25 Creepiest ‘Criminal Minds’ Episodes That Will Forever Haunt Viewers

Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the CBS show Criminal Minds, as well as discussions of sexual assault, cannibalism, torture, and violence.Criminal Minds returned for its 17th season as a Paramount+ reboot, with the long-running CBS series undoubtedly impacting viewers after 15 years. Despite the anticipation for the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) team’s return to the big screen, it’s also frightening to see some of the most horrific scenes unfold one more time.

After all, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when episodes of the show about the worst aspects of humanity resemble mini-horror films. Despite the BAU team’s best efforts to save the day, some of the episodes have left viewers restless after watching. With audiences excited and unsure of what the BAU team has planned for the future, it’s the perfect time to rewatch some of the scariest Criminal Minds episodes to relive the show’s glorious old days.

25

“The Stranger”

Season 6, Episode 21 (2011)

A lot of the episodes from Criminal Minds explores the depths of pathological obsession, but the episode The Stranger does this really well. In it, the BAU faces a formidable adversary in Greg Phinney (Chad Todhunter), an unsub consumed by a weird fixation on his stepmother. This compulsion fuels a deadly game, as he targets and murders young women who bear a striking resemblance to her.

Viewers will surely be unnerved by the episode as it creates a suspenseful atmosphere thick with dread and unease, especially as the BHD looks more into Greg’s past, uncovering the harrowing experiences that fueled his descent into madness. Todhunter delivers a realistic performance as Greg, capturing the descent into madness with accuracy. All in all, “The Strange” is a chilling reminder of the power of fear and the fragility of the human mind.

24

“Beyond Borders”

Season 10, Episode 19 (2015)

The episode “Beyond Borders” served as a successful backdoor pilot for Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. The BAU, under the command of Jack Garrett (Gary Sinise), face a new level of danger as they confront a predator preying on American tourists in the sun-drenched paradise of Barbados. When an innocent family is abducted, the investigation reveals a chilling pattern of attacks targeting unsuspecting travelers.

The team must overcome cultural barriers and navigate unfamiliar territory as they race against time to decipher the unsub’s intricate plans and prevent the unimaginable. The idyllic setting of Barbados provides a stark contrast to the horrific crimes committed against unsuspecting tourists, creating an atmosphere of unsettling unease. In addition, the unsub’s calculated approach, preying on the isolation and vulnerability of travelers, makes the episode creepier. It’s a high-stakes episode that pushes the team to their limits.

23

“200”

Season 9, Episode 14 (2014)

When a member of the BAU is the victim, as was the case in this landmark episode, it inevitably gets worse. JJ (A. J. Cook), who was kidnapped at the end of the previous episode, wakes up restrained and slowly recognizes her captor. Also, through JJ’s flashback, the episode transports the audience to the past and reveals a tragic secret.

The episode is full of upsetting scenes that are plainly visible through JJ’s expression, which shows pure agony and dread. The episode is spooky not because of any TV serial killer’s horrific killing technique, as viewers often see during the show, but because everyone has a past and how the past follows and catches up with the characters in the most unexpected way.

22

“Open Season”

Season 2, Episode 21 (2007)

In “Open Season,” people would be kidnapped by the murderers featured in the episode, who would then let them go into the forest before hunting them. With the use of bows and arrows, Johnny (Jake Richardson) and Paul Mulford (Jim Parrack) could pursue their prey for several days before catching up and letting them bleed to death.

The episode is so spooky and unsettling because it depicts humanity at its ugliest, which is visible in both hunters and prey. Hunters who treat people like animals and treat their lives like a sport demonstrate how little they value human life, while “prey” who are cornered to death reveal their true nature.

21

“Night Lights”

Season 14, Episode 11 (2019)

Like in “Open Season,” the unsub in “Night Lights” revels in the thrill of the hunt – except there is a certain blinding caveat that makes the crime all the more gruesome and creepy. Dustin Eisworth (Elias Toufexis) abducts multiple couples, blinds them using a blowtorch, and releases them onto the suburban streets, only to hunt them down. As a child, he underwent an aggressive form of exposure therapy to cure his fear of the dark, causing him to resent his parents, which was compounded after years in solitary confinement.

This episode capitalizes on the fear of the dark and marries it with the depraved idea of hunting down another human being. From the initial camera footage of a victim running around blindly to the dark visuals of the unsubs, “Night Lights” reinvigorates our childhood fears of the dark, making us once again wary of the monster that could be around a shadowy corner. – Jasneet Singh

20

“In Name and Blood”

Season 3, Episode 2 (2007)

It is always uniquely terrifying when a child is revealed to be the unsub, but “In Name and Blood” delivers us a child that has a haunting attitude about his father committing abductions. Joe (Eddie Cibrian) uses his son David (Chandler Canterbury) as a part of his MO. David lures unsuspecting women away from public areas, so his father can kidnap them and force them to roleplay as David’s mother. If they fail, they meet a gruesome demise.

Joe’s eagerness to involve his son in his criminal activities is completely unnerving, since most unsubs try to hide their inhumanity from their family, not share it. The father-son duo is made more spooky by David’s nonchalance about it. He tries to steer the abducted women onto the path that won’t get them killed, yet is resigned whenever they do, creating a dynamic that chills us to the bone. – Jasneet Singh

19

“The Capilanos”

Season 13, Episode 17 (2018)

To look into a home invasion, burglary, and homeowner Mark Wilson’s death, the crew travels to the little hamlet of Guymon, Oklahoma in this episode. The team must determine whether Dylan Wilson (Lincoln Sullivan), the Wilsons’ seven-year-old son, who spoke before he was unable to speak as a result of the trauma, was telling the truth when he claimed that the murderer was wearing a clown costume.

People who suffer from coulrophobia may experience a very tough time watching “The Capilanos,” especially when the clown in this episode of Criminal Minds executed horrifying murders. Additionally, while it is quite common in today’s society for people to attempt to inflict their abandonment grief on others, it is nonetheless unsettling and distressing to witness when that hatred becomes excessive.

18

“The Caller”

Season 9, Episode 10 (2013)

The episode centers on a couple who receive multiple terrifying phone calls from a child before their son is kidnapped. The family is threatened by the unidentified caller, who says he’s “going to get them.” The BAU started their investigation when the son was discovered dead.

The natural horror of losing a child with visible gore is combined in “The Caller” with the unsettling tone of programs like True Detective that may disturb many viewers. Moreover, long after the episode has ended, viewers will remember the child’s voice and the horrifying sounds that came from the phone since they not only added to the episode’s chill factor but also touched the most vulnerable part of a person.

17

“North Mammon”

Season 2, Episode 7 (2006)

Three soccer teammates are kidnapped by an evil man (reminiscent of the most iconic horror movie villains) who employed them in a bizarre game. The unsub informed the girls that only one of them would perish while the other two could live. The two other friends must decide that one of the girls, who was unwell and becoming weaker every day while they were stranded without food or water, must die.

This episode, in contrast to many others, is primarily concerned with the victims who are imprisoned in an underground cellar instead of the unsub. Additionally, human nature and the lengths people would go to in order to survive are what make this episode so haunting.

16

“Scared to Death”

Season 3, Episode 3 (2007)

In this episode, the BAU goes to Portland to help with the investigation into the disappearances of newcomers with no established social networks. There are no indications of sexual assault, although each victim was tortured to death. Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) then discovers a connection once a fifth victim is discovered: every death is linked to a distinct ailment.

This episode makes viewers imagine that they are in this scenario, which makes it so terrifying. Since the unsub of this episode is a fictional psychiatrist who shouldn’t have a medical license, it’s worse to imagine that someone may take advantage of your deepest fear and use it against you when he/she is supposed to provide you with safety.

15

“Birthright”

Season 3, Episode 11 (2007)

In this episode, several young women are discovered dead after having been burned and disfigured. As the case develops, the BAU makes a disturbing connection to similar crimes that took place in the 1980s. The copycat serial killer was actually the original murderer’s son, who believed it was his birthright to continue the evil legacy.

It’s unsettling to watch this episode because it’s so sick that someone can believe that murder might be a legacy to cherish. Furthermore, viewers could have trouble sleeping due to how horrific and terrifying the way the women were tortured in this episode.

14

“Proof”

Season 7, Episode 2 (2011)

When women are discovered dead in rural Oklahoma after having one of their five senses robbed, the BAU team examines the area. The episode features a seemingly sympathetic serial killer who had developmental limitations named Cy Bradstone (Andy Milder) who revealed that because of his impairment, he appeared unthreatening and was, therefore, able to approach the women with ease.

In the horrifying episode, Bradstone literally destroyed the victims’ senses by pouring acid into their mouths and eyes to rob them of taste and sight. The episode will stay with viewers for a long time since it reveals that at the bottom of one’s deepest anguish is his cruelty and willingness to hurt others in order to soothe his own sufferings.

13

“Piranha”

Season 17, Episode 7 (2024)

Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2 adds a perfectly acidic case to its repertoire that has a Norman Bates-inspired character. Under his wife’s orders, Roger (Aaron Yoo) hunts down a group of men who allegedly raped his wife and dissipates their bodies in an acid chamber. Turns out, his wife had been dead for years, and he had been sleeping next to her and their newborn’s decomposed bodies – the men he hunted down were surrogates for himself, as he subconsciously believed he had failed his wife.

The confronting visual of Roger nursing his decayed son paired with his victims’ bodies corroding away make for a wholly grotesque episode. It is provoking to see what kind of delusion a tortured mind will create to protect itself, making it one of the most haunting episodes of Criminal Minds‘ reboot. – Jasneet Singh

12

“Mosley Lane”

Season 5, Episode 16 (2010)

Young children have been going missing in public places, and it has been discovered that the perpetrators are a team of husband and wife who collaborate to kidnap their victims. It becomes clear as the show goes on why Anita and Roger Roycewood (Beth Grant and Bud Cort) abduct children: they are unable to have children of their own.

The episode is packed with fear and authenticity; child abductions are still a common genuine crime, and the acting by the extras and the victims makes it one of the saddest Criminal Minds episodes ever. For example, there was a scene when Anita Roycewood sings a nursery rhyme to a sleeping child before pushing him into their family’s crematorium to be burnt alive.

11

“Lucky”

Season 3, Episode 8 (2007)

The episode centers on Floyd Feylinn Ferell, a cannibalistic serial killer played by Jamie Kennedy. Not that Ferell himself is a cannibal, but the fact that he makes his other victims become cannibals is what makes him so frightening. He feeds his victims the remains of prior victims, and the BAU team discovers that he even has a cookbook full of homemade cannibal recipes.

Yet, that is not all the disturbing details of this episode. Near the end of the episode, when Ferell is speaking with a priest, the priest informs him that “God is in all of us.” and Ferell responds, “So is Tracey Lambert,” making it one of the creepiest Criminal Minds episodes.

10

“The Uncanny Valley”

Season 5, Episode 12 (2010)

The episode centers on Samantha Malcolm (Jennifer Hasty), a serial killer of the “collector” variety who kidnaps women and turns them into dolls to display in her home. The team learns that her father had assaulted her when she was a young child and had later given her dolls as an act of restitution; as a result, she has been kidnapping women to replace the toys she has lost.

Samantha is one of a few sympathetic TV serial killers who viewers often feel sorry for because of everything she’s been through at the hands of her father. That, however, does not excuse her actions of kidnapping and abusing her victims emotionally. It’s undeniably one of the creepiest episodes of the show, even if viewers weren’t afraid of dolls before.

9

“The Lesson”

Season 8, Episode 10 (2012)

In this episode, the BAU looked into a serial killer in Arizona who bizarrely disposes of his victims. The unsub named Adam Rain (Brad Dourif), an old man who had just woken up from a coma and suffered serious prefrontal brain damage, which led to a psychological regression to a childish state of mind. He then kidnapped people, dislocated their joints, and made them perform in a play to reenact the incident in which his father was unfortunately killed.

The idea that a young mind could think up and carry out such heinous deeds against other individuals is so horrifying. Additionally, the usage of children’s music and children’s toy in this episode is wonderful for heightening the tension and giving the episode a creepier feel that some viewers may not be able to encounter in a while.

8

“Saturday”

Season 15, Episode 4 (2020)

The episode is set on a titular day, a day off for the BAU team, who decide to spend their days in various ways. However, when Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) is approached by a competitor in her hacking competition for assistance with a stalker, everything goes south. Even though he had been sending her ominous messages online, including one that threatened to gut her, that wasn’t the worst of it. The team later discovers that he has carved a hole out of her floor and living under her bed.

The episode is extremely distressing because of how it resembles some of the most suspenseful stalker movies and shows. It could sound cute at first, but once someone has to go through it, it’s undoubtedly a nightmare. Also, this episode is one of a select handful with a high likelihood of occurring, causing viewers to check their beds every night.

7

“Omnivore”

Season 4, Episode 18 (2009)

Hotch’s (Thomas Gibson) first BAU case, an elusive serial killer known as the Reaper, resumes his murders after a ten-year hiatus. To speak with George Foyet (C. Thomas Howell), the lone survivor of the Reaper’s strikes ten years ago, the crew had to fly to Boston. The crew learned that the Reaper was Foyet when they were unable to avert numerous unfortunate attacks and noticed discrepancies in Foyet’s account who later became Hotch’s number one enemy.

Due to the cold-blooded murders the reaper committed against his victims and the lengths he would go to fabricate his own murder, the episode is extremely eerie. A frightening part of “Omnivore” is also the unpredictability of people’s true nature; some people aren’t who they seem to be.

6

“Sicarius”

Season 16, Episode 2 (2022)

Though Sicarius, or Elias Voit (Zach Gilford), has stuck around for all of Evolution, it is in “Sicarius” that we first realize the true horror of what this twisted mind has achieved. Elias is responsible for creating an entire underground serial killer network using online chat groups that connect psychopaths globally, allowing them to exchange unhinged fantasies or murder tips. This even extends to placing “murder kits” around the country to share his extracurricular hobby with others.

The Sicarius network is by far the most relevant case for today’s digital age, offering us a spooky possibility of how the lockdown may have impacted crime. Gilford’s matter-of-fact performance makes it even more chilling as if serial killing is simply now a business to him and not necessarily a cathartic release we often see in sexual sadists. – Jasneet Singh