Criminal Mindshas had some truly strange and bizarre episodes over its 17 seasons, with disturbing unsubs and unsettling cases. Some ofthe bestCriminal Mindsepisodesare also some of the strangest, highlighting the show’s originality, which helps keep the series fresh and viewers tuning in almost 20 years after it first premiered. This has also createdCriminal Mindsunsubsthat stick with the viewers and the characters.
As a police procedural drama about serial killers,Criminal Mindshas been allowed to dive into some incredibly weird storylines. Though some can be too much to handle, others are just strange enough to keep viewers on their toes while still entertaining them. ManyCriminal Mindsstories are based on real-life cases, which only makes the bizarre episodes even odder.
15“Route 66”
Season 9, Episode 5
Most of the bizarreCriminal Mindsepisodes are considered to be this way because of the cases they revolve around. However, “Route 66” is strange for an entirely different reason. While the BAU team chases down a robber-turned-spree killer who kidnapped his estranged daughter, Hotch is fighting for his life after complications from being stabbed by George Foyet, the Reaper.
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While in the hospital,Hotch starts experiencing strange visions of his wife, Haley, who Foyet killed four seasons earlier.This alone may not be considered bizarre, but in his fantasy world, Haley is friendly with Foyet. The sweet reunion between Haley and Hotch quickly turns into a nightmare, though the episode fortunately has a happy ending.
14“Hope”
Season 7, Episode 8
“Hope” was a Penelope-centric episode ofCriminal Minds, as it was a case in which she knew the victim. Penelope ran a grief support group that was attended by Monica Kingston, whose daughter, Hope, had been abducted years before by a man named Bill Rogers. InCriminal Mindsseason 7, episode 8, he then abducts Monica.
It was a heartbreaking episode that revealed Bill had sexually abused and impregnated her. This led Hope to commit suicide, which then inspired Bill to abduct Monica. Bill planned to “make another Hope” with Monica, though fortunately, he didn’t succeed.Criminal Mindshas featured many kidnappings, but Bill’s obsession with Hope and then Monica made this episode stand out.
13“Mr. Scratch”
Season 10, Episode 21
Mr. Scratch is one of the most notableCriminal Mindsunsubs, as he became a long-term torturer of the BAU team. He and his bizarre methods were first introduced inCriminal Mindsseason 10, episode 21 in an episode named after him. Mr. Scratch’s real name inCriminal Mindsis Peter Lewis, a man who drugged his victims and made them hallucinate.
When Mr. Scratch escaped from prison, he focused on people with dissociative identity disorder, forcing his victims to assume new identities.
These hallucinations made them violently lash out, typically leading them to kill a loved one. This was a special and horrific type of torture, as they didn’t have any memory of what they did and weren’t in control of their own bodies and minds. Mr. Scratch took advantage of those most susceptible, making him even more sadistic.
12“The Capilanos”
Season 13, Episode 17
The concept of killer clowns isn’t anything new, and when depicted onscreen, they typically fall somewhere between silly and absolutely terrifying. The unsub inCriminal Mindsseason 13, episode 17, Sal Capilano, falls on the scarier part of the spectrum. Sal had been a professional clown working in the circus before turning to a life of robbery and eventually killing.
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When committing his murders, Sal would dress up in his clown costume, which was sure to give nightmares to anyone with even a small clown phobia. He also carved smiley faces with stars in their eyes into the doors of the victims’ homes, turning the innocent dark. The last thing that was heard from Sal when the BAU caught him was his haunting, maniacal laugh.
11“A Family Affair”
Season 7, Episode 16
Criminal Mindsoften makes viewers wonder whether serial killers are born or bred, as shown by episodes like “A Family Affair.” As the title suggests, the episode deals with a family of unsubs rather than just one, though it was the son, Jeffrey Collins, who carries out the killings. Jeffrey was paralyzed from the waist down and frustrated with his impotence, causing him to kill prostitutes.
Jeffrey’s parents would dispose of his victims’ bodies, though they didn’t necessarily approve of his killings. They try to stop him, but they want him happy above all else, even if that means helping him carry out murders. This was one of the more bizarre family dynamics inCriminal Minds, of which there are many.
10"There’s No Place Like Home"
Season 7, Episode 7
Criminal Mindsseason 7, episode 7 was aptly named “There’s No Place Like Home” because it dealt with an unsub who killed teenage boys during storms. Travis James, would abduct, drug, and bludgeon runaways to death. When they were dead, Travis would take a certain part of their body, trying to assemble enough parts to recreate his older brother, Tucker, by stitching the parts together.
The rest of the body was swept up by the tornadoes, making it seem like the victims were killed by the storm. Setting the episode during storms made it stand out, as did Travis’ Dr. Frankenstein-inspired motive. Travis truly believed he could bring his brother back to life, which made the episode even more unsettling.
9“Open Season”
Season 2, Episode 21
Oddly enough, there are multipleCriminal Mindsepisodes where the unsubs hunt their victims like prey. In “Open Season,” Joe and Paul Mulford go to Boise National Park in Idaho and abduct and torture their victims by letting them loose in the park before finally killing them with arrows. The uncle and nephew rack up a high body count, with 26 kills.
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Joe and Paul giving them a chance to flee, only to kill them, makes their methods even more upsetting. The hunts would go on for even as long as a week, with many of their victims dying slow, painful deaths in what can only be described as someone’s worst nightmare. The mixture of psychological and physical torture is hard to bear.
8“God Complex”
Season 8, Episode 4
It’s not uncommon that an unsub inCriminal Mindswill turn out to be a doctor, a former doctor, or someone who works with bodies. In the case of “God Complex,” the unsub, John Nelson, was a former mortician. He uses his skills to perform botched surgeries on his victims, trying to find a way to perform a successful leg transplantation for his amputee wife.
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The episode features some sickening Frankenstein-like images of limbs sloppily sewn onto other people’s bodies. John had convinced himself he was helping his wife, but she was unaware of what he was doing. When she finds out, she understandably doesn’t approve and helps the BAU capture him.
7“Dust and Bones”
Season 13, Episode 7
If “The Capilanos” targeted those with fears of clowns, “Dust and Bones” is a hard watch for those with a snake phobia. In theCriminal Mindsseason 13 episode, the unsub, Desi Gutierrez, had an odd emotional connection and obsession with snakes. She went as far as changing her appearance to make herself look more serpentine.
Desi split her own tongue and carved wounds into her arm in the shape of snake scales. Though she didn’t kill any of her victims like other serial killers inCriminal Minds, she split their tongues as well. The episode is full of snakes, which she used to incapacitate her victims, adding to the story’s creep factor.
6“Heathridge Manor”
Season 7, Episode 19
There are many delusional serial killers inCriminal Minds, but James Heathridge stands out for his strange signature. In “Heathridge Manor,” James sees a vision of his mother, an actor who had a minor role in a production of Shakespeare’sThe Merry Wives of Windsor. She became convinced the lead actresses were “The Devil’s Wives” and chopped off his baby sister’s arm to make her less appealing to the devil.
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James’ mother’s delusions became his own, and when he killed his victims, he dressed them up in homemade Renaissance-style dresses identical to those from the Shakespeare play. The images of the dead women dressed up as if they were about to perform are chilling. Sometimes what an unsub does post-mortem is more bizarre and disturbing than the killing itself.
