The BAU's Reactions To The Realization That An Innocent Woman Is On Death Row Make Me. Hh. Im Not Going

the BAU's reactions to the realization that an innocent woman is on death row make me. hh. im not going to be very coherent about this episode either because it Hurts.

(again: here is the screenshot brightened up because the lighting is bad and reid's expression makes my heart hurt)

the only amount of comfort i get from the ending of this episode is the knowledge that jacob dies knowing his son is alive, that his perfect victim of a wife defied him. hell, it occured to me this watch-through that he probably also dies believing that this evidence will exonerate sarah jean and set her free. as hotch says, he dies knowing he lost. it's so satisfying to see the mini hissy fit he pitches at the reveal

i do Not like the ending of a real rain im sorry this may be controversial.

i get what they're going for with hotch shooting the unsub. i get the foreshadowing of the past case where hotch talked a man down who was then acquitted and went on to kill again. i get the parallel of the unsub killing people who he feels were unfairly acquitted and then hotch killing him out of implied fear that he'll be acquitted by a sympathetic jury. but if you're going to attempt a parallel like that and have a character make a choice like that you need to commit to it i think? there's not even a conversation about it. i dont think it's ever brought up again, hotch doesn't even say anything.

one scene on the jet, if it was well-written enough, could make me accept the ending even if i dont like it, but no. the episode ends with hotch shooting a man who is surrendering and everyone is apparently fine with it?

(i'd like to note that this is a criticism of the writing, not hotch. i think this is an out-of-character choice without justification beyond "one time i talked a guy down and he got acquitted so this time ill shoot the guy as he surrenders. and then keep my job somehow". it just feels lazy and weird.)

fuck this line. fuck this line so hard. i have to brace myself for it every single time i watch this episode. this is my "he was was alive yesterday"*

*i have not gotten to that episode and anticipate it will also destroy me

morgan's reaction to reid revealing he's never been to new york is so funny to me. maybe it's that he says his first line:

jj speaks:

(two sidenotes: one: jj is very cute here. two: why is she sitting like that)

and then morgan keeps going:

i think it would be less funny to me if there wasn't a beat between his two lines because it gives the impression that he's just Stuck on this train of thought. if hotch hadn't stopped their silliness to remind them that they're in a crime show would he have kept going. "it's four hours in your gay little car! it's a 24 hour 34 minute bike ride! it's a 112 hour walk! what is wrong with you!"

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH