Thinking like a criminal: TV series reviews

“Thinking like a criminal” is an American detective television series based on the episodes of the FBI special department investigating crimes based on psycho-tests and behavioral analysis of criminals.

Criminal minds

The criminal television project “Thinking like a criminal” is mostly positive. Its rating on IMDb is 8.20. According to statistical surveys of viewers around the world, he is in the top 10 best series, competing with CSI Crime Scene, Lost, Friends.

The premiere of Criminal minds (sometimes the name of the series is translated as “Criminal Minds”) took place in the first autumn month of 2005 on CBS, its shooting continues to this day. The break in the filming process was only during the creation of the third season, the production of the series was interrupted when the guild of writers went on strike. But in April 2008, the film crew again began work on the series “Thinking like a criminal”. Reviews of film critics noted that this forced pause went to the creators to the advantage. The narrative has become more eventful.

Storyline

The series “Think like a criminal”, the actors and roles of which were chosen by the creators with special attention, narrates the work of specialists in behavioral analysis, which helps human rights bodies to solve deadlock crimes. They need to determine the motive of the criminal, having delved into his actions, try to think like a criminal element.

In the process of working on a specific case, the team first of all compiles psychological portraits of the criminal and the victim, using facts, evidence in the case, and determining the correspondence of the information collected in historical precedents and past psychological analyzes.

In addition to the fact that the work requires truly ingenious knowledge in the field of psychology and forensics, it is extremely laborious. Working in such a busy schedule, almost every minute endangered, not every special agent of the group managed to maintain a happy marriage and stability of his personal life. Such an intrigue has the series “Think like a criminal.” Photos of actors who have not left the production of the project from the first season to the present decorate the poster of the project.

Main characters

According to the creators' idea, the main emphasis in the narration of the series is placed on the work of agent Jason Gideon (actor Mandy Patinkin) and the head of the special department of the unshakable and severe Aaron Hotchner (actor Thomas Gibson). Nevertheless, “Think like a criminal” expert reviews are not called a story about the blowing of central characters due to the fact that, in addition to these heroes, the team includes Jennifer “JJ” Jero (AJ Cook), a specialist in sexual crimes All Greenway (Lola Glaudini), the frantic Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore). The full-time programmer is responsible for the technical analysis of Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Wangnessness) and the young genius Spencer Reed (Matthew Gray Gubler). They are also considered the main actors in the project “Think like a criminal”. Season 1 reviews of both viewers and critics unanimously called acquaintance with the characters and their stories.

The dramatic component of the series “Think like a criminal”

Reviews of the series refer to the dramatic genre not only for the passions and tragic circumstances of the investigation. Often, scriptwriters thoroughly “walked” through the personal lives of each character. A proof of this is the personal story of Aaron Hochner. He devoted himself entirely to work and failed to save his family: in the third season, his wife leaves him, taking the child. In the fourth season, having fundamentally refused a deal with the Ripper, a serial killer, he is elevated by a criminal to the rank of personal enemies. And already in the fifth season, the maniac takes revenge on Hotchner, killing all his loved ones. Aaron finds the criminal and, unable to cope with the thirst for revenge, kills him.

Naturally, for some time after the events described, Hochner was recovering, but after gradually returning to work. According to actor Thomas Gibson, in the TV movie “Think Like a Criminal” the best series received diverse reviews, because the audience is wide enough and has diverse interests. Some are interested only in deduction and an action component, while others are not averse to learning more about the everyday life of the main characters.

Actors and roles

The series “Think like a criminal” was reviewed by reviewers as an immersion in the world of special agents. Looking through each episode, the viewer learns a lot of facts about people working in the FBI, how they cope with hard work, that all difficulties fade in comparison with the best minds of our time. Almost every character in the project has a real prototype or is a collective image of several real-life agents.

Derek Morgan (played by Shemar Moore) is a self-confident, often unrestrained and quick-tempered special agent who knows perfect judo. Prior to being transferred to the FBI, he served in the police and was a sapper. Conducts self-defense classes. His childhood and adolescence has a dark secret. As a child, the hero was sexually harassed by a school football team coach. In addition, at 10, Derek witnessed the death of his father, who was trying to stop the robber who had entered their house. These tragic events have become decisive in the choice of a character's profession.

Morganu is pretty Penelope Garcia, they often flirt, but do not meet. Thanks to their relationship, a romantic component appeared in Thinking Like a Criminal. Reviews about the series, which were left by the beautiful half of the viewers of the television movie, are sometimes completely devoted to this couple.

Original jero

Jennifer Gero, she is JJ (actress AJ Cook) is an agent engaged in the field of communications and mass communications, a friendly and gentle woman. In the process of investigating one of the current cases, he met a policeman, William LaMontein from New Orleans. At the end of the seventh season, they get married, they have a baby. This scenario was explained by the real pregnancy of the actress. After giving birth, AJ Cook was under stress due to difficult choices.

The actress for a long time was torn between family life and return to the project. But thanks to an open dialogue between her, producers and screenwriters, Cook returned to work on Thinking Like a Criminal. Feedback from the audience about her return was positive, everyone appreciated her new image.

Debut image

The first acting work of Matthew Gray Gubler was the character of the autistic young genius of the special department Spencer Reed. IQ of the hero is equal to 187. He, possessing an eidetic memory, reads twenty thousand words per minute. In his incomplete 24, Reed had 3 doctorates: in chemistry, mathematics, and engineering. The hero also has a degree in sociology, psychology and philosophy.

The character fell a lot of serious tests. Not only does the rest of the team periodically get confused in Reed’s vast and deep knowledge, the hero experiences drug addiction at different times, gets anthrax and gets a dangerous wound. In addition, his mother has schizophrenia.

Matthew Gray Gubler in an interview with the media called his participation in the series a real adventure. During the filming, the actor injured his knee, but his injury did not in any way affect the acting process in creating a unique character. Some viewers, analyzing the series “To Think Like a Criminal,” left undesirable reviews regarding the hero of Gubler, not hiding their hostility. Indeed, at the very beginning of the story, the hero appeared innocent and naive, but after those terrible things that happened to the hero, many viewers were upset by his changes. The actor himself claims that it was extremely interesting for him to play the internal changes of his character.

Film crew

The production of the television movie in the second season underwent acting replacements, then they were permanent. In the second season, after the release of the sixth series, Lola Glaudini left the series , after the eighth she was replaced by Paget Brewster (agent Emily Prentis). During the shooting of the third season, the role of David Rossi is given to Joe Mantegna due to the departure of Mandy Patinkin.

The fourth and fifth seasons passed without significant “losses”. In the sixth in the final series, AJ Cook returns, but Pagit Brewster leaves. The producers of the series sign a long-term contract with Cook, and in the seventh season he returns to the permanent cast. Brewster also returned to filming on an ongoing basis. In May 2011, the contract with Nicholson was terminated, but extended with Moore and Gibson for the eighth season. It is expensive for the producers to participate in the project of Matthew Gray Gubler in season 8, his fee for each series is $ 100,000.

Spin off

At the beginning of 2011, the ABC channel released a spin-off “Think like a criminal: The behavior of a suspect.” However, after the production of one season in 13 episodes, the project closes, despite the participation of Oscar-winning Forest Whitaker.