Criminal Minds Review: Starter Home (Season 14 Episode 2)
On Criminal Minds Season 14 Episode 2, “Starter Home,” several of the show’s favorite tropes get packed into a single episode.
With the team back from their latest round of extreme trauma, it’s time to get back to basics at the BAU. In this case, that means getting as many alarming elements into one episode as possible. Hey, it is the Halloween season.
First, we get mummies. These might not be a trope on Criminal Minds by themselves, though creepy body discoveries certainly are—and the slow-mo dropping of a plate is just icing on the cake.
Then there are the are the disturbing family dynamics. While these start out hard to follow, they eventually turn into something painful and tragic. As with many other cases, you feel for the damaged unsub.
On the other hand, the show has a tendency to take this damage to such an extreme that I worry about an accurate portrayal of mental illness and/or long-term psychological damage. The dramatic effect is great, but still.
A couple tropes are thrown in randomly, like evidence of victims buried (or entombed, as these are mummies) alive. A local authority asks if this is a normal case for the BAU. Let’s just say it’s a whole lot of what we’ve come to expect, all packed in at once.
Let’s not forget that one member of this family stabs herself in the neck, thus giving another onscreen suicide in the middle of a confrontation. How many of those do we really need?
One trope I don’t mind is the victim striking out against her captor. Still, even here, there is stabbing, blunt force attacks, and a scuffle that I’m surprised the unsub is even still alive to carry out.
In the end, the team makes a rescues against all odds, in this case freeing the woman from underneath the floorboards. At least we get back to whatever normal this is with reassurance they will still save the day.
None of the tropes are bad, they’re just kind of a lot. Oh, and those lullabies, too. This show airs too late at night for me not to be able to sleep afterwards.
There are even some tropes outside of those that will likely haunt your nightmares. We get some reassurance that Reid is recovering by his throwing out his usual bewildering analogies.
More relevant in the long term is Rossi’s love life. Specifically, him not telling the team that he’s going on a date with his ex-wife Krystal, or that he returns to her and her daughter after the case is solved.
You may remember that this is the daughter who was about to marry a man Rossi identified as a con artist. That often puts a wrench in successful family outings (though, as we see all too clearly, there are certainly worse situations.)
Thankfully, by the end of the episode, Rossi offers his approval of a new love interest and all is forgiven. Could this be the start of a successfully rekindled romance? If so, he should probably tell his coworkers at some point.
It is strange that we basically get no mention of everything that went down just days before. Perhaps the BAU has taken some time off, but still. They’ve never done that well with psychological effects.
There is a hint that this will come back later. PTSD should at least be acknowledged at some point. I know that our heroes are basically used to trauma at this point, but that doesn’t stop the trauma from being real.
What did you think of this episode of Criminal Minds? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Reviewer Rating:
User Rating:
Criminal Minds airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on CBS.
Follow us on Twitter @telltaleTV_
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Caitlin Wyneken
Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.