The 24 Best 'Criminal Minds' Episodes, Ranked from Least to Most Anxiety-Inducing
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As we enjoy the golden age of television, there's really no genre that has thrived quite like the crime procedural. From true-crime TV shows to British crime dramas, the genre is unmatched in popularity and longevity. A good crime procedural can be scary, funny, nightmare-inducing, horny, and, most of all, completely addictive. Trust me, the girl who spent months watching all 335 episodes of Criminal Minds on Paramount+. This show will have you hooked thanks to its terrifying UnSubs (that's "unknown subject," for those of you not in the know), heart-pounding action, and endearing cast, all of which are on display in the absolute best Criminal Minds episodes.
To make a good Criminal Minds episode, you need emotional stakes, often between members of the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit)—which has, over 16 seasons, included J.J. (A.J. Cook), Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson), Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore), Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin), Dr. Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler), and more. You also need a very threatening UnSub (usually a serial killer) and a ticking clock (a rush to save an innocent life, perhaps, or to clear someone's name). To help you navigate the many seasons, I narrowed 335 episodes down to the 24 best Criminal Minds episodes of all time, ranked from most to least anxiety-inducing.
"Exit Wounds" Season 5, Episode 21
Full disclosure: if you're not obsessed with Penelope and Derek's loving and flirty friendship, then "Exit Wounds" might not rank among your favorite Criminal Minds episodes. That said, if you, like me, believe that this relationship is the emotional heart of the BAU, then you'll also be a fan of this episode that brings Penelope out into the field, causing her to question her place on the team.
"Jones" Season 2, Episode 18
The BAU travels all over the country tracking down serial killers, but that doesn't mean they can't have some fun. In "Jones," the team heads down south to New Orleans, where an UnSub is copying Jack the Ripper. While working the case, JJ meets a charming detective, Will LaMontagne (Josh Stewart).
"Lauren" Season 6, Episode 18
Emily's undercover past takes center stage in "Lauren" when she disappears, prompting the BAU to look into her undercover past with a dangerous criminal, Ian Doyle (Timothy V. Murphy).
"Memoriam" Season 4, Episode 7
Every now and then, Criminal Minds will have an episode that dives deep into the backstories of the BAU team members. In "Memoriam," it's Reid's turn. After a case inspires nightmares, he decides to look into a case of a missing boy that has bothered him since childhood, which means getting answers from his mother (Jane Lynch) and estranged dad.
"What Doesn't Kill Us" Season 16, Episode 7
Technically, this episode is part of Criminal Minds: Evolution, the recent Criminal Minds revival that aired on Paramount+, but it is considered as a continuation of the original series, so I felt it deserved at least one mention on this list. This episode falls towards the end of the 10-episode season, and juggles the team's investigation into Sicarius (the season's major big bad) and the episode's UnSub of the week.
"Green Light/Red Light" Season 12, Episodes 21 & 22
These are technically two episodes, but they work as a two-part finale for Season 12. In "Green Light," an increasingly anxious Reid is worried his mother has been abducted and enlists the BAU to investigate, meanwhile the team is still working overtime to clear his name and get him out of prison. But getting him out is only one part of the puzzle. In "Red Light," the BAU goes after the man who landed him behind bars in the first place: their longtime rival, Mr. Scratch (Bodhi Elfman).
"In the Dark" Season 12, Episode 17
The fallout from Reid's arrest for murder continues as the BAU are simultaneously tracking down two UnSubs and trying to figure out how best to help Reid behind bars. The real reason this episode is one of the best? It's the first episode where newbie Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) really feels like he's part of the family. (Bonus points for guest star Harold Perrineau, who appears as a menacing inmate targeting Reid.)
"Zugzwang" Season 8, Episode 12
Poor Reid could never catch a break. Case in point: "Zugzwang," a tense episode where Reid enlists the BAU to find his girlfriend, whom he's never actually met face-to-face, after she is abducted by her longtime stalker.
"Mosley Lane" Season 5, Episode 16
A child abduction case quickly escalates as the BAU find a connection between a little girl's disappearance and the abduction of a young boy eight years ago. But the big draw is the guest stars: Beth Grant! A baby Evan Peters! And, yes, it's disturbing AF.
"Minimal Loss" Season 4, episode 3
Criminal Minds is serial killer focused, which means the BAU usually focuses on individual offenders. In "Minimal Loss," however, they are forced to mediate a stand-off between a cult (led by a very convincing Luke Perry) and law enforcement when two of their own are caught in the middle.
"The Lesson" Season 8, Episode 10
Horror fans will delight in this twisted episode directed by Matthew Gray Gubler himself. "The Lesson" puts the BAU on the case of an UnSub who seems to be slowly killing his victims, leaving them horribly injured and disjointed. The twist? The killer has been turning people into living puppets to relive a childhood trauma. It is, quite literally, the stuff of my nightmares.
"It Takes a Village" Season 7, Episode 1
Spoiler alert: if you haven't watched this episode, turn back now. In "It Takes a Village," the BAU team are questioned by a Senate Committee after Emily's death, but things take a turn when the FBI agent returns to the team.
"To Hell...And Back" Season 4, Episode 25
The 2-part Season 4 finale "To Hell...And Back" features what might be one of the most disturbing UnSubs the team has ever tracked. The episode begins when the team are alerted to a string of disappearances of unhoused people, sex workers, and others that one man is convinced is the sign of a serial killer. The BAU investigation takes the team up to Canada, where they come face-to-face with an unexpected killer.
"Big Sea" Season 6, Episode 23
The BAU is called in when skeletal remains wash up on the shore in Jacksonville. It's a puzzling case, which is complicated by Derek's aunt's belief that her daughter might be among those dead. Add in a terrifying killer who enjoys torturing families, and you've got a perfect episode of Criminal Minds.
“Sex, Birth, Death” Season 2, Episode 11
"Sex, Birth, Death" put a twist on the Criminal Minds procedural by shifting away from a case and towards the psychology upon which the show is based. In this case, the serial killer targeting prostitutes takes a backseat to a teenage boy, Nathan (Anton Yelchin), who seeks Reid out due to his violent fantasies, raising questions about whether a killer is born or made.
"Penelope"
Penelope Garcia is usually kept out of the action, safely behind her wall of computers, but in "Penelope," she isn't just involved in the case; she's the victim. After being shot by a date, Penelope has to let the team take care of her as they investigate who could have targeted their favorite tech genius. Come for the intrigue, stay for Morgan's protectiveness going into overdrive. No one messes with his baby girl and gets away with it!
"The Wheels on the Bus..." Season 8, Episode 8
When a school bus of teenagers goes missing, the BAU is brought onto the case, where a pair of young men are using the teens as guinea pigs in their twisted, deadly games. None of the team members are really in danger in this episode, but the stress of watching teens in shock collars fighting for their lives is enough to scar you for life.
"The Uncanny Valley" Season 5, Episode 12
Forget human puppets, in "The Uncanny Valley," the BAU is on the lookout for an UnSub who turns victims into human dolls. The entire episode is disturbing, but when the killer is revealed, it becomes a twisted tragedy you won't be able to stop thinking about.
"Amplification" Season 4, Episode 24
It's a race against the clock in "Amplification," when the BAU goes up against an UnSub who targets his victims using a new strain of anthrax that, of course, has no known antidote. The team realizes that the UnSub is working his way up to a bigger attack, and are racing to stop it when one of their own is exposed.
"A Beautiful Disaster" Season 11, Episode 18
Saying goodbye to a cast member on your favorite show is never easy, but at least Shemar Moore got a grand sendoff with "A Beautiful Disaster," his last episode as a series regular, which focused on Derek's wild hunt for the UnSub targeting him after his pregnant fiancée is shot. The episode is emotional, more than a little ridiculous, and absolutely perfect. (This one was also co-written by Penelope Garcia herself, Kristen Vangsness!)
"Entropy" Season 11, Episode 11
Aubrey Plaza made her Criminal Minds debut in this Season 11 episode, playing a hit woman who enters into a battle of the wits with Reid. The episode strays from the regular procedural, but Plaza's fun performance keeps the suspense alive, even without a serial killer chase.
"100" Season 5, Episode 9
Criminal Minds did it big for its 100th episode, putting Hotch's wife and young son in the crosshairs of The Reaper (C. Thomas Howell), a serial killer with a personal vendetta against the BAU leader. The episode is an absolute nail-biter, and you might want to schedule a 20 minute break after you watch so you have time to catch your breath (and maybe have a little cry) peace.
"Profiler, Profiled" Season 2, Episode 12
Shemar Moore was always cast as the eye candy of Criminal Minds, but he's also incredibly compelling, as shown in "Profiler, Profiled," an episode that found Derek on the other side of the law when he's accused of being a serial killer.
"Hit/Run" Season 7, Episode 23 & 24
Another two-parter finale, "Hit" and "Run" takes a step back from serial killers and pits the BAU against a surprisingly savvy team of bank robbers. Things quickly get personal when JJ's husband, Will, surrenders himself to the bank robbers as a hostage. Oh, and did I mention there's a bomb, too?
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