User Reviews

'Criminal Minds' when at its best, or when it's good or more, is one of my favourite shows of all time, although one does agree with the general consensus that Season 6 onwards has been very hit and miss with Season 11 being especially disappointing.

Season 2 is a strong season, with "The Fisher King Part 2", "Revelations", "North Mammon", "The Boogeyman" (which has one of the show's most shocking reveals) and the Frank Breitkopf episodes being particularly memorable viewing. After re-watching "Honor Among Thieves", having had very vague memories of it other than the basic idea, it made for a rare underwhelming episode.

It has its moments and there are definitely far worse episodes in the show ("200", "Machismo", "The Thirteenth Step" and most of Season 11 for examples), but it is easy to see why it was an episode that didn't stick in my mind. There are good things here, it is as ever high in production values quality and the music is atmospheric and affecting with the ever hypnotic theme tune.

The acting from the regular leads is very good, especially from Paget Brewster, while Kate Jackson is the standout in support. While overused, the relationship and chemistry between Prentiss and her mother is very believably done and gives the episode heart. Morgan's profiling of Natalya was also pretty good.

However, the supporting cast generally are pretty forgettable and the actress playing Natalya seemed like a cold emotionless fish throughout. The scripting does lack its usual tightness and the story is not that intriguing or well-paced, often being on the dull side with less-than-surprising outcomes taking rather too long to solve. Didn't buy the rather unrealistic scene between Gideon and the Russian mobster, a case of too much information being given too easily and willingly.

Particularly disappointing about "Honor Among Thieves" is the role of the BAU here. Not only are they underused, but they are also useless with hardly any profiling, pathology or psychology of the criminal's mind which are essential ingredients to the show's success. And this episode has to be the first time in the show at this point where the team are portrayed like complete idiots, due to taking so long to get to the truth when to a lot of viewers it's staring at them in the face early on. Some may find the reveal a shock, respectfully not to me due to some rather obvious foreshadowing, because even early on the perpetrator seemed indifferent to the situation and acted pretty suspiciously.

All in all, underwhelming episode to a strong season and didn't do much for me. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Disclaimer:I am no expert reviewer, I just need a show to binge watch and I'm going to Write a review for every episode I watch.

I thought the mob plot line could've been really interesting but it took way too long for the team to even find out anything about the case for this episode to be good.

I feel like this episode tried really really hard to have that surprise element of Natalya being one of the unsubs but like it was just bad and her reasoning for doing it was even worse.

I did like the idea of the mob boss having a secret son and that's why the unsub could get away with all these kidnappings. And I thought the learning about mob culture and their codes even if the show is not accurate was an interesting plot point.

But I do have to say that the BAU was completely useless in this episode they didn't solve anything that mattered the mob took care of Natliya and the killer before the FBI could so they were essentially pointless.

This episode also had like no good character moments. I thought the plot line between Emily and her mom was so forced and unnecessary. I also felt really weird because I don't think the writers intended it to be this way but oh my God I thought Morgan was kind of hitting on the Natilya when they were in the house alone and it was just awkward to me.

Overall a forgettable episode with the couple good plot points.

Morgan's stupidest moment is when he questioned why he did not see it coming that Natalya (the victim's daughter) was involve in the crime. You see, I watch a lot of series and movies in this genre and I knew she was involve during the airplane scene. She was not worried, keeps looking at her watch and my suspicions even got stronger when Morgan stated that she wear fake designer bag and shoes and that she's trying to be someone she's not. Morgan was the one who stated all those but he did not put two and two together. Some profiler he is. He is the most useless and pathetic character in this series. As I've said in my other reviews, Morgan is a waste of production cost. The writers wish to establish him as some "handsome/playboy type" as supported by the constant random comments of some characters...but in my opinion, he is NOT EVEN HANDSOME. Yuck.