The range of types of detective/mystery shows/dramas is very wide and there are many classic examples of all. Favourites include 'Inspector Morse', prime-'Midsommer Murders' (Seasons 1-9), 'A Touch of Frost', prime-'Taggart' (pre-Burke era), 'Foyles War', 'Law and Order' (namely with Briscoe), most Agatha Christie and of course the original 'Criminal Minds' itself, well Seasons 1-5 before it became relatively hit and miss.
A large part of me was expecting to see the dark and gritty tone seen when the original 'Criminal Minds' was at its best, and the darkness and grit has been present still in quite a number of latter season episodes too, carried over here in 'Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour'. With intriguing and thought-provoking profiling and procedural aspects. Really did give the show a chance, and have been known to find short lived shows much better than given credit for, but a vast majority of this show's episodes really haven't worked for me sad to say and even the best episodes could have been more. As one can tell, consider 'Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour' a bad and disappointing show on the most part.
"Smother" is one of the show's better episodes. Still think it could have been much better than it was, but credit is due for trying to do something different and explore a very disturbing and difficult subject, by far the most disturbing and difficult subject of all the episodes of 'Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour'. There are moments here, but more could have been done with it.
Like the previous episode "Night Hawks", also one of the show's better episodes, there are big improvements here in "Smother". The case itself is one of the show's best, not perfect but there is momentum and it is interesting with a good deal of unexpected twists and misdirection, which few of the show's episodes did and made the show surprisingly unpredictable. The big reveal was the only big reveal of 'Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour' to leave me gobsmacked. Mick has a few lovely touching moments and the best developed of the team by far, one of the show's few attempts at having little character moments with the team. The ending is emotional.
Parts of "Smother" did move me and made me feel uncomfortable, which it should do with the subject matter and like "Night Hawks" it starts off eerily and in an attention grabbing way. The episode looks stylish and slick, though not as visually interesting and unique as the previous episode, with some nice atmosphere, it's more than competent and didn't feel perfunctory. Matt Ryan does a nice sympathetic job here, the best he was up to this point of 'Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour'. One of the unsubs has menace and one feels more sympathy for him than most of the other unsubs of the show.
My main problems with "Smother" mainly were not really to do with the case or the subject. It was the team itself and the investigative elements. "Smother" does something different in splitting the team up, initially this sounded interesting but unfortunately it turned out to be a big mistake. There is absolutely no chemistry within the team/assigned groups and it all felt cold and indifferent. There is no improvement in the profiling/procedural aspects either, too conventional, sometimes pointless, things when randomly making observations that are unnecessarily reiterated when it's already known and stupid things said and done. Mick aside, the team are undeveloped and are either bland or annoying.
While the case is generally one of the best of 'Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour', part of me felt that the subject could have been delved into even more and tighter direction and more development to the unsubs(s) would have helped. Tension and suspense is lacking, while there are lapses in sense and logic and the climax is rushed and too easily resolved. The music is easily forgettable once heard while, excepting Ryan, the dialogue is wooden and forced and the regular cast all give uninspired performances. The supporting cast also don't really impress all that much, excepting that for the above-mentioned unsub, the rest either try too hard or don't try enough. Kate Burton being the biggest offender of the former.
Concluding, interesting and laudable attempt at doing something different but the execution had mixed results. 5/10
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