Generally, Season 11 has been hugely disappointing. It started off very promisingly with "The Job" and "The Witness" before going drastically downhill with "Till Death Do Us Part", briefly redeeming itself with the outstanding "Entropy".
Well, also thought that "Beautiful Disaster" was better than given credit for, though Morgan's exit arc on the most part could have been much better handled with both "The Sandman" and especially "Derek" being lacking. "Inner Beauty" is not just one of the worst episodes of Season 11, this reviewer would go even further to say that it's one of the worst episodes of the whole show.
It is very high in its production values, gets off to an effectively eerie start, Rossi's grandson is adorable and very likable (also love the chemistry between him and Rossi) and there is a touching exchange between Rossi and JJ. Sadly, that is the only praises this reviewer can give to "Inner Beauty".
As with many of Season 11's episodes, "Inner Beauty" loses or completely forgets about what makes 'Criminal Minds' such compulsive viewing. Yet again there is too much of the unsub, who is also revealed too early which takes away from any tension or suspense (only the beginning of the episode shows any kind of atmosphere). And yet again, there is nowhere near enough of the BAU or the team dynamic, with Hotch so underused he is practically invisible, JJ looking completely lost and Reid also having very little to do.
The most interesting member of the team this time around is Rossi. Unfortunately the episode does focus too much on him and the situation between his ex-wife, which was far too mawkish and distracted from the rest of the episode. Also really didn't care for the ex-wife character either, she is so smug and self-righteous that it was impossible to warm to her and her excuse for her actions were not buyable for a second.
Having a lot of focus on the unsub may have worked if the unsub and the story was interesting. However, the story is not intriguing at all and it's very clear that the show has run out of ideas, it is a story and concept that has been done to death in previous episodes of the show and much better. It is dealt with in a very dull and un-tense and un-suspenseful fashion, and spoilt even further by the murders and modus operandi being far too cruel and gratuitously gruesome (a very similar problem with "Awake"). This also completely diminishes any kind of sympathy for the unsub, the situation indicates that we should feel sympathy for him but because his crimes are so sickening you can't do it.
'Criminal Minds' acting is not usually a problem, but unfortunately only Joe Mantegna and the boy playing his grandson stand out. Aisha Tyler is dull, stiff and limited, the actress playing Rossi's ex-wife rubs one up the wrong way, AJ Cook looks lost and Matthew Gray Gubler and Thomas Gibson are too underused to shine.
In summary, a disappointing and completely flat episode. 3/10 Bethany Cox
