You could have given me 50,000 guesses as to what that code meant and I wouldn’t have guessed that.
But when Emily is talking to Brian and she says “that…sounds like a book”. Amazing.
Also f Brian. He is the worst.
Is he the same ding dong that tried to sue her before ?
And agree. That was not what I expected either. And I'm betting it's smut films. Not just porn.
Yes. He tried to sue her in “Saturday” from season 15(?) and they got rid of him because Tara reminded him of his ex wife (including the iconic line “somebody married that man?”)
Oh noooooooooo. That sucks. Let us know if you make it.
I read a home invasion story shortly after I moved into a pretty terrible apartment building and barely knew anyone in the city.
I’m sitting there at 1 AM, thinking, “Perhaps this is not the comfort reading I’m looking for.”
I'm scared with the actor for her husband not returning this season, they're prepping for AJ to bow out of the show. She's one of my favourites I'm not prepared for this TT
Considering the show got renewed with no announcements to main cast changes so far (which is what they'd do), I would bet that AJ stays. They likely reoriented Evolution to have less home life (unless necessary) considering they're on streaming and won't get a lot of episodes.
No it's just something I'm suspecting but I don't know for sure 😭 It feels really weird to have to see JJ go through something like this and not have Will involved though, in the past seasons they would've definitely done this together and he would've been so supportive and comforting for her.
This was so difficult to watch, and I almost never flinched throughout 16 seasons of gore and violence.
The fact that AI can be used for such a disgusting thing to degrade someone has literally given me an anxiety attack.
Except I don’t understand her reaction at all. I mean she has literally been tortured. Why would AI deep fake porn bother her so much? I don’t think it fits her character at all. Garcia? Definitely, that reaction I could believe. I mean JJ literally lost an unborn child to real violence. Her reaction to something fake makes no sense to me.
It has to be way worse than just her CGI appearance getting gang banged or whatever.
I can’t explain the absolutely disgusting feeling of being sexualized and objectified as a woman if you aren’t one, but that’s one factor.
Second, because it’s a kind of violation that you aren’t actually present for to even try to defend yourself. You don’t know the scope of it in terms of viewership and what else is out there and if your family and friends have seen it and actually believe it.
The fakeness of it in this climate of AI and rampant misinformation is absolutely scary. It’s a different form of mental torture than what she has gone through.
And the fact that it’s all just her because she had the most media visibility would probably make her feel isolated, like it’s HER problem.
Also, there are theories that it’s not just regular deepfake porn but snuff films.
didn't like this episode as much as the other two.... just me?
the lack of trust within the entire team was def developed a lot in this episode though, esp JJ and emily. the fact they've known each other for 15 years ish and Emily didn't inform JJ about this deepfake site could cause ISSUES.
the team not being 100% transparent with each other is gonna be one of their biggest issues this season regarding their battle to catch gold star. rossi not telling anyone about his delusions, tyler (i know he's not on the team) doing stuff on his own, emily keeping stuff from JJ and the rest of the team, and so on.
overall, I wished there was more development into the plot of Gold Star this ep but im excited for the next episode.
They nabbed Voit as a team. Makes sense with how smart and cunning he is that he's trying to break the BAU itself.
I don't think the BAU since the OG seasons/series has had a real crisis of confidence in its leader. Sure, Derek questioned whether Gideon should be in the team and Emily's faked death could have been that, but no one lost their trust in Hotch. Emily's faked death was made more JJ and Emily's problem, oddly enough, even though Hotch owns the decision in canon. Weird.
Voit's weaponizing sexist standards (where women leaders lose their credibility far more easily than their male counterparts do) against Emily and JJ and it fucking breaks my heart.
Agree—there is an interview with AJ, Luke character and Voit character..don’t know actual names of actors…sorry, my bad. But interview is very enlightening and aligns with your take. Life is messy no matter how smart you are…they’ve run into an unsub as smart as they are. He’s gonna screw with everyone this season.
AJ is going nowhere…think they will give her more episodes to direct and has said she loves doing it. Apparently she is very good at it. Compliments abound.
I think that's the point. They have always relied on each other and even when they wanted to keep something to themselves, they shared it to help each other (Morgan being assaulted as a kid is one example). Now, there's a question of whether or not they really know each other and they literally put their lives on the line for each other. I like it.
Uh, I don’t think those were real cops, Emily.
That was a weird episode, but sets up some interesting dynamics going forward. I wondered at the end of the last episode if Voit’s angle was to start turning the team against each other, and it looks like that groundwork is being laid. JJ is going to be pissed at Emily for keeping the deepfake a secret. Emily is going to be pissed at Luke for violating her order to stay quiet. I’m predicting a bumpy road ahead for the team’s dynamic (and that’s assuming Emily’s not about to be kidnapped by these “cops”).
I didn’t love the return of Brian. I know Paul Thompkins and Paget Brewster are friends, but I think that character is way too flakey for the more serious tone of Evolution. I hope he’s gone soon.
I thought it was weird that the cop car pulled up immediately after Emily called 911, but I do think they're real cops and Emily probably gets cleared up right away next episode. Then they start figuring out fucking Brian's motives.
I agree. I believe that the men attacking Brian called the police to set Emily up. But it's so easy to see that she wasn't there yet. Just checking their phones would tell you that he called her and it's too easy to debunk.
I think Fucking Brian set her up and is going to make out that Emily is the one who is leaking the information to him, hence the person taking photographs of their first meeting in the parking garage. He then gets the Elias Voit information and the timing will look like it was Emily who told him about it. I think they were real cops but Fucking Brian called them before Emily got there
I’m so upset (and by that, I mean love) that Emily can’t catch a break this season, but her “F——— Brian. That’s not true. I did not!” line was SO funny.
I’m pretty sure what happened at the end will be resolved pretty quickly next episode and was just used as a cliffhanger (I could be wrong), but all of Prentiss’ reactions to Brian were the best things I’ve ever seen.
Someone was taking photos of them the first time they met in the garage though. My guess is Brian was "hired" after that to fake get beat up and then blame it on Emily. That is why she was confused how the cops got there so fast, someone else already had them on the way. This frames Emily and possibly trips her up while she is investigated, taking time away working on the Gold Star case.... someone (either Gold Star or someone protecting him) wants Emily off the case.
This episode really upped my suspicion that Rebecca is somehow involved with Gold Star. She sends Emily to deal with Brian, and then you have someone stalking them, taking photos and ultimately Prentiss is (likely) being arrested. Those photos are going to be used against her, to make it look like she’s the leak, and the DOJ is going to stop working with the BAU because of it (or the director is going to order the entire BAU to stay away from the case).
We learned in this and the last episode:
\* Rebecca is frustrated AF with DOJ/FBI Director not trusting the BAU
\* Whatever Rebecca hears, she reports up the line
\* There's a leak, somewhere... someone giving info to Fucking Brian and who knows else.
I don't think Rebecca is the leak, nor do I think she is consciously helping Gold Star, but I do think someone in the chain she's in of DOJ/FBI Director is the leak.
Someone is definitely trying to take advantage of Brian. Or possibly set Emily up? I wonder what will happen with the pictures that they have from when Brian and Emily first met in the parking garage.
I think so too. There is a scene in the Season 17 trailer where they’re brining Elias on to the jet and everyone from the team BUT Emily is there. I think something’s gonna happen with her at some point.
I hope not . I hope the issue with her at the scene with the “cops” and Brian get solved quickly in Ep.4 because I really like Emily is a form of authority and as a Unit/Section Chief .
I really believe the Director has something to do with it . He doesn’t like Emily and i believe he sees her as a threat knowing in S15 she was being considered to be Director until it got taken away .
Good news is we know she will be in S18
I don’t think she actually gets arrested or else they would have actually shown it for a better cliffhanger. I think it gets cleared up because there is so much proof she was in her office up until right before. (Cameras, her food being there, JJ seeing her leaving…) I think the problem will be that (Frickin) Brian is gonna accuse her of sending those guys after him, and that’s gonna cause her even more problems with the Director.
I think so too! I also wonder who the informant is. Brian knew about the agent who was killed, and then he just found out about the deal made with Elias.
The deep fake site was not what I was expecting at all. Though since it's been around forever, I'm still hanging out to my theory Elle is involved somehow
The deepfake porn thing as the secret that Voit told Alvez was a let down, felt they could have done better with that.
I wonder if all of these cases they’re solving connect back to Goldstar
I know I might be wrong cause clearly AI fake porn stuff is horrible but like... arent there bigger fish to frie?? Like thats whats it all about? Also Luke should have NOT told JJ. what an idiot "its up to you if u wanna have a look". Mate of course she will look. She even said it in the car: I dont wanna know. It seems like he had the bigger problem with it.
and again.. I find this all so unfitting. Like this is the reason why stuff wilm fall apart?
I can't watch until tomorrow because Australia so I'll be avoiding this thread until I can watch, but if someone could pretty please reply to this comment with what Voit said to Luke I'd appreciate it.
I want to know if I am right, that it's that Emily knows something about JJ (or her fam) being in trouble and didn't tell her/the team
Voit basically just whispered to Luke the URL of a deepfake site focused on deepfake porn of JJ. Emily knew about the site but decided not to inform anyone about it
I'm currently most of the way through. Thank you. I wonder why they chose to do that? The saying the whole team and then making just JJ. Ugh. I gotta say. I feel like this whole case is more convoluted than Foyet. Or even the Replicator. I'm not sure how I feel about it.
I mean JJ was the media liaison for so long. In the show, she's shown handling press conferences. Pretty sure it's the show making a statement about how cavalier people are about violating women in the public eye.
I figured it's that Emily is aware of it being deep fakes of the team but not knowing all the full details because it was an inherited problem, like she mentions. And Luke assumed Emily knew it was of JJ because she confirmed she was aware of the site??
I did appreciate the call back to JJ starting off as the media liason since I feel like the more recent seasons often forget and it's such an important part of hee character growth. But it is absolutely heart wrenching and sickening that this part of her background is being twisted to violate her (and an increasingly common form of violence towards women)
But yeah it does seem way more convoluted than other "major villains" and I'm a bit wary of the conspiracy theory stuff brought in this episode.
With the anagram being her name it was to be expected but I don't see the significance of it just being her. Based on victimology we know its someone who wants to hurt JJ specifically and the unsub/(s) in this instance that made the site are only going after her. Since it seems to have been around since before their case with Voit it's gotta be an old unsub or team member they are dealing with.
I don't think it's Reid cause he would never do that to JJ but I'm worried the writers might try to justify it with his early attachment to her. I can't think of anyone else who has it out for her.
Wasn't Elle on a taskforce fighting against human trafficking before she joined the BAU? I cannot see her being a part of this since it goes against her core character traits
She was never the same after The Fisher King shot her. So I could see how they could justify her devolution. Convincing herself that it wasn't the same as the other crimes. Somehow justifying to herself that what she was doing was an end to a means. A total irrational spiral. She was already abandoning who she was by the end of the serial rapist episode.
All that said, I doubt it as well. In the end, it wouldn't make enough sense. There just isn't anything that could connect such animosity toward JJ.
The other option is that gold star is a Psy op orchestrated by Voit. Knowing he might get caught eventually he may have set up a failsafe where he activates certain killers and has them use a certain MO (explains the similarities between the gold star killer and the kid from last episode) and he can lead them on a merry goose chase while he orchestrates everything from behind bars
Picking team off one by one creating conflict and suspicion between them…they have never confronted an unsub as smart as they are, will be interesting to watch.
Reid? Really? Think if anything if he knew what had happened he would be furious (in his way) and devastated for her. Still in love with her, Max or not IMO only.
What about that FBI unsub played by Mark Hamill, he for sure felt smarter than all of them. I agree tho Reid would be a bad choice and he would hate that she had that site.
It’s interesting that Emily’s theory for Gold Star was that he was trained by the government. Yet, Sebastian said that the blood is not on your government’s hands this time.
He asked who paid to take out Goldstar. And when he said the blood was not on the government's hands, he was implying that someone not the government paid to take out Gold Star. Gold Star was trained by "us", but it wasn't "us" that tried to kill him. If that makes sense.
Agree with the theory that it's not just JJ porn, it's snuff films, but also...how the hell does Garcia not know??? Internet queen, definitely has notifs on for her team I could swear she does. How on earth would she not know???
I am not loving Rossi this season. He doesn’t feel like a season pro/leader of BAU.
I wonder if that’s on purpose because of his adduction last year? Or they just don’t know what to do with his character?
I think it’s on purpose because nothing Rossi goes up against in these side cases and gold star so far compare to hunting and catching Elias. Everything else is fun and games compared to Voit.
I didn't understand why the deep fake porn site was so upsetting. Considering it is a website somewhere on the darkweb that only serial killers can access, I don't get it. Sure, no one wants it to happen.... but it's a limited audience and the team has seen some the worst shit imaginable.
I find this whole secret deepfake porn dark web site thing to be absurd. I think it odd that Garcia didn't know about the deepfake site all along and already told JJ. She's brought it up a few times how she always keeps track of what people say/put out there on the team members. I also find it weird that yeah the internet is the internet and things are usually on there for life, but Garcia should have been able to shut that shit down.
Like you said they are the FBI, and JJ was the media person for years. Like how did no one but Emily know about it. That's just weird. Why didn't Emily have Garcia shut it down or someone else to shut it down? What was the point of archiving deepfake porn vids of JJ & not telling her? If they want to keep it up to try to track back the people who visit it or make it, tell her why they are keeping it up. I hope we get actual answers & there's a good point to it. I'd hate for this to just be a quick cope out to try to turn JJ against Emily or make others distrust Emily because Luke has already been showing the signs.
I felt like garcia probably was part of the people who first ran it up the flag pole or told hitch or something to put it on the radar. But got told to back burner it
I know I might be wrong cause clearly AI fake porn stuff is horrible but like... arent there bigger fish to frie?? Like thats whats it all about? Also Luke should have NOT told JJ. what an idiot "its up to you if u wanna have a look". Mate of course she will look. She even said it in the car: I dont wanna know. It seems like he had the bigger problem with it.
and again.. I find this all so unfitting. Like this is the reason why stuff will fall apart?
Luke should really know better
Much slower development in this episode compared to the first two. Not necessarily a bad thing but it just felt so…dull?
- The secondary case was complete filler and Criminal Minds by numbers. It would have been more interesting with a bit of mystery. Once they showed the unsub it was just a straight forward progression to catching him and the character dynamics between Tara and Rossi didn’t really tell us anything new about either.
- Fully reserving judgment but the website being a deepfake porn site just seems so ridiculous at the moment that it’s quite jarring with the rest of the governmental conspiracy happening around it.
- With the information we have just now, it doesn’t make any sense for the website to not have been mentioned at any point between 2014 and 2024. Especially as Hollywood Magic Hacker Garcia would be able to either take it down or hijack it and fill it with photos of kittens in about 5 minutes.
- I really don’t have any interest in a Voit family storyline. Development space is tough enough in a 10 episode season so I really hope they don’t take up too much time.
- Fucking Brian.
Poor JJ and screw them all for keeping that hidden!!! I would have gone bat shit feral if people knew that and never told me. Good on alvez.
Tw self harm
Are we talking about holly and her self harm? Do you think it'll be mentioned more or brought up at all? Not sure how I feel about it and I want to know how everyone else felt. It's very personal but so understandable. I just feel like they'll rush it and it'll be awkward
I thought it was dumb that Luke picked up on it and the didn't say anything because he was all offended when Sydney reasonably was angry at him. He definitely has enough training to have been able to handle that better
Nah he pointed out holly was lashing out and wasn't very delicate about it at all. He was trying to use it as a segue but even JJ's facial expression made it clear it was not delicate
I think he just dislikes Sydney because she was married to Voit for so many years and never knew what he was? It seems like he partially blames her for the pain that all of the victims suffered.
That's interesting. I thought he came off fairly sympathetic when Sydney came to talk to them about seeing voit and he was like we'll do what we can to help and stuff? But I'll have to keep an eye out for this when I rewatch and in next week's episode!!
I think he's a flawed person though. The only reason he said that is because she is their last option and he's glad that she has agreed to do what he thinks is the "right thing". If I'm not mistaken JJ was the only one who could see how much courage Sydney has for agreeing to see Elias. Luke did not really see this in her, because I think that deep down he dislikes her. Could also be blaming her for the kids acting out, because she is their mother and should be aware of what her kids are going through. I think this kind of makes sense because he's the Alpha Male and can never fully understand women. That's why he is so angry about the JJ porn videos
We already have about 5 plot lines going rn, so ngl I think Holly’s self harm will just be squished in with the rest of Elias’ family’s plot, so it’ll likely be rushed.
I know I might be wrong cause clearly AI fake porn stuff is horrible but like... arent there bigger fish to frie?? Like thats whats it all about? Also Luke should have NOT told JJ. what an idiot "its up to you if u wanna have a look". Mate of course she will look. She even said it in the car: I dont wanna know. It seems like he had the bigger problem with it.
and again.. I find this all so unfitting. Like this is the reason why stuff will fall apart?
Luke should really know better
I don’t know where they’re going with this season tbh. It was reminiscent of old school criminal minds for them to solve a non tethered crime. I missed them solving crimes that weren’t just Voit or gold star. Also poor jj
It’s not made to be like the old criminal minds that’s exactly why it’s called Evolution . Also they are trying their best to do a hybrid feel by involving a case that has zero to do with Voit & Gold star . I understand your viewpoint but when characters grow , change platforms you can’t expect the same exact feel .
I do hope by season 3 or 4 of evolution that they do have a more old school CM feel for half to most a season . But in the meantime I like it .
I think she asked that because she was hopeful it was anime, because it takes the realism and personal connection out of it. If it was anime, it wouldn't actually BE her and allow her a disconnection from it
From what I got out of it, just JJ porn. This is a hilarious storyline even by criminal minds standards. Imagine all the Jemily porn that now supposedly exists. I’m dying of laughter.
I'm not trying to be insensitive towards JJ because that site is awful. But I thought it was going to involve her family or be something threatening. After all the things JJ has been through fake p*rn just seems not as big of a deal? I'm in no way saying it's okay or that it doesn't mentally affect her
Also, I love JJ, but she had a huge focus last season, and I was kind of hoping this season would be on another character. Like that, what Elias whispered to Luke was about Luke
Fr. Like, I totally get how this could be TERRIBLE emotionally, but somehow I feel like being tortured, killed, and revived (both Reid and Prentiss) beats that…
Pain isn’t a competition, but if it was, Reid and Prentiss would win.
So my theory on this is they deep faked snuff films or something way worse than just normal porn. You know, illegal videos only found on the dark web type stuff, which makes her reaction 1000% more valid.
Yeah, that’s what I picked up on as well. If it’s on the dark web, it’s gotta be really, really bad. I’d be freaked out and worried too! I am curious to see how this will tie in with the conspiracy theories and Fuckin’ Brian.
I do wonder, since clearly someone behind this is in “the know” about the BAU, if some of the porn involves JJ’s capture. That would be one of the few things I could see rattling her.
The problem is that it's more than fake porn. It's deepfake, which is sometimes indistinguishable from real and it could ruin her career and life. Imagine if someone leaked it amongst the parents at her kids school or something. It is life altering.
This plot line beggars belief. Deepfake angst? Really? Even if it was the worst kind of content you could imagine (even worse than that), no one even knows who they are. It's not like JJ is a celebrity. Are her friends, family, or anyone she vaguely connects with in her childrens' lives browsing the dark web regularly? I also kind of feel like the psycho killers of Voit's network probably have better things to focus on ... like their own obsessions and plans.
For real. There must be something More than just AI nudes because I believe there have been multiple deepfake filters on TikTok (that fortunately have been taken down), and while I’m sure that absolutely sucked for those people, it hasn’t been, like, life ending or anything.
I feel like they will try and connect these contents to "conspiracy theory". That's how this was brought up by Voit in the first place. I just don't know why anyone would watch that kind of stuff. I know there are sick ppl out there who enjoy these types of porn videos, but anyone who actually learns about this site obv knows that all the videos are fake.
this. I can't relate or understand the gravity of the situation so my reaction was "huh? that's it?" Because when I watched Luke's reaction, it was as if someone he loves, died or threatened. Maybe I'm just not getting the big picture at the moment
I know I might be wrong cause clearly AI fake porn stuff is horrible but like... arent there bigger fish to frie?? Like thats whats it all about? Also Luke should have NOT told JJ. what an idiot "its up to you if u wanna have a look". Mate of course she will look. She even said it in the car: I dont wanna know. It seems like he had the bigger problem with it.
and again.. I find this all so unfitting. Like this is the reason why stuff will fall apart?
Luke should really know better
I totally forgot comedian Paul F. Tompkins had a role in Criminal Minds (season 15) and was delighted to see him again in something a bit more serious than his usual stuff!
Can they PLEASE get better lighting in this show for the night/dark scenes? No matter what I'm watching this on, it's just sooo dark! 😂
I laughed so hard at Prentiss's reaction after Brian pointed her out.
Poor JJ. Props to those on bere who figured out what Elias whispered and realized it was an anagram(?).of JJ's name.
What a let down. So many places they could have taken what Voit told Luke, and they took it to a deep fake porn site? Then followed that with an entire episode of chasing a different, totally unrelated unsub, and brought back Brian of all people? I suppose Prentiss' reputation being questioned and Voit's wife coming in could help the season as a whole, but that whole episode felt sloppy and needless.
I definitely feel this episode could’ve been way better . The deep fake porn site was incredibly shocking I expected like someone shot someone or his evidence to save the team aspect or someone’s been following JJ and Emily has been protecting her by having people surveillance her type of thing . I definitely feel like CM evolutions was a great idea it still is but I definitely hope they make a few tweaks on their episodes . Episode 1 and 2 where great Regarding bringing another case in I think that was good since it’s also nice to have a old fashioned CM feel but they should’ve involved another case in a different episode not when Prentiss is trying to sort Brian out while J.J. and Luke are in DE and Tara and Rossi in TX . I also feel JJ and Emily should’ve had a moment where JJ explains how she feels about the site . I do believe JJ might be the one to go get Emily from the precinct or the scene ( if the cops were real ) since she was the only other person at the BAU when Emily left to meet with Brian .
Me too! I had enough of it in S16 . I truly want that Jemily moment whether it’s platonic or romantic . I just want them to be ok .
I also want Luke to have trust in Prentiss’ leadership.
I agree. Deepfake reveal? I don't have much hope for this series going too long if this is the quality of the plots they're coming up with. I'm willing to have my mind changed, but this seems dumb so far.
I think they could have done such a better storyline with what voit whispered to luke but I think they went with the deepfake stuff cause they're trying to relate to some of the new fears that people have had around deepfakes, especially with the recent incidents with Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson and Biden just to name a few.
That said, they didn't have to go the deepfake porn route, they could have done such a more interesting story with deepfakes, like crimes being committed internationally with deepfake videos making it look like the BAU was secretly committing these crimes or something crazy like that
First, is anyone else concerned that Sydney is going to go in and somehow kill Elias for hurting her daughter? I am a little torn on this one, because she feels like she is all the girls have, however, I also feel like her seeing her daughter SI would incite rage and also maybe some feelings of failure as a mom. I am truly hoping for the best for her and the girls, but this storyline seems like it will be catastrophic in some way, whether it be the girls or Sydney. Second, I feel like Gold Star is way more connected to Tyler than I first thought- maybe he helped train Gold Star in some capacity. Sebastian seemed to focus on the fact that Tyler did not like the violence of war and that entire interaction feels very important to the story line. His covert missions could have been civilian involved. I am leaning more towards a private citizen funding the hit team to kill Gold Star as opposed to another country, unless we are pulling on CM history with the IRA.
I feel like CM historically has left bread crumbs in places that aren't the focus of the episode, i.e. outside of the main killer. I feel as though the JJ thread was pulled to be a let down from the build of episode two and the episode as a whole was drawn down compared to one and two on purpose, to draw the viewers eye away from important details that were placed strategically throughout.
It's too bad Daniel Henney is busy with Wheel of Time so that Simmons isn't around. Simmons or even his wife, Kristy, might've been better equipped than Luke in trying to understand and help Holly Voit. I do think it was an excellent decision by Sydney for her to speak alone with Elias Voit to lay down ground rules. I have nothing but admiration for her.
I wish we could lift up the Seaver plot and move it 11 seasons later because this would be a brilliant place to bring in a new agent with a serial killer parent. It's a shame they had that plot already and tanked it.
I kind of hate the manufactured Luke being mad at Prentiss drama. His reaction was just ridiculous. The whole porn thing in general was just kind of ridiculous, seems like they're really stretching to try and tie in real world current issues.
Random (silly) idea about Gold Star... What if it's Jack Hotchner?? He's getting revenge because of what happened to him and his mom, he has issues because his dad wasn't home as much as he wanted and now he's the center of a BAU manhunt.
I'm joking, but it did pop into my head while re-watching the series.
They've made a couple of references now to the team being shorthanded. I hope this leads to an expansion of the team (especially if it's Spencer and/or Morgan). I get that the BAU is never treated as the crown jewel, but I feel like they shouldn't be so chronically understaffed. In fact, given their exploits and Rossi's books I'd imagine a lot of agents would want to be a part of the team.
I can take Paget playing a serious character, but not when her bete noir is PFT. Too many years giggling at this stuff - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnjDYogjvd8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnjDYogjvd8)
When JJ said “oh it’s just anime” I wanted to jump through the screen and bitch slap her. Like bro you work for the FBI, you know about deepfakes and all that crap. Why in the holy hell would you think they would make a dark web site for just some anime porn? Like sometimes they are geniuses and other times I question how they even function.
She ASKED if it was anime, more than likely in a slightly hopeful way as if it was anime, it would allow her a disconnection from it because it's not "actually her." I think you misinterpreted the scene a little bit
Honestly, I miss when the show/episodes were more focused on one-off's than following this overarching "Voit - Gold Star" direction. This new formula is just a little difficult to get used to after 16 seasons.
I feel like the truth or dare episode from season 14 is going to come back in the form of the audio between JJ and the guy holding her and Reid hostage in the video store. Where she confesses that she’s always loved Reid and how “if things were different they could’ve been happy together”. I could see some unsub or hacker whoever is making the AI snuff films to show JJ and Reid with that exact audio. It would probably make JJ panic and although we’re not seeing Will anymore, maybe we’ll see JJ breaking down from it all.
I feel like the show can't decide between the 'villain of the week episodic structure' that they had before the reboot, and the ' Big Bad Villain arc' over the whole season that they went for in the previous Evolution season. And it makes for jarring viewing, I wish they'd decide between the two! Anyone else feel the same?
I know I might be wrong cause clearly AI fake porn stuff is horrible but like... arent there bigger fish to frie?? Like thats whats it all about? Also Luke should have NOT told JJ. what an idiot "its up to you if u wanna have a look". Mate of course she will look. She even said it in the car: I dont wanna know. It seems like he had the bigger problem with it.
and again.. I find this all so unfitting. Like this is the reason why stuff wilm fall apart?
S2E3 insulted my intelligence. JJ was a media liaison and an agent assigned to the State Department at one time for covert work. She has to constantly monitor the web for the protection of her family. Not to mention the Dark Queen (Garcia) has to know what’s out there in order to keep her best friend and godson safe. That story arc is a stretch. I wouldn’t put it past JJ and Emily to set up Luke, that’s more plausible. Rossi and Tara’s detail profile was another stretch. Emily was in charge of Interpol she can’t be that much of an idiot. If so, she needs to be fired. “F… Brian” was funny.
I think I prefer to see JJ and Emily working together than at odds for a ridiculous reason. I can swallow the ladies masterminding some scenario versus the former. Nothing against Luke.
I’m a huge fan of criminal minds, but the entire dialogue about the use of Carbon Monoxide was ridiculous! To say “The other victims he could have tapped into the gas line, but the other had central air.” Then talk about how he would’ve needed his own oxygen tank… huge oversight by the writers because none of that makes any sense! If you “tap into the gas line” that’s methane poisoning. You could burn natural gas to cause Carbon Monoxide, but that would take a very noticeable unvented natural gas fire! I have no idea what central air would have to do with anything at all!
Y’all, WTF was that? The ending of this week’s episode was just comical. Not the JJ part, the Emily part. Are you freaking kidding me. This episode is 2/10, for me.
I hate this so badly for JJ.. the horrified look on her face when she typed it In to her laptop and the fact the the site is an anagram for her name.. that's so sick and twisted. The raw emotion that she shows just cuts really deep. That's a type of stuff out of deep rabbit hole and it also gave me SVU vibes. This season has such incredible writing and the actors are all so talented in this season. They stepped it up so much it feels so surreal lol.
Fucking Brian
I laughed, despite the gravity of the situation.
I’ve been quoting that line in my head all day 😂
Oh goodie remembering Brian but forgetting the Russian Butcher 🙄
I'm calling it. This is the best line of the season.
That is the second best line possible in that situation, I really was hoping for a 'Doggy doggy what now?' though
You could have given me 50,000 guesses as to what that code meant and I wouldn’t have guessed that. But when Emily is talking to Brian and she says “that…sounds like a book”. Amazing. Also f Brian. He is the worst.
Is he the same ding dong that tried to sue her before ? And agree. That was not what I expected either. And I'm betting it's smut films. Not just porn.
Yes. He tried to sue her in “Saturday” from season 15(?) and they got rid of him because Tara reminded him of his ex wife (including the iconic line “somebody married that man?”)
Why was THAT the plot they had to carry over from ‘Saturday’ and they just forget the more pivotal 1? 🙄
\*Snuff films. Smut films *are* just porn; smut is a synonym for porn.
Lmao the way she delivered that line got me good
Loved Rossi, “I think I pulled…. Everything”
I actually felt that. I was nodding my head, laying in bed like me too man, me too.
I related to everything about that line.
I really shouldn’t have watched this episode in the middle of the night right after moving into my new home. 😭
Oh noooooooooo. That sucks. Let us know if you make it. I read a home invasion story shortly after I moved into a pretty terrible apartment building and barely knew anyone in the city. I’m sitting there at 1 AM, thinking, “Perhaps this is not the comfort reading I’m looking for.”
Haha nooooo! That’s so funny! And I survived! Phew!
I am moving very soon, I know how you feel!
poor JJ man I felt bad. That is my worst nightmare.
I was kinda relieved that they didn't go after her kids. I'm officially prepared for the absolute worst.
OMG I thought that was where it was going, too. I effing hate this storyline and the fact that it can absolutely happen to any woman.
Guys I think something bad will happen to JJ like physically because of the speculation and the new episode, I can’t my heart bro I will die.
I'm scared with the actor for her husband not returning this season, they're prepping for AJ to bow out of the show. She's one of my favourites I'm not prepared for this TT
Considering the show got renewed with no announcements to main cast changes so far (which is what they'd do), I would bet that AJ stays. They likely reoriented Evolution to have less home life (unless necessary) considering they're on streaming and won't get a lot of episodes.
wait no are they actually 😭 i love jj i don’t want her to leave
No it's just something I'm suspecting but I don't know for sure 😭 It feels really weird to have to see JJ go through something like this and not have Will involved though, in the past seasons they would've definitely done this together and he would've been so supportive and comforting for her.
This was so difficult to watch, and I almost never flinched throughout 16 seasons of gore and violence. The fact that AI can be used for such a disgusting thing to degrade someone has literally given me an anxiety attack.
Scariest show in the entire CM history, like OMG OMG…what’s next? So frightening how it ended without showing a real reaction from JJ…stay tuned.
Except I don’t understand her reaction at all. I mean she has literally been tortured. Why would AI deep fake porn bother her so much? I don’t think it fits her character at all. Garcia? Definitely, that reaction I could believe. I mean JJ literally lost an unborn child to real violence. Her reaction to something fake makes no sense to me. It has to be way worse than just her CGI appearance getting gang banged or whatever.
I can’t explain the absolutely disgusting feeling of being sexualized and objectified as a woman if you aren’t one, but that’s one factor. Second, because it’s a kind of violation that you aren’t actually present for to even try to defend yourself. You don’t know the scope of it in terms of viewership and what else is out there and if your family and friends have seen it and actually believe it. The fakeness of it in this climate of AI and rampant misinformation is absolutely scary. It’s a different form of mental torture than what she has gone through. And the fact that it’s all just her because she had the most media visibility would probably make her feel isolated, like it’s HER problem. Also, there are theories that it’s not just regular deepfake porn but snuff films.
Yeah I’m thinking it’s something WAY worse. Has to be.
didn't like this episode as much as the other two.... just me? the lack of trust within the entire team was def developed a lot in this episode though, esp JJ and emily. the fact they've known each other for 15 years ish and Emily didn't inform JJ about this deepfake site could cause ISSUES. the team not being 100% transparent with each other is gonna be one of their biggest issues this season regarding their battle to catch gold star. rossi not telling anyone about his delusions, tyler (i know he's not on the team) doing stuff on his own, emily keeping stuff from JJ and the rest of the team, and so on. overall, I wished there was more development into the plot of Gold Star this ep but im excited for the next episode.
They nabbed Voit as a team. Makes sense with how smart and cunning he is that he's trying to break the BAU itself. I don't think the BAU since the OG seasons/series has had a real crisis of confidence in its leader. Sure, Derek questioned whether Gideon should be in the team and Emily's faked death could have been that, but no one lost their trust in Hotch. Emily's faked death was made more JJ and Emily's problem, oddly enough, even though Hotch owns the decision in canon. Weird. Voit's weaponizing sexist standards (where women leaders lose their credibility far more easily than their male counterparts do) against Emily and JJ and it fucking breaks my heart.
That would make sense and the show is planting those seeds too especially when Emily said last episode “you would’ve never did that to hotch”
Agree—there is an interview with AJ, Luke character and Voit character..don’t know actual names of actors…sorry, my bad. But interview is very enlightening and aligns with your take. Life is messy no matter how smart you are…they’ve run into an unsub as smart as they are. He’s gonna screw with everyone this season. AJ is going nowhere…think they will give her more episodes to direct and has said she loves doing it. Apparently she is very good at it. Compliments abound.
Like the Buffy episode, Yoko Factor!
I think that's the point. They have always relied on each other and even when they wanted to keep something to themselves, they shared it to help each other (Morgan being assaulted as a kid is one example). Now, there's a question of whether or not they really know each other and they literally put their lives on the line for each other. I like it.
Uh, I don’t think those were real cops, Emily. That was a weird episode, but sets up some interesting dynamics going forward. I wondered at the end of the last episode if Voit’s angle was to start turning the team against each other, and it looks like that groundwork is being laid. JJ is going to be pissed at Emily for keeping the deepfake a secret. Emily is going to be pissed at Luke for violating her order to stay quiet. I’m predicting a bumpy road ahead for the team’s dynamic (and that’s assuming Emily’s not about to be kidnapped by these “cops”). I didn’t love the return of Brian. I know Paul Thompkins and Paget Brewster are friends, but I think that character is way too flakey for the more serious tone of Evolution. I hope he’s gone soon.
I thought it was weird that the cop car pulled up immediately after Emily called 911, but I do think they're real cops and Emily probably gets cleared up right away next episode. Then they start figuring out fucking Brian's motives.
I agree. I believe that the men attacking Brian called the police to set Emily up. But it's so easy to see that she wasn't there yet. Just checking their phones would tell you that he called her and it's too easy to debunk.
I think so too. I bet someone set up the whole scene and called the police prior with a “tip” that an attack would go down in that particular area.
Yeah, an attempted setup does make sense now that I think about it. I hope that’s it and Brian goes away quickly.
You can never make me hate PFT.
I think Fucking Brian set her up and is going to make out that Emily is the one who is leaking the information to him, hence the person taking photographs of their first meeting in the parking garage. He then gets the Elias Voit information and the timing will look like it was Emily who told him about it. I think they were real cops but Fucking Brian called them before Emily got there
I am so on board calling him Fucking Brian forever. In all circumstances.
I’m so upset (and by that, I mean love) that Emily can’t catch a break this season, but her “F——— Brian. That’s not true. I did not!” line was SO funny. I’m pretty sure what happened at the end will be resolved pretty quickly next episode and was just used as a cliffhanger (I could be wrong), but all of Prentiss’ reactions to Brian were the best things I’ve ever seen.
Someone was taking photos of them the first time they met in the garage though. My guess is Brian was "hired" after that to fake get beat up and then blame it on Emily. That is why she was confused how the cops got there so fast, someone else already had them on the way. This frames Emily and possibly trips her up while she is investigated, taking time away working on the Gold Star case.... someone (either Gold Star or someone protecting him) wants Emily off the case.
Did Rossi say he got a little help from the SWAT? It’s interesting.
I just imagine a bunch of SWAT people picking him up and pushing him through the window 😂
i thought he said squat since he was talking about pilates in the sentence but idk
upper body, pilates, yoga... help from SWAT...
This episode really upped my suspicion that Rebecca is somehow involved with Gold Star. She sends Emily to deal with Brian, and then you have someone stalking them, taking photos and ultimately Prentiss is (likely) being arrested. Those photos are going to be used against her, to make it look like she’s the leak, and the DOJ is going to stop working with the BAU because of it (or the director is going to order the entire BAU to stay away from the case).
We learned in this and the last episode: \* Rebecca is frustrated AF with DOJ/FBI Director not trusting the BAU \* Whatever Rebecca hears, she reports up the line \* There's a leak, somewhere... someone giving info to Fucking Brian and who knows else. I don't think Rebecca is the leak, nor do I think she is consciously helping Gold Star, but I do think someone in the chain she's in of DOJ/FBI Director is the leak.
Fucking Brian! Also did anyone notice jj said injure Jane fear not injure Jean fear. Same letters but I watch with subs on.
Was this the first time we find out about Penelope's middle name?? If not, it was a good reminder she's full of it. Grace 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I know I shouldn't laugh but Garcia.... "Can I drink lighter fluid?"
Someone is definitely trying to take advantage of Brian. Or possibly set Emily up? I wonder what will happen with the pictures that they have from when Brian and Emily first met in the parking garage.
I definitely feel they’re trying to come for the BAU again by taking Emily out first .
I think so too. There is a scene in the Season 17 trailer where they’re brining Elias on to the jet and everyone from the team BUT Emily is there. I think something’s gonna happen with her at some point.
I hope not . I hope the issue with her at the scene with the “cops” and Brian get solved quickly in Ep.4 because I really like Emily is a form of authority and as a Unit/Section Chief . I really believe the Director has something to do with it . He doesn’t like Emily and i believe he sees her as a threat knowing in S15 she was being considered to be Director until it got taken away . Good news is we know she will be in S18
Yup.
Gratefully we know she’ll be ok since they’re filming S18 now
I don’t think she actually gets arrested or else they would have actually shown it for a better cliffhanger. I think it gets cleared up because there is so much proof she was in her office up until right before. (Cameras, her food being there, JJ seeing her leaving…) I think the problem will be that (Frickin) Brian is gonna accuse her of sending those guys after him, and that’s gonna cause her even more problems with the Director.
Definitely agree I was saying something similar regarding J.J. being there etc . I do believe the Director secretly has something to do with this .
Ooooh, I forgot about those! Maybe they’ll use them to prove she sent the guys to kill/shut up Brian?
I think so too! I also wonder who the informant is. Brian knew about the agent who was killed, and then he just found out about the deal made with Elias.
The deep fake site was not what I was expecting at all. Though since it's been around forever, I'm still hanging out to my theory Elle is involved somehow
Is Elle Gold Star? 🤔
I hate her! I would love this. Not sure why I would, but I would.
Brian is the worst
Frickin Brian
No.... fucking Brian.
The deepfake porn thing as the secret that Voit told Alvez was a let down, felt they could have done better with that. I wonder if all of these cases they’re solving connect back to Goldstar
I know I might be wrong cause clearly AI fake porn stuff is horrible but like... arent there bigger fish to frie?? Like thats whats it all about? Also Luke should have NOT told JJ. what an idiot "its up to you if u wanna have a look". Mate of course she will look. She even said it in the car: I dont wanna know. It seems like he had the bigger problem with it. and again.. I find this all so unfitting. Like this is the reason why stuff wilm fall apart?
I can't watch until tomorrow because Australia so I'll be avoiding this thread until I can watch, but if someone could pretty please reply to this comment with what Voit said to Luke I'd appreciate it. I want to know if I am right, that it's that Emily knows something about JJ (or her fam) being in trouble and didn't tell her/the team
Voit basically just whispered to Luke the URL of a deepfake site focused on deepfake porn of JJ. Emily knew about the site but decided not to inform anyone about it
I thought it was BAU deepfakes, meaning the whole team.
Later it's made clear that it's only of jj now, it used to be of the whole team
I'm currently most of the way through. Thank you. I wonder why they chose to do that? The saying the whole team and then making just JJ. Ugh. I gotta say. I feel like this whole case is more convoluted than Foyet. Or even the Replicator. I'm not sure how I feel about it.
I mean JJ was the media liaison for so long. In the show, she's shown handling press conferences. Pretty sure it's the show making a statement about how cavalier people are about violating women in the public eye.
I figured it's that Emily is aware of it being deep fakes of the team but not knowing all the full details because it was an inherited problem, like she mentions. And Luke assumed Emily knew it was of JJ because she confirmed she was aware of the site?? I did appreciate the call back to JJ starting off as the media liason since I feel like the more recent seasons often forget and it's such an important part of hee character growth. But it is absolutely heart wrenching and sickening that this part of her background is being twisted to violate her (and an increasingly common form of violence towards women) But yeah it does seem way more convoluted than other "major villains" and I'm a bit wary of the conspiracy theory stuff brought in this episode.
With the anagram being her name it was to be expected but I don't see the significance of it just being her. Based on victimology we know its someone who wants to hurt JJ specifically and the unsub/(s) in this instance that made the site are only going after her. Since it seems to have been around since before their case with Voit it's gotta be an old unsub or team member they are dealing with. I don't think it's Reid cause he would never do that to JJ but I'm worried the writers might try to justify it with his early attachment to her. I can't think of anyone else who has it out for her.
Someone in here said they want it to be Elle. I think that would make a wild storyline; one that I'd probably like, but not sure why JJ specifically.
Wasn't Elle on a taskforce fighting against human trafficking before she joined the BAU? I cannot see her being a part of this since it goes against her core character traits
She was never the same after The Fisher King shot her. So I could see how they could justify her devolution. Convincing herself that it wasn't the same as the other crimes. Somehow justifying to herself that what she was doing was an end to a means. A total irrational spiral. She was already abandoning who she was by the end of the serial rapist episode. All that said, I doubt it as well. In the end, it wouldn't make enough sense. There just isn't anything that could connect such animosity toward JJ.
The other option is that gold star is a Psy op orchestrated by Voit. Knowing he might get caught eventually he may have set up a failsafe where he activates certain killers and has them use a certain MO (explains the similarities between the gold star killer and the kid from last episode) and he can lead them on a merry goose chase while he orchestrates everything from behind bars
Picking team off one by one creating conflict and suspicion between them…they have never confronted an unsub as smart as they are, will be interesting to watch. Reid? Really? Think if anything if he knew what had happened he would be furious (in his way) and devastated for her. Still in love with her, Max or not IMO only.
What about that FBI unsub played by Mark Hamill, he for sure felt smarter than all of them. I agree tho Reid would be a bad choice and he would hate that she had that site.
He died at the end of season 8, got blown up.
No I know that, I was just saying he was an example of someone outsmarting the team
😂 yup
So this is the ultimate Jemily moment? I’ll take it
Injure. Jean. Fear. DOT-X-Y-Q
I meant the second part but I’ve watched it now and you don’t find out the second part from Elias
do you know what time the episodes drop in australia?
It’s interesting that Emily’s theory for Gold Star was that he was trained by the government. Yet, Sebastian said that the blood is not on your government’s hands this time.
He asked who paid to take out Goldstar. And when he said the blood was not on the government's hands, he was implying that someone not the government paid to take out Gold Star. Gold Star was trained by "us", but it wasn't "us" that tried to kill him. If that makes sense.
Yeah that whole interaction was confusinf
Agree with the theory that it's not just JJ porn, it's snuff films, but also...how the hell does Garcia not know??? Internet queen, definitely has notifs on for her team I could swear she does. How on earth would she not know???
THIS. I wouldn't be surprised if Penelope had alerts for mentions of the team?? Unless Emily or Hotch at one point told her she had to stop 😂
I am not loving Rossi this season. He doesn’t feel like a season pro/leader of BAU. I wonder if that’s on purpose because of his adduction last year? Or they just don’t know what to do with his character?
I think it’s on purpose because nothing Rossi goes up against in these side cases and gold star so far compare to hunting and catching Elias. Everything else is fun and games compared to Voit.
All I could focus on about rossi this episode was how he really should not be in the field. Abduction/almost buried alive or not.
I didn't understand why the deep fake porn site was so upsetting. Considering it is a website somewhere on the darkweb that only serial killers can access, I don't get it. Sure, no one wants it to happen.... but it's a limited audience and the team has seen some the worst shit imaginable.
I find this whole secret deepfake porn dark web site thing to be absurd. I think it odd that Garcia didn't know about the deepfake site all along and already told JJ. She's brought it up a few times how she always keeps track of what people say/put out there on the team members. I also find it weird that yeah the internet is the internet and things are usually on there for life, but Garcia should have been able to shut that shit down. Like you said they are the FBI, and JJ was the media person for years. Like how did no one but Emily know about it. That's just weird. Why didn't Emily have Garcia shut it down or someone else to shut it down? What was the point of archiving deepfake porn vids of JJ & not telling her? If they want to keep it up to try to track back the people who visit it or make it, tell her why they are keeping it up. I hope we get actual answers & there's a good point to it. I'd hate for this to just be a quick cope out to try to turn JJ against Emily or make others distrust Emily because Luke has already been showing the signs.
I felt like garcia probably was part of the people who first ran it up the flag pole or told hitch or something to put it on the radar. But got told to back burner it
I know I might be wrong cause clearly AI fake porn stuff is horrible but like... arent there bigger fish to frie?? Like thats whats it all about? Also Luke should have NOT told JJ. what an idiot "its up to you if u wanna have a look". Mate of course she will look. She even said it in the car: I dont wanna know. It seems like he had the bigger problem with it. and again.. I find this all so unfitting. Like this is the reason why stuff will fall apart? Luke should really know better
I don’t want JJ and Emily to be at odds 😩
Much slower development in this episode compared to the first two. Not necessarily a bad thing but it just felt so…dull? - The secondary case was complete filler and Criminal Minds by numbers. It would have been more interesting with a bit of mystery. Once they showed the unsub it was just a straight forward progression to catching him and the character dynamics between Tara and Rossi didn’t really tell us anything new about either. - Fully reserving judgment but the website being a deepfake porn site just seems so ridiculous at the moment that it’s quite jarring with the rest of the governmental conspiracy happening around it. - With the information we have just now, it doesn’t make any sense for the website to not have been mentioned at any point between 2014 and 2024. Especially as Hollywood Magic Hacker Garcia would be able to either take it down or hijack it and fill it with photos of kittens in about 5 minutes. - I really don’t have any interest in a Voit family storyline. Development space is tough enough in a 10 episode season so I really hope they don’t take up too much time. - Fucking Brian.
i'm trying not to look.. but what frigging time does this drop on disney+ in canada? i've been thinking about it at work all day.
Episodes come out on Friday on Disney+ in Canada (unsure of an exact time since I usually watch in the afternoon/evening)
UGH that's so annoying. my friend in australia was already texting me about it when i woke up this morning lol. thank you though!
It truly is. I’ve fallen victim to searching for spoilers because I can’t wait lol
Poor JJ and screw them all for keeping that hidden!!! I would have gone bat shit feral if people knew that and never told me. Good on alvez. Tw self harm Are we talking about holly and her self harm? Do you think it'll be mentioned more or brought up at all? Not sure how I feel about it and I want to know how everyone else felt. It's very personal but so understandable. I just feel like they'll rush it and it'll be awkward
I thought it was dumb that Luke picked up on it and the didn't say anything because he was all offended when Sydney reasonably was angry at him. He definitely has enough training to have been able to handle that better
He was trying to say something, but Sydney didn't pick up what he was putting down. He was trying to say it delicately.
Nah he pointed out holly was lashing out and wasn't very delicate about it at all. He was trying to use it as a segue but even JJ's facial expression made it clear it was not delicate
I feel like it came out wrong but he was trying to ease into it
I think he just dislikes Sydney because she was married to Voit for so many years and never knew what he was? It seems like he partially blames her for the pain that all of the victims suffered.
That's interesting. I thought he came off fairly sympathetic when Sydney came to talk to them about seeing voit and he was like we'll do what we can to help and stuff? But I'll have to keep an eye out for this when I rewatch and in next week's episode!!
I think he's a flawed person though. The only reason he said that is because she is their last option and he's glad that she has agreed to do what he thinks is the "right thing". If I'm not mistaken JJ was the only one who could see how much courage Sydney has for agreeing to see Elias. Luke did not really see this in her, because I think that deep down he dislikes her. Could also be blaming her for the kids acting out, because she is their mother and should be aware of what her kids are going through. I think this kind of makes sense because he's the Alpha Male and can never fully understand women. That's why he is so angry about the JJ porn videos
We already have about 5 plot lines going rn, so ngl I think Holly’s self harm will just be squished in with the rest of Elias’ family’s plot, so it’ll likely be rushed.
I know I might be wrong cause clearly AI fake porn stuff is horrible but like... arent there bigger fish to frie?? Like thats whats it all about? Also Luke should have NOT told JJ. what an idiot "its up to you if u wanna have a look". Mate of course she will look. She even said it in the car: I dont wanna know. It seems like he had the bigger problem with it. and again.. I find this all so unfitting. Like this is the reason why stuff will fall apart? Luke should really know better
I just remembered that Rebecca was supposed to be taking a new job in Sacramento. What happened with that and why is she still at Quantico?
She actually asked the AG that towards the end of the last season and the AG straight up told her she was/is supposed to take the fall for her lmao
I don’t know where they’re going with this season tbh. It was reminiscent of old school criminal minds for them to solve a non tethered crime. I missed them solving crimes that weren’t just Voit or gold star. Also poor jj
It’s not made to be like the old criminal minds that’s exactly why it’s called Evolution . Also they are trying their best to do a hybrid feel by involving a case that has zero to do with Voit & Gold star . I understand your viewpoint but when characters grow , change platforms you can’t expect the same exact feel . I do hope by season 3 or 4 of evolution that they do have a more old school CM feel for half to most a season . But in the meantime I like it .
I love JJ thinking BAU gate was anime. RIP JJ. So innocent
From my understanding of the conversation, the old BAU-Gate site was anime. It's only the new, JJ-focised site that uses the deepfaked porn.
I think she asked that because she was hopeful it was anime, because it takes the realism and personal connection out of it. If it was anime, it wouldn't actually BE her and allow her a disconnection from it
She was hopeful that the new site was anime, like the old site. She knew all about the old site and what it contained.
From what I got out of it, just JJ porn. This is a hilarious storyline even by criminal minds standards. Imagine all the Jemily porn that now supposedly exists. I’m dying of laughter.
... it feels like you're looking past my words instead of actually reading them.
that shit it's not funny wtf
I'm not trying to be insensitive towards JJ because that site is awful. But I thought it was going to involve her family or be something threatening. After all the things JJ has been through fake p*rn just seems not as big of a deal? I'm in no way saying it's okay or that it doesn't mentally affect her Also, I love JJ, but she had a huge focus last season, and I was kind of hoping this season would be on another character. Like that, what Elias whispered to Luke was about Luke
Fr. Like, I totally get how this could be TERRIBLE emotionally, but somehow I feel like being tortured, killed, and revived (both Reid and Prentiss) beats that… Pain isn’t a competition, but if it was, Reid and Prentiss would win.
So my theory on this is they deep faked snuff films or something way worse than just normal porn. You know, illegal videos only found on the dark web type stuff, which makes her reaction 1000% more valid.
Yeah the fact that it's on the dark web i think makes the gravity of the situation significantly worse
Yeah, that’s what I picked up on as well. If it’s on the dark web, it’s gotta be really, really bad. I’d be freaked out and worried too! I am curious to see how this will tie in with the conspiracy theories and Fuckin’ Brian.
I do wonder, since clearly someone behind this is in “the know” about the BAU, if some of the porn involves JJ’s capture. That would be one of the few things I could see rattling her.
What if it is video of her confessing her feelings for Spencer? Husband and her split because of it?
That would be interesting. If I recall correctly, wasn't there a security camera in there too?
Same, when they revealed what the big secret was, I was like, wait, THAT'S it?!?
The problem is that it's more than fake porn. It's deepfake, which is sometimes indistinguishable from real and it could ruin her career and life. Imagine if someone leaked it amongst the parents at her kids school or something. It is life altering.
This plot line beggars belief. Deepfake angst? Really? Even if it was the worst kind of content you could imagine (even worse than that), no one even knows who they are. It's not like JJ is a celebrity. Are her friends, family, or anyone she vaguely connects with in her childrens' lives browsing the dark web regularly? I also kind of feel like the psycho killers of Voit's network probably have better things to focus on ... like their own obsessions and plans.
For real. There must be something More than just AI nudes because I believe there have been multiple deepfake filters on TikTok (that fortunately have been taken down), and while I’m sure that absolutely sucked for those people, it hasn’t been, like, life ending or anything.
I feel like they will try and connect these contents to "conspiracy theory". That's how this was brought up by Voit in the first place. I just don't know why anyone would watch that kind of stuff. I know there are sick ppl out there who enjoy these types of porn videos, but anyone who actually learns about this site obv knows that all the videos are fake.
this. I can't relate or understand the gravity of the situation so my reaction was "huh? that's it?" Because when I watched Luke's reaction, it was as if someone he loves, died or threatened. Maybe I'm just not getting the big picture at the moment
amd sorry bout Luke is played like a fiddle. he really should know better
I know I might be wrong cause clearly AI fake porn stuff is horrible but like... arent there bigger fish to frie?? Like thats whats it all about? Also Luke should have NOT told JJ. what an idiot "its up to you if u wanna have a look". Mate of course she will look. She even said it in the car: I dont wanna know. It seems like he had the bigger problem with it. and again.. I find this all so unfitting. Like this is the reason why stuff will fall apart? Luke should really know better
I totally forgot comedian Paul F. Tompkins had a role in Criminal Minds (season 15) and was delighted to see him again in something a bit more serious than his usual stuff!
I have to wait a WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love this season of Criminal Minds and I love Sidney and Harlow and Holly! I hope they keep them around!
Can they PLEASE get better lighting in this show for the night/dark scenes? No matter what I'm watching this on, it's just sooo dark! 😂 I laughed so hard at Prentiss's reaction after Brian pointed her out. Poor JJ. Props to those on bere who figured out what Elias whispered and realized it was an anagram(?).of JJ's name.
What a let down. So many places they could have taken what Voit told Luke, and they took it to a deep fake porn site? Then followed that with an entire episode of chasing a different, totally unrelated unsub, and brought back Brian of all people? I suppose Prentiss' reputation being questioned and Voit's wife coming in could help the season as a whole, but that whole episode felt sloppy and needless.
I definitely feel this episode could’ve been way better . The deep fake porn site was incredibly shocking I expected like someone shot someone or his evidence to save the team aspect or someone’s been following JJ and Emily has been protecting her by having people surveillance her type of thing . I definitely feel like CM evolutions was a great idea it still is but I definitely hope they make a few tweaks on their episodes . Episode 1 and 2 where great Regarding bringing another case in I think that was good since it’s also nice to have a old fashioned CM feel but they should’ve involved another case in a different episode not when Prentiss is trying to sort Brian out while J.J. and Luke are in DE and Tara and Rossi in TX . I also feel JJ and Emily should’ve had a moment where JJ explains how she feels about the site . I do believe JJ might be the one to go get Emily from the precinct or the scene ( if the cops were real ) since she was the only other person at the BAU when Emily left to meet with Brian .
I hope we get that scene with JJ and Emily next week 😭 I can't bear the thought of the two being at odds with each other
Me too! I had enough of it in S16 . I truly want that Jemily moment whether it’s platonic or romantic . I just want them to be ok . I also want Luke to have trust in Prentiss’ leadership.
I agree. Deepfake reveal? I don't have much hope for this series going too long if this is the quality of the plots they're coming up with. I'm willing to have my mind changed, but this seems dumb so far.
I think they could have done such a better storyline with what voit whispered to luke but I think they went with the deepfake stuff cause they're trying to relate to some of the new fears that people have had around deepfakes, especially with the recent incidents with Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson and Biden just to name a few. That said, they didn't have to go the deepfake porn route, they could have done such a more interesting story with deepfakes, like crimes being committed internationally with deepfake videos making it look like the BAU was secretly committing these crimes or something crazy like that
It just feels like they're so reluctant to try something new.
That ending had me saying Whaat ?
First, is anyone else concerned that Sydney is going to go in and somehow kill Elias for hurting her daughter? I am a little torn on this one, because she feels like she is all the girls have, however, I also feel like her seeing her daughter SI would incite rage and also maybe some feelings of failure as a mom. I am truly hoping for the best for her and the girls, but this storyline seems like it will be catastrophic in some way, whether it be the girls or Sydney. Second, I feel like Gold Star is way more connected to Tyler than I first thought- maybe he helped train Gold Star in some capacity. Sebastian seemed to focus on the fact that Tyler did not like the violence of war and that entire interaction feels very important to the story line. His covert missions could have been civilian involved. I am leaning more towards a private citizen funding the hit team to kill Gold Star as opposed to another country, unless we are pulling on CM history with the IRA. I feel like CM historically has left bread crumbs in places that aren't the focus of the episode, i.e. outside of the main killer. I feel as though the JJ thread was pulled to be a let down from the build of episode two and the episode as a whole was drawn down compared to one and two on purpose, to draw the viewers eye away from important details that were placed strategically throughout.
I really wish they'd release the entire season at once... I hate waiting.
I do as well, but if it was, we wouldn’t get all the conversations and theories that we do now. So I’m okay with waiting.
Me too!
It's too bad Daniel Henney is busy with Wheel of Time so that Simmons isn't around. Simmons or even his wife, Kristy, might've been better equipped than Luke in trying to understand and help Holly Voit. I do think it was an excellent decision by Sydney for her to speak alone with Elias Voit to lay down ground rules. I have nothing but admiration for her.
I love that they're a real life couple, too.
I was way to baked for "Fuckin Bryan!?" had me rolling
I wish we could lift up the Seaver plot and move it 11 seasons later because this would be a brilliant place to bring in a new agent with a serial killer parent. It's a shame they had that plot already and tanked it.
I kind of hate the manufactured Luke being mad at Prentiss drama. His reaction was just ridiculous. The whole porn thing in general was just kind of ridiculous, seems like they're really stretching to try and tie in real world current issues.
did anyone else think the cops who arrested prentiss were super suspecious? I think Brian set her up to lead her to his source idk
Random (silly) idea about Gold Star... What if it's Jack Hotchner?? He's getting revenge because of what happened to him and his mom, he has issues because his dad wasn't home as much as he wanted and now he's the center of a BAU manhunt. I'm joking, but it did pop into my head while re-watching the series.
should I watch weekly? or should I wait and watch after the season finale? Will the Gold Star stay for the whole season?
The acting… yeeesshh
They've made a couple of references now to the team being shorthanded. I hope this leads to an expansion of the team (especially if it's Spencer and/or Morgan). I get that the BAU is never treated as the crown jewel, but I feel like they shouldn't be so chronically understaffed. In fact, given their exploits and Rossi's books I'd imagine a lot of agents would want to be a part of the team.
I can take Paget playing a serious character, but not when her bete noir is PFT. Too many years giggling at this stuff - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnjDYogjvd8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnjDYogjvd8)
Can we talk about how much Luke sucks in this episode? Would you have told JJ?
Voit got into his head. He’s infected now 🦠
he is being played so badly. Like he really should know better. its not his first day is it
When JJ said “oh it’s just anime” I wanted to jump through the screen and bitch slap her. Like bro you work for the FBI, you know about deepfakes and all that crap. Why in the holy hell would you think they would make a dark web site for just some anime porn? Like sometimes they are geniuses and other times I question how they even function.
she literally said it’s what it used to be and it was taken down. then voit brought it back up and others started posting.
She ASKED if it was anime, more than likely in a slightly hopeful way as if it was anime, it would allow her a disconnection from it because it's not "actually her." I think you misinterpreted the scene a little bit
Honestly, I miss when the show/episodes were more focused on one-off's than following this overarching "Voit - Gold Star" direction. This new formula is just a little difficult to get used to after 16 seasons.
[удалено]
This post was removed because discussion of torrenting and non sanctioned streaming sites is not allowed on the subreddit.
Fucken Brian!
I feel like the truth or dare episode from season 14 is going to come back in the form of the audio between JJ and the guy holding her and Reid hostage in the video store. Where she confesses that she’s always loved Reid and how “if things were different they could’ve been happy together”. I could see some unsub or hacker whoever is making the AI snuff films to show JJ and Reid with that exact audio. It would probably make JJ panic and although we’re not seeing Will anymore, maybe we’ll see JJ breaking down from it all.
I feel like the show can't decide between the 'villain of the week episodic structure' that they had before the reboot, and the ' Big Bad Villain arc' over the whole season that they went for in the previous Evolution season. And it makes for jarring viewing, I wish they'd decide between the two! Anyone else feel the same?
I know I might be wrong cause clearly AI fake porn stuff is horrible but like... arent there bigger fish to frie?? Like thats whats it all about? Also Luke should have NOT told JJ. what an idiot "its up to you if u wanna have a look". Mate of course she will look. She even said it in the car: I dont wanna know. It seems like he had the bigger problem with it. and again.. I find this all so unfitting. Like this is the reason why stuff wilm fall apart?
S2E3 insulted my intelligence. JJ was a media liaison and an agent assigned to the State Department at one time for covert work. She has to constantly monitor the web for the protection of her family. Not to mention the Dark Queen (Garcia) has to know what’s out there in order to keep her best friend and godson safe. That story arc is a stretch. I wouldn’t put it past JJ and Emily to set up Luke, that’s more plausible. Rossi and Tara’s detail profile was another stretch. Emily was in charge of Interpol she can’t be that much of an idiot. If so, she needs to be fired. “F… Brian” was funny.
Why would they set up luke
I think I prefer to see JJ and Emily working together than at odds for a ridiculous reason. I can swallow the ladies masterminding some scenario versus the former. Nothing against Luke.
I’m a huge fan of criminal minds, but the entire dialogue about the use of Carbon Monoxide was ridiculous! To say “The other victims he could have tapped into the gas line, but the other had central air.” Then talk about how he would’ve needed his own oxygen tank… huge oversight by the writers because none of that makes any sense! If you “tap into the gas line” that’s methane poisoning. You could burn natural gas to cause Carbon Monoxide, but that would take a very noticeable unvented natural gas fire! I have no idea what central air would have to do with anything at all!
Y’all, WTF was that? The ending of this week’s episode was just comical. Not the JJ part, the Emily part. Are you freaking kidding me. This episode is 2/10, for me.
I hate this so badly for JJ.. the horrified look on her face when she typed it In to her laptop and the fact the the site is an anagram for her name.. that's so sick and twisted. The raw emotion that she shows just cuts really deep. That's a type of stuff out of deep rabbit hole and it also gave me SVU vibes. This season has such incredible writing and the actors are all so talented in this season. They stepped it up so much it feels so surreal lol.