Police procedural shows are among the most popular TV productions in recent years. Although not all of these shows manage to attract the audience, there have been a few that became highly acclaimed and earned its place among the most popular series ever. Criminal Minds is, undeniably, one of these productions, and over the course of its seasons, it has grown into one of the most popular shows among audiences. This CBS series created by Jeff Davis premiered in 2005 introducing the criminal profilers of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, who spend their days dealing with the country's most dangerous criminals while also trying to cope with their own personal lives.
Mandy Patinkin, Thomas Gibson, Shemar Moore, Lola Glaudini, Matthew Gray Gubler, A. J. Cook and Kirsten Vangsness formed the original cast of this production, which throughout the years underwent a few departures and new additions, such as Paget Brewster and Joe Mantegna. Criminal Minds was among CBS' most watched shows, and managed to hook the audience for 15 seasons, concluding its run on the air in 2020. However, that was not the end for this beloved show, as it was revived by Paramount+ last year with a 16th season titled Criminal Minds: Evolution, and has now been green-lighted for a new one (per Variety).
Throughout 300+ episodes, the BAU profilers took on some of the most dangerous criminals on TV, dealing with cases that were both intriguing and dangerous enough to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Here are some of the show's best episodes.
20 Natural Born Killer (Season 1, Episode 8)
The first season of Criminal Minds features some of the most gripping episodes in the entire show, which is why fans stuck around in the first place. In “Natural Born Killer,” the eighth episode of the TV series, the main characters are tasked with working alongside the Organized Crime Unit to solve a case that appears to be a mob hit. However, the BAU profilers are led to believe that a serial killer is behind the crime, a belief that escalates after one of the agents assigned to the case goes missing.
19 L.D.S.K. (Season 1, Episode 6)
“L.D.S.K.” is another great episode of Criminal Minds's first season, and also one that further explores the relationships between the main characters. In this episode, the profilers head to Des Plaines, Illinois, to investigate the case of a sniper who has killed one citizen and wounded many others, in an effort to prevent an upcoming attack. After failing his firearms qualification exam, Spencer Reid is forced to report to this new task without his weapon, something that lands him in big trouble.
18 Seven Seconds (Season 3, Episode 5)
“Seven Seconds” is one of the most harrowing episodes of Criminal Minds Season 3. After a little girl goes missing in a shopping mall in Woodbridge, Virginia, the BAU concludes that the abduction may be an attack by a serial killer they are hunting. Aware that the criminal's first victim was killed shortly after her abduction, the profilers must work quickly if they intend to find this girl alive.
17 Memoriam (Season 4, Episode 7)
Criminal Minds fans love those episodes that delve deeper into the BAU members' pasts and their relationships with one another. “Memoriam”, the seventh episode of the fourth season, is one of those episodes, as it not only delves into Spencer Reid's family past through his investigation of a murder, but also treats the audience to one of the most tender moments on the show when JJ asks him to be her newborn son's godfather.
16 The Lesson (Season 8, Episode 10)
“The Lesson” is one of the many episodes of Criminal Minds directed by Matthew Gray Gubler, the actor who plays Dr. Spencer Reid. In it, the show's main characters are dealing with a string of murders that could be part of a religious ritual. However, as they delve deeper into the case, they uncover a story that is far creepier than anything they had imagined. In The Lesson, the killer is played by Brad Dourif, an actor best known for voicing Chucky in the Child's Play franchise films and for his role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
15 Zugzwang (Season 8, Episode 12)
In the eighth season of Criminal Minds, the audience meets Maeve, a bright young woman with whom Reid has a relationship, even though he has never met her in person. One of the main reasons why these young people have never met has to do with the fact that she claims that she is being followed by a stalker, who eventually ends up kidnapping her. Therefore, Reid sets out to investigate her disappearance in order to find her before it's too late, a task in which he will be assisted by his entire team.
14 Somebody’s Watching (Season 1, Episode 18)
In “Somebody's Watching,” Jason Gideon and Spencer Reid travel to Los Angeles to conduct a professional seminar, and end up staying longer than expected to investigate a string of murders that seem to be connected, in some strange way, to up-and-coming actress Lila Archer. The case grows increasingly difficult after this young woman develops a love interest for Reid, something that greatly harms the investigation and puts both of them at risk. Lila was played by Amber Heard, known for her portrayal of Mera in the DC productions Justice League and Aquaman.
13 The Replicator (Season 8, Episode 24)
Typically, the criminals that the BAU deals with only appear in one or two episodes, until they are caught and brought to justice. However, every now and then, the main characters have had to deal with criminals who are far tougher to catch, and who also threaten their private lives. Among them is John Curtis, also known as "the replicator", the main antagonist of the show's eighth season. This dangerous man took on the task of replicating the crimes of some of the serial killers caught by the FBI as he pursued members of the BAU in an attempt to harm them. Eventually, and after tracking him for a while, the profilers manage to get a hold of him in the episode that wraps up the show's eighth season. John Curtis was flawlessly played by Mark Hamill, known among many things for his iconic performance as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.
12 Mosley Lane (Season 5, Episode 16)
“Mosley Lane” was the first episode directed by Matthew Gray Gubler, and also the first time in which a cast member served as director. It features guest appearances by Ann Cusack, Evan Peters, and Beth Grant. After an eight-year-old girl vanishes without a trace in Ashburn, Virginia, Sarah Hillridge approaches the FBI to state her belief that the case may be related to the disappearance of her own son, which took place eight years earlier. Thus, the BAU sets out on the daunting task of finding this child alive, attempting to track down the rest of this criminal's victims while doing so.
11 A Beautiful Disaster (Season 11, Episode 18)
“A Beautiful Disaster” is another episode directed by Gray Gubler, this time from a script by Erica Messer and Kirsten Vangsness, who plays Penelope Garcia. This time, the BAU faces a killer who seeks revenge on them, and to do so, he attacks Savannah, Derek Morgan's wife. This episode marked Morgan's farewell from the show, since after the case, he decided to retire in order to protect his family and spend more time with his newborn baby.
10 Derailed (Season 1, Episode 9)
“Derailed” is, hands down, the most stressful episode of the show's first season. It features Teddy Bryar, a man who used to be one of the world's top physicists, but has been struggling with schizophrenia for many years. In the midst of a train ride, Teddy suddenly suffers an episode that leads him to kill one of the guards and keep all the passengers hostage. The BAU is drawn into the case after discovering that Elle, one of the team's profilers, is among the people being held hostage on the train, and her future depends on how quickly they can work to disarm the attacker.
9 Revelations (Season 2, Episode 15)
The second season of Criminal Minds cast popular actor James Van Der Beek to portray Tobias Hankel, one of the most notorious criminals in the entire show. Hankel is a serial killer with multiple personality disorder who kidnaps Spencer Reid in the episode “The Big Game”. In “Revelations”, the BAU goes to great lengths to rescue the agent from the torture he is being subjected to, and Reid does the same as he struggles with the memories of his past triggered by the drugs provided by the killer.
8 The Uncanny Valley (Season 5, Episode 12)
Criminal Minds Season 5 features some of the most intense episodes of the entire series, and “The Uncanny Valley” ranks high among them. In it, the BAU stumbles upon one of the most perplexing cases in the team's history: the case of a criminal who kidnaps and drugs women to turn them into a personal collection of dolls. Once again, the professionals must work relentlessly to track down the killer, particularly since the last abducted victim is diabetic and needs access to her medication.
7 Heathridge Manor (Season 7, Episode 19)
Matthew Gray Gubler helms this gripping episode featuring horror legend Robert Englund as Detective Gassner. In “Heathridge Manor,” the FBI team travels to Medford, Oregon to investigate the puzzling murder of a teacher whose body appears in an abandoned psychiatric institute far from her home and under very strange circumstances. After a second victim is found, Dr. Reid starts to believe that the murders are related to the work of William Shakespeare and may be motivated by satanic beliefs.
6 Penelope (Season 3, Episode 9)
Tech expert Penelope Garcia is among the fans' favorite characters, which is why the eighth and ninth episodes of Criminal Minds Season 3 had audiences on edge. In “Lucky”, Penelope meets a handsome man with whom she subsequently goes on a date. Little does she know that this man is Jason Clark Battle, a serial killer who is currently being targeted by the BAU. Convinced that Garcia has figured out his real identity, the man shoots her and flees, leaving the woman in critical condition. In “Penelope”, the FBI team continues to search for their colleague's shooter, who seems to be closer than they think, as she deals with a painful recovery and the fears caused by the attack.
5 Sex, Birth, Death (Season 2, Episode 11)
“Sex, Birth, Death” is the 11th episode of the show's second season, and features a performance by Anton Yelchin, best known for playing Pavel Chekov on Star Trek. In this episode, Yelchin plays Nathan Harris, a student at Morton School who contacts Dr. Reid regarding his sexual sadistic impulses and becomes the prime suspect of an investigation after several sex workers are found dead in Washington.
4 Mr. Scratch (Season 10, Episode 21)
Gray Gubler's 10th-season episode “Mr. Scratch” features Peter Lewis, one of Criminal Minds' most ruthless criminals and, eventually, Agent Aaron Hotchner's nemesis. In this episode, the BAU takes on an intriguing case after three individuals who don't know one another commit very similar crimes against loved ones, claiming to be attacked by a "shadow monster." Given the coincidences, the profilers start to suspect that the alleged killers were subjected to some sort of mind control by someone far more dangerous than themselves.
3 100 (Season 5, Episode 9)
“100” is the ninth episode of Criminal Minds' fifth season. At the time of its premiere, it marked the 100th episode of the overall series, hence its title. But, on top of all that, it is also one of the saddest episodes in the entire show. In it, George Foyet, better known as "The Reaper," confronts Aaron Hotchner once again, but this time he murders his ex-wife with his child in the house. Enraged and overwhelmed by his recent loss, Hotch handles this criminal on his own, something that leads to huge trouble in his job.
2 The Fisher King (Season 2, Episode 1)
“The Fisher King” is a two-part episode that wrapped up Criminal Minds' first season and kicked the second one into high gear. In it, the BAU profilers confront Randall Garner, a criminal who lost his mind due to a fire that claimed the lives of most of his family and left him severely injured. Claiming to be The Fisher King, this man kidnaps his own daughter and harasses all members of the FBI team, subjecting them to engage in a fantasy game in which they are severely punished if they disobey his rules.
1 Entropy (Season 11, Episode 11)
The 11th episode of Criminal Minds season 11 introduces Cat Adams, one of the smartest and deadliest criminals in the entire show. This character, played by Aubrey Plaza, belongs to a network of hitmen that the BAU is investigating. In an attempt to dismantle the group, the profilers organize an undercover operation for Reid to meet Cat on a date in order to catch her, not knowing that she had an agenda of her own. Luckily, and following a highly stressful date in which they both played cat-and-mouse, Reid manages to outsmart Cat and put her behind bars. However, her anger towards Reid kept growing after being imprisoned, and she went on to form a new criminal gang with the aim of messing up Spencer's life.