Criminal minds has intrigued audiences for 15 seasons. The plots of this procedural drama are known for being gruesome and disturbing, and for going beyond what is acceptable in prime time. Now that a reboot is coming to a streaming platformFans are wondering if these episodes will be even more violent.
There are laws that dictate what can be shown on television.
The Federal Communications Commission dictates what can and cannot be shown on television and radio. One thing that definitely cannot be displayed is obscene, indecent, and profane content.
According to the FCCIn a 1964 Supreme Court case, Justice Peter Stewart said, about obscene content, “I know it when I see it.” That statement still dictates what is allowed on television to this day. Complaints from the general viewing population may determine what is allowed to be shown.
It is important to understand what the terms obscene, indecent, and profane mean:
- Obscene: What is defined as obscene must meet a three-part test set by the Supreme Court. The content must “appeal to the prurient interest of the average person; depicts or describes sexual content in a ‘patently offensive’ manner; and, taken as a whole, lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
- Indecent: The content displays sexual or excretory organs or activities in an offensive manner. Anything that is considered indecent does not meet the three part obscene test.
- Profane: The content includes “extremely offensive” language.
These definitions are important because the nature of the questionable material may determine when it is allowed to be broadcast. For example, indecent and profane content can be shown between 6 am and 10 pm They can also be shown on subscription services. However, obscene material, which is not protected by the First Amendment, is prohibited at all times of the day and night on cable, broadcast and satellite television.
‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ will be darker, says an actor
the reboot, Criminal Minds: Evolutionaired on Paramount+ on Thanksgiving Day 2022.
According to msnJoe Mantegna says the reboot will be more disturbing than the original series. The 10-episode show will tell the story of the notorious Behavioral Analysis Unit, or BAU, going after a network of unsubs created during the pandemic. the team scattered after the end of the original series but he is forced to come together to solve this new series of heinous crimes.
Criminal minds he never shied away from the gory and ugly parts of the crimes. He did not hesitate to fully show the victim and the true nature of the crime. Now, Criminal Minds: Evolution it may be even bloodier and more disturbing thanks to the show’s transition from network television to the subscription streaming platform. This gives the show more creative licence. The actors can use inappropriate words that they couldn’t use in the previous show, and the crime scenes can be more graphic.
Some ‘Criminal Minds’ Episodes Were More Disturbing Than Others
When the fans of Criminal minds discuss the long term of 15 years, there is a few episodes that stand out as the most disturbing. Do you remember these episodes?
- “North Mammon” (Season 2, Episode 7): The suspect kidnaps three friends and puts them in a basement, where he makes them choose who will die so that the other two can live.
- “Revelations” (Season 2, Episode 15): This episode is hard to watch because it involves Dr. Spencer Reid being kidnapped, drugged, and tortured. The BAU team is forced to watch on a video.
- “About Face” (Season 3, Episode 6): The unsub terrorizes his victims by posting “Missing” flyers before kidnapping and killing them.
- “Lucky” (Season 3, Episode 8): The BAU hunts down a psychotic, cannibalistic killer who serves the remains of previous victims to his current victim. The killer also serves a stew from one of the victims to the search party looking for her.
- “The Lesson” (Season 8, Episode): The unsub wakes up from a coma and reverts to an infantile state. He kidnaps his victims, changes his appearance by dislocating their joints, and then hangs them up to create a puppet show.
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