On the season premiere of Criminal Minds, the BAU deals with the fallout of the Prentiss situation as they welcome back one of their own.
Trial by Committee
Throughout the episode, the team is questioned by a Senate committee about the Ian Doyle case. This gives guest star Mark Moses plenty of interaction with all of the main characters and it gives the show a chance to fiddle with the episode’s timeline, flashing between the hearing and the events that led to it.
The Bearded Man
Thanks to budget cuts, Hotch (Thomas Gibson) is sent to lead a task force in Pakistan, where he seemingly lost weight and gained facial hair. I agree with Jack (Hotch’s son) that the beard is not flattering and am glad to see it disappear before Hotch testifies at the hearing.
Back from the Beyond
The supposedly deceased Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) makes a welcome return to the show, and her friends, in tonight’s premiere. The team is shocked to find out that Emily is alive, though most of them seem as happy to see her as the fans are. Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) takes a little longer to warm up to his former colleague and Morgan (Shemar Moore) is angry at Hotch for his deception, something that could prove problematic in future episodes.
Worst Parents Ever
Poor little Declan has an international criminal (Ian Doyle) for a father and his mother is just as bad. She kidnaps Declan as revenge against Doyle for forcing her to have the child in the first place. Luckily for Declan, both of his parents are killed by episode’s end and he is saved by the BAU. Ending the Doyle storyline is a smart move and gives the show a chance to start fresh with this new season.
The Team Is Back Together
After an impassioned testimony by Prentiss, the Senate committee lifts the suspensions for every member of the team and they are all allowed to return to the BAU — all but former cast member Rachel Nichols, whose character, Ashley Seaver, is said to have transferred to another unit in order to explain Nichols’ exit from the show.
I am thrilled to see the old team back together after an uneven sixth season, but am I the only one who will miss Nichols? What did you think of tonight’s intense season premiere? Did Prentiss’s return live up to your expectations?
On the next episode of Criminal Minds, the team is dealt a case where an un-sub (unknown subject) takes away his victims’ senses with sulfuric acid.
Megan Cole
Contributing Writer
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
