This CBS classic became a super hit, and the fanbase of this series was beyond expectations for the makers. Criminal minds can be considered as the best watch when it comes to the crime genre, this is not a show where the stories are fictional or you get some unique or completely illogical story being followed. This show has been known for its realistic depiction of the stories shown and the format of the show is quite different from other shows. This show has been created by Jeff Davis, and though there were many doubts, jeff did maintain his standard of work and gave us an extraordinary series that has been recognized by many as the best crime-based show broadcasted on television. This show has got mostly all positive comments from the critics as well. Now we know it has been running for more than 15 years now and in 2020 only we received the final season of the show, which was a disappointment for many as we expected a bit more from the makers. If you want to enjoy some of the best moments from the show, we have brought you a list of episodes you can start with.
Now for those who don’t know anything about the show, criminal minds are a crime genre television show, which comes on the CBS channel follows the pattern, where we see many fictional FBI agents who are actually working as criminal profilers or people who can be simply considered as undercover agents, however, things are very different, each episode shows us a new case, where we track down the different criminal mindsets, criminals have got and how they run things. Overall, a great show and if you haven’t watched it yet, you can definitely give it a try, and if you are one of those who don’t want to watch all the episodes, you can surely refer to our list.
Now as we know this show has received an 8.1 IMDb rating which is just impressive and we won’t make you wait any longer, and jump directly to the list of 25 best episodes from criminal minds.
1. Riding The Lightning
This has been one of the best episodes and one of the most popular and touching ones according to fans when this comes to this show. This is the 14th episode from season 1 and follows the behavioral analyzing unit, going to the chambers, of a serial killer couple, who will be dead after a few hours, but they come to know that the son who was supposed to have been killed by the wife, was actually alive and the mother was sacrificing herself to save him from his parent’s identity. A great show to watch and the actions were taken by the unit are quite inspiring and thrilling. This is a single-episode story and can be a great first choice.
Where to Watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
2. Revelations
This is also considered one of the greatest episodes of all time, this is because many things which were unknown to us about Reid’s background, and many identities that were unknown make it out to the group as well as the audience. This is the 15th episode from season 2 and is the second point of the story, in the last episode we have seen Hankel kidnapping Reid and taking him to a different location, he drugs him and sends him through various flashbacks trying to make him confess, but ends up doing nothing towards the ending we see Reid confess, bus at the same time, shooting hankel when he is distracted by the approaching help
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
3. 100
This one is an action-filled episode, and you are surely not going to look away for a second while watching this episode. It’s the reaper case that is going on and this is season 5, the 9th episode. In the previous episode, we have seen that the group is already very supportive of hotch family, while George is after them for a long time. Hotch family is put under protection but George after torturing the officer placed in their case finds the location of the hotch family. Hotch goes on alone to face everything whereas Haley and jack end up doing something stupid, though the end isn’t bad and everything ends up good.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
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4. Mosley Lane
This has been one of the most intriguing episodes from season 5 and it’s quite expected from the story it has shown. This is the 16th episode from season 5 and follows the story of a couple, who haven’t been able to have a baby themselves, and have been kidnapping 8-year-olds, for a long time, however, if they have these kids, they must have grown up and they must be killed, what happens to there body then? There is a twist in that, and a lot of chaos is being faced by the unit while they are on this case. There is also the story of a mother, who assumes that her kidnapped child is still alive and tries to stir up the investigation every now and then.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
5. Sex, Birth, Death
This has been an incredible and dark case, which may not be liked by many, but can’t be ignored, based on how brilliant the depiction has been and also a guest star appearance. This episode is episode 11 from season 2 and follows the story, where we see Reid being suddenly approached by a teenager, who has got his mind towards torturing prostitutes and asks him what aspects it shows of him. The team finds his close connection to another serial killer who has been doing this but the episode has a bad end, where the team couldn’t save Nathan.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.
6. Entropy
This has been one of the most-watched shows and with a great rating, however, the story has received mixed responses from the audience. According to us, it can be given a try, and here we are talking about the 11th episode from season 11. The entire episode takes place in a restaurant and there may not have been much chase or action like in the other episodes, but there is a mind game being played, where Reid is on a date with another woman, who is a paid assassin, and she is connected with the assassin group who are looking for Garcia. Reid though loses by the end of the episode in the mind game, but it is quite an exciting fight between the two.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
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7. Zugzwang
The name sounds very unique, right? It was to us too and when we saw what this episode is about, it has to be mentioned in our list. This is the 12th episode from season 8 and has been regarded as one of the best episodes from season 8, and based on the story, it has both romance, tragedy, and thrill. However, the end may not be the one you expect and can be really hard to watch. Reid has got a long-secret love with Maeve and a neurologist, who ends up rejecting the papers of a student who gave his everything on the topic of suicide and this was the triggering point that led to the following disaster.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
8. Somebody’s Watching
Here we are talking about the 18th episode from season 1 of the show. This is quite an appreciated episode, and in this, we go on a trip into the world of Hollywood. The serial killer in this episode is a stalker as well as an appreciator of a growing and upcoming actress, and for her, he goes on a line of killing to remove her competitors. This helps the actress, but she never acknowledges the serial killer for his efforts. Now, after all this ignorance, the actress herself becomes a target by the stalker, and the team gets involved to stop this from happening.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
9.Mr Scratch
This is one of the best episodes from season 10 of the show. Here we are talking about the 21st episode from the respective season and in this episode, the team encounters a serial killer who not only ends up killing people but also ends up ruining the lives of their close ones. He uses drugs, to make them hallucinate and do the murders of their close ones. He has already done it in 3 different states and has got new targets. However, the team needs to find new clues and stop him from ruining any more lives. A great episode to watch.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
10. Conflicted
This is the 20th episode from season 4 and a great one too. In this episode, we see a very sensitive topic that too, connected with a crime. For this episode, Reid has been a hero and this may not be a very crime-related episode, but one that was too much complicated to be handled by the team. There is a killer, who has got two identities and one is getting overpowered by the other one, which isn’t the original one. We have also got a transgender-related topic being handled with much care and gives us deep insight into the mind of the criminal. A great watch and this makes it the last one from the top 10s on this list.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.
11. The Fisher King: Part One
The last episode from season one has just been a banger and a great watch with huge ratings on the IMDb platform. The episode is the first part of the story only, but the entire team is just left in peace with this episode. We see that some of the members of the unit, while they are on vacation, received gifts or packages, which contain human body remains and everyone is just shocked by it. Some of the members are here and have got things caught up in their hands, but the culprit remains the same for the entire team. This episode will give you chills and the main question remains regarding the identity of the culprit till the last.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
12. Penelope
If you have already watched some episodes of the show, you know who Garcia is in the unit and how much important she has been in every episode. Without her most missions couldn’t be solved, but this time it’s her life that is at the stake. We are here talking about the 9th episode from season 3, where Garcia is on a date and suddenly when the date ended, she is shot by her date. Her date ends up being an assassin and there has been some motive for shooting the team’s key member. To know the reason, you will have to watch the episode yourself.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
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13. L.D.S.K
This is the 6th episode from the first season of the show and a very less appreciated one, however, the story is worth a watch. This is one of the episodes that will get you all hooked on the stories that are shown. The name is unique, right? The story that this episode follows is of a great sniper who tries to endanger and murder the lives of many people, and in a certain pattern with the only aim of getting glory and name. quite an interesting episode, and with many twists and dangers in the story. The unit will be quite troubled to follow what goes on.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
14. Derailed
Another episode from season one of the show and this time it is the 9th one. This episode has been a great one truly and follows the story of Elle, who plays an important role. We see her traveling on a train while she is returning from the interview of a serial killer, however things turn when a paranoid man, who assumes the higher authorities have been following him and takes the entire carriage of people hostage with Elle’s gun after seeing her batch. now the unit has to deal with him with much care, as he has lost his normal mental state and anything could happen to the passengers.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
15. Elephants’ Memory
This can be regarded as one of the best episodes from season 3 and it is particularly the 16th episode of the season. In this episode, we see a lot going on and Reid in a big deal of action. The story follows the story of a kid or a traumatized boy who has got great brains but is still prey to bullying and sexual assault, but his fellow friends and classmates. This ends up making him a criminal minded and he blows up a small house in a town, killing both the father and the daughter living in the house. The unit has to deal with it carefully.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
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16. Mayhem
When it comes to the first episode of a season, it generally has to be a great one and when looking at the first episodes of all the seasons, there is no doubt that the fourth season, the 1st episode did wonders. It is not a complicated story, but a simple terrorist-based story, however, there are twists and turns in every step which is tough for the unit as well as the audience to think about, a great written episode, and a worthy one.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
17. Jones
We again move to the second season of the show and this to episode 18. This is a very highly rated episode and follows a lot of twists and turns which will be loved by the audience. In this episode, we have the setting of New Orleans, where Katrina has already destroyed a lot of evidence on a case, and now the unit has to start again on the case, where men are being murdered in a certain pattern. This is overall a great episode to watch.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
18. Memoriam
Here we are talking about the seventh episode from the fourth season of the show. As we already know season 4 has been one of the best seasons till now, and thus this episode couldn’t have missed this list. We all know how loved a character Reid is, and as the unit looks after an old case, Reid’s only blood, his father gets involved and gets his name written down in the suspect list. There are many other twists and turns and the ending of the episode is a very unexpected one, you should watch it yourself to know more about it.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
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19. Amplification
This is the 24th episode from season 4, and as we have already been told, season 4 has been very famous for its extremely well-written episodes. This is one of them and quite a unique way of being a culprit. No one can blame the culprit because maybe he wasn’t having a bad intention but his ways were certainly not worth it. A microbiology student afraid of the coming diseases, himself created a deadly strain that would harm all.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
20. Uncanny Valley
This episode can be regarded as one of the best episodes from its respective season. Here we are talking about the 5th season and its episode 12. Though the fifth season hasn’t been a very favorite one, it is still a good one. This episode follows a quite unique and terrifying story that most of us have never heard before. It follows the story of a culprit, a woman who kidnaps women drugs them, and they get paralyzed, soon she dresses them up well and keeps them as dolls. The unit finds it quite difficult to trace the crime but the end is well.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
21. Extreme Aggressor
Another great start to a season and the episode where all the things started. This is the first episode from the first season and a very well-written one. This is not only a case but also a test for a single member of the unit, this episode follows the case of a man who was driven by strange impulses, he kidnapped his targets and killed them after a long time, none knows why he did that. It’s tough for the unit to solve this cast.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
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22. Minimal Loss
Again we return to season four of the show and this time it’s the third episode we talk about, this is the episode which has been very appreciated and follows the case of a cult leader, who has now taken a hostage when he has turned paranoid of his acts and threatens to kill her until he gets what he wants. The unit dealt with him but it seemed quite tense.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
23. Lauren
This is the best episode from the 6th season of the show and it is also the 18th episode of the season. Here we see Prentis a key member of the unit taking his revenge on a woman who is a terrorist in cover, and earlier he used to know her, and she is the sole reason for his son’s death. There are a lot of twists and turns in this episode but surely a great one.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
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24. Lo-Fi
Again, we move to the third season and now this time it’s the 20th episode. A very thrill-packed one for sure, and it follows the story where the unit goes on a wrong way but soon turns to the right one, it has the setting of New York City and a set of murders that go on there. The unit soon solves the case, but it surely continues to the next episode for the end of the case.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime
25. The Instincts
This is the last one from our list and another one from season 4. This is the sixth episode and quite a well-known episode. This episode follows the story of a mother, who had her guided by her illusions about the boy who was kidnaped but was not actually her son. The end of the episode is quite a nice one but a troubling one for Reid for sure.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime