Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders

I was quite excited to see a new CM spin-off after 'Suspect Behavior' was unfairly cancelled, but after watching 3 episodes I think I'll only be watching in future because it's SO bad! The cast seem to be doing their best with the material provided, and it's nice to see them include another actress who isn't stick-thin (although I have my doubts about her supposed assault course abilities), but for a show whose main premise involves foreign countries it seems to be doing a fair job of p*****g them off. Here we have the FBI sweep in to save 'innocent Americans' from the incompetent, funny-speaking foreigners (never just Americans, always 'innocent Americans') and yet still taking time to point out the cultural stereotypes. For example, in episode 2 set in Mumbai, presumably we're supposed to be impressed that one of the amazing FBI agents can name the most famous Indian cricketer who has ever lived (Sachin Tendulkar) - and yet the producers couldn't even take the time to find an old video clip of India actually playing cricket ('no one watches cricket except the Brits, Aussies, Indians, Pakistanis, Jamaicans, Kiwis, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis etc so they won't notice if we use England vs the West Indies') - if only there were resources where you could research this sort of stuff?! And we're told at the start of the episode that it's considered to rude to refuse an offer of hospitality - and yet at the end of the same episode Gary Sinise's character (I can't even be bothered to remember his name) refuses an invitation to a wedding! Maybe the average viewer now has such a short attention span that the producers assume we won't remember something from 30 minutes previously? Maybe it's this bad on purpose just so we keep watching for the patronising cultural clangers?? Can't wait for them to visit the UK so I can see the FBI pointing out that by law you have to drink 10 cups of tea per day and speak like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins . . .

I 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...

This 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.

Even given the xenophobia of the show, I'm surprised that their first four episodes took place in countries that use the British right hand side driving system (Thailand, India, Egypt and Japan) but the local cars in the show have the steering wheel on the left ALF (Aft Looking Forward). Most prominent was the old BMW in Cairo and the plot point that showed a clue on the 'passenger's seat' which was on the right rather than the left. This adds to the feeling that the show's producers' mission is to denigrate foreign cultures and peoples. This lack of attention to detail adds to the lack of sensitivity to foreign cultures that seem to be a hallmark of the show. As an American who has lived in Iran, Jordan, Germany, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, I'm surprised with the world wide audience nature of TV these days that more attention wasn't paid to these details.

To 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.