Profiler (1996–2000) User Reviews

Ally Walker walks off, show drops off

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 9 September 2013]

Dr. Sam Waters (Ally Walker) is a detective with the Violent Crimes Task Force. It's a federal agency which often works with the FBI, ATF, and other crime-solving agencies.

It's a pretty simple dark crime procedural with a continuing manhunt for a killer known as Jack of All Trades. Ally Walker has enough presence to lead this show. It also had Julian McMahon, and Robert Davi as star actors. It was a pretty good show at the start, but generally declined as it went on. It lasted 4 seasons. The show really deteriorated in the 3rd season, and then Ally Walker leaves the show and destroys what was left.

Solid, serious mystery show that overstayed it's welcome

[ODDBear · 7/10 · 26 February 2009]

Dr. Samantha Waters (Ally Walker), a retired Profiler for the FBI, is called back into action by her former co-worker and friend Bailey Malone (Robert Davi), who heads a special unit in Atlanta called VCTF (Violent Crimes Task Force). Shortly after her arrival an old nemesis who goes by the name of Jack of All Trades, a vicious serial killer who has an obsession with Sam, starts going after her and the ones she cares for.

"Profiler" had a cracker jack start. Some stand alone episodes in the first season were very good but the ongoing saga between Jack and Sam was very suspenseful and the character of Jack was truly scary. The series had a special look when it came, very dark, nearly entirely humorless and very brooding characters. It really reached full force in the Sam/Jack confrontations and Season 1 ended with one hell of a climax.

Season 2 mostly carried on in the same vein as the First one with more characters added. Jack received a protegé and together they managed to makes Sam's life a living hell. The same dark tone and humorless approach continued and kept fans of the first season happy.

In Season 3 things changed quite a bit. Jack's nearly MIA in all but a few episodes and the episodes went through changes, such as more attention was payed to the evildoers and their plight rather than the classic detective elements in the previous two seasons. Ally Walker started acting like a character in another series, constantly displaying some off-putting attempts at humor. Ridiculous inconsistencies from the get go on Season 3; one major character disappears without any explanation, Walker's daughter ages a few years very mysteriously and some interesting story lines from the two previous seasons are never brought up again. The overall dark tone and look was mostly gone here and a lighter approach was attempted. Season 3 was the beginning of the end, though it had some interesting episodes and the ones concerning Jack were very solid.

Season 4 was mostly dreadful. The Sam/Jack story was wrapped up in the first two episodes, those two were pretty good but the overall buildup to the climax was always going to be a letdown. Still, it had an ending and that was good. Ally Walker exited the show and Jamie Luner (a terribly annoying actress) took her place. The episodes and mysteries themselves weren't all bad, but this new Profiler never filled Walker's shoes and the personal stories between the main characters were boring and at best half-explained.

Looking at "Profiler" overall, the show had a great cast. Ally Walker was pitch perfect, at least for the first two seasons, as Sam Waters. Her tough, no nonsense approach to the character, while making her somewhat vulnerable, was very impressive and it's only in the third season that she lost her touch. Robert Davi, always a forceful presence, does well as Baily Malone. Always underplaying, going for the quiet impact rather than hot blooded emotions, he is a big reason for the show's success. Roma Maffia, Peter Frechette and Julian McMahon provided solid support and the guest stars were usually good. Plus the guy who played Jack of All Trades was great (don't want to reveal the name for those yet to watch the show). But Jamie Luner was annoying as hell in the fourth and worst season.

It's easy to see that "Profiler" influenced some shows that are still going strong today but it's dead-on serious approach is what eventually distinguishes it from the rest. The two first seasons were terrific, the third one was solid but the fourth was not good.

Good, but unnecessarily slow moving show

[professor_of_gamez · 6/10 · 16 January 2024]

This is a pretty good show, but it is unnecessarily slow moving.

I am currently (re)watching the first season. After I feel like I have watched 1 hr 30 minutes, to 1 hr 45 minutes of each episode, I am ready for a break, only to be shocked to discover I am only half way through the 46 minute episode.

Also, a trivia entry on this page indicates that the "styllized" sequences shown are an indication of Sam making a "leap". That is FAR from obvious while actually watching it. I don't know if the writer of that trivia entry is speculating, or if he was attached to the show and THAT is how he "knows."

Also, most of the episodes from season 1 seem to have an almost identical story line. I FEEL like I am watching the same episode over and over.

A superb tv series

[ainoarwen · 29 July 2000]

Although being a long time avid tv series viewer, I can safely guarantee that I'll never watch a tv show so brilliant as Profiler, especially in its first two seasons. By the time the end credits of "Ring Of Fire" (the second episode of the series ever) were rolling, I knew I was hooked big time. The stories were riveting and scary, the characters intriguing and the whole atmosphere of the series just captivating in its uniqueness.

Now, the reason I said the first two seasons in particular are the best television output ever, is because after them the series changed dramatically. And in my opinion, for the definite worse. The concept of the series was totally ruined by the new producers who were not capable of retaining the series' story standards set by the original production team, headed by Kim Moses and Ian Sander. However, I still continued to watch, because I cared deeply for the main character Sam Waters and the other characters as well.

But then, the Profiler world was shattered when it became official that the lead of the series (Sam Waters / Ally Walker) was going to leave. I believe the character of Sam Waters is one of the most positive, inspirational and original female tv characters ever. To see her being replaced by such an offensive, gross stereotype such as the Rachel Burke character was is still something I haven't gotten over.

My advice to anyone who wants to appreciate the real Profiler is to watch the seasons in which Ally Walker stars, and it goes without saying that the first two are the gems of the series. Sam Waters will always be missed.

Sam's departure, was the true end of the series.

[m-47826 · 6/10 · 26 December 2020]

It was ahead of its time, and very influential to future cop shows like Criminal Minds and The Following. Jamie Luner was just as good as Ally Walker. But her character's arc, wasn't as compelling as hers. First Sam's ended in an anticlimactic way, then it's her successor's turn, to see the series wrap with too many unanswered questions. I loved the Jack storyline, and was obsessed with knowing who he was, back when I watched episodes on TV. Some might say it didn't age well, but the early seasons were very addictive, and had a great and unsettling creepy atmosphere. Like most shows, the middle of its run, was the make it or break it stage. And this one clearly suffered from that. With a complete change in tone and storytelling in season 3, and a different heroine the following season. Maybe the network thought they found a way to rejuvenate the show, by introducing new intrigues. But viewers showed them otherwise, and Profiler was cancelled the same year. Even the DVDS sets met some hiccups, with missing episodes, due to music copyright issues. And it is almost impossible to watch on streaming. It's one of those poorly handled series, that sometimes give a bad name to this era of TV. Where too many shows were cancelled, with open door endings. And no chance at getting one in the future.

Watched this during the first round.

[kejjr-27080 · 9/10 · 26 July 2020]

Still like it. But what I enjoy the most, and this may be weird, but you can see expressions on Dr. Sam's face. This adds reality to the show, instead of all the plastic faces on TV these days. This makes her my favorite actress right now. She's been a good addition to NCIS.

Thanks for bringing the show back again!!

Better without Ally

[tclough-52157 · 7/10 · 2 June 2019]

In my opinion, once they removed Ally Walker from the series it moved from a 4.5 to a 7. Probably the worse actress in a starring role that I can remember. Her deer in the headlight stare is so beyond annoying.

Law of Increasing Returns

[michelle-263 · 8/10 · 20 November 2019]

I disagree with the opprobrium cast on the season with Jamie Luner . In my view it was the best of all four seasons. There was much more discussion about profiling (I agree with the programme's profiling consultant, Howard Tetan, who said on the DVD extras that Sam was much more like a psychic than a profiler), the cases were not split with the rather absurd super-villain Jack and it was not bogged down with Sam's tedious family life. This last difference had the advantage of giving space to develop the other characters. I think it would be unfair to discuss the continuing plot line of Joe/Damian Kanaras because it had been intended to develop the story in the cancelled fifth season.

This might not be the place, but I want to moan about the ridiculous amount of shelf space taken up by the US DVDs. I have seasons one and two on Australian DVDs which comfortably fit six discs into an ordinary jewel case. The US issues of seasons three and four are the size of bricks - a regular problem with A & E Entertainment.

Very good mixed with some almost equally bad

[Jackbv123 · 6/10 · 3 August 2019]

This show is the story of Samantha Waters. Her story is dominated by the omnipotent criminal Jack who is obsessed with Sam, but it is not exclusively so. This show ended at the end of the second episode of the fourth season. After that it lost all cohesion, but it attempted to refocus on a new profiler who replaced Sam. It's not that the new profiler's story was bad, but it was a completely new story that was different. It featured a completely new star character with a completely different personality.

Here's what I loved about the show: Sam Chloe Angel The science of profiling.

Here's what I hated: Jack The obsession with Jack The torture of Sam in many various ways, especially killing key people in her life. Malone including his arrogance and irresponsibility The twofold persecution of Malone story lines. The rebellious Frances story line The series finale cliffhanger

Many people denigrate the performances of Ally Walker. It is true that there are far too many of the same closeup shots of her with the same look on her face. They are basically prolonged stills and they require no acting ability. But Walker does far more than that. Personally, I love her laugh when it's completely spontaneous, but that's not all. Walker had to be a woman who is vulnerable and frequently frightened, but with only a few exceptions, she doesn't show her fear. At the same time she had to be confident in her own abilities. Mix in that frequently Sam pretended to be either insecure or fearful. She thinks on her feet and comes up solutions on her feet also. Walker is probably not Emmy worthy, but she is not just a pretty blonde.

Sam's close friends and Chloe are obvious feel-goods for the series.

I loved Criminal Minds until they messed around with too many cast changes. This show was a forerunner to that and there is a lot of the brilliant deduction appeal in profiling.

Many people love Jack. Certainly, his story was closely tied to Sam's. I just didn't like that story especially the obsession.

Part of the obsession was the torment of Sam that just went on and on. But not only does Jack torment her, but at least one time the writers do also (the Chloe custody episode).

Probably the biggest thing I hated about Jack was his omnipotence. Think about who he turns out to be at the end of season 3 (although we knew before that). He held down that identity and still moved all of the country ahead of the VCTF. Admittedly, he had some help for which we are totally clear always on who did what, but still he was too omnipotent. As a rule, I hate the omnipotent criminal (such as Pelant in Bones).

Malone is an idiot. He's arrogant and irresponsible. He fails his daughter many times over. He operates outside the lines too often for the FBI, despite what current events in 2018 tell us. The gods of television are idealistic and would like us to believe in people who are independent and equally idealistic. The most obvious flaw in Malone is chasing after the wife of his FBI rival. Career FBI guys can't afford to do that. You don't mess around in the office and you don't hit on colleagues wives. Maybe it happens, but it is idiotic.

In short, I think two things held me for 3 plus seasons of this show. One was it's sharing a two hour time period with Pretender. The other was Ally Walker as Sam. Watching it again in reruns leaves me frustrated more often than not.

Note about reruns. Right now it runs twice a day on a cable channel. But the AM and PM episodes are from completely different points in the series. That adds to frustration and makes things confusing.

Excellent until they replaced Ally Walker

[aradia-45961 · 9/10 · 22 November 2023]

I loved this show and that Sam Waters was an intuitive, kind profiler. When they replaced her with Rachel Burke it ruined the show, Rachel was just the stereotypical mouthy tough chick, who made a lot of veiled sexual type comments. Such a cliche' and done so many times before in cop shows, Sam was a unique personality for the feds, I don't think the big bosses understood the appeal of having a profiler who wasn't an egomaniac. The rest of cast was great, some real talent in the crew, and the story lines interwoven with Jack kept it fresh.

I also liked the visual artistry of the clips around Jack, the blue tint was very effective.

Brilliant!

[movieholic92 · 8/10 · 22 August 2008]

With a impeccable cast including Robert Davi, Julian McMahon, Peter Frechette, Ally Walker and so many others...this show cannot go wrong. An interesting backstory that follows through all the seasons (till Walker's departure in season 4), Jack is a compelling character. Not only do you have the initial cases, which are interesting and original in themselves, you have these main characters. John Grant the jokester with a dark past, Malone who runs the show with a fatherly fist, Waters who solves the cases with her inept ability to see what others try too... This show is funny, it's sad, it's just damn good. If you haven't seen it, I suggest you do.

Profiler is DOA

[skay_baltimore · 5/10 · 27 December 2013]

Once you remove all of the graphic, sensationalistic violence and gratuitous eye candy, Profiler is really nothing more than a silly little soap opera cop show permeated with melodramatic acting, nonsensical/meandering plots, more psycho-babble than an Oprah marathon, and lots of hair flipping by Ally Walker. I'm not sure what this show really sets out to achieve, but that's okay, neither does the show itself. Granted, it does try to expose some X-Files type government evils, but unfortunately that all gets lost in the proverbial sauce.

Profiler falls many many rungs below The Pretender and the British alternative, Cracker. It lacks the ingenious vengeance plots of The Pretender as well as the earthy realism of Cracker. And unlike many fans of the show I believe the problems begin long before seasons 3 and 4, although most of season 4 -- excluding Ep1, Ep2, and the Pretender crossover episodes -- is a total train wreck.

Among its many shortcomings this show lacks fundamental believability. Characters come and go; story arcs simply vanish into thin air; shows are aired out of sync due to "sweeps week" ratings considerations, and ideas that start out interesting soon become onion paper thin after just a few episodes. This series isn't really all that "dark"; what it IS is insufferably DULL.

The acting is wooden and one-dimensional. The internal back stories don't hold much water -- or interest. And because of Robert Davi's Neanderthal/Joe Friday butchering of his role, Profiler more times than not hits with about as much subtlety as a Sybian set on "High" (but with a LOT less pleasure). And you wanna talk about depravity? Look at Davi's hair for a while; you're not hallucinating when you keep getting flashbacks to Eddie Munster. Davi is clearly the weak link in this series. His boorish, stale testosterone act gets old very quickly until his presence grates upon one's nerves like nails grating against a blackboard (very long, very sharp, very annoying nails).

Then there's Ally Walker's performance. She has a repertoire of about 3 "looks", and her character's insights/flashes wouldn't significantly advance a Psych 101 textbook. It gets even worse once her replacement, Jamie Luner, takes over. Her non-stop mono-tribes leave one breathless; but not in a good way. Beyond that she's like a poor man's Jennifer Anniston as far as eye candy goes. Erica Gimpel's role as Angel is dubious/questionable at best. And Julian McMahon would be a better fit for some local neighborhood theater troupe than the prime time spotlight. (He's actually best suited for one of those Ditka/da Bears/Discount Daaaable Check commercials.) And Roma Maffia is...well...Roma Maffia (She has a voice that would blend in perfectly with The Simpsons).

What else is there to say about Profiler? Not much. It's way over-hyped. Typical MSM hackneyed liberal agenda fare. And frankly, I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.

A good and original series

[stamper · 20 August 2000]

I started tuning into this show when Samantha (Ally Walker) was still the lead and pretty soon I was hooked. I think it was great. The stories were always interesting, because always there was some new psycho with a different reason and a different twist than the last one. Also there was the whole Jack-of-all-trades- background which gave Samantha and the whole series an immense driving force. After Samantha left the VCTF in came a new profiler, called Rachel (Jamie Luner), who is actually the reason why I'm writing this, for changing lead's often result in a lessening of the quality of a series. First I want to say that Rachel is kind of the same as Samantha because she has the sixth sense. But she brings a whole other character on the tube which I had to start to like and eventually I did, although she can never replace Ally Walker whom I still find much better on screen, plus I liked Walker's character much better. Soon after the replacement of Walker the creators or the writers must have felt what I felt while watching, that without Samantha and Jack-of-all-trades a huge driving force was gone and so they created a new one, ex detective Joel Marks, I don't know about other people, but I like the way they inserted him into the continuous part of the show.

As for the others, they are still great, they were great with Sam and now are on Rachel's side. You have the sarcastic forensic Grace (Roma Maffia) the friendly, in-control and always know what to do Bailey (Robert Davi) and George (Peter Frechette) and of course John (Julian McMahon). Those two last ones are actually the only persons who have really changed on the tube since Samantha lived. I always found that George and Samantha were very good together and I miss that and now she's gone we have a lot more of McMahon with Luner. Not that McMahon and Walker were bad together, but George has been pushed into the background a bit, I feel. Still a good show though, because it still is intelligent and original, because as a viewer you always tend to try a bit of profiling yourself.

With Ally Walker GREAT

Without her (still) good.

Jamie lunar

[donnanagler · 10/10 · 19 June 2019]

I am enjoying the reruns of profiler. I had never seen it before I started watching with Aly walker and then came Jamie. I am enjoying her so much more. I have seen Jamie in many made for TV movies and really enjoy her acting. Profiler has interesting concepts and a great cast.

Watch "Cracker" and pass on this fluff

[=G= · 5/10 · 14 May 2004]

In "Profiler", Walker walks all over her nuances as she plays a forensic psychologist who uses a combination of forensics, psychology, deduction, empathy, and intuition to catch the bad guys. Unfortunately, Walker's character "Sam" couldn't add 2+2 with a calculator. It -is- possible that I was spoiled by watching "Cracker", a Brit series about a -real- profiler which will seriously mess with your mind thanks to Jimmy McGovern who specializes in writing psychodynamic dramas. In "Profiler", Sam is always prim and cosmetically together, has a perfect little daughter, and a best friend with an ATTITUDE (Oooooo!) who does welding sculptures at her oh so perfect home by the lake. A silly sham and a shameful attempt to delve into the criminal mind, "Profiler" is just plain old every-day TV entertainment straight out of the can. Passable, forgettable, and very underwhelming. (C)

Best TV series I have seen

[sejrolsen · 13 June 2000]

This is the best TV series I have seen. It's got good acting, GREAT plot (the whole Jack-of-All-Trades plot in the background was brilliant), and even after Sam Waters retired the idea is still very, very captivating.

The part I like best (and which I also find most scary), is all the different motives/backgrounds the perpetrators have. I also appreciate that the main characters have a life besides the VCTF, and that they develop throughout the series.

All in all, I can't point to anything about the series I don't like. It's a must-see.

Spine-chilling AND intelligent

[zeph-3 · 24 March 1999]

With no need for conspiracy theories, alien abductions or psychic forevision Dr. Samantha Waters manages to do a very fine job indeed. The photography is brilliant, particularly so when we're led into one of Jack-of-all-Trades' many lairs. The night scenes, too are shot in such a distinctive way that you couldn't possibly mistake this brilliant series for any other currently "out there". This may not yet be a 'realistic' portrayal of life in the bureau, but at least everyone concerned has a field of expertise and seems to excel in it.

Furthermore, this one is a genuine ensemble piece. Ally Walker is undoubtedly the star here, but all the other major characters can easily be defined as being in leading roles themselves.

There IS intelligent life in television after all. Just check out 'Profiler' and take the plunge...

One of the best crime TV series

[LML · 9 May 2005]

This TV series is one of the best an original shows ever done for television. I can even say that the actual series like CSI, CSI Miami, CSI Ney York, and other like that, were born from this one.

Great storytelling, great performances, lots of suspense, mystery... What more can we want from this type of TV series? For me is for sure, 10 stars in 10 stars!!! Who hasn't seen it yet, do yourselves a favor and go rent it, buy the DVDs, watch re-runs on television, whatever you need and can, to see all the four seasons (83 episodes, beginning September 21st, 1996 and ending Jully 1st, 2000).

Have great fun!

An intelligently-made great film series ,worth seeing

[denizov · 19 March 2003]

I dislike TV series in general but this one is something really DIFFERENT!What attracts me is the fact that the most important thing in the series is PSYCHOLOGY.And this is exactly what today's films very often lack.The group tries to probe the minds of criminals-every one of them so different from the rest.This is hundred times more intriguing and scary than 20 action films put together.The plots are BELIEVABLE,the characters are life-like:with their problems,peculiarities,weaknesses,failures.Also I like the intelligent way in which the leading character was replaced by another actress(not the way they do these things in"the bold and the beautiful"for example.) What i lack is a list of all the episodes,so if anyone would be so kind to write them I would be grateful.

It started off well

[mikko-sandt · 18 May 2005]

When Profiler first got aired it felt fresh - its fast pace and neat cuts fitted well for the needs of the new MTV generation. In many ways Profiler made room for all those psychic thrillers that followed and series like "C.S.I.". The characters were well written and their separate story lines and personalities all had something to offer. The mystery surrounding Jack's identity (whose face was never revealed until the 3rd season) kept people hooked. The writes really managed to make Jack appear dangerous - you never knew what he'd do next. The cliffhanger in the end of the second season was powerful - no one could wait for the 3rd season...

Then the writers, the producers and the directors changed and the show started to go downhill. The show had no dynamic anymore. Everything went wrong - the new mythology storyline surrounding Jack's trial was uninteresting. The writers made a poor effort in trying to convince the audience that the person they caught in the beginning of the season was the real Jack - but who believed them? The writers never did their homework - one plot-hole followed another and the standard "nutjob of the week" episodes were uninteresting and boring.

The fourth season came and couldn't save the show either (except the great "Reunion 1 & 2" episodes where both Jack - played by the superb Dennis Christopher - & Sam appeared for the last time). Jamie Luner - the new profiler - wasn't really any worse than Ally Walker - it was just the writers who were unable to write anything good for her (and the same happened with Walker during the 3rd season). The new conflicts surrounding the lives of the main characters - George's drug addiction, the issues with Rachel's brother, romances etc. all felt forced and artificial.

During Profiler's excellent seasons 1 & 2 the show was at times even better than my favorite show The X-Files. It's hard to understand how the new production team managed to ruin everything good the show had and offer nothing interesting in return.

The first two seasons are without a doubt worth having on DVD. Once you have them I suggest that you pretend that the last two seasons never existed.

liked then did not like

[jtsjtssmokey · 18 January 2013]

profiler was good entertainment with great actresses/actors, the 1st 2 seasons love th way the characters grew together an cared about one another,with the 3rd feeling like they were family not just friends but was not impressed with the ending... huh....what where uh ya...not one of them could come up with a better ending that at least had them have lives i think a 4th grader could have ended it better...to me it seems they take good shows off TV an replace with nonsense, an yes the 4th season could have been better an maybe a 5th+ season(s) would have allowed them to improve the revamped show but nope yank too bad 4 u out there who liked it,,,well my 2 cents worth hope any 1 who reads this has a wonderful day

A good thriller

[stamper · 12 August 2000]

I once believed this was the best show on earth (thriller that is) until Ally Walker left. Don't get me wrong, I like Rachel Burke (Jamie Luner) too, but it's just not the same. Rachel is very much like Samantha, yet she is totally different. She's the same kind of pretty female, she's got the sixth sense and all. But still I found the power that drove Sam (Jack of all trades) much stronger. There is just something lost now. But it still is good. I mean you still have Davi, Maffia, George and the other guy who are funny sympathetic and believable. Luner is good too, but no-one could replace Walker. She does the best that can be done.

One of the best shows around!

[Ashlee-3 · 23 April 1999]

This show has totally taken Saturday nights by storm. The exceptional filming and story lines have taken NBC's "Thrillogy" to a higher level of suspense and intrigue. The characters are well played and well suited to the show. The themes are relevant and the overall atmosphere is, well, awesome! Me being slightly partial I can say that this is undoubtedly one of the best, if not THE best show around.

It's worth watching Robert Davi

[timidfreda · 24 November 2002]

I discovered this show in syndication. True, Ally Walker does that thing with her hair, goes all bug eyed and purses her mouth to distraction but I can live with that. The real attraction here is Robert Davi. His understated sexiness and strong screen presence draws this viewer in. He's a real man and a refreshing change from the vapid,pretty boy leading man types who decorate film and TV. His perfomance is always riveting. Whether he's lambasting a "perp" or offering support to another character. The man is believable. He's perfected the hard-boiled, soft-hearted hero, ala Bogart, Bronson and Cagney. He deserves better, more sympathetic, perhaps leading man roles. I hope to see him in some featured parts...as a good guy. Plus, I understand he has a wonderful voice. Maybe someone with an imagination will someday use him to advantage. So far, his talent has been wasted.

Not bad, not great.

[fgunther · 13 April 2002]

This is an example of one of those shows that never quite comes together, but it's got some great pieces, and fine supporting actors. (For my money, Erica Gimpel makes any show better, though I think her talents are largely wasted here - I have never forgotten her guest star turn on Babylon 5, when she let her natural magnetism out of the cage.)

But, for some reason, the plotting is so predictable and banal, my strongest memory of this series is Ally Walker pushing her hair back with her hand three times a minute, or so it seems. Can she say, "barrette?"

Oh yeah, and Robert Davi's excellent turn as a hardnosed FBI agent.

Other than that, I'd rather play an exciting game of Parcheesi.