CBS/Paramount Home Entertainment
Release date: September 16th, 2008
MSRP: $55.98
Stars: Joe Mantegna,Thomas Gibson, Mathew Grey Gubler, Shemar Moore, Kirsten Vangsness,Paget Brewster, and A.J.Cook
Criminal Minds is the best show I don’t regularly watch. Good writing, good acting and some of the strongest characters on tv. But the usual subject matter creeps me out. I know there are people out there that would kill me because the neighborhood cat told them to, but I don’t like to dwell on it. Make me twitterpated. Keeps me from sleeping soundly. Bad juju. Well these folk are a team of FBI Profilers who wade around in minds that would make a sewer worker blanch. I just finished season three(yes, all of it. I knew I shouldn’t have ratted myself out like that) and I think it’s going to be impossible to stay away.
This thing has become so character driven I am practally giddy. Sure I miss Mandy Patinkin. Gideon was a powerful force but Joe Mantegna is holding his own and the rest of the cast, Thomas Gibson, Mathew Grey Gubler, Shemar Moore, Kirsten Vangsness,Paget Brewster, and A.J.Cook have truely stepped up. The powers that be have wisely deduced that if showing Gideons’ human side worked then why not show everyones human side. And they have, in spades. Who’s pregnant and by whom, who’s getting a divorce they don’t want, who’s been shot, blown up,who’s fighting drug addiction at a twelve step meeting, whos’ getting their faith back, and who’s sleeping with Xander of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (although he isn’t Xander anymore, he’s Kevin).The stories are as strong or stronger than ever but more and more we get to see the toll, and that friends is what I call drama.
So maybe I’ll have a bad dream once in a while. This video gold is worth it.
Specials are nothing much.Cut scenes and a gag reel.
Order Criminal Minds from Amazon.
Read Jon’s review of season one.
Read Lee’s review of season two.
Lee Crawford
For more reviews from Lee, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.
I've got a question about Criminal minds.
Now I've been interested in watching it for a while and the price range on the DVDs has dropped into my buy range, but the question I have is this. I want to watch it for Mandy Patinkin, I have no idea who the other cast members are or what they're like as actors. But of course he leaves the show at the start of season three (bad Mandy!). So will I still be interested in the show once he's gone? Will the other characters grow on me enough that I'll want to carry on?
They surely did on me. I thought Mandy's Gideon was a terrific character and was worried by his leaving, but in some ways I think the show is stronger for it. More ensemble feel and like seeing old friends. I don't think you will be let down.
Lee
Sorry Guys but season three is weak. Instead of doing more case focus with character development as a flavour, it becomes the usual relationship heavy story using the crimes to support the relationship developments. Lazy writing and poor plots leave you wondering why you bothered to waste 43 minutes of your life watching the DVD. Season One was truly incredible, Season Two was good, but you now see the reason Mandy left the show. This is like watching ER, in a criminal setting.
Criminal minds is a nice television series to watch. It also shows the part in which drug addiction can do no good to a person.