There are plenty of procedural crime dramas on primetime television, but CBS’s “Criminal Minds” takes the genre one step further by delving into the psychology of criminal profiling.
The drama indulges America’s fascination with the “serial killer” persona and allows viewers to fictionally analyze what makes murderers the monsters they supposedly are.
With a huge fan base, critical acclaim and glowing ratings, the show has had its fair share of success. Last season, however, far more drama took place off the set than in the scripts, and “Criminal Minds” began to stray from the formula that made it famous.
The dismissal of leading ladies A.J. Cook, who played Special Agent Jennifer “JJ” Jareau, and Paget Brewster, who played Special Agent Emily Prentiss, constituted the most monumental changes.
Indignant fans did not stand by idly. CBS noticed the backlash and tried to mend what it could for the returning season. The result was the dramatic return of both actresses in the season seven premiere, “It Takes a Village.”
After season six’s muddle of plot holes, far-fetched cases and simply bad writing, the first episode of season seven was a breath of fresh air. It concludes Prentiss’ story arc, in which she is forced to deal with her past involvement with Interpol and a man with a vendetta.
While the writers had paved a way for Prentiss to leave the show when she was presumed dead, this season brings her back to life. Her return sparked a wide range of emotions because the only characters privy to the truth of her survival were Jareau and Unit Chief Hotch, played by Thomas Gibson. Shemar Moore (Unit Chief Derek Morgan) and Matthew Gray Gubler (Dr. Spencer Reid) both give heartfelt performances as their characters see their friend and colleague return from the grave.
Writer and executive producer of the episode Erica Messer created a unique experience in which the audience discovered what had been going on with the team through a series of flashbacks. Even so, she still managed to maintain the classic premise of the team uniting to solve the case. There was also heightened suspense as team members were interrogated at a United States Senate hearing to determine their future in the FBI.
It is unanimous throughout the fan base that this season will restore the team and the show to its former glory. “Criminal Minds” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on CBS.