect, the story also has a lot that is commendable. Namely its "not holding back" and heart-wrenching approach to a tough subject that is heart-wrenching enough on its own as a topic. But for it to be done so hard-hittingly without being heavy-handed really made things emotional, being somone that did nearly lose someone close a few years ago in this way this did hit home. 'Criminal Minds' has to me always varied when it comes to team personal life subplots, some of them are very soapy and uninteresting and with the worst ones it can be like watching two episodes in one. Not the case here which was really surprising, Tara's subplot connected really well with the case and one movingly sees how much it means to her and was poignant too. Have said about the case not being original or fully fleshed out, but it was still very compelling and emotionally investable. And it did have surprises and kept one guessing, with it doing such a great job at making the viewer convinced of the unsub being someone else.
In summary, not great but well done. Not deserving in my view of being one of the season's lowest rated episodes here. 7/10
helpful•91
- TheLittleSongbird
- Nov 17, 2020
Details
- Runtime43 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 HD
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