Season 7 of 'Criminal Minds' has been a mixed bag. There are outstanding episodes like "Foundation", which is one of the best late season episodes, with the creepy "Proof" and "Heathridge Manor" also having many great merits.
On the other hand, there are a few clunkers in the season, such as "I Love You Tommy Brown" and "There's No Place Like Home". "Unknown Subject" is not quite outstanding but it's a long way from being one of the clunkers. For 'Criminal Minds', "Unknown Subject" is a pretty unique episode, with the viewer not knowing the identity of the villain and also the victim until late into the episode and the victim taking revenge on the villain, which is a neat change and am struggling to think of an episode before that does this. No other episode has included the importance of piano ballads either.
'Criminal Minds' has made many attempts at trying something different, and effectiveness has varied wildly. "Unknown Subject" is one of the more successful attempts, executing an already intriguing story with many twists and turns and with a great atmosphere, along with doing things rarely done before and doing them neatly. Especially when compared to "There's No Place Like Home" from the same season, which also tried a change of pace but the results just came off strange and ridiculous.
Not everything works. The biggest and only real disappointment is that there isn't enough of the team dynamic or the little character moments within the team that are such a large part of the show's appeal, and characters feel underused or side-lined like Rossi (barely remember his contribution to the episode), Morgan and Reid. Generally Season 7 did rush Prentiss' returning to work, the team's initial reactions and how she's dealt with it, but "Unknown Subject" provided closure in a way and satisfyingly and it's actually made clear in the writing and Paget Brewster's acting that she was and is haunted by the trauma. Loved the scene between her and Hotch, but was a little turned off by her at times uncharacteristic lack of professionalism (such as disclosing very personal details with the rape victim).
However, the episode looks great, and the music especially the melancholic use of the piano is hauntingly atmospheric. The script is tight and thought-provoking with some intriguing profiling, and the story is intriguingly told, with neat twists and turns and good suspense and emotional impact. The acting is very good, with Paget Brewster particularly noteworthy of the lead performances while Dina Meyer gives one of the season's finest supporting turns as a character that despite her vengeful side is very easy to sympathise with and we understand her actions, especially with a villain as repellent as the one here.
All in all, maybe not the best episode of Season 7 but the most different episode of the season ("Heathridge Manor" is also unique in its creepiness, but "Unknown Subject" had more of what had not been done before on the show) and an example of different being done well. For me, it's one of the season's better-faring episodes though with some reservations. 8/10 Bethany Cox
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