Criminal Minds (TV Series) Won't Get Fooled Again (2005) User Reviews

Great Ending Caps Good PB Bomber Episode

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 3 January 2007]

There is a bomber in Palm Beach, Fla. We learn that "half of these bombers wind up blown up by their own bombs." With that in mind, one of the victims - a guy who lost a foot in one of the explosions - turns out to be a suspect.

From there, the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) of the FBI - the people who make up this program - discover that whoever this bomber is, he's a copycat of a guy who is prison in Boston. That guy blew up six FBI people when "Gideon," the leader of this program, was involved. That case obviously haunts him (and has been mentioned in all three episodes) but they need this guy "Adrian Bale" (Tim Kelleher) to help find the guy in Palm Beach.

Things get really hairy at the end when a guy wearing a "necklace bomb" enters the police room and our guys have three hours to diffuse it. It's a good episode with a great ending, one of the better ones I've seen on these crime shows.

Three episodes in and showing no signs of tiring

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 7 February 2017]

"Won't Get Fooled Again" may not be as good as "Extreme Aggressor" and "Compulsion", the previous two episodes, but that it's still very good is testament really to how good those two episodes were so early on in the show's run.

Mostly Season 1 of 'Criminal Minds' was solid. There was a slow hit-and-miss patch between "The Fox" and "Riding the Lightning" (two of the season's, and the show's, best episodes) with episodes ranging between very good and blandly average, but to me the only really sub-par episode of Season 1 was "Machismo" (still one of my least favourite 'Criminal Minds' episodes). "Won't Get Fooled Again" continues the season's strong start, after one of the show's best season premieres in "Extreme Aggressor" and after a masterclass in how to make a riveting episode out of a done-to-death and not always interesting concept in "Compulsion" this follows on impressively, not as good as those two episodes but still very well done.

A couple of parts and connections (i.e. trying to figure out the plan through following internet usage) are introduced a little randomly from personal opinion, meaning not as much room to piece everything together for ourselves. Morgan's attitude towards Gideon saw a side to him that was disrespectful and unprofessional, there have been worse cases of unprofessional and jerk-ish behaviour since with Morgan but when we are reminded of how protective and caring he is like in his big brother-like bond with Reid one can't help be turned off a little.

There is so much to like in "Won't Get Fooled Again". It does wonders with a concept (bombing) that has been done many times on TV that varies hugely in effectiveness and interest of execution. Especially compelling are the scenes and interaction between Gideon and Bale, which create powerful chills, and the climactic moments that are full of non-stop tension, with the cut the wire part one gets really panicked as to whether the right thing was said.

Gideon and Bale's chemistry isn't the only well done chemistry, the trusting and quietly professional one between Gideon and Hotch and the sweet one between Morgan and Garcia (long before the banter became over-the-top and misplaced) are also strongly written. A great job is done with Gideon, who is like the heart and soul of the group, and one really sees the BAU work as a team here and with urgency. Not that they didn't before, but they particularly do in this episode and their personalities more defined.

Visually, there is much style, class and atmosphere, while the direction is taut and accommodating and the music haunting and melancholic. The script is thought-provoking and beautifully balanced and the story compelling in its suspense and emotion.

Nothing to complain with the acting either, with authoritative Mandy Patinkin and sadistic Tim Kelleher being worthy of particular praise.

In conclusion, a very good episode, remarkably so for at this point a show that was only three episodes in when for some shows this particular period is a rocky one. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Solid episode

[agaveboy · 8/10 · 8 July 2021]

In a small town in Florida, a criminal delivers 3 bombs in the span of an otherwise quiet morning, resulting in 2 deaths and 1 injury. As the episode progresses, the BAU uses shockingly intelligent tactics and deductions to narrow down the identity of the killer. Although the reason for the bomber's actions is a bit weak when the FBI discovers them, it can be overlooked by the great ending.

So Far best episode of the season

[projectsgamer · 10/10 · 13 September 2021]

So far this is the best episode so far from this season Gideon is a really character to me in this episode he was great he knows how to trick the opponents at first he will get tricked but than learns how not to do that again and does against the criminals very smart interesting story once again if Gideon was not smart this episode would of sucked I am starting to really like his character at first I was not really going to like him not he is a lot better character.

Good but boring at parts

[lottiemarshalllm · 6/10 · 29 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.

All I can say is that this episode was fine. There's some really good scenes in this episode like a little girl finding one of the packages but that's so quickly resolved that the intensity is just gone in like 30 seconds. And I think the best part about this episode was the copycat bombers connection to Gideons passed and one of the most traumatic times in his life.

I really enjoyed that Gideon had to not only revisit his past and face it headfirst by talking to the killer that lost him six men and a hostage but I also love that he was able to see through the bombers lies and save the innocent man's life. That being said the copycat bomber was so dumb like I just didn't feel like it was exciting at all when they found him.

It was not a bad episode and it was still interesting but just not as thrilling as the first two episodes of the season.

The Lazy Writers Bomb Again

[nebohr · 15 November 2021]

There is a 8.07% chance of monkeyface Gideon showing any human emotion this episode.

We're still unclear how the second bomb did so little damage to the intended victim's upper torso and head since it was on the roof of his car yet it blew his shoes off and destroyed the car. The third bomb detonates when no one is even close to it. So much for the "mercury activated switch" idea. Maybe some poor, misguided housecat set it off? Tired of being fed dry cat food pussycat decided to murder her owner?

Methane (CH 4) is a hydrocarbon that is a primary component of natural gas. Land with methane deposits is certainly not worthless.

Mercury switches are not sophisticated. If you have an old round Honeywell thermostat in your house just pull off the gold cover and you're looking at a mercury switch,

It's a pity that a trained Federal agent can't shoot a car from less than fifty feet away. Since those bullets didn't hit the car they must have struck the house directly behind. Can you say indefinite suspension without pay?

Palm Beach Police don't recognize when a garage door is up and instead break in the side door with a crowbar.

Electroplating will not allow one to change the dates on US coins since the process is limited to a thickness of 20 or so microns. There is no way to change the date on a US coin without it being easily detected.

Reid should know that it's much faster and easier to search digital documents than it is to search printed paper documents.

A three hour timer on a human bomb? Plot hole.

A switch circuit is either normally open or normally closed. It would be easy to figure the "human bomb" neck collar switch and disable it.

X-raying metal reveals nothing. The image will be opaque.

Plus one star for putting the human bomb in a Faraday cage.

Hotch doesn't know how to open a door silently.

A bomb shockwave travels faster than the speed of sound. Hotch should have been caught in the blast.

Hollywood cliche #152: the bad guy would have you cut the wrong wire.

Copycat crime

[TOT_EchoofGlory · 29 May 2020]

A new case about box bomb. For Gideon, the case brought back some painful memories. Interactions between Morgan and Garcia are always my favorite.