Criminal Minds (TV Series) Riding the Lightning (2006) User Reviews

Outstandingly written, beautifully acted, brilliantly filmed

[spiderfarmer · 10/10 · 29 August 2009]

This episode challenges the audience to consider not only death penalties and the modalities therein, but the ethical imperative of allowing someone to choose their own death to protect an unknowing innocent.

I, as a rule, am rarely emotionally invested in television performances. They don't impact me in the same way as do theater or long performance films. Probably because TV is dealing with shorter time frames and emotional involvement is significantly impacted by being constantly interrupted by loud and annoying advertising.

But the end of this episode had me openly weeping...not just that little tear trickling down the cheek, but sobbing...really sobbing. I was so vested in the characters and the story and the ethical implications that I was beside myself with grief and wonder and emotion.

Jeannetta Arnette's acting was one of the more stellar things I've ever seen on broadcast commercial television. She played the character with quiet dignity and compassion. The sacrifice the character was willing to make, and that she begged the team to let her make was heart wrenching in its Solomon-esquire wisdom.

I've always thought that Ms. Arnette was a fun and likable actress, but this role carried a depth of despair and hope beyond what I thought could be accomplished in a mere few minutes of film time. Even today, 12 hours after watching the episode, I got teary trying to explain it to someone who hadn't see it.

Mandy Patinkin's character made me fall in love with him...well, again...who doesn't love Mandy Patinkin? The writers Jeff Davis (creator) and Simon Mirren (writer) are to be commended for writing such a beautiful and ethically challenging script. The director Chris Long shot the episode in a stunningly stark and bleak yet poignant modality that truly captured the essence of the story they were trying to tell.

Brilliant. Just brilliant. Writing, direction, acting...just brilliantly done.

One of the best episodes of television I've ever seen.

[boughton-brian · 10/10 · 1 June 2011]

The reviewers who criticize this episode for plot holes must not have been watching the rest of the season. The show requires a suspension of disbelief, as do most law enforcement shows based on the unique talents of a special group of individuals (Bones, Lie to Me, etc. etc.).

But this was one of the best written episodes of television I've seen. The acting was flawless. The writing was beautiful. The emotional power of the episode was stunning. It pulled at every heart string and had me crying out loud by the end. Of the episodes I've seen so far, definitely the best Criminal Minds case so far.

And the ethical implications... so beautiful... so tragic...

The BAU race against the clock as the execution of a couple is about to take place; the husband may have more bodies hidden and the wife may be innocent.

[luv0817 · 10/10 · 16 November 2008]

The BAU race against the clock as the execution of a couple is about to take place; the husband may have more bodies hidden and the wife may be innocent.

While the outcome may not be completely realistic, the underlying premise is what makes this episode note-worthy. Self-sacrificial love is the most power love in the world and this episode is a spectacular example.

By having Sarah Jean make the decision to die in order to keep her son forever safe, she gave him a part of herself and even if he never comes to know it, it'll still be with him. Believe me, I didn't want Sarah Jean to go to the execution chair and it physically hurt to watch the ending, but would've respected her decision, as Gideon did.

The only episode from Season 1 to reduce me to tears

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 30 June 2016]

Season 1 was regarded a few years ago by a number of people as one of the weaker seasons of 'Criminal Minds', though a few years on with a fair few episodes of the later seasons not being that great that's likely not to be so much the case.

For me while there is a finding-its-feet and occasional lack of momentum, there are some strong episodes in the season. To this reviewer too, "Riding the Lightning" is one of them.

It is one of the more visually striking episodes of the show, there is a starkness but also a melancholic look to the photography and the way it is lit that suits the nature of the story perfectly. When used, the music is very fitting with the mood and is not intrusive, inappropriately jaunty or pedestrian. It doesn't enhance as such, but it never distracts either. The theme tune fits the tone of the entire show too.

"Riding the Lightning" is one of the episodes of 'Criminal Minds' that really made me think hard and also there is a stark and creepy ambiance, like the interrogation with Jacob Dawes which saw a chilling lecherousness to the character. It is notable too for being the only episode from Season 1 to reduce me to tears, as well as being one of the emotional episodes of the entire show. Sarah Jean's final speech is along with Hotch and Haley's final exchange in "100" and JJ's appeal speech over the radio in "The Longest Night" one of the show's genuinely poignant moments.

The story is not the most original, but is beautifully paced and told that it doesn't matter. The characters and direction are solidly done, the BAU team were stronger developed in later seasons and their team dynamic more settled, but both the characters and their rapport still more than convinces, the most interesting being Gideon and Reid. Sarah Jean is a quite fascinating and sympathetically written character, that one empathises with somewhat and you are convinced just as strongly as the team that she's innocent.

While all the regulars have done better in the show with meatier material, the acting is still very good with a particularly commanding turn from Mandy Patinkin. Michael Massee is chillingly creepy as Jacob, though his guilt is obvious from the get go which is not a problem as it was the intent all along and there was never a doubt. The episode belongs however to the movingly compassionate and quietly dignified Jeanetta Arnette, her delivery of the speech bringing a real lump to the throat.

In conclusion, a standout Season 1 and 'Criminal Minds' (in general) episode. 10/10 Bethany Cox

It ripped my heart out !!!

[moviehawg59 · 10/10 · 2 April 2012]

This has to be one of the best episodes of television ever filmed! It grabs your heart at the start, then takes you on a (seemingly) never ending roller-coaster ride of emotion! Michael Massee is his usual, true-to-form self ... sadistic, UN-caring, UN-feeling and totally void of any humanity! He just eats these roles up, and you have no problem whatsoever, believing that he is exactly as the character is portrayed! BUT, Jeannetta Arnette is the "stick that stirs THIS drink"! Anyone who has ever been a parent (and a lot of folks who haven't), can feel this characters pain and longing right thru the television screen! To have saved her child from the MONSTER that was his Dad, and kept THAT secret all these years ... just to protect and keep their child safe from all the pain and torment that surely would have come his way, once folks found out that his dear old Dad was a horrendous hater and serial killer of women! There is not many greater ways to show your child just how much you really love them ... than to give up any chance at all, that you'd be there to patch up childhood bumps and bruises, or of teaching your child to ride a bicycle, of helping your VERY nervous son get ready for his first date, or something just as simple as being able to look at your child and say "I love you" ... THAT is what she gave up to protect her son from the vile, disgusting creature that was his Dad! She KNEW that if her husband didn't kill his son himself, then he would eventually do everything in his power to "pass on" his hate and mistreatment of women, to his son! So ... she gave him up ... even to the point of being on death row, because of it! And, once that was discovered, she begged Gideon to do or say NOTHING, so that her son could, possibly, go on and have a regular and good life! I'm a grown man, with 3 grown children and 2 grandchildren ... but, this episode had me "bawling" my eyes out! DO NOT miss this great episode of television! They don't come around very often!

None of us is 'innocent'

[bretgross · 13 March 2010]

If you like to see the world as neat & tidy, black & white, good guys & bad guys -- you might not be comfortable with this episode. Yeah, one of the characters is a monster. He easily fits the in 'bad guy' -- like each of the 'unsubs' in each of the episodes of Criminal minds. But the other 'bad guy', his wife -- who also has been convicted of murder and sentenced to die -- is... complex. Actress Jeannetta Arnette plays this woman with such depth, compassion, and humanity that you want to watch the episode again and again. The concept of 'redemption' has never been better shown in a single-episode T.V. series. Ms. Arnette's portrayal of the character manages, in the most subtle of ways, to inform the viewer of the scars of childhood abuse; the familiar flight from one abusive relationship to another, far darker one; the horror of denial; the depth of consciousness that allows her to realize that, despite all of her experiences, mistakes, and denials, she has the opportunity to exchange her broken life for something of inestimable value: the immediate and permanent safety of her son. The 'suspension of disbelief' on the part of the viewer with regard to the members of the BAU in allowing an 'innocent' to be executed isn't really that difficult. We know the horror of their jobs and the hope that each of them holds that their efforts might make a difference. Bravo! Easily my favorite episode of Criminal Minds. Short on 'action', long on dignity!

Thought-provoking, stylised, moving

[torrie82 · 8/10 · 26 April 2009]

It is possible to look at the episode overall and pick holes in it about whether or not certain things would really be possible in the real world.

But this episode is a vehicle to tell the deathrow characters' stories first and foremost - there's a certain suspension of disbelief, it's not about the law as it stands, or as it should be in the eyes of the writers. It's not even really about the members of the team.

The grit of the actors playing the deathrow characters and the writing generally all serves to really get into the heads of all the key players - you really come to care about what happens to these people, albeit with very different feelings about the man and the woman.

It's also a beautifully shot episode, with a real starkness to it - you can't fail to be moved by the preparations for execution, especially when Sarah Jean is having her hair cut.

Enjoyed seems like a strange word for such a haunting episode - I really liked it though.

Heart wrenching

[kalmdown-1 · 10/10 · 19 April 2019]

This episode had me mirroring Mandy Patinkin's character's own journey. I could not understand why she would lie about killing her son and wanted the agents to save her. Until the end when we she explained why. Realizing all she had sacrificed to protect her son brought me to tears. This is probably one of the most moving episodes of any crime drama I've watched and I've watched a lot. Well done.

The best episode of the entire show

[missykxx · 10/10 · 18 June 2020]

This by far is the most well acted episode ever. The characters are extremely believable, you can tell Sarah Jean is tired of life, having been married to the psychopath that is her husband. The way the Morgan apologises to the boys adopted father for making a "mistake", which he then thanks them for. I could go on, but dont want to give too much away. Any time i hear that piece of cello music, it gives me goosebumps a lump in my throat. And I cry every time I watch this episode. Well done to everyone involved.

One of my favorite episodes

[chiluvr1228 · 10/10 · 26 December 2015]

Out of all the Criminal Minds episodes I've watched, I have to say this is my favorite perhaps because this was in the first season when the team focused more on profiling and less on playing cops. The woman that played Sarah Jean did an amazing job and her nut job psycho husband played his role well also.

A serial killer and his wife are on death row. The team goes there to interview them as they rarely get to study a married couple who are serial killers. Turns out things aren't always what they appear at first.

The ending was not predictable like most cop shows including Criminal Minds. The only episode that made me cry for the unsub.

striking performances

[outwiththe_stars · 7/10 · 31 July 2012]

From what I've watched so far, Criminal Minds is a mediocre program overall. It's something that's good to watch, when you have nothing else to do. I don't doubt it could get better, but for now (well up to this episode) it's just a plain Jane - there's nothing that would make me recommend it to all my friends, but I have no reason to dismiss it and never watch it again.

However, I do believe this episode, "Riding the Lightening" to have been a flash of something beautiful in all that is plain. As a viewer, I was finally able to connect with a character on amazing amount of levels - something I've found until now was very lacking in this show. This is a very beautiful episode, there are a lot of questions raised, a very powerful story is told, and it made me cry, a lot. And due to the emotional experience i had watching it, I would very much recommend the episode. Happy viewing!

Well-written, Thought Provoking and Emotionally Swaying Film

[louie_pulanco · 10/10 · 2 November 2015]

The film is very well-written as it gradually exposes each mysteries of the story in the way that makes the audience want to continue the episode and gets them thinking for what will happen next. The transition of the scenes were aesthetically arranged as to not spoil the ending of the case. Expressions of the actors plus the music makes the scenes more emotionally swaying. The episode tackles the story of an unselfish mother who will do whatever it takes to protect and give his son a better future in a non-cliché way. I literally had tears after the episode. Overall, It is one of the best episodes I've ever seen and worth the watch.

Morally repugnant episode

[moysant · 2/10 · 30 October 2006]

Well filmed episode with great external and internal sequences, especially of the death watch prison cells. The actors who play husband and wife serial killers about to be executed are gritty enough to add some realism (especially with shaven heads!).

Where this episode falls down is the logical leaps that make Gideon and the team decide that the wife may be innocent of the murders, including that of her son. For profilers they don't seem to have done their homework particularly well (especially for such a famous case). There are no clues as such, but the leaps of logic Reid and Gideon make are tenuous and outright laughable. And Garcia's rapid computer tracking magic is way too unbelievable (can she really read THAT fast?).

The decision Gideon makes in the end is morally repugnant, and I don't know why it seems acceptable to the rest of the BAU team who've also come to the same conclusion about the wife. Does he have a right to make a decision on their behalf, or that of the State? What if one of the team is anti-death penalty? It is just too dumb and undermines the character of Gideon who in other episodes has been portrayed by a smart and morally staunch man who has no time for killers or their supporters, and can't be manipulated. It's just dumb that it didn't cross his mind that she may have a Martyr complex so wasn't able to make a sound decision for herself (the 'supporters' outside the prison who dress like the Jacob's victims - the husband killer - should've been a clue). Even if the woman is a saint, he has proved himself to have failed the Law he is suppose to uphold, no matter how sorry he felt for her.

Pity, because it could have been a gripping episode if a bit more logic and thought had gone into the story.

Great for those with a heart and understanding. Not much so for the action lover.

[stratton_kevin · 7 September 2009]

While this episode doesn't have the heart-pounding action that others do, it does provide the viewer with serious questions. How far would you go to protect your child. This episode shows the compassion, that even those that see hideous crimes on a daily basis have for others. It gave me a different outlook on the show and gave me more reason to watch other episodes. If you get a chance, Watch this episode if you haven't already. If you have watch it again, you may see something different if you open your mind and heart. I can guarantee you will like this show. The last thing I would like to say about this episode, is that the acting by Jeanetta Arnette was the best I had seen from her.

Talk about a tear jerker!

[joeyg-149-99444 · 10/10 · 1 February 2021]

It's January of 2021, I've seen many episodes of this show, but never this one until now. (Binge watching on Netflix). If you're like me and haven't seen it yet, I will spare you a spoiler. But this....THIS is an amazing episode in an amazing series. Played out flawlessly from beginning to end. Excellent.

Great episode

[schonder02 · 10/10 · 29 July 2019]

Just watched this episode. Had me from the beginning. Didn't know what decision Gideon would make until he did it. Deep statement on love, parent-child attachment, commitment, illogical reasoning. Allowing Sarah Jean to make her own decision, Gideon can live with his decision.

Tearjerker

[abielle · 10/10 · 18 September 2020]

Such a sad but beautiful episode, I wish Mandy Patinkin had stayed on the show longer.

Heart wrenching yet beautiful!!!

[xobruinsxo · 10/10 · 30 December 2020]

Easily in my top 3 CM episodes. It had me SOBBING. wonderful acting all around.

Heart wrenching and amazing

[lottiemarshalllm · 10/10 · 30 July 2020]

Disclaimer:I am no expert reviewer, I just need a show to binge watch and I'm going to Write a review for every episode I watch.

I just finished this episode and I am sobbing. This was a fantastic episode with so many twists and turns without being over done. A common complaint I have with the show is that during an episode they make too many illogical plot twist, yet in this episode it is done perfectly.

I was skeptical going into this episode as I read the episode description since there was no active threat. What was quickly proven wrong as the character of Sara Jean was explored.

The ending was absolutely fantastic as we saw lots of development and Gideon's character as he learns that sometimes the way of the law is not as important as a human being telling you what they would like out of life. The ending was absolutely fantastic as we saw lots of development and Gideon's character as he learns that sometimes the way of the law is not as important as a human being telling you what they would like out life. This episode made me feel so conflicted about how I wanted it to end but the ending of Gideon watching her child perform his cello was just the most beautiful way this episode could have ended.

I would also like to give a quick shout out to Hodge for ruining the last moments of the killers life. "YOU LOSE"

Best episode in season 1 so far. There may not be a ton of action but the emotion is so overwhelming but it's worth it.

The episode that made me a fan of the series.

[jesterzz · 10/10 · 1 June 2021]

Incredible acting, well written, and simply my favorite of the whole series. This is the one to present to someone unfamiliar with the show. Simply outstanding.

Absolutely breathtaking!

[alexdula · 10/10 · 8 July 2020]

One of the best episodes in tv history. The acting brings me to tears everytime I watch it. Mandy patinkin is such a believable actor. His passion holds you to the screen! The warden in tiers when giving the order to pull switch on Sarah Jean gets me too. The actress playing Sarah Jean so amazing! So believable!

18 girls versus one boy

[JaneBingley · 1/10 · 29 October 2017]

This story was morally repulsive. A sexual psychopath rape, torture and kill 18 children and teenagers in his garage. His wife knows about it, but say nothing.

But then they get a child, and only then she feels the need to act. When the boy is two years old, she make an anonymous call to the police, abandon the child on the street in the hope that he be found an adopted, and let herself be arrested along with psycho hubby.

She is more than willing to die in order to keep her son safe. And so she does.

The FBI team are oh so understanding, and seems to think she is an innocent little flower. It really is disgusting how they don't see anything wrong in her covering up her husbands despicable crimes, and that she only came forward when her own son was in danger.

The 18 girls are hardly mentioned, their parents are are never interviewed, and no one care about them.

Horrible episode.

Appropriate and timely. Great episode.

[maryspangenberg · 8/10 · 29 June 2019]

And the person who thinks murdering an innocent victim is Liberalism has some severe issues.

One of my all-time favourites!

[juliaandjackthecavalier · 10/10 · 28 April 2021]

I haven't seen this episode in eons, but it only took one rewatch to remind me, why I always thought this was one of CM's best.

The topic of capital punishment, caring for a child and the sacrifice, the choice Gideon made in the end... These are all interesting ethical questions questions but put in a beautiful empirical gritty storyline. The acting of all involved parties was incredible and the music choices were great for this episode.

Just brilliant, the whole thing, a joy to watch (but not without tissues!)

Best episode of season 1!

[xanthos83 · 10/10 · 3 December 2020]

Cant believe how this episode got into my skin. So great performances from those actors and so strong messages they send us. Dont want to say more. Just a beautiful episode and a story i will always remember