"Criminal Minds" season 11 started on a very heavy note that was felt by both the cast and the fans. In the premiere episode, the team was burdened by the absence of two of its members as those left behind had to pick up the slack. 

While the premiere episode was good and maintained classic "Criminal Minds" standards, episode 2 was so much better.  In "The Witness," the team that appeared in this episode was tighter and more focused, even with a new member on board. That focus was clearly necessary as the BAU was faced against an unsub that used sarin gas to attack people. 

"The Witness" told the story of Charlie Senarak, played by "The Mentalist's" Tim Kang, a man who killed his wife's lover in a fit of rage. Unfortunately, someone saw the crime – his victim's half-brother, Mitchell. But instead of turning him in, Mitchell used Charlie as his patsy in his plan to attack the FBI. 

The episode did a great job in telling two separate stories before deftly merging them into one flawless ending. Fans were also gratified to see the spark that Kang and guest Marisol Nichol brought to their roles. 

As for the team's newest member, it appears that Dr. Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler) is a good fit. She had a steady presence and good chemistry with the team, particularly Dr. Reid. The philosophical discussion they had toward the end was thought-provoking and gratifying as there's someone who can finally go head to head with the genius profiler. 

The show's third episode of the season looks promising as well. The synopsis for the episode, titled "Til Death Do Us Part," tells of a chilling trend where brides-to-be in Savannah are murdered on the eve of their wedding. The BAU suspects that the unsub is someone who had been jilted. 

The episode is directed by "Criminal Minds" star Joe Mantegna (Dave Rossi) and boasts guest stars like NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, "Glee's" Ashley Fink and Chicago radio personality Mancow Muller. 

"Til Death Do Us Part" is scheduled to air on Oct. 14 on CBS.