Abandoned by user

For my RIP screen category, I've been streaming Criminal Minds on Netflix, starting with Season 1.

I watched it live for many seasons, although I drifted away several years ago. When I was trying to decide what to watch next - after I finished my rewatch of West Wing - I settled on Criminal Minds. And not just because Shemar Moore is hot. But OMG, Shemar Moore is hot.

I am afraid to put up a shirtless image, since it might cause my computer to combust. Anyway, I digress.

Season 1 actually starts, in my opinion, in a rather pedestrian manner, with Episode 1, as a standard police procedural. The brightest spots in the season were, in my opinion:

Episode 3, Won't Get Fooled Again, in which Mandy Patinkin (who is always fantastic) confronts an old adversary. This episode fills in the backstory that we get in episode 1.

Episode 7, The Fox, which is just remarkable story-telling, with a villain who is extremely chilling. The last scene, where the team dumps out a pile of wedding rings is fantastic.

Episode 14, Riding the Lightning, which has some of the best acting of the season, especially by Jeannetta Arnette, who plays the condemned woman Sarah Jean Dawes.

The weakest episodes, again in my opinion, were:

Episode 5, Broken Mirror, which is a mundane kidnapping of a pair of very beautiful, blonde wealthy twins. The team makes some really stupid mistakes, and the story line itself is trite and overdone.

Episode 9, Derailed. No, no, no, no, no. Don't "coincidentally" have one of the agents end up the hostage of a mentally ill murderer. Come on, people.

Episode 10, The Popular Kids. Oh, God, no. Misunderstood teens in Tennessee who just want to enjoy their death metal and black eyeliner. Save me from the stupid.

Overall, though, even the weaker episodes had decent acting. And, Shemar Moore.

On to Season 2.