Criminal Minds
Through 15 season , the bestCriminal Mindsepisodes birth some of the most twisted and shocking sequent cause of death cases to ever strike television . The show , though , is not just about the FBI solving crimes through the Behavioral Analysis Unit , catching serial killers , and save lifetime . This is a show that remained fully enthrone in the life sentence of its characters and the genial stress that working a job like this can localize on someone .
From the start with Gideon and Hotchner conduce the BAU with JJ , Spencer , and Derek to the additions of Prentiss , Rossi , and Tara , plus the always delicious Penelope Garcia , the theatrical role moments are what made the show so democratic for so many years . With more than 300 episodes of the original series , Paramount+ broughtCriminal Mindsbackfor a revival meeting with most of the final time of year hurtle entire . fan got to revisit those characters , see new shell , and be reminded of just what makes for the best episodes ofCriminal Minds .
20Just Getting Started (S16E1)
The season premier ofCriminal Minds : Evolutionpicked up three years after the remnant ofCriminal Mindsseason 15 , and it speedily march how different the life story of the agents were at that point . While the grouping was still technically a squad , they worked case individually , consulting with one another through telephone set calls , and budget constraints are in full force , limit the telescope of their investigations .
All the present characters were clearly tired and under a serious amount of strain . It ’s one of the best good example of the toll working in the BAU would take on a character , particularly when it came to David Rossi , whose fixation on sure cases has badly run him down . For how easy the installment demonstrated the vesture on the characters alone , “ Just Getting Started ” is one of the bestCriminal Mindsepisodes .
19Zugzwang (S8E12)
" Zugzwang " is a Season 8 installment and is a huge Reid episode as a prowler nobble his girlfriend , and it is up to the BAU squad to feel and save her before it is too late . The unsub here was very twisted , as it was a cleaning woman discover Diane , played byBuffy the Vampire Slayeractress Michelle Trachtenberg . Diane was someone that damaged Reid more than almost anyone when she killed herself and Reid ’s girlfriend Maeve at the same sentence , leave him break for most of the remainder of the time of year .
Reid was a devotee - favourite part since the first time of year of the series , and the sequence that sum on him tend to be more emotionally focalize than others , contrasting his very analytical personality through most cases . The playing from Matthew Gray Gubler in the Reid - centrical episodes lean to make them beloved by fans , but the excited cost of this sequence in particular , and its long-lived upshot on the character , made it one of the dependable , but also one of the hard for fans of the serial to rewatch .
18Date Night (S15E6)
Date Nightis one of the full episodes of the concluding season ofCriminal Minds . This episode brings back one of the most memorable unsubs for her third season in Cat Adams , played by Aubrey Plaza . She first appeared as a hitwoman that Reid helped bring down . She return when she set up an detailed plan to frame Reid and beam him to jail . This installment has her preparing for her execution , but she has one more move , as she demands one date with Reid before she dies and has his girlfriend ’s father and sis kidnapped to force this to find .
Aubrey Plaza does n’t just play one of the most memorable villains in the serial , but one that fans wish would have seem more often . While Aubrey Plaza is best know for her role in comedies , her dramatic turn inCriminal Mindshelped set up the tone for her workplace inThe White Lotus . The dynamic between Plaza and Gubler is incredibly fun to look on as Plaza plays one of the few unsubs able to go toe - to - toe with Reid and keep up with his intelligence . Any instalment that she appears in is a standout .
17Believer (S13E22)
" Believer " was the season finale and the 299th episode ofCriminal Minds . The unsub here is call The Strangler , someone a former profiler trust the squad missed and had been tracking since he quit the FBI . The Strangler is the serial cause of death and furore leader who aim Reid along with his followers , a twist - off mathematical group from Benjamin Cyrus ' one-time religious cult that the BAU help oneself bring down a decade originally . Reid has to choose between helping a double factor in the chemical group or doing nothing and allowing Garcia to pop off . It ’s a knotty choice for the very legitimate Reid .
Because so many criminal minds episode could be watched as standalone episode , it ’s rarefied to see an installment call back to events from so much sooner in the series . This episode was sure as shooting a love varsity letter to long - time sports fan who were capable to see how much characters like Reid and Garcia had grown , but also able to see how resolve one case could affect the macrocosm long time after . Those connections are what make it one of the bestCriminal Mindsepisodes .
16Mosley Lane (S5E16)
One aspect of crime dramas that can turn people off is a hatful of the cases involve children . A period inCriminal Minds’favor is that it always do by those stories fine , just as the writers did with “ Mosley Lane , ” which is why the audience remembers it lovingly . The episode featureda standout performance from Evan Petersearly in his career as well .
The episode saw JJ visited by the female parent of a lose child when a new , and very similar case , became public knowledge . JJ realized that there was a distinct possibility that the woman ’s son was still being held . The storyline involve several kids being raise as a “ family ” by their kidnaper . It was one about hope for the families of missing masses .
15Mr. Scratch (S10E21)
WhileCriminal Mindstypically search the psychology of sequential killers , this installment went deeper into the power of suggestion . Three dissimilar “ killers ” were all motivated to confide the number as a solvent of someone else , making it an incredibly singular Criminal Minds instalment . Any timeCriminal Mindswriters determine to step outside the corner , the series is better for it .
TheCriminal Mindsvillain , who became known as Mr. Scratch , would go on to target the radical of FBI detectives , appearing in three more season of the show . This particular episode set his dodging , as well as the evasion of even more sequential killers , in motion for a longer story bow .
14Oedipus Wrecks (S16E5)
One of the central issues inCriminal Minds : Evolutionis the budget . The BAU is constantly trying to prove that its department is worthy of actually having its own section and budget . This episode , which deals with the son of a senator being a sequential killer , examined how political science and financial support bring a larger role in law enforcement than most viewing audience would recall . The federal agent did n’t have bill of fare blanche to do whatever they need , and this was one of the bestCriminal Mindsepisodes to charm how they cover with it . It also boast former Disney Channel adept Luke Benward in the role of the senator ’s murderous son , really allowing him to show his dramatic range of a function .
13Entropy (S11E11)
Spencer Reid tend to be the subject of hostage position a muckle , but that ’s likely because he ’s a fan dearie , and he ’s the character most likely to talk his way out of a situation . In “ Entropy , ” he had to do more than that ; he had to outsmart an assassin .
The episode begin allowing fan to think Reid was on a blind date . In reality , he was pretending to be a node of an assassin , examine to get her . Aubrey Plaza as the “ Black Widow ” assassin was a gravid guest star and one whose intellect was a match for Reid as later episodes would reward . This installment is the beginning of the enthralling moral force between the characters .
12The Tall Man (S14E5)
It ’s always interesting when an episode is less about the vitrine at handwriting and more about delve into the backstory of a main character . In this sheath , it ’s JJ . Many of the JJ - centric instalment are home focused , but this one really grant the audience to get to have it away her well .
When two people go missing in the woods , and a third is found , the team look into a small townspeople ghost story . so as to good avail with the case , JJ goes home to her own small townsfolk where her big babe died when she was 11 . That aspect of JJ ’s past tense was explore early in the serial , but this sequence furnish more particular , fleshing out the type a bit for the fans . 14 season into the show and the audience was still ascertain about a beloved character , making for a greatCriminal Mindsepisode and proving the writers still had thaumaturgy up their sleeves .
11Lauren (S6E18)
This episode was supposed to be the get-go of the oddment for Emily Prentiss , and the backstory for the fiber and performance by Paget Brewster make it one of the bestCriminal Mindsepisodes . discover her job before she joined the BAU , the installment is the sort of adrenaline - fueled ride that most crime play only dream of reach .
In it , the squad had to ring together when Prentiss function missing . As they realized she was tracking a dangerous foeman from her clip undercover as a char named Lauren , they also realized how little they know about her past . Some of the team deal with it well than others . Though this military mission was supposed to culminate in her expiry , fan outrage experience the manufacturer bringing the role back to reveal she fake her decease . It did n’t lessen the emotional punch .
