FBI/profiler based drama Criminal Minds returns to DVD with their fourth season. By this point the show is well-established and its loyal fanbase can’t seem to get enough of Hotch, Reid, Prentiss, Rossi, and their partners as they “focus the criminal, not the crime.” This DVD collection features more than twenty episodes as well as “Working the Scene” featurettes for various episodes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and more. The “Working the Scene” featurettes are a nice inclusion and a bit different from the standard DVD extras fare. If you already enjoy the show then you’ll definitely enjoy this aspect of the collection.
In season three of Criminal Minds we started to see the show take a darker tone and that continues throughout the fourth season. In my opinion this season is a little slow and borders on cliché much of the time. The show has always been this way but it seems more obvious this time out for some reason. The bookends carry this season, starting off fairly strong and ending on a high note but really dragging mid-season. When Hotch is injured early on they had the opportunity to do some really interesting things but instead ended up letting the whole plot line sort fall flat just as it was realizing its potential.
Highlights include the season opener “Mayhem,” a fast paced thriller style episode with plenty of intrigue and relevance. This flows pretty well into “The Angel Maker” as well and kicks the season off well. Likewise, the opposite end of the season picks up with the dual ending to the season “To Hell…” and “…And Back.” “Conflicted” is a solid episode as well and one of the only high points that came during mid-season.
Overall, this show changed a good deal when Joe Mantegna joined the cast and it’s a lot harder to get into now. Mantegna can’t believably carry the series in the same way his predecessor did so during season three and four the focus has changed to the rest of the cast. Some are likely to enjoy this change while others will be lukewarm (like me) but it’s still a solid show no matter how you slice it.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
