The Best Episodes of Criminal Minds

The BAU team races to help Hotchner find The Reaper and save his family before it's too late.

Director: Edward Allen Bernero

Writer: Erica Messer, Edward Allen Bernero, Simon Mirren, Rick Dunkle, Chris Mundy, Breen Frazier, Oanh Ly

The BAU implements an elaborate strategy to try and take down the “Dirty Dozen” hitmen ring, with Reid playing a central role.

Director: Heather Cappiello

Writer: Breen Frazier

The BAU is called by local authorities in Ashburn, Virginia, to profile a predator who may have been abducting children for at least eight years.

Director: Matthew Gray Gubler

Writer: Erica Messer, Simon Mirren

The BAU investigates when several young men and women are victims of disfiguring acid attacks. Also, Dr. Reid begins to settle into his new surroundings.

Director: Rob Bailey

Writer: Karen Maser

When Reid discovers former FBI Special Agent Owen Quinn locked inside a storage unit, the BAU questions the credibility of Quinn's bizarre accounts of searching for an UnSub that he named "The Strangler".

Director: Glenn Kershaw

Writer: Breen Frazier

When three people implicated in murders claim they were attacked by a “clawed shadow monster” at the moment each crime occurred, the BAU searches for an UnSub who is controlling their minds. Also, the search for the culprit puts one of the team in jeopardy.

Director: Matthew Gray Gubler

Writer: Breen Frazier

The team heads to Yakima, Washington when the remains of a dozen people are found along a creek bed.

Director: Christoph Schrewe

Writer: Karen Maser

Derek Morgan brings the BAU a lead in the case against serial killer and escaped convict Mr. Scratch.

Director: Glenn Kershaw

Writer: Breen Frazier

The BAU tracks a serial killer who chooses junkies, prostitutes and the homeless off the streets of Detroit as his victims and takes them across the border into Canada, and an agent's life is in peril.

Director: Edward Allen Bernero

Writer: Edward Allen Bernero

As Prentiss faces off against Ian Doyle, JJ receives a call and returns to help them find Prentiss and capture Doyle before it's too late.

Director: Matthew Gray Gubler

Writer: Breen Frazier

The BAU investigates a workplace shooting committed by a state-of-the-art drone in Silicon Valley.

Director: Alec Smight

Writer: Stephanie Sengupta

Morgan lends emotional support to Garcia when she experiences anxiety over a case that is personal to her from her past.

Director: Tawnia McKiernan, Aisha Tyler

Writer: Jim Clemente

When the prolific serial killer Frank returns and murders Gideon's girlfriend, Gideon takes off to find him without telling the team where he is going. The BAU must then profile Gideon as well as Frank to find both of them.

Director: Edward Allen Bernero

Writer: Simon Mirren

When Reid discovers that his girlfriend has been kidnapped by her stalker, he and the BAU team band together to find her before it's too late.

Director: Jesse Warn

Writer: Breen Frazier

The investigation in Texas reveals a deep web of corruption; Garcia must save a friend.

Director: Glenn Kershaw

Writer: Erica Messer

BAU team investigates a series of home invasions in upscale neighborhoods in San Diego involving casualties.

Director: Diana Valentine

Writer: Erik Stiller

Several women go missing in Virginia and the BAU must figure out what they all have in common in order to find them.

Director: Aisha Tyler

Writer: Karen Maser

The BAU is called to Oklahoma to investigate a murderous clown terrorizing the sleepy town of Guymon.

Director: Matthew Gray Gubler

Writer: Erica Messer

The BAU takes charge of a hostage situation at a law firm in D.C., where Matt Simmons’ wife, Kristy works.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

In this conclusion of a special two-part episode, finding the serial killer becomes critical to the BAU when the team realizes Reid is being held captive and a live feed of him being tortured is shown on the internet. Meanwhile, Reid's troubled childhood is revealed in flashback sequences as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

Director: Guy Norman Bee

Writer: Chris Mundy

When an SUV carrying members of the team explodes, the rest of the team fights to save them and catch the terrorists responsible for the bombing.

Director: Edward Allen Bernero

Writer: Simon Mirren

Agent Hotchner revisits the first case he worked at the BAU when details come forth that one of the deadliest serial killers in New England's history has struck again after a 10-year hiatus.

Director: Nelson McCormick

Writer: Andrew Wilder

As the BAU team continues to pursue the bank-robbing serial killers, the team determines that the suspects have a bigger target in the Nation's capital, and with one of the team still a hostage, they must work quickly to diffuse an explosive situation. Also, wedding bells ring for one of the BAU, and Prentiss ponders her future.

Director: Glenn Kershaw

Writer: Erica Messer

When JJ is kidnapped, the BAU delves into her time at the State Department to find clues to her disappearance and uncover a secret mission that now puts her life in danger. To help with their search for JJ, the team calls upon Prentiss to help in the crisis

Director: Larry Teng

Writer: Rick Dunkle

When three bodies are found with animal and human bite marks in a shallow grave near Milwaukee, the BAU has puzzling questions to answer. Meanwhile, Reid and Garcia work out for a company fitness test, but try to hide their preparation from Morgan.

Director: Douglas Aarniokoski

Writer: Virgil Williams