Criminal Minds

Skill v. Will. Does it make sense that Dr. Reid can’t hit the broad side of a barn with his hand gun on the shooting range at the beginning of this episode, and then makes a perfect head shot while under duress at the end? Only if the issue is not about his shooting ability, but about his frame of mind.



Clearly, to even become an FBI Field Agent, Reid would have been subject to many, many firearms qualifications both in the academy and periodically as he served the bureau. He must have passed them before – even before the last one where he “barely qualified.” So, what has changed for the young genius? We can only assume it is field work itself – seeing the bodies, the wounds and the deaths around him. Reid is cerebral, and, up until this point, he may have been able to see these firearms tests as an intellectual exercise – yet another test he must pass. But once he’s been in the field, his actions are no longer academic – they have become bloody and vivid and real. When you shoot them, people die.



So, if it is not his skill in question, as Hotch states so well, his will is. Is he willing to kill, and if so, in what circumstances? Can he kill to save himself? Can he kill to save another? It is not Reid’s marksmanship that is developed in this episode, but his makeup, and he learns that putting a bullet between someone’s eyes is not, after all, just a measure of one’s shooting ability, but a measure of one’s character. Reid has learned many things from Hotch and Gideon over the years, but some things one just has to figure out for oneself.

In this episode, the BAU is asked to identify a killer who is shooting his victims in broad daylight. The whole team ( not including Garcia) is sent to Illinois to investigate the three shootings that have happened in the past three weeks. All the people that were shot were shot in the abdomen, and only one of them died. They figure out that the shooter is experienced and that he shoots from far away ( hence the name Long Distance Serial Killer), and that he commits his crimes during shift changes- more specifically, shift changes at one of the hospitals. They eventually figure out that the serial killer worked at the hospital that the victims were brought to. The killer holds Reid and Hotch hostage in the hospital and Reid ends up shooting him dead.



Overall, I think that this was one of my favorites and definately one of the best of the season.

'Criminal Minds' continues to produce episodes of an exceptionally high calibre. Even though we are still in the wshow's early stages, it is still producing terrific episoes, which are highly memorable!



This episode was clearly no exception, and I really enjoyed the concept of a 'long fdistance serial killer'. It was a nice change from anything we've seen in the first five aepisodes.



I thought the end scenes, with Hotchner and Reid being held hostage, were magnificently done! It was a prime example of the show's core concept of profiling, and it showed the concept of how well a profile may be utilised by the BAU to beat an unsub, even when the unsub has a massive gun and every desire to pull the trigger.



Subliem episode! Great work by the actors, particularly Hotchner and Reid in the episode! It was sublime acting and I would highly recommend this episode!

I enjoyed this episode but I admit that I was bugged by the problems that Reid was having with his firearms qualification. After all, whilst training at Quantico and obviously before joining the BAU, he certainly would have had to be able to perform more than adequately with a weapon and yet he is still not able to shoot accurately while, at the same time, being sent out into the field.



Meanwhile, in Des Plaines, Illinois, a sniper who is so as accurate as Reid is hopeless is on the loose. The strange thing is, he only wounds and does not kill his victims and it soon becomes obvious that the L.D.S.K. intends for it to be that way. The profile and the marksman's accuracy lead the team to deduce that he is somehow connected to law enforcement or an area where top-notch shooting is required.



When the killer has Reid and Hotch in a 'kill or be killed' situation, Reid comes through, putting a bullet right between the man's eyes. The fact that he was aiming for his leg is immaterial and Hotch declares that the young man has passed his firearms test in a way that is good enough for him.



Great to see the spotlight on Dr. Reid because, as we know, he soon becomes one of the most popular and beloved characters on the show.

I liked last episode but this was so much better - the whole storyline of Reid who is afraid he cannot shot a gun and how he in the end saves the moment.



Ok - but the beginning. Random shootings in first random looking places. Sniper shots in long distance and it goes against all the known profile types and team has a lot of work to do on sight - and they got many wrong suspects. First they think it is a policeman who is playing shooter in their re-actment. What a way.. and they really manage to get him but the shooter was out there.. and takes down that police officer.



Then the suspect is surgent and the common factor is near the hospital - he wants to save those people. And while on the hospital, Reid and Hotchner got it right - someone on ER.. but they do not manage to get out and it ends up hostage situation..



Anyway - episode full of action, nerve wracking moments.

I'm fairly new to this show and have three years of episodes to catch up on. Going in order, this is the episode that solidified me as a fan, and made me really like the characters. I liked the way suspicion was placed on certain guest characters (I was all over wanting it to be the narcisistic doctor) and the cop in the trunk was a rather interesting twist, too. The way it ended though with Hotch and Reid in the bad guy's clutches were gripping. Great character moments between Reid and Hotch while they were in the situation, and then later outside the ambulance. This one's a keeper.

Finally Reid gets to have a gun but also it

Is rare that he carries a gun because he doesn't

For it is his job to analyze and not to be

Out in the field and on the streets like the others.

But everybody is great as one reviewer puts it and I

Love the chemistry of the characters in the show!

The opening cuts back and forth between two scenes; one where the unsub is looking at victims through a sniper's scope, and one where Hotch is trying to teach Reid how to fire a gun.



This episode has important character development for SSA Dr. Spencer Reid. Reid fails his firearms proficiency, so he is no longer permitted to carry a weapon. This leads to him feeling inadequete as an agent. Through the course of the episode Gideon and Hotch show him that the most dangerous thing they have is the ability to do what the unsub can't... empathize. When Reid kills for the first time, he's not sure how to respond to it emotionally.



Another excellent episode with a dynamic unsub.

There's something about this episode which keeps making me watch it! There's something scarely compelling about watching Hotch beat poor little Reid up!



My absolute favourite line in this episode 'Did Elle teach you that?', in response to Reid having shot a little low on the target!



The arrogant Surgeon made the perfect suspect, a little too obvious and I was glad it wasn't him! There were points when it looked like Gideon wanted to throttle him, and I can't say I'd have blamed him!



I think my only complaint with this episode wuld be that Reid failing his recertification and then having to take a kill shot were just too obvious. I know all shows do this but it always irks me!



I think this was a good episode for the development of Reids character, he stopped being the one the others needed to protect and became capable of looking after himself! The talk he and Giseon had on the plane was very sweet!

The beginning of the episode started off a little slow on the profiling end of everything, because they really couldnt get an accurate profile on anyone. The guy who wond up being the killer was kind of random, which slightly takes away from the story but not to much that I would take a serious chunk out of the ratings for. Character Devolopment is another way I would describe this episode, with Reed failing his gun test and then learning the power of an accurate profile in the pulse pounding final scene where his partner makes sure to set up the big play at the end where Reed has to shoot someone. I thought that ending profile, aside from the "im not picking up this phone" one in the previous episode, was one of the best profile tactics to date. He made me believe that he had turned bad for a moment and I think this episode shows exactly what this show is. A show that seems to start out kind of slow, but once it hits the middle jams it into high gear.

I would give this episode a 10 ! just for the last 5 minutes. But let's start at the start :-P This changing between shots at the beginning: Seeing the killer shoot people and jumping to Reid training for his weapon-test and back to the killer again is really well done. Then him not passing and Morgan joking with the whistle is really great... well it's mean but it's fun to watch!



Then I really like them to show that it could be the doctor... I mean he is suspicious from the beginning and I like that about the show that you can't really see who the killer is from the beginning: There is usually more than one fitting the profile at first who still isn't the killer.

And then, at the end how Hotch says all those pretty nasty thinks about Reid, I mean poor guy... but great acting by Reid (not talking about the actor, Matt Gubler is usually great ;-) considering he says he knew what Hotch was planing when he moved the hostages out of his way he looked pretty scared... But the best were just the last moments.. first Reid telling Hotch he kicks like a 9-year-old girl *grin* then Morgan: "Touché, Kid" and after all James Blunt's song when Reid and Gideon talk.. love their talking... Gideon always has something worth listening to say.. and i mean 3 facts... almost cried there... This "I'm proud of you".. i don't know maybe it's just me being in the mood.. but this and the music just got me emotionally ;-)

One of the Best Episodes !!! Totally !

There is just something about this episode, it is my favorite of the 14 so far.



Reid fall his qualification in the beginning and then the team goes on the case of a long distance serial killer.



I must say from the beginning I was think it was the surgeon, so I thought it was predictable --until the end of course.



I enjoyed the James Blunt song at the end, and Reid tossing the whistle back to Morgan!

The evidence is pointing to a cop. Some one who knows the right time of day to be out shooting.So when is the perfect time? At shift change. They have to either be a cop or have been one at one time.



As they are playing out the shooting they find the shooter must have came here to figure out where the best place to be to do his insane hobby of shooting inicent people in the stomach. Only to hurt them but not kill them. He had to make sure this spot was empty when he came back. he had to have some training to be able to shot someone to hurt them just enough to be saved.



As they are playing out the shooting the news come on talking about it. Only the police knew they would be here. they talk to the news crew to find out the cop who was playing the shooter had told the news team everything. as they are arresting him he gets shot in the head.



Wrong guy... they take a new idea into account, this guy only wants to hurt his vitims not kill them. so they figure it must be a doctor and probaly a surgen. next supect the surgen working on these people. now lets really think like a crimal, if the surgens alabi checks out who else could it be.



To late the emergeny room nurse has the gaurd with a gun at his head. just get inside the crimal mind and you can save the day. I think I could never get in side a crimals head to the point of saving some ones life and I give criedt to those who do.

This sniper episode is a chance for Spence to get a little character development. His is the Doogie Howser role of the group. The show begins with him struggling to master shooting a firearm. It is somewhat of a cliche that the genius can't do something technical.

They fly to Illinois and at first surmise the killer is a cop. Casting suspicion on the police is always tricky. If the good guys are the bad guys, then who is going to save you? It is implausible that the man playing a sniper in a recreation of a previous sniper shooting would not have had his background checked out before he hunkered down in the back of the car. Still, it was going well until they pulled off a really good ending. It was complete with a red herring, the nerd getting knocked, and finally the nerd getting revenge by mastering the art of shooting.

The red herring was classic mystery fare, but it worked out in this episode because I focused on whether Reid would be able to redeem himself or not. Oh, no, the vulnerable genius didn't do well on his test. He is excellent with books and learnin' but the doesn't do so good [sic] with the gym-type tests. Yes, sarcasm from me now, but I do love the character of Reid, so I feel I am entitled to make fun of what is actually my own gullibility. Oh, oh, oh, his coworker made fun of him. Oh, no. But he's so cute. I enjoyed the episode.

But he wasn\'t the only one. Reid was excellent as well. and I even ended up liking A.J. Cook as well. This was the best episode yet. The plot was very compeling and suspensful. The ending was very powerful and directed very well (with the killer seeing the empty gun holster and then Reid with the gun) This episode was so great. The other characters didn\'t do that much, but I not everyone can be featured in each episode.

Is it just me or do you think Thomas Gibson needs to die int the line of duty for the benfit of this show? I only watch this trash (writers take note) because I don\'t want to watch Martha Stewart. Please buck up and write something worthy. Thomas Gibson must go.