'Criminal Minds' at its best (and while it is a show with seasons better than others and all the seasons having a mixture of wonderful episodes and disappointments) is enough to make the show one of my favourite shows.
There are better episodes of 'Criminal Minds' than "Strange Fruit", but it was a decent attempt at doing something different (if not completely coming off successfully) and it's nowhere near close to being one of the show's low-points.
People may be disappointed at the relative lack of action and that much of the episode is dominated by interviews rather than profiling and such. To tackle the heavy subject of racism was a bold move, and while there are some harrowing and poignant moments, especially the end, the theme could have been handled with more grace and subtlety, not surprising as it is a subject that can fall into the danger of being heavy-handed.
Knowing who the unsub is a quarter of the way in, so the case is more a whydunnit rather than a whodunit, does take away from the suspense somewhat as well, and there is not quite enough of the rest of the BAU which robs us of the little character moments and the adorable team dynamic that is a large part of the show's appeal.
On the other hand, "Strange Fruit" is a very well made episode as ever, stylish, gritty and quite beautiful, while the music is both haunting and melancholic. The script is thought-provoking, particularly in the scenes between Rossi and Charles, and the story though with the odd sedate spot has plenty of tension between Rossi and Charles and has a powerful ending, in a rare occurrence where one sympathises with the unsub and despises the victims.
The episode is strongly directed, and the performances are very good. Joe Mantegna is a revelation as Rossi, crucial in making the episode work because Rossi takes centre stage and is an interesting character here, and while L. Scott Caldwell and Seth Gilliam are great even great is the brilliant turn of Glynn Turman.
Overall, not completely successful but decent and one of the more interesting episodes of Season 9 (one of the better ones overall too). 7/10 Bethany Cox
There are better episodes of 'Criminal Minds' than "Strange Fruit", but it was a decent attempt at doing something different (if not completely coming off successfully) and it's nowhere near close to being one of the show's low-points.
People may be disappointed at the relative lack of action and that much of the episode is dominated by interviews rather than profiling and such. To tackle the heavy subject of racism was a bold move, and while there are some harrowing and poignant moments, especially the end, the theme could have been handled with more grace and subtlety, not surprising as it is a subject that can fall into the danger of being heavy-handed.
Knowing who the unsub is a quarter of the way in, so the case is more a whydunnit rather than a whodunit, does take away from the suspense somewhat as well, and there is not quite enough of the rest of the BAU which robs us of the little character moments and the adorable team dynamic that is a large part of the show's appeal.
On the other hand, "Strange Fruit" is a very well made episode as ever, stylish, gritty and quite beautiful, while the music is both haunting and melancholic. The script is thought-provoking, particularly in the scenes between Rossi and Charles, and the story though with the odd sedate spot has plenty of tension between Rossi and Charles and has a powerful ending, in a rare occurrence where one sympathises with the unsub and despises the victims.
The episode is strongly directed, and the performances are very good. Joe Mantegna is a revelation as Rossi, crucial in making the episode work because Rossi takes centre stage and is an interesting character here, and while L. Scott Caldwell and Seth Gilliam are great even great is the brilliant turn of Glynn Turman.
Overall, not completely successful but decent and one of the more interesting episodes of Season 9 (one of the better ones overall too). 7/10 Bethany Cox