by Diana Vaccarelli
Criminal Minds is following in the footsteps of Law and Order and CSI by spinning off its own clone, called Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. This child/nephew/niece is about an elite group of FBI Agents charged with coming to the aid of and solving crimes that involve American citizens abroad.
THE GOOD
- The fast paced writing of the series. The numerous twists and turns keep you on your toes and in suspense. (The music helps too.)
- The writers really bring to life the different cultures where the Agents are sent to do their thing. For example, the pilot episode took them to Thailand, giving viewers an interesting glimpse into how women are treated in the Thai Police Force.
- The performances by all the actors, led by Gary Sinise. Each character on the team has a distinct personality and set of skills. Much of this is in the writing, as in Criminal Minds, but the actors’ performances seem so genuine that it wasn’t till I sat down to write this review that I even thought about possible copycatting.
THE BAD:
- As much as I enjoyed the show, I was struck from the beginning about how unrealistic it is. Does anyone out there really believe that if the average American abroad disappeared an FBI team would instantly be dispatched to spearhead a search for her or him? In the real world it’s almost impossible to get anyone at the closest U.S. Embassy or Consul office to even answer the phone!
- Speaking of the real world, I have to say that the fact that this is yet another cop procedural spinoff – and one which glorifies the U.S. at the expense of other countries – is in and of itself…bad.
OVERALL:
In spite of the spinoff’s weaknesses, if you’re a fan of Criminal Minds I believe you will definitely become a fan of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.
Happy tv watching!
Diana Vaccarelli is a TVWriter™ Critic-at-Large. Learn more about her HERE