I started watching cm from season one again because i got to season 12 and realised that basically all the castmembers have been changed, and then Hotch was on his way out and I just can’t handle change too well… anyways, what I’ve realized is that Hotch was a lot more funny at least in the first season than in the rest of the seasons. Like, he’d just get these funny one-liners that are probably made even funnier because I know him from season 11/12 where he’s as bland as white bread (affectionate)

early seasons hotch my beloved… 

i do think some of the tonal shifts were just from writing changes as they settled into the typical archetypes associated with crime dramas (especially after they gideon was replaced by rossi, since they needed a serious counterpart to restore the balance). they lost a lot of nuance very early on once they got into the rhythm of pumping out episodes that would ensure more viewers. which is to be expected, i guess, but there really is something truly special about the first season of the show. 

that being said, i think it’s also kinda fitting for his character? 

season one hotch is still new to being unit chief. he was accustomed to a supporting role, which allowed him to be more casual and laid back around the others (though he was always at least somewhat serious). we meet him right as he starts to shift into the mode of professionalism, and from the easygoing way the older team members, like morgan and garcia, interact with him—teasing, flirting, complaining, just overall seeming more comfortable—they’re used to him being at least somewhat responsive to their banter. and he still is—especially in season one—but there’s a modicum of gravity to his actions, realizing that there’s more at stake  

it becomes all too clear to him when he’s not overtly clear with his instructions to anderson, and elle nearly dies because of it. we get a vague sense that some things have changed in the time before the show begins, but the contrast between season one and season two hotch is glaringly obvious. he slipped up. he failed them. he doesn’t have time to mess around like he used to; he has to prioritize the team’s safety, even if it means establishing a barrier that hadn’t existed before. i think the importance of that is amplified by gideon’s struggles: hotch realizes very quickly that ultimately it is his responsibility to maintain order within the team. he cuts back on the jokes and establishes a more severe demeanor—especially with the obvious plant sent by strauss to keep an eye on him (though emily wasn’t aware of it at the time) 

the final nail in the coffin is gideon’s departure. from a writing standpoint and a character standpoint: gideon had his moments but he was pretty dry, whereas rossi is more sardonic and playful in nature. not wanting to overburden the team dynamic with goofiness, they needed to sober hotch’s character a bit. within the story itself, hotch as a character feels even more pressure to be the voice of reason, transitioning from the protective older brother to the attentive and morally upright father. he can’t mess around with the team as much as he used to. even if he could, with the mounting guilt of losing elle then gideon—plus all the other crazy shit that happened in season two—it would be hard for him to engage with them so flippantly

as the trauma continues to build over the seasons for both the team and himself (haley leaving, kate dying, the foyet business, haley dying, jj getting ripped away, emily “dying”), by the end of season six he’s haggard and weary in an entirely new way. the last few years were brutal for him, and he takes responsibility for everything that happens to the team as well. the jokes have all but disappeared. he can still find it within himself to be lighthearted at times, especially around garcia and reid, but overall he’s just too stressed out to even feel the urge

with emily’s return i think things begin to settle. the team is healing, and although they’ll never be the same, it’s still a little easier for him to smile. whether it’s because he feels some sense of accomplishment from finally being able to save someone or simply because it’s been enough time for him to process all that other shit, he gradually opens up and allows himself to appreciate the warmth of those around him. as the seasons continue, i think it gets easier and easier. he’s still serious and hard to read at times, but the best example i can think of is how cheerful he is when he hugs kate goodbye and how supportive he is of tara splitting the job so she can follow her dreams. he’s not as uptight anymore, not nearly as high strung. there’s still a little tension, he still blames himself for too much, but he has enough support that he can enjoy a night out at a jazz club with dave or karaoke with the team. 

i do like the early seasons way more and i did have to stop around season 12 the first time before finishing the show a few years later. truly i didn’t really mind the main cast starting to break away (i had already faced that particularly brand of heartache when i watched season 8 for the first time and emily wasn’t there), though i do see how it can be jarring. it’s been more than a decade: changes are bound to happen. thankfully it’s just a show, so we can take a break before coming back to it later when we’ve had more time to adjust

most of my complaints from the later seasons are more about the writing than anything else. starting with season 11 i think the overall plots get sloppy and it’s clear they’re just trying to crank up the drama. which again, i suppose, is to be expected. truthfully i think the genius of criminal minds was just a fluke to begin with. but it’s still kind of painful to see the steep quality decline—and jumping from various eras in cm is always a bit jarring. i’d like to think it’s more than just nostalgia that keeps the early seasons special, but it’s entirely possible it’s been shit the whole time and it’s just easier to notice when it’s shot in high definition