CRIMINAL MINDS ~ The BAU Deals With Loss

Kudos to CRIMINAL MINDS writer, Jeff Davis, for "Hanley Waters," who wrote a riveting script dealing with loss and grief.

When dealing with the BAU's recent loss, he realized that it would be Derek Morgan (SHEMAR MOORE) who was most affected by the death of Emily Prentiss.

Everyone in last night's episode did a remarkable job. Of course, it will likely go unnoticed since CRIMINAL MINDS is usually underrated.

Kelli Williams ("Lie to Me," "The Practice") gave a heartfelt performance as a grief-stricken mother. While most people dealing with a tragedy aren't driven to go on a killing spree, she made it believable. She made you cry.

Also emotional were the scenes of Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) counseling his team on their feelings about the loss of Emily Prentiss. Sweet Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) choses to remember only the good, while Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) was like a lost little boy.

Hotch couldn't presume to counsel David Rossi (JoeMantegna), the seasoned profiler who has seen and experienced everything in his long career. It was appropriate that Rossi talks to Hotch about his own loss.

It was Derek Morgan who was most often partnered with Emily Prentiss in the field. It was Derek who held her hand as she lay dying. He tells Hotch "she was my friend. She died right in front of me." SHEMAR MOORE made you feel every moment of Derek's gut wrenching anguish, and LOVING MOORE can't praise him enough. Way to go, Shemar!