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TvN Drama "Criminal Minds KR" Lee Joon Gi, Moon Chae Won, Son Hyun Joo, etc. *Finale Episodes*


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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Criminal Minds" Episode 18

 

 

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Well, this was a fairly distressing storyline, albeit mostly for the intended reason of the profiled crime of serial rape being so monstrous that doing research on it makes me feel a little physically ill. "Criminal Minds" even achieves this effect without having to resort to overly gory imagery. The cold open in the couple's house cuts off before getting too graphic, and the most painful scene in the episode is when we find out how and why one of the victims committed suicide.

 

There are still some logical problems. At this point teleporting serial killers is such a widespread trend I should just assume this is something all serial killers know how to do. The ability of a single, technologically literate person to be able to monitor so many actions and make so many correct assumptions is just a tad implausible. The serial killer's abilities aren't much more functionally different than Na-hwang's, after all, and we see her limits all the time.

But I didn't notice these issues quite so much as last episode because the serial killer isn't in direct profile. He's just barely mysterious enough that every little clue we get to unraveling the case further makes increasing logical sense. There's also the matter of how once the team figures out where he's coming up with his victims, his potential to do damage drops dramatically. Not that this helps with previous victims but whatever, "Criminal Minds" in all forms is an essentially grotesque premise about the inherently horrible world we live in.

 

This version does, surprisingly, contain some significant improvements over the American original (season two episode five). The serial killer's motive is actually given a pretty clear explanation via flashback- the moment that started this all off almost makes him look sympathetic, which rather enhances the horror of his later crimes. That's the "Criminal Minds" concept at its best. The explanations don't have to be perfect, just satisfying.

 

The other obvious improvement is just the removal of some of the more glaring American pro-cop propaganda. The whole bit where the villain is caught then improbably released via lawyer is excised, those scenes replaced with more extensive detective work getting into the emotional and physical details of the crime. Also the rapist is not murdered in cold blood by a police officer who lies after the fact about what happened. I can see why that detail might have been going a bit too far for a South Korean audience.

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Ë™í¬ë¦¬ë¯¸ë„마ì¸ë“œË™ NCI 번민 담긴 명언 베스트3 (출처 : 스í¬ì¸ ì¡°ì„  | 네ì´ë²„ TV연예) naver.me/FbeXyWUs

 

 

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  • Criminal Minds: Episode 17cm17-00279.jpg

 

It’s easy to assume things about people from their outward appearance, but it’s the NCI team’s job to look beyond the obvious to uncover the truth. As our profilers chase after a new murderer, they are forced to face their own biases that cloud their judgment, but past mistakes won’t stop our team from chasing after the truth and seeking justice.

 

EPISODE 17 RECAP

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Sun-woo and Hyun-joon arrive at the luxury apartment complex where the model-home murder took place. She wonders why the murderer chose this location, and Hyun-joon says that it’s rather easy to commit a murder at a model home since it lacks security and is open to the public. At the NCI office, Min-young and Han contemplate the same question, and realize that the pool of suspects is too large since anyone could gain entrance.

While Sun-woo and Hyun-joon examine the scene, they notice how clean the apartment is, even though a murder took place. It’s peculiar, especially since the first murder seemed more impulsive. The team reasons that the culprit has become more purposeful in his act, just like the criminal from the drive-by shooter case. Nana discovers a similar assault case that happened at a model home a week ago, and the team decides to visit the victim.

 

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At the model home, Sun-woo and Hyun-joon learn that the culprit stayed at the crime scene until the early morning, even enjoying a bath. Sun-woo finds it odd that the culprit was unafraid to leave behind traces of his presence yet still cleaned the bloodstains in the living room. Recalling Han’s words, Hyun-joon says that the murderer may have cleaned simply because the apartment got dirty, rather than to hide evidence.

Though suffering from PTSD, the assault victim agrees to meet with the NCI, and tells them about the incident. Working as a masseuse, the victim went out that evening after receiving a call, and a man in a hat dragged her into a model home. She refused to follow him, questioning why they weren’t at his home, so the man started beating her up.

 

=== Read more: http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/09/criminal-minds-episode-17/

 

 

COMMENTS

It’s been a while since the show has ended an episode without starting a new case, and it’s a choice that I welcome with open arms. A part of me wonders why the show hasn’t done this more often because there’s something powerful about ending an arc with the episode. It allows the audience to ponder the questions left at the end of the case by giving the viewers more time for closure, and these lingering emotions aren’t tainted by the sudden introduction of a new villain and event.

Though the overall structure of the case was fine, I found the substance to be lacking. Like previous cases, this one also tried to answer the ever-present question of how people can commit heinous acts and become monsters. Despite the outward differences of the two brothers, they ultimately ended up living similar lives because of their shared past and trauma. However, I found it kind of disappointing that the show didn’t delve more into the criminals this time because the conclusion felt almost fatalistic, as if childhood trauma ruins lives permanently and destroys any hope for a happy future. 

 

Though the culprit(s) was compared to the drive-by shooter by the NCI team, I think the show did a better job in that case of showing the process of a man turning into a monster than it did in this episode. However, I did like the small touches the creators added that foreshadowed the twin twist (like the different shoes worn by actual Dong-min and fake Dong-min played by his brother), even if the case, as a whole, wasn’t the most engaging.

While Criminal Minds is clearly episodic, I’m actually getting nervous by the lack of the Reaper in recent episodes. With the rather anticlimactic Nadeul River murder case, I’m wondering if the Reaper storyline won’t take a similar path and just be treated as every other case the show has done. I thought the Reaper arc from before was well executed in terms of emotional delivery since Ki-hyung lost his wife and the aftermath was devastating to watch. Because of that, I’m unsure with how the show can top itself, and am worried that the creators may have bitten more than they can chew. With only three episodes left, I’m curious about how the show will reintroduce the Reaper and develop his story with the team because the show deliberately brought him back into the foray rather than let the arc end with Ki-hyung’s loss.

Since the show is based on a U.S. television series with lots of cases and episodes to get inspiration from, it makes sense that the show is relatively long for a Korean drama (it could be even longer with 50 episodes like a some sageuks, but I shudder at the thought). However, sometimes the show feels too long, and I think the pacing could have benefitted from a shorter episode count. For example, this entire case could have been omitted, and I don’t think the show would have suffered much from the loss. There’s wasn’t anything new added to the story or the characters from this case, which is a shame because, despite already airing 17 episodes, I still feel like I don’t know certain characters as much as I want to know them. The show should really develop the NCI team and its members (particularly Sun-woo and Nana), but I feel like I’m beating a dead horse at this point. It’s not that Criminal Minds is a bad show, but rather that it’s consistently mediocre when it has the potential to be spectacular.

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Edited by FranCella
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Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching??

 

 

So, what are we all watching this week?

What kept you reaching for more (or agonizing when there was no more), and what made you want to throw your remote through the screen? Time to weigh in…

 

javabeans

  • Criminal Minds: This cast is so beautiful and talented, but the show spends all of its energy on the boring killers instead. *screams in frustration* Lee Jun-ki and Moon Chae-won had better do a heart-ripping romantic melodrama right away, together, because I swear they have more chemistry than is reasonable for the two seconds of personal interaction they have every episode.

 

im kinda disagree with her thoughts, THERES NO WAY THOSE TWO GONNA HAVE A LOVELINE imstupid.png

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  • love changed the title to TvN Drama "Criminal Minds KR" Lee Joon Gi, Moon Chae Won, Son Hyun Joo, etc. *Finale Episodes*

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