Criminal Minds (TV Series) True Night (2007) User Reviews

Very Frank-Miller - Bravo Zulu

[wishart188 · 9/10 · 7 October 2008]

I loved this episode because of the directorship and filming style that was so "Frank Miller". And it was befitting because the show was about a graphic novelist. Especially in those scenes that showed how the crimes/murders were being committed, it was plain joy to see the slow-mo of the blades slashing through the raindrops, and blood splattering like red paint across TV screen. For a while there, I actually thought the episode could've been directed by Zack Snyder ("300") but was pleasantly surprised that it was (still) directed by none other than Edward Allen Bernero.

The episode also attempted to look at how the crime was committed through the eyes of the murderer. This was a little different from the other episodes in which most of the crimes were seen from the perspective of either the profilers or the victims or sometimes, the observers (us, audience).

Bravo Zulu.

Different but incredibly powerful

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 15 July 2016]

The third season got off to a rocky start with Gideon's departure (before "Children of the Dark" and "Seven Seconds" turned things around further in the right direction, but the first three episodes were surprisingly not too bad at all (far from it in fact) considering.

While it's not top-tier 'Criminal Minds', and some may find it too much of a departure to usual, "True Night" in my mind was a truly powerful episode. Sure people are not going to like that the unsub is known early on, that there is a lot of focus on him and that the role of the BAU is somewhat limited. Regarding this, some of the team not being in the episode long enough (Prentiss especially) and not enough profiling (which there is is done thoughtfully this said) was disappointing.

However, the unsub is actually an interesting one, which can be a danger with unsubs being introduced early on and being focused on-predominantly. A rare case of one feeling genuinely bad and sorry for the unsub, with a background story that will tear the heart and wrench the gut, after seeing a fair share of monsters with no redeeming qualities. Considering the brutality of the murders, this is something that comes across as a surprise to the team as well as the viewer.

"True Night's" visual style is another departure, the audacious but gritty typical 'Criminal Minds' style is maintained but it is mixed with scenes brilliantly constructed and shot in a graphic novel/picture sort of style, that's both harrowing and beautiful. Despite the differences, there is still enough of a 'Criminal Minds' feel, with the sweet scenes between Morgan and Garcia, Reid's facts and the banter between Morgan and Reid, the witty, gritty and adorable chemistry within the BAU and the psychology of the criminal's mind that helps one to understand why the unsub has unravelled so badly and that in a way he's very much a victim too, for 'Criminal Minds' this was different.

Edward Allen Bernero's direction is bolder than usual, but is paced in a way that takes time to absorb what's going on while still being told a lot. The script is thought-provoking and high in emotional impact, and the story is perhaps the most disturbing, powerful and heart-breaking of the third season (even more so than "Children of the Dark"). The characters are interesting and well-written, with a particularly great job done with the unsub.

All the acting is strong from the regulars, plus Joe Mantegna after an inevitably slightly shaky character introduction is settling in nicely. The biggest surprise was Frankie Muniz, who struck me on paper as too lightweight for such a meaty and intense role but actually he's a revelation in a role so far apart from his previous work, Muniz portrays Jonny as intensely dark and deranged but also tormented and heart-wrenchingly tragic in numerous sudden but seamless shifts from one to the other.

In conclusion, different but incredibly powerful. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Graphic novel lovers, watch this!

[smhostvet1 · 9/10 · 16 March 2021]

Love this episode. Sympathetic "bad guy", hits close to home with the attack on the woman (tw), very cool fight scenes with graphic novel flair. Yes it's violent and gory, but so are all CM episodes.

"Sin City" graphics, sympathetic villain. Wonderful!

[pdcoy53 · 10/10 · 19 November 2010]

I recorded this episode when it was shown again, because I had to "own" it. It is that good. The graphic-novel sequences - ala Frank Miller - are just amazing. They do not, however, over-shadow the story-line, which is also very unusual in that our villain is not a monster, in the way that most "CM" villains are. Not wanting to introduce spoilers to detract from a viewer's enjoyment of this episode, I will just say: Try to find this episode. It is not to be missed. I hope that there will be more episodes as unusual as this one. It is great to have a break from the usual - although "the usual" is always quite good. I enjoy getting into the psychology of the killers, rather than just the technical breakdown of the evidence they leave behind. An outstanding episode from an excellent show. I love both Mandy Patankin and Joe Montegna. All the characters are excellent.

One of the best - because it's different

[crowsworks-54195 · 10/10 · 19 May 2021]

I watch these shows off and on but they can be very predictable. Hotch glowers - Penelope flirts - Reid is nerdy and a murder magnet - so on and so on.

This episode was different - cinema quality direction. Good 'villain'. Frankie did a good job playing someone over the edge. The fact that he was in a violent psychotic break - if people were watching - was proven when he literally ripped a heavy handcuff bar off a table in the interrogation room. The girl being hot? Maybe he remembered her as he saw her OR maybe she was attracted to a successful, cute young guy who adored her.

True Knight

[amckee-64063 · 29 August 2017]

Another good episode! The scenes between Garcia and Morgan were, as usually, equally sweet and hilarious. I got some laughs from Morgan and Reid, too. The storyline describing Jonny's picture-perfect, doomed relationship with his girlfriend--and his subsequent plunge into insanity--was exquisitely heartbreaking. It was also fascination to see all of the themes combined in one episode--detective film, action flick, superhero movie, noir.

Furthermore, I enjoyed seeing how seamlessly the story lines of Johny and the BAU were blended together. Instead of roughly cutting from bustling police stations to bloodstained basements, Jonny McHale is shown driving past and even having conversations with our heroes--long before they begin to suspect him of any wrongdoing.

This was another interesting example of how this episode could easily have been the origin story for a real superhero. Jonny McHale suffered a tragic loss, got revenge, and was inspired to start to cleaning up the streets in the process. But instead of saving his city from a vicious evil with the likes Jessica Jones or Luke Cage, he's sitting in a mental hospital with a cell phone. Fascinating, but sad,

Most haunting of all is the fact that Jonny McHale never shows the reek of evil displayed by other unsubs. In fact, it almost feels like Glen Hill--his final, most gruesomely killed victim-- seems like the real villain of this story, despite only appearing as a memory or a corpse. I guess Prentiss sums it up perfectly: "It just makes me wonder...are we all capable of becoming something like that?" Yes, we are.

Different and awesome

[vagnerlimatr · 10/10 · 21 November 2023]

A different point of view during all episode. Simply awesome. The art is a plus gift for fans of comics as well. The episode starts with a beautiful scene in comic art, going clear that something different would be delivered. The episode takes us by a creative and immersive narrative, leaving the 'cliche" and to show every step of investigation, showing more of the anti-bad guy, his conflicts and disturbances. The climax of the episode take us to have empathy to the villain and proposes a reflection about how the things happens in our lives and how we be affected by them. Would bad things turn us from good guys to monsters?

Derivative but with an agenda

[vorlonspy · 6/10 · 25 August 2022]

Reading the other reviews, some mention graphic novels, Frank Miller and Sin City (film). Yet none mention that this is basically The Crow: Guy is forced to watch his girlfriend being killed in front of him by a gang and visits bloody retribution upon them. For sure, Eric Draven is already dead, but that's the only difference between him and Johnny, both are unstoppable, highly efficient killers working their way to to the "kingpin", complete with taking on the entirety of those still alive in one go and saving the leader for last (who is killed elsewhere), whilst only sustaining minor flesh wounds.

It could also be framed as a "what if?" What if Jamie O'Barr had also gone on a vigilante spree against drink drivers as well as trying to find catharsis for his personal tragedy by writing about it?

Mixing in Frank Miller style artwork (excellently executed), Sin City styled retribution scenes with Fluke's "Atom Bomb" as the soundtrack (again, excellently executed) is an attempt to bring an audience of police procedurals into a world they are not that likely to have had much exposure to: the world of the classic graphic novel.

Since this episode first aired, there has been a huge increase in popularity for what was previously considered niche: the Marvel Cinematic Universe films and TV shows, DC's not quite so successful forays (including Watchmen, V for Vendetta and Batman, Superman, etc.), Lucifer and most recently The Sandman. That this episode back then decided to break the mould of the usual "there's some killer out there, let's do some analysis, fly in a Learjet, catch them and be back in time for corn flakes" which did get a bit repetitive, is to be lauded. It's a pity there weren't more episodes taking such a bold tack.

Poor Writing all-round

[michalearosetripp · 1/10 · 16 December 2020]

I spent this whole episode thinking "Theres no way this girl is real, its all a deranged fantasy of this guy. Thats the only way to explain the terrible writing." Nope she's real and apparently actually does love the milk toast boring protagonist who's only feature is being hilariously over powered. (Literally, man runs into traffic and gets hit by a car, smashing the windshield with his body but less than 15 seconds later is able to completely incapacitate a guy with one hand around his neck. The dude is bigger than him too and also has his wife there to help.) All the scenes with the girlfriend read like they were written by an incel who's only method of typing was through predictive text. Our main cast where way out of character and barely got any screen time as the episode instead lingers on literally the worst villain in CM history. Give this one a miss unless you want to watch Malcom in the middle over-act his way though 50 minutes of your life you will never get back.

The ill-talented Freddy Muniz - 'nuff said

[cps88 · 1/10 · 14 October 2014]

This was simply the worst written and acted episode I've ever seen on this show. If you think you'll like watching Freddy Muniz, crying, overacting, agonizing (and putting you in agony) for almost the full hour, watch it. Otherwise, skip. He's a graphic novelist who has delusional hallucinations throughout the entire show. How this one slipped by the producers of such a normally quality show I'll never know. Think of the talented Joe Montegna and the talent-less Muniz sharing a scene. What an abomination! Then there's a scene where Muniz, after running in front of, and getting hit by a car, is flat on his back, injured from the accident, then grabbing a guy (the driver) that outweighs him by about 30 pounds, by the neck, and disabling him. I've never said such things about any episode of this show. But they fit here.

Average

[lottiemarshalllm · 5/10 · 21 August 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 guess this episode was alright. I just felt the team was kind useless in the case. They only knew who the unsub was because of his manager coming forward and they didn't even use the profile.

I thought the backstory to Johnny was intense and how his killings were caused by ptsd was dramatic but ultimately made the episode kind unremarkable. I like that the backstory was included but the way it was sprinkled throughout the episode kind of annoyed me, I think that's more personal preference but it wasn't my fave.

I do love getting to see Morgan and Garcia interact but those were the only good character moments in the episode.

Overall a pretty bland watch that could have been way more interesting if the agents were actually focused to search for the unsub.

True Night

[nebohr · 5/10 · 26 January 2022]

True Night 03.10

My wife and I. We both have theatre background. And we're not about to launch into a boring six paragraph dissertation on any TV show or movie. We would like to think that our light-hearted semi-non sequitur reviews based upon the silly MST3K model might be enjoyable for some. WE get a kick out of it ; ).

8-stars. Everything starts with an 8-star rating.

Jazz music.

9-stars.

The graphic artist for this episode? Double hugs.

10-stars.

That cartoon! That's from an old 1960's stoner artist. What's his name?

"Keep On Truckin'"? Robert Crumb.

Reid memorizes traffic reports on a city 2500 miles distant. That is just stupid, lazy writing.

9-stars.

Don't bother to defend yourself when some skinny guy is choking you to death.

Earth to Johnny: you live in an apartment, dude.

A marriage proposal in a dark alley at night in a high-crime neighborhood.

What could possibly go wrong?

8-stars.

Do you have any idea how much upper body strength is required to wield two large machetes simultaneously? We have serious doubts that little Frankie is capable.

.> Hollywood cliche #077: a melee weapon can sever a limb.

7-stars.

Like, Derek wants to hang around in order to take out Garcia's trash?

Seriously? You so pro, bro.

6-stars.

Reid thinks that Superman is real. You have got to be kidding us.

5-stars.

Only 7 minutes in and we are already getting bored.

great gobs of gore

[rwseidel · 4/10 · 6 September 2019]

This is senseless violence in every meaning of the word. It is also graphic violence in a literal sense. If it were an actual graphic novel, it would be in my circular file. Unfortunately, Netflix has no way of editing out episodes like this, so it gets caught in the spatter. Even for this series, this is a grave disappointment, and should be buried.

Comically Bad

[keejteej · 2/10 · 30 March 2022]

So this should've been a 10 minute short, about an unlucky as hell artist devolving to chaos with PTSD, then turned in to police by his ex-manager!

The team do nothing, ok maybe a press statement, but nothing really to help. The acting is pathetic, I mean really bad...guess you g Frankie wanted to show he's not a silly kid anymore...but failed. The writing was beyond bad...a tiny kid massacring 7 gangbangers ..at their main place!! Seriously?

Not a Criminal Minds episode in any way.

Gave it 2 star only due to the music 😛