So the other night, more or less by accident, kphoebe and I ended up watching Criminal Minds together. I had read the one sentence TV guide blurb, but honestly I had more or less forgotten about that by the time I started watching. Twenty minutes twenty three seconds later, (by my chat log) we were on AIM together boggling at the bafflingly insensitive racist stereotyping, which then got worse. Karen and I on the topic of CM 413, Bloodline, below the cut.

( warning: triggers for racism, child abuse, child sexual exploitation, and violence, just to be safe. )

So, wee bit o' backstory: kphoebe induced me to watch Criminal Minds, in that way she has where she is generally right but I resist and then I give in, and it turns out she is right! (Persons who are also generally right: jamjar, and marici.) She said, (I summarize,) that the characters were also decent, smart people, trying to do good, and that it was nice to watch TV where you were able to root for everyone. Oh! And she said it was crime TV that didn't make the crimes sexy, and was generally quite feminist. As already noted, she was right.

(For those unfamiliar with the canon: Criminal Minds is about the FBI's behavioural analysis unit, (BAU) and its profilers, and it's at least 1/3 profiling in a given episode, although there is a touch more running around with guns than I suspect actual profilers really do.)

So, I mainlined three seasons in about a month and half, through the magic of the internet. My impressions: Shemar Moore is dreamy, Penelope Garcia is adorable (and I will give hugs and kisses to anyone who can find decent fic of them,) I have a strange, sick crush on Aaron Hotchner, Spencer Reid is alsoadorable, J.J. is kickass and she will kick your ass very politely. \o/ Also, it treats its audience as if they are smart, and doesn't hammer home the obvious, which, gosh, how much do I enjoy that?

But season three has introduced some changes, and I don't think I like them. Most obviously, Jason Gideon, played by everyone's favourite Spaniard, Mandy Patinkin, has been replaced by David Rossi, whose main characterization seems to be that he's kinda an asshole.

But also, there seems to be a weird, and in my case, very unwelcome, attempt to add some kind of... I don't know what to call it, 'supernatural' element. Let me give examples: ( Spoilers for Season Three of Criminal Minds )