Back in 2020 while I was bored during the pandemic, I discovered a show called Criminal Minds. Little did I know this random show, consisting of 15 seasons and over 300 episodes, would consume my entire freshman year of high school. I became hooked and somewhat attached to all of these characters and their stories (the TikTok edits also helped). After six years of not watching it, the show randomly piqued my interest again, and I recently watched an episode I remembered. After that, I went down a TikTok rabbit hole and that made me watch even more episodes I had forgotten about. Now I’m back on the Criminal Minds train. After rewatching many episodes, I will be ranking some of my personal favorites, the sad, the creepy, and the (rarely) happy.
5. “Minimal Loss” (Season 4, episode 3)
Starting off at five, we have “Minimal Loss.” This episode was a little different than most because the team is not catching a serial killer, but a cult leader. The episode stars Luke Perry, who plays Cyrus, a church (cult) leader who is under investigation for alleged child abuse. The episode starts with FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit agents Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) and Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) going undercover as child abuse investigators. Things then go awry when a SWAT raid comes, which forces Prentiss, Reid, and everyone in the church into a hostage situation. What I really enjoyed about this episode was that it was different than many of the others. Seeing Reid and Prentiss have to survive and outsmart Cyrus really kept my attention. Also, Perry’s acting was great, and he really sold the character. This is one of Criminal Mind’s best storylines, and I actually wish they did more episodes like this one.
4. “Penelope” (Season 3, episode 9)
Now, onto a really sad and shocking episode. Penelope Garcia, one of the most iconic characters in the show, gets shot by her date. This episode has so many layers to it, and we really get to see a different side of Garcia that we hadn’t seen before. She has to fight for her life, while also helping the team find out who did this to her and why. The team always takes their cases seriously and will do anything to get the bad guy off the streets, but when it came to one of their own, they did anything and everything to solve it. One of the most heartbreaking parts of the episode was when Garcia was in the hospital answering questions from Derek Morgan and Reid.
“I just thought he liked me,” she said when asked if there was anything odd about the guy. This line alone broke many viewers’ hearts. Seeing the happy, comedic relief of the show being in so much pain was really hard to watch. There was a happier ending, though. The man who shot her was caught and killed by J.J (AJ Cook), and Garcia even got a new boyfriend, Kevin Lynch, another FBI technical analyst.
3. “somebody’s watching” (season 1, episode 18)
This is what I would consider an iconic episode in Criminal Minds. The episode follows the team to Los Angeles, where they are investigating a string of murders that are all connected to popular actress Lila Archer (Amber Heard). It turns out that her stalker, who was also her assistant, was the killer. This was more of a Reid-centered episode where we got to see a little bit of a different side to him as he hangs around Archer. They even kiss in her pool, which is an iconic moment in Criminal Minds history. We also get to see Reid take charge and take down the killer by himself without having to fire his gun. Overall, I love the whole vibe of this episode, and the storyline was really interesting. I really wish they would have brought Archer back for another episode to see what happened with her and Reid.
2. “Entropy” (Season 11, episode 11)
Coming in second place is “Entropy.” This was actually the episode that got me back into watching Criminal Minds. A largely Reid-focused episode, it begins with Reid meeting up with a woman, Cat Adams (Aubrey Plaza). In the beginning, the audience is supposed to think that they are going on a blind date. What’s actually happening is Reid is pretending to be a husband hiring Adams to kill his wife. Adams then catches on that Reid is actually an FBI agent, and the two begin to play a “game” that lasts almost the entire episode. Since both characters are extremely intelligent, their back-and-forth is kind of like psychological chess. The only difference is that one uses their intelligence for good, while the other uses it for evil. Gubler and Plaza’s chemistry is off the charts, and that translates to their characters. We learn more personal things about Reid because of Adams’ intellect and questions, and Reid uses Adams’ weaknesses to make her slip up. You would think an episode of basically just two people talking would be boring, but it really one of the most engaging and interesting episodes of the entire series. Some viewers think that Reid and Adams were actually in love. No matter what, their chemistry is crazy, and I am so glad that Adams was brought back later in the seasons.
1. “100” (season 5, episode 9)
Coming in at number one is the saddest and most devastating, but also best episode of Criminal Minds: “100.” When I first started watching this show, I already knew what happened in this episode because of spoilers on Instagram and Tiktok, but I still was not prepared. To give a quick rundown: Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson), the unit chief of the BAU, has been hunting down serial killer George Foyet, a.k.a. “The Reaper.” After many failed attempts at catching him, something happens that changes the course of Aaron’s life. Foyet breaks into Haley’s (Hotchner’s ex-wife) and their son Jack’s home. When the team finds this out, they race to the house, but unfortunately, do not get there in time to save Haley’s life. She was shot while on the phone with Hotchner, and this scene is one Criminal Minds fans will never forget.
Hotchner tells Jack to “work the case,” which means to go to a hiding spot in the house to prevent getting shot. He hears the bullets killing Haley while he is on his way there, and it is utterly heartbreaking. One good thing came out of it, though, and that is Hotchner got there and killed Foyet by beating him to death. Seeing Hotchner sobbing and holding Haley’s body when the team finds him was horrible.
For me, the most tragic line ever said in the show came from Jack: “I worked the case daddy, just like you said.” Jack being proud of himself for working the case while not knowing his mom died probably put everyone who watched this episode into tears. While this is the saddest episode ever in Criminal Minds, it is also such a pivotal moment for the show. Hotchner is the most stone cold, emotionless one on the team. To see him so deeply affected by his line of work was something the show needed to develop his character.
honorable Mentions:
- “Date Night” (Season 15, Episode 6)
- “Seven Seconds” (Season 3, Episode 5)
- “Red Light” (Season 12, Episode 22)
- “Lauren” (Season 6, Episode 18)
I know — way to end on a happy note — but seriously, what would Criminal Minds be without depressing episodes or traumatizing the team? Overall, I hope you enjoyed my ranking, and maybe this will get you to rewatch or watch Criminal Minds!