Awful play writers. Initially, I was drawn by the leading actors Gary Sinise, Daniel Henney , Gary was so outstanding in other CSI series and Daniel was just pleasant to watch. Feel pity that he doesn't have too much room to play out. however, I got disappointed because the writers and producers doesn't do their job well. First, the scenery details are not well created, most of them were close shot, looks like they shoot in their studio or outside the road randomly, just doesn't feel real. Most of all, the content of the screenplay seems to be so careless. The lines were not well written, and kind of felt offensive, rude, imprudent. What kind of line is this in episode 10? " Sorry it's not your fault. It's how you were raised." with the scene, it was totally screwed and sound just like a cliche soap opera that couldn't afford a good writer. I understand that the concept of this going to other foreign countries doing justice, and the scenes needed to be contracted into 45 mins, but shouldn't they be careful or do more research on the storyline? I mean, at least don't encourage the audience to suspect the scenes and lines, which by the way are not making any sense. Come on, the team can do better than this!
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Bistoman18 March 2016To be honest, I found the first episode story offensive, The Thai people are some the most polite and friendly people you could ever hope to meet who have turned smiling into an art form , This episode gives the impression that they are unsociable and standoffish. Then the idea that You could drive out into the Jungle and the first place you stop is the bad guys den, Totally unbelievable. I loved CM Suspect Behavior,And that got canned before the end of the first season. This show (based on the first episode) has not got a patch on CM Suspect Behavior. The Original Criminal Minds set a standard of good story telling and well made TV episodes, This is a very lazy attempt to recreate that success with great actors but cutting out all the style that makes CM a great show.
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Its bad. Really bad. But after working crazy hours at the hospital I do enjoy watching a show like this. Especially after nightshifts. My brain cells are at ease cause this show requires zero thinking- its boring and predictable. I fall asleep ogling Daniel Henney. Hence- 5 stars 😁
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oliverguthrie-237767 April 2016This show is just so horrible and it has Erica Messer's signature all over it. First, the original Criminal Minds frequently messes up details because its writers don't seem to know US geography (hence Quantico and DC are contiguous communities). But once the writers go "beyond borders," they really show their ignorance both geographically and culturally. Second, CBS seems to have adopted an ominous signature cinematography which makes everyone look horrible and it's doing Sinise no favors. Third, everything on this show seems formulaic (again, a Messer signature); anyone who is paying attention can figure out the ending before the first commercial break. And finally the cast, which changed since the "pilot," has no chemistry. Frankly, my co-workers and I have no chemistry – but we aren't asking millions of people to watch us every week either.
Cancellation in five four three -
ma-cortes13 February 2019Thrilling and agreeable series about a group of expert FBI agents dedicated to catch relentlessly nasty criminals all around the world . Dealing with an international unit of the FBI charged with coming to the aid of, and solving crimes involving, American citizens in foreign countries such as : Egypt : El Cairo , Belize , Mumbay : India , Tokyo : Japan , Mexico , Morocco , Pamplona : Spain , Cuba , Turkey and several others . This is an entertaining and compelling spin-off from Criminal Minds . This show by creators Erica Messer, Erica Meredith describes the hard-working assignments carried out by the FBI team all over the world . The crack team of FBI undertake twisted cases and analyze the nation's most dangerous serial murderers and individual heinous crimes in hard efforts . The intelligent investigators form an elite group of especialists who use the best scientific and technical methods to resolve killings of extremely violent nature , where the perpetrator is unknown and to get detain the heinous delinquents , utilizing computers , datebases , and using evidence from the case and matching that information to historic precedents and psychological analyses to solve the case . As they are mobile , thanks a to a govern plane and have the necessary cooperation with local police of the countries where investigate and other FBI agents .
The FBI's International Response Team go around the world , such as : to Thailand : where three American volunteers go missing during a trek to Bangkok ; to India : when an American man wakes up missing a kidney and his friend gone while attending a festival in Mumbai ; to Egypt : In Cairo, an Egyptian-American former U.S. serviceman is killed in a gas attack and his friend goes missing ; to Japan : The team heads to Japan where they assist local law enforcement to investigate a series of homicides made to look like suicides ; to France : The International Response Team looks for an UnSub targeting Americans who live in Paris ; Morocco : A couple from Idaho are kidnapped while visiting Morocco on a cruise ; Turkey : When an American girl leaves home to meet her boyfriend in Turkey, the International Response Team suspects she's in trouble after being tricked by someone posing as her boyfriend ; Mexico : When a woman vacationing in Mexico with her family is the victim of foul play ; South Africa : When an American college student working in Johannesburg is killed and his brother goes missing, the International Response Team suspects a gang could be behind both; Cuba : When American victims are found in different locations throughout Cuba, the International Response Team heads to the island nation to search for possible spree killers ; Belize : the team goes to Belize to find a missing couple who vanishes on their honeymoon in what seems to be a planned abduction. This is a spin-off to ¨Criminal minds¨ (5005) based in Quantico , Virginia , BAU , formed by Joe Mantegna , Thomas Gibson , Matthew Gray Gluber , Mandy Patinkin, Shemar Moore , A.J. Cook, ...is a subsection of the FBI who discovers perpetrators using scientific analysis , high technology and solving difficult crimes , as they investigate the evidence from the crime scenes , compose a profile and try to prevent the individual grisly crimes in an effort their next moves before they strike again . It followed another spin-off Criminal minds : suspect behaviour (2011), which was cancelled after only 1 season . Finally this Criminal Minds : beyond borders (2016-2017) , unfortunately like the other Criminal Minds (2005) this spin-off was cancelled, this one only made it 2 seasons .¨Beyond Borders¨ formed by a great squad with an extreme dedication towards their quest for the true facts , the chief staff , and their underlings investigate the evidence from the crime scenes , compose profiles , investigate grisly killings and try to prevent murders . This elite team of investigators work several twisted cases using scientific skills , computers and equipment that are capable of finding valuable tracks from the most allegedly unlikely sources . Majority of the techniques and technologies used in ¨Beyond borders¨ shown in the series are accurate and true to reality .
Formed by 26 episodes , 2 seasons , though most episodes in the first season were aired out of order . A nice plethora of actors who play these notorious characters whose members are fiercely loyal to the Unit and to its other members, they are the following ones : the unit chief who inspires great respect to the other members called Jack Starrett magnificently played by Gary Sinise , he also starred in another crime drama spin-off on CBS, CSI: New York (2004) where he portrayed Detective Mac Taylor for 9 seasons in which he led the New York City Crime Lab . His operational right hand and second-in-command is Clara Seger , well performed by Alana De La Garza , she also appeared in another CBS' spin-off, CSI: Miami (2002), as Marisol Delko and in ¨Forever¨ TV series as police inspector Jo Martinez . Although Anna Gunn played as Lily Lambert, Jack Garrett's second-in-command in the backdoor pilot "Criminal minds : Beyond Borders (2015)". After the series was picked up by CBS, Gunn dropped out and was replaced by Alana De La Garza as Clara Seger. Taylor James playing a brilliant computer whiz who gets access to any database etc. and he put on FBI team the lists that contain the handful of criminals and suspects to chase , his character bears remarkable resemblance to Penelope Garcia role amusingly interpreted by Kirsten Vangsness , who in this series plays as guest star in 2 episodes , as well as Joe Mantegna in 2 episodes . Furthermore , Daniel Henney as qualified agent Matt Simmons Annie Funke as the medical examiner or forensic Mae Jarvis. -
colameonick8 December 2019I honestly don't understand what people expect from fictional television. This show may be a stretch in reality, mainly that the FBI would actually go overseas to investigate, but it is very entertaining. I don't find the social inaccuracies insulting either. I dont watch fictional TV or movies or historical or societal accuracy. If you want that, watch educational channels. If you're a fan of Criminal Minds, or procedural crime drama in general, give it a shot. It's entertainment, and that is all I'm looking for after a hard day at work. If you're the same, you'll enjoy it.
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junny_piggy7 April 2016As a LOYAL criminal mind fan, I feel this spin off has potential but 5 episodes in, I feel the international cases are usually harder to crack and scrunching them into 1 episode makes the tempo really quick and lack reasonable logic or the 'inclusion' so to speak of audience to deduce with the case progress as an crime thriller fan I feel as I was about to put cultural traditions mentioned by the team together, then the answer is given straight away and I don't feel the sense of 'thrill', I would rather see it in 2 episodes per case, maybe the story would be more attractive.
The case is also very heavy in terms emotions and with the previous criminal minds, PENELOPE GARCIA's personality and her colorful style of fashion, Ried's anti-social characteristics balances the cases out, I feel in this spin off, everyone is so serious, Even Mave has an outgoing personality but it is not strong enough to balance it out. There lacks a sense of humour of course some cultures don't take humour very well but it should be blend in somewhere.
Some comments of the series was that it makes other parts of the world seems scary. Well, I think so far, the psychopaths in each episode is pretty extreme and crazy but does not create a sense of 'thrill' their MO are very 'violent' rather than 'psycho'(not much screen time for the serial killers to create a sense of suspense or thrill, it feels like it was just pushed in the plot) where in original series there was more of a plot of what they do before the team got onto them.
Lastly, my question from the beginning of following these series is that well, there is only so many countries in the world if an different country each episode, I feel it will run out of stories or cases within a few seasons, not a good idea in terms of long run.
But with all the above being said I will keep an open mind before drawing the conclusion of good or awful, Personally I really hope it goes well! Hopefully better episodes are on the way! -
crazynono20 May 2016i love criminal minds and i think the cast is great .. from the start i knew with a plot like this it will get offensive but the worst thing is they don't even make research about the countries they are going to offend i think what made me angry the most was ep3 (Egypt) even obvious details were wrong.. 1-they didn't use Egyptian names for the Egyptians characters .. 2-90% of the Arabic spelling were wrong .. 3- there is no military in the police department (because obviously the military and police are 2 different ministries ) 4- even the military uniform was wrong.. 5-i am 100% sure that non of the people in this TV show has ever seen a photo of Egypt except for the pyramids maybe because i live there for 22 years now and everyday i get stuck in a hell traffic jam surprise we don't live in the desert 6-actually there is no desert in Cairo 7-pyramids are in Giza not Cairo 8-there is no camel shop in the middle of nowhere and please threatening the Egyptian Minister of Interior that you will cut the military funds if he didn't give you a name that's too much .. i know that because i'm Egyptian and it didn't only offend me it also made me suspicious about everything they say about the other countries in the other episodes
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KizzyD6 May 2017As all viewers, I started watching this show because I was really into the original 'Criminal minds'. I think we can all agree it is absolutely nothing like it. But once you get over the initial shock, it really isn't that bad. I think the major issue with the show first was that the first episodes were full of clichés and stereotypes. But I stuck to the show because I truly like the actors, and I must say that I have been happy with season 2. Much more character development (Which is why the original is so great) and less stereotyping of people.
I can say that I actually look forward to a new episode every week and I hope it gets renewed for a new season! Don't give up on it yet, let's see where the future takes us! -
annlind-1304929 June 2017It seems to be that writers' point of view is that US is the greatest place to live in our planet Earth. So take this criticism because viewers come from all over the Globe.
It is really disturbing that all other countries, also police forces in all countries are despised. Also everything in Southern America is really pitiful. Is it smth strategic?
Otherwise scenario is nice: it is good to see other cities and landscapes for a change in a US series. Also actors are nice, comforting and full of potential.
Please make more effort with a script!
/A keen viewer of Criminal Minds and nothing to complain about that. -
qsilverboy31 March 2016This is even beyond bad.
My heads kept turning around these issues....
1. American FBI go outside of America to investigate civilian related crimes? 2. Got full cooperation from the troubled country? 3. All American origin team leading Police? 4. They are able to carry a weapon? 5. Able to solve it in 45 min show? 6. Even able to have time to psycho analyze the UNSUB despite the cultural background differences!! 7. You can take back the victims home immediately after solving the crime occurred in foreign soil.
OMG!!!!
The Europe-based show called "Crossing Border" is far far better and realistic (even through the team is fictional under existing International Criminal Court) than this garbage.
Beyond Borders of human intelligence. -
greengoosepumpkin23 March 2017You can't tell from the overwhelmingly juvenile reviews, but obviously (given its overall rating) there are many of us who do enjoy this show. It is difficult to capture an entire country in less than an hour. However, I think the producers have done a fair-handed job. To all the people complaining about the overwhelmingly corrupt and poor locales, where do you think the IRT (if it existed) would be called out to. In countries with strong fair legal infrastructure, the IRT would not be needed unless called on to consult (example:Italy). The premise is successful.
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dracostaint30 August 2017First season was average, but enjoying the second season a lot more. Can't wait to see what they do with Australia. People have said it's culturally inappropriate but i just think you need a opened mind sometimes. Some people are to sensitive sometimes. The producers have taken a different approach with this new show so there is also plenty of time to improve. If it's not canned it will only get better.
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bravo1117 March 2016Good for an (unintentional) comedy:
What? They can't take a commercial flight but bring their own plane (my tax dollars at work?) Maybe a precursor to the Marvel: Agents of Shield plane...
But they have to bring their own vehicles? Very INCONVENIENT in Thailand where it's right hand drive (they drive on the left side of the street, so steering wheel is on the right hand side). The left hand drive American car they brought VERY DANGEROUS when you want to pass on a two-lane road. (Note that the police cars shown are left hand drive, but the one "stock" shot of country road traffic shows vehicles driving on the left as they really do). Even if the US Embassy didn't have an available vehicle (they would), Thailand does have car rental companies, with SUV's even...
Thais don't smile? It's the "Land of Smiles"... It's a matter of Karma, Khun Jai Dee (good heart), so even if they are not pleased with you, they do smile as not doing so reflects badly on THEM.
Agree any local police might not take too seriously a short disappearance of 2 adults, especially young ones. But once a murder verified... any country dependent on foreign tourism takes any serious crime on those tourists VERY seriously (bad publicity). After all, in the actual case referenced at the beginning (murder of 2 backpackers), the "incompetent/disinterested" Thai police found the suspects rather quickly (whether they actually did the crime subject to some debate, but like I said, not quickly finding "them": bad publicity). And letting a foreign (FBI) team take the lead... If nothing else, big loss of face, and Asians do care about face... No country will let foreigners run around with guns drawn, screaming in English (OK, war zone combatants excepted...)
A big white guy ("ironing board" from above review) chasing a local through a crowded market? No locals would step in to a)protect one of their own?, and b)no crowd would gather with again, locals jumping in to "unheadlock" one of their own? LOL comedy.
I'd think the "critical brand" would be shown to the police sooner rather than later, rather than e-mailing it back to the FBI for identification. After all, locals much more familiar with local "brands" (pun intended).
Why do so many shows, after a good guy knocks down the bad guy, the good guy runs away rather than a)finishing the job - hit him 1, 2, 100 more times, b)or at least take a weapon... Oh, wait, there is 45 minutes to fill, and the "team" must make the rescue...
Finally, if I'd had a bamboo spike stuck through my calf, in a jungle, in mud, I'd be heading for a hospital (Bumrungrad or Bangkok Nursing EXCELLENT hospitals) for several days stay rather than jumping on a plane for home.
And, sorry to say, unless you're the family of a US senator or Representative, or some industrial bigwig with a lot of "juice", the American government is NOT coming to save you (OK, maybe if you're in a war zone). But otherwise... Note: an American citizen cannot even walk into the US Consulate in Bangkok without an appointment...
This show an insult even to a half-wit, and certainly to the Thais. No doubt, it'll be downhill from here... But at least there is Alana De La Garza to watch (very easy on the eyes), but such a long fall from "Law and Order". To make the comedy team complete, they should bring in Lieutenant Horatio Caine (and his sunglasses) from CSI: Miami. "Big H", they need you... duty calls... -
MooniePinkslip25 June 2016Seriously, who on earth believes that some pseudo-"qualified" Americans need to fly into a country to "fix" things and resolve a crime? And who wrote this script that has Alana De La Garza spouting local so called legend wherever she lands? It is painfully bad viewing.She has zero depth and I want to do to her what the perp did to the victim in episode 5. I'm kinda serious. She has no acting chops but she flips from country to country and we are expected to believe she knows all the local languages, habits, and so on, and she is no one with no background and doesn't have the strength of character to carry off such a task. Give me a break. She is so puffed up and secure in her so called knowledge of the area and country. And yeah, who believes that this crowd rolls into a country in their private plane all equipped with vehicles and weaponry? What rubbish.
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aimee-837-24375714 April 2016I am a huge fan of criminal minds and while I did not like criminal minds : suspect behaviour, I really do like love this spin off. We get a glimps of the original cast that pops in and out on some episode. I think this show has a great potential.
I know a lot of reviews states the obvious like "how can they carry guns" and " why do they have jurisdiction" but if you watch the show, you'll know that most of the time, they are not "really" welcome and always Jack would mention that he is either waiting for the local government to allow them to carry a weapon or only he is allowed to do so. Basically they do touch on those question. Maybe if you actually watch it, you'll like it? Well anyways I don't want to put any spoiler but I do think everyone should give it a try and watch it.
As a mixed person who had grown up in Asia and Europe then end up living in North America. I can tel you that I love how beautiful they touch of each culture when they solve a case. Every episode shows the beauty of each location. Whether it be the people or the location. Every bad has a good. That's what I get from each episodes and that's why I love it. They speak the native language and do everything they can to not over step their boundary to dishonour any locals cultures or believes.
Give it a try. I think most people would like this show. Don't believe all the close minded reviews that was written out of people who probably never traveled outside their home country to know what's really going on in the world. -
Madamelejuge20 April 2016I was so looking forward to Criminal minds beyond borders because I'm a huge fan of the original series as well as Gary Sinise when he was in CSI NY. I also love the IT guy from back when he was in everybody hates Chris.
I watched the first two episodes that were in Thailand and India, and I noticed that classic stereotype views on foreign countries. Even though I've never been to India or Thailand, but I doubt that anyone would put a decaying body in an office! The story line in both episode was not that bad, but they lacked the depth of meticulous analysis found in the original Criminal Minds series. It seemed that they reached the psychological profile by luck after making a lot of mistakes first. I've said to myself though to give the series a second chance.
However, when I watched the episode in Egypt (which is my country btw), I've decided not to watch the show again. As an Egyptian, I was so offended by this episode because it was just full of inaccurate information. The majority of the conversation was about Egypt's conditions and not the case itself. The Egyptian military doesn't wonder around investigating crimes like that, it's mainly the police. The actual regime came after a popular revolution not a military coup. We are not that oppressed and poor in Egypt, we have problems like any country including the US nothing more. Not all Egyptians talk with an funny accent. Not all women are veiled. I don't know where they got this car at the crime scene, I've been living in Egypt and I've never seen one like this before. There is no desert in Cairo, only in Giza (another city), and there is no camel shop in the middle of nowhere. And last but not least, the gays are not oppressed, I used to work in a government agency with three gay colleagues with no discrimination against them.
So I've reached the conclusion that the show is not about solving crimes but about preventing Americans from traveling. -
I know its not CSI NY or similar but come on its got Gary Sinise in (the other people are good as well), i have only seen til the Paris episide on the day of this review but so far i have seen enough to like it, i don't see much wrong with it like sometimes they see things that are almost invisable bit i haven't seen that happen witch is annoying and unrealistic but so far its good and entertaining i don't see why people have put bad reviews i just hope CBS cancels it.
You will probily say how can you say that when you watched 5 episodes but their are too many bad reviews and i thing too many people jump to conclusion afte 2 episodes find out its not to there taste and put a bad review but this could go plases (bearing in min CBS doesn't cancel it. -
nordevil17 March 2016I have lived in Thailand since 2003 and I am no fan of the Thai police but the way they are portrayed here is just wrong. Thailand is turmoil because of corruption and they chose to call the Thai police officer Thaksin ? The few sentences we hear in Thai are so bad . . . most of the scenes that are supposed to be from Bangkok must have been filmed in some studio in the US. The scenes from inside cars are also of very low quality and it is easy to see that this is blue or green screen. All in all a very disappointing show. I like Gary Sinise and I really liked CSI and Criminal Minds so I will watch one more episode . . . but if the next one is as bad as the first one then I will rather do the washing up. What a waste of time.
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Top_Dawg_Critic13 July 2017As one reviewer put it, it "Can't hold a candle to its predecessor".
This is very true, and sadly it tried hard to duplicate the 'team', and fails in doing so.
The real problem with these characters are that none are convincing in their roles except for Alana De La Garza. When I see Gary Sinise, I think CSI so that blows his character for me. And then there's Annie Funke... sorry, probably the most un-convincing role for her. She would have been better off playing Garcia's role - switching with Tyler James Williams character.
But what I like, and what makes this show different (and better), is the portrayal of criminal activity to Americans all over the world. Thus the location sets and cinematography are more appealing than the original Criminal Minds, of which are always taking place in the same environment.
This show initially had a very low score, and I wasn't a huge fan of it either, but I guess just like the rest of the viewers like myself, it has grown on me/us.
It's always a good sign when improvements become so evident.
8/10 from me! -
zsuzsannasalda24 March 2016I moved to Mumbai 3 years ago and still have all my body parts. I am sorry to say but I find this show racist and offensive. Basically telling Americans that the whole world is unsafe for them, and all foreign cultures are a bunch of savages...I have hoped that in this day and age we are over cultural stereotypes but it does not appear so. I hope this show will improve , cos I am a big fan of the original one. The only redeeming factor so far is the lead cast of Gary Sinise who I love since I saw Of mice and Men.
Americans leaving the safety of their borders... yeah right , cos nothing bad ever happens over there... -
Well, I just read all the previous reviews and It seems that I agree with the vast majority of them.
It is actually preposterous that anybody would believe that any country in the world would actually give up on their own police forces and justice systems so that the FBI could come in and take over and show the world how to do it.
I have watched all of the episodes and I think that each one becomes more ludicrous than the last. The latest episode set in Singapore nearly takes the cake, this is a country with an unbelievably stringent the legal system and one of the lowest amounts of major criminal activity in the world, yet we are expected to believe that more murders are committed in a 24 hour period than in the previous 6 months. The the condescending attitude of these awesome Americans to locals in countries around the world goes more to how Americans are perceived than anything else. Why would the medical examiner just accept that the American medical person on this team would be better than her, why does the inspector does not accept that he could find the perpetrator, how the hell does Alana De La Graza know every single language in the world and every single local custom but is caught working for a pathetic team in the FBI. It is so implausible that I spend half of each episode laughing my head off.
Don't even get me started on the acting (or lack thereof), I really enjoy the original Criminal minds but this is an insult to its legacy.
All this does is reinforce the fact that the American TV Industry thinks that every other country in the world is third world and even in that they are not consistent. Let's portray every other country as backward but meanwhile we can access the greatest WiFi connections that exist with no buffering no matter where they are, and we can also access every single piece of communication in every country and the blueprints of every single building ever build. The more you think about it the more you realize how much rubbish it really is. -
lindacallen6 July 2016I think that too many people in this country do not appreciate that they live here. This country has always been made up of immigrants from all over the world. I think the show is interesting, even though it may not always be accurate. Which of them are? But it is good for us to be reminded that when we leave the USA, we do not have the same rights and protection. Gary Sinise is an ardent supporter of our country and military. His bearing is military, not slouched over as if he is ill or ashamed of who he is.
This is only the first season, but a good one. How about we give it another chance? -
mejaflora21 March 2016I think just being a spin off can't possible give it any boost. I watched it because Criminal Minds have a special place in my heart, the characters are amazing, the stories are full of heart and I always root for them to save the day.
My first take for Beyond Borders is that I don't really care about the characters. They try to show chemistry immediately with one another but it just isn't there. They would have been better off starting as a new team who doesn't knew each other and develop it from there, rather than having preexisting relationships that we are just supposed to immediately believe. That is why the inside jokes don't fly, because we don't care.
It's also such a bad idea to make this global. Somewhere along the line, this is going to become offensive. I'm already offended. So only Americans can solve crime, only Americans can save the day? That big country has no intelligence, no education to do their own profiling and figure out their own crimes. Now we need the Americans to fly all the way down to save just normal American folk? They should not fly home, because I think at any minute, another American might just be in trouble in that same big country. Why waste 20 hours of flight home when the next day you might have to fly there again? I think I'll stick with the original Criminal Minds. It's more thought provoking and way smarter. -
jeremyhughes198612 April 2022I didn't really know a lot of casting this cast played off each other very well and I thought it was a very good drama TV series that kept your interest from beginning to end.