Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders season 2 premiere review: The Tanzanian rescue

The Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders season 2 premiere on Wednesday night was one that had many challenges, but one of the biggest ones was simply timing. It did not have some extreme amount of time in order to properly promoted prior to the start of the season. Doubt being canceled more or less through everything for a loop.

When the show did return tonight, though, what we saw was a story that picked off almost entirely where we left off in season 1: The international response team going out and doing what they could to rescue American citizens abroad. Jack Garrett and company specifically headed to Tanzania in the episode in order to rescue a church group after they were found missing in the country. Trying to determine what happened to them was the next order of business, and it led to a violent, scary altercation where one of the “leaders” turned out to not be a leader so much. He had created a cult-like atmosphere where he forced his “followers” to do his bidding and be trapped within his metaphorical prison.

The one thing that we do wish for Beyond Borders as a series was, ironically, that it was a little less like Criminal Minds. The characters travel to such interesting, beautiful destinations, and we would like to see that play a role in the story from time to time. Also, Criminal Minds has crazy down pat so we’re fine if this show was to take at times a little more of a hopeful tone. (We saw this as someone who watches frequently shows like The Amazing Race and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. We’re a little bit of a geography nerd, and that’s why this aspect of the show could appeal to us more than it does.

Aside from the creepy-villain factor, this episode was very much the same Beyond Borders story that you most likely enjoyed from the first season, both in terms of the construction of the plotto the violent standoff to the moment of resolution at the end where everything was (for the most part) resolved and the hostages finally freed. We did get a nice appearance in here from Kirsten Vangsness, who helped to give the show a little bit more buzz and her trademark levity, but that was one of the few things that differed from the norm. Think of this as a worthy reintroduction to the show, one that existed in a unique bubble since nobody really knew when it was going to air.

Our overall take

If Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders was your jam in the first season, it probably still is. If you didn’t enjoy it all that much when it aired the first time, it’s hard to see that changing through one episode. Maybe we will have some further opportunities to see the show shake things up a little bit more as we push further into the season. Grade: B.

For some further news on the series, be sure to head over to the link here.

What did you think of the Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders season 2 premiere? Be sure to share your thoughts with a comment below! (Photo: CBS.)