Criminal Minds S7E16

EVERYTHING about that last scene is just PERFECT! The Team all there cheering for Hotch, Jack on Morgan's shoulders and calling Rossi "Uncle Dave." Beth meeting Jack, and it going well. And the Team watching from a little away with smiles on their faces because they KNOW how big this is for Hotch and they all love him and just want him to be happy. And of course the funny stuff with the girls all being hungover, Spencer being annoyed because they said a couple hours but were gone all night and obviously babysitting wasn't as easy as he imagined, and him DEFINITELY being purposefully loud because of their hangovers, and Garcia asking Morgan to get the crowd to stop cheering. It's just such a wholesome scene of the whole Team just loving each other. Of course the best part is Hotch, Jack and Beth though. I'm so glad that moment went well! We all know how much that must've meant to Hotch. AND to Beth. You don't wanna be with someone who your kid doesn't like, and you also don't wanna be with someone who's kid doesn't like you. It's such a scary situation, I think. Because no matter how great the person is, it can go terribly wrong so easily. So I'm SO glad it didn't. :) And I LOVE how supportive Rossi is of Hotch and Beth. He's been rooting for this from the start and it's so sweet. And I love that all this time he's been very much "I think you should go for it. I think you're ready." But right then on the plane at the end there, he asks if he's definitely ready, and lets him know that it WOULD be okay if he's not ready and if he wanted to back out. And I really love that. I just really enjoy their relationship. I think one of the things I love most about it is that Hotch is often kinda the one taking care of the Team, he's the "parent" if you will. Everyone kinda looks to him for guidance and he's always kinda trying to be strong for the team and just be that Leader that he is. But with Rossi, he kinda lets his guard down a little. Rossi kinda is to him what Hotch is for everyone else. And that's not to say the rest of the Team aren't there for Hotch, or that Hotch isn't there for Rossi (or that Rossi and the rest of the Team aren't there for each other...) but the dynamic is just different and I really like it. There's something very sad about the family this episode, I think. Like, I DON'T feel bad for them, but I do recognise how sad the situation is. I think the moment that REALLY hits me is when the son and the girl were talking and he says that none of his friends really come round anymore. That hit me really hard, because I can totally relate. I'm not in a wheelchair or anything, but I do have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as well as Anxiety and Depression and Autism, and all of those mixed up made me unable to go to School anymore around Year 10 (UK) and so I started being Homeschooled. One friend kinda stayed in touch, but every single other one just kinda seemed to forget I existed. It was as if they couldn't be bothered to make the effort because I was struggling. So yeah, that moment kinda really hit me because it's just so real. (I have got a friend now though! GO ME! Haha) Like, I know it's a very different situation, but it felt so relatable to me because you DO lose friends when you can no longer do certain things, you become boring and too much work and just depressing to people around you and so they don't bother. BUT, I would never kill someone because of this. This episode is hard for me to watch, and yet one I love to watch for the EXACT same reason... William Russ... The Dad... I'm used to seeing him as Alan Matthews on Boy Meets World. So like, it's so hard seeing him play this character, but I also love it because I love him... Haha I also love it because of the ending! <333

DazzleFae