Reading the synopsis, as said in the review summary, if not done well "The Lesson" could have been too far fetched and far too ridiculous to be taken serious.
Viewing "The Lesson", it is not just Season 8's most harrowing and creepiest episode but also one of the most harrowing and most creepy of the later seasons of 'Criminal Minds', almost giving the terrifying "Mr. Scratch" a run for its money.
There is not much to complain about with "The Lesson". Maeve is a character in her short stint on the show that this reviewer has always found somewhat bland, and she is not particularly interesting here.
However, what really makes "The Lesson" so good is the atmosphere, which is continually unsettling and harrowing. Standout scenes include the "Disarticulation" (or the dislocation of joints scene), just the sound effect is enough to set one on edge (contrary to some it didn't feel that gratuitous and added to the atmosphere of the story), and the beautifully choreographed and extremely creepy scene with the woman marionette with music that couldn't have been more perfect.
"The Lesson" looks great visually, some of the atmosphere coming just as much from the visuals as well as the execution of the story. Music is haunting, hypnotic and melancholic. Scripting is tight, smart and tense with some great exchanges in the team and the rapport between Reid and Alex (who is grating less and is slowly fitting in, if still a bit cold) is great.
Nothing to complain about with the storytelling and the taut and never dull pacing, nor with Matthew Gray Gubler's adept directing, which shines especially in the woman marionette scene, some of his most inspired direction of any of the 'Criminal Minds' episodes he directed. Acting is strong from all, though Beth Risegraf is as bland as her character. The dynamic between the BAU team sparkles and all are strongly played, while Brad Douriff (in a type of role that he particularly excels at, and it is a role he plays perfectly) is terrifyingly disturbing as one of the most frighteningly delusional unsubs in the history of the show.
Overall, wonderful in almost all areas. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Viewing "The Lesson", it is not just Season 8's most harrowing and creepiest episode but also one of the most harrowing and most creepy of the later seasons of 'Criminal Minds', almost giving the terrifying "Mr. Scratch" a run for its money.
There is not much to complain about with "The Lesson". Maeve is a character in her short stint on the show that this reviewer has always found somewhat bland, and she is not particularly interesting here.
However, what really makes "The Lesson" so good is the atmosphere, which is continually unsettling and harrowing. Standout scenes include the "Disarticulation" (or the dislocation of joints scene), just the sound effect is enough to set one on edge (contrary to some it didn't feel that gratuitous and added to the atmosphere of the story), and the beautifully choreographed and extremely creepy scene with the woman marionette with music that couldn't have been more perfect.
"The Lesson" looks great visually, some of the atmosphere coming just as much from the visuals as well as the execution of the story. Music is haunting, hypnotic and melancholic. Scripting is tight, smart and tense with some great exchanges in the team and the rapport between Reid and Alex (who is grating less and is slowly fitting in, if still a bit cold) is great.
Nothing to complain about with the storytelling and the taut and never dull pacing, nor with Matthew Gray Gubler's adept directing, which shines especially in the woman marionette scene, some of his most inspired direction of any of the 'Criminal Minds' episodes he directed. Acting is strong from all, though Beth Risegraf is as bland as her character. The dynamic between the BAU team sparkles and all are strongly played, while Brad Douriff (in a type of role that he particularly excels at, and it is a role he plays perfectly) is terrifyingly disturbing as one of the most frighteningly delusional unsubs in the history of the show.
Overall, wonderful in almost all areas. 9/10 Bethany Cox