Criminal Minds: The 10 Scariest Episodes Viewers Will Haunt Forever (2023)

criminal thoughts may return for its 16th season as a Paramount+ reboot, but the long-running CBS series has undoubtedly made an impact on viewers 15 years on. Despite the anticipation of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) team's return to the big screen, it's also chilling to see some of the most gruesome scenes happen again.

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After all, it shouldn't come as a surprise if consequences ofthe show about the worst side of humanitythey resemble mini horror films. Despite the BAU team's best efforts to save the day, some of the episodes left viewers feeling uneasy after watching them.

"The Boogeyman" (Season 2, Episode 6)

In this episode, the BAU travels to a small Texas town to investigate child murders. The crew, after narrowing down the suspects, suspect that a local recluse named Joseph Finnegan is the suspect. However, Finnegan actually died of a heart attack while setting a bear trap, and his body was hidden by Jeffrey Charles (Cameron Monaghan), who broke into Finnegan's house and used it as a hideout while still making it appear like Finnegan was still alive.

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Jeffrey Charles, a 12-year-old with a sad childhood, is actually the suspect in this episode who murdered three children in cold blood. When a case involves children, it gets worse and worse, and when the suspect is a child, it becomes absolutely horrific.

"No Way Out, Part II: The Evilution of Frank" (Temporada 2, Episódio 23)

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This episode tells the second chapter in the story of sadistic murderer, stalker and kidnapper Frank Breitkopf (Keith Carradine) Fairy tale. After the murder of Sarah Jacobs (Moira Squier), by Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) friend Breitkopf continued to murder other victims who had survived Gideon's previous cases. To find and rescue Tracy Belle (Elle Fanning) who had been kidnapped by Jeffrey Charles, teenage serial killer Gideon, and the team had to work against the clock.

This episode is particularly chilling because of the murderous technique Breitkopf used and the way he turned his victims' ribs into a wind chime for his beloved. Also, Rebecca Bryant (Amanda Bernero), a former hostage of her would-be serial killer father and one of Breitkopf's victims in this episode, more than anyone else, deserved to live happily after everything she'd been through, only to die a horrible way.

"To Hell... and Back, Part II" (Season 4, Episode 26)

After uncovering evidence linking many alleged disappearances, the BAU continues its investigation into the serial killer in Canada. They stumble upon a harrowing discovery that could reveal the killer's motives, and Morgan (Shemar Moore) discovers a shoebox in different shapes and sizes in front of the house.

Because of the narcissism shown in Mason Turner (Garret Dillahunt), the mastermind behind this horrific "experiment" and the way his autistic and mentally disabled brother Lucas (Paul Rai) dealt with his brother's "lab waste" viewers can stay awake for days after this episode. Also the details show that pigs are omnivores which means no bodies were found which is also impressive.

"The Lesson" (Season 10, Episode 8)

In this episode, the BAU investigates an Arizona serial killer who bizarrely dumps his victims. The suspect named Adam Rain (Brad Dourif), an elderly man who had just awakened from a coma and suffered severe prefrontal brain damage that resulted in psychological regression to a childlike mental state. He then kidnapped people, dislocated their joints and put them in a play to enact the incident that sadly killed his father.

The idea that a young mind could invent and carry out such heinous acts against other persons is so terrifying. Also, the use of children's music and children's toys in this episode is wonderful to increase the suspense and give the episode a spooky feel that some viewers may not find for a while.

"Heathridge Manor" (Season 7, Episode 19)

In this episode, the BAU realizes the victim may be part of a series of gothic and ritualistic murders and suspects the suspect may be a Satanist when a woman is found dead in an Oregon asylum. The suspect in this episode is James Heathridge (Kyle Gallner), who drowned his victims to see if they were witches. So after wearingThe Merry Wives of WindsorCostumes, he murdered them. James considered murdering the devil's wives with the help of his reluctant sister Lara (Madeleine Martin), would help bring down the devil.

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This episode is disturbing because of the way James kills and becomes delusional. Another terrifying aspect of this story is that belief can be so powerful and deceptive that it can be used as justification for killing other people and as a means of hiding your deteriorating mental health.

"Omnivore" (Season 4, Episode 18)

Hotchs (Thomas Gibson) first BAU case, a delusional serial killer named Reaper resumes his killings after a ten-year hiatus. To speak to George Foyet (C.Thomas Howell), the only survivor of the Reaper attacks ten years ago, the crew had to fly to Boston. The crew discovered the Reaper was Foyet when they were unable to avoid several unfortunate attacks and noticed inconsistencies in reports from Foyet, who later became Hotch's number one enemy.

Due to the cold-blooded murders the reaper committed on his victims and the lengths he would go to to fabricate his own murder, the episode is extremely chilling. A frightening part of "omnivore”it is also the unpredictability of the true nature of human beings; Some people are not who they appear to be.

"The Capilans" (Season 13, Episode 17)

In this episode, the team travels to the small town of Guymon, Oklahoma to solve a home invasion, burglary and death of homeowner Mark Wilson. The team must determine if Dylan Wilson (Lincoln Sullivan), the Wilsons' seven-year-old son, who spoke before he was unable to speak due to trauma, was telling the truth when he claimed the killer wore a clown costume.

People who suffer from coulrophobia find it very difficult to watch.”Hair Day', especially when the clown in this episode ofcriminal thoughtscruel murders committed. Although it is fairly common in today's society for people to try to inflict the pain of abandonment on others, it is unsettling and excruciating to watch this hatred run rampant.

"Birthright" (Season 3, Episode 11)

In this episode, several young women are found dead after being burned and disfigured. As the case unfolds, the BAU makes a disturbing connection to similar crimes that took place in the 1980s: the copycat serial killer was actually the son of the original killer, who believed it was his birthright to continue the legacy of evil.

This episode is unsettling to watch because it is so disgusting that anyone might think that murder could be a legacy to be cherished. Also, viewers may have trouble sleeping due to the horrific and chilling manner in which the women were tortured in this episode.

"Mosley Lane" (Season 5, Episode 16)

Young children have disappeared from public places and the perpetrators have been discovered to be married couples working together to kidnap their victims. As the show progresses, it becomes clear why Anita and Roger Roycewood (Beth Grant and Bud Cort) Kidnapping Children: You cannot have children.

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The episode is filled with fear and authenticity; Child abduction is still a common real crime, and the actions of extras and victims make it upone of the scariest the show has ever produced🇧🇷 For example, there was a scene where Anita Roycewood sings a lullaby to a sleeping child before pushing it into her family's crematorium to be cremated alive.

"Northern Mammon" (Season 2, Episode 7)

Three soccer teammates are kidnapped by a psychotic man who used them in a bizarre game. The suspect informed the girls that only one of them would die while the other two could live. The other two friends must decide that one of the girls, who became ill and grew weaker by the day while they were trapped without food or water, should die.

This episode, unlike many others, revolves around the victims being trapped in an underground cellar rather than the suspect. Also human nature and the efforts people would go to to survive make this episode so scary.

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