Following after the first part of this case, the season finale "Lo-fi" was a fantastic build up that left me on the edge of my seat. It was full of tension and each reveal was done at a good pace through the episode. "Mayhem" had big shoes to fill and I unfortunately did not feel that it lived up to the tension that its first part worked so well to create.
For what was done well, I feel that Kate was a nicely written character that we feel sympathetic to, despite only knowing her for two episodes. The slow realization from Hotch that the ambulances weren't coming, as a result of their calls based on the profile, was fantastic and very much instills a sense of dread and tension. Up this point, it is clear that our unsubs are clever and meticulous, which always makes for a better case to watch solved.
However, therein lies the problem for me. The end of the episode didn't seem to wrap up any loose ends, especially considering that this was the work of a terrorist group with several more members we know of who haven't yet been caught. At least a few lines of dialogue addressing what would be done would be preferred, possibly even a set-up in the future for these unsubs to make a return would be an option. For a group this clever, determined, and well organized, it's hard to believe that they simply just stopped after their attempt at bombing was stopped. There was no reveal about who the secret service was protecting as well as the fact that it was a person and not a place that was the target served to be sadly unconvincing and an unsatisfying ending.
Once again, as Garcia had said, why is it always Derek? Although admirable, the ending where Derek saves the day, and somehow manages to escape an explosion unscathed was a bit of a letdown. After a carefully crafted start, the ending felt rushed and not quite as smartly done as the set up had been.
Overall, this was not a terrible episode at all. It continues to be a classic for me personally, but due to how well done the previous season finale had been, it definitely left something to be desired here.
For what was done well, I feel that Kate was a nicely written character that we feel sympathetic to, despite only knowing her for two episodes. The slow realization from Hotch that the ambulances weren't coming, as a result of their calls based on the profile, was fantastic and very much instills a sense of dread and tension. Up this point, it is clear that our unsubs are clever and meticulous, which always makes for a better case to watch solved.
However, therein lies the problem for me. The end of the episode didn't seem to wrap up any loose ends, especially considering that this was the work of a terrorist group with several more members we know of who haven't yet been caught. At least a few lines of dialogue addressing what would be done would be preferred, possibly even a set-up in the future for these unsubs to make a return would be an option. For a group this clever, determined, and well organized, it's hard to believe that they simply just stopped after their attempt at bombing was stopped. There was no reveal about who the secret service was protecting as well as the fact that it was a person and not a place that was the target served to be sadly unconvincing and an unsatisfying ending.
Once again, as Garcia had said, why is it always Derek? Although admirable, the ending where Derek saves the day, and somehow manages to escape an explosion unscathed was a bit of a letdown. After a carefully crafted start, the ending felt rushed and not quite as smartly done as the set up had been.
Overall, this was not a terrible episode at all. It continues to be a classic for me personally, but due to how well done the previous season finale had been, it definitely left something to be desired here.