Scripted series · CBS
Criminal Minds
To catch a criminal, you have to think like one.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Mandy Patinkin
Jason Gideon
47 eps
Joe Mantegna
David Rossi
319 eps
Paget Brewster
Emily Prentiss
251 eps
Thomas Gibson
Aaron Hotchner
257 eps
Adam Rodriguez
Luke Alvez
109 eps
Kirsten Vangsness
Penelope Garcia
364 eps
Lola Glaudini
Elle Greenaway
28 eps
A.J. Cook
Jennifer Jareau
344 eps
Aisha Tyler
Dr. Tara Lewis
127 eps
Shemar Moore
Derek Morgan
257 eps
Zach Gilford
Elias Voit
40 eps
Matthew Gray Gubler
Dr. Spencer Reid
325 eps
Ryan-James Hatanaka
Tyler Green
37 eps
Jeanne Tripplehorn
Alex Blake
48 eps
Damon Gupton
Stephen Walker
22 eps
Rachel Nichols
Ashley Seaver
24 eps
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Kate Callahan
23 eps
Daniel Henney
Matt Simmons
49 eps
C. Thomas Howell
The Reaper / George Foyet
7 eps
Meta Golding
Jordan Todd
8 eps
Gina Garcia
Gina Sharp
11 eps
Candy Clark
Sandy Jareau
4 eps
Timothy V. Murphy
Ian Doyle
5 eps
Jeananne Goossen
Fiona Duncan
4 eps
Mekhai Andersen
Henry LaMontagne
21 eps
Phoenix Andersen
Michael LaMontagne
9 eps
Paul F. Tompkins
Brian Garrity
8 eps
Aubrey Plaza
Cat Adams
4 eps
Josh Stewart
William LaMontagne Jr.
28 eps
Jane Lynch
Diana Reid
10 eps
Nicholas Brendon
Kevin Lynch
21 eps
Gail O'Grady
Krystall Richards
7 eps
Michael Mosley
Everett Lynch
6 eps
Alex Jennings
Grace Lynch
4 eps
Kelly Frye
Kristy
6 eps
Stephen Bishop
Andrew Mendoza
4 eps
Amber Stevens West
Joy Rossi
4 eps
Cade Owens
Jack Hotchner
22 eps
Hailey Sole
Meg
5 eps
Meredith Monroe
Haley Hotchner
16 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Criminal Minds actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Criminal Minds reads strongest on Tension, Character Depth and Bingeability.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
An elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU who returns to help the team solve new cases.
The run
Seasons
19 seasons · 364 episodes.
- Poster unavailableSpecials
Season 0 · Unannounced
Specials
1 episode
Season 1 · Complete
Season 1
200522 episodes
7.7IMDbBest episode · S01E06 L.D.S.K.
Season 2 · Complete
Season 2
200623 episodes
7.9IMDbBest episode · S02E23 No Way Out: The Evilution of Frank (2)
Season 3 · Complete
Season 3
200720 episodes
8.0IMDbBest episode · S03E20 Lo-Fi
Season 4 · Complete
Season 4
200826 episodes
8.1IMDbBest episode · S04E26 ...And Back (2)
Season 5 · Complete
Season 5
200923 episodes
8.0IMDbBest episode · S05E09 100
Season 6 · Complete
Season 6
201024 episodes
7.9IMDbBest episode · S06E18 Lauren
Season 7 · Complete
Season 7
201124 episodes
7.8IMDbBest episode · S07E11 True Genius
Season 8 · Complete
Season 8
201224 episodes
7.9IMDbBest episode · S08E12 Zugzwang
Season 9 · Complete
Season 9
201324 episodes
7.9IMDbBest episode · S09E24 Demons (2)
Season 10 · Complete
Season 10
201423 episodes
7.8IMDbBest episode · S10E21 Mr. Scratch
Season 11 · Complete
Season 11
201522 episodes
7.9IMDbBest episode · S11E11 Entropy
Season 12 · Complete
Season 12
201622 episodes
8.0IMDbBest episode · S12E22 Red Light
Season 13 · Complete
Season 13
201722 episodes
8.1IMDbBest episode · S13E22 Believer
Season 14 · Complete
Season 14
201815 episodes
8.0IMDbBest episode · S14E01 300
Season 15 · Complete
Season 15
202010 episodes
7.8IMDbBest episode · S15E09 Face Off (1)
Season 16 · Complete
Season 16
202210 episodes
8.5IMDbThe FBI's elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. As the world opens back up and the network goes operational, the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time.
Best episode · S16E09 Memento Mori
Season 17 · Complete
Season 17
202410 episodes
8.0IMDbEvolution season 2 picks up as the FBI's elite team of profilers investigates the deadly mystery of Gold Star. As the conspiracy unfolds, the Behavioral Analysis Unit is met with an unexpected complication when serial killer Elias Voit negotiates a deal that transfers him to federal custody in the BAU's own backyard. The team faces its biggest threat yet and cannot emerge unscathed from the mind-bending consequences.
Best episode · S17E09 Stars & Stripes
Season 18 · Complete
Season 18
202510 episodes
7.7IMDbThe new season picks up six months after fellow inmates attacked the notorious Sicarius Killer, Elias Voit, leading his restless followers on the dark web to begin wreaking havoc all over the country. In order to stop this nefarious group from killing more innocents, the BAU is forced to work alongside an increasingly unpredictable Voit, who of course has his own agenda.
Best episode · S18E01 Swimmer's Calculus
Season 19 · Complete
Season 19
202610 episodes
9.1IMDbAs the BAU investigates a string of chilling new cases, Elias Voit embarks on a path to atone for his past. His newfound infamy inadvertently awakens their most formidable nemesis yet, The Fan. Precise, calculating, and relentlessly dangerous, this UnSub pushes the BAU to the brink and back under the shadow of Elias Voit. But how far will The Fan go to prove his superiority over his idol?
Best episode · S19E02 Cluster
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S11E11
Entropy
The BAU implements an elaborate strategy to try and take down the “Dirty Dozen” hitmen ring, with Reid playing a central role.
- Directed by Heather Cappiello
- Written by Breen Frazier
S16E09
Memento Mori
Rossi will go to any lengths to prove that Elias Voit is Sicarius. But Voit turns Rossi into his own worst enemy, putting his future at the BAU in jeopardy.
- Directed by Douglas Aarniokoski
- Written by Breen Frazier
S04E26
...And Back (2)
The BAU tracks a serial killer who chooses junkies, prostitutes and the homeless off the streets of Detroit as his victims and takes them across the border into Canada, and an agent's life is in peril.
- Directed by Edward Allen Bernero
- Written by Edward Allen Bernero
S05E09
100
The BAU team races to help Hotchner find The Reaper and save his family before it's too late.
- Directed by Edward Allen Bernero
- Written by Chris Mundy, Simon Mirren
S07E11
True Genius
A series of murders in San Francisco bearing the tell-tale signs of the infamous Zodiac Killer have the BAU wondering if the notorious serial killer has returned. Also, Reid ponders if he should be doing more with his genius abilities.
- Directed by Glenn Kershaw
- Written by Sharon Lee Watson
S12E22
Red Light
Derek Morgan brings the BAU a lead in the case against serial killer and escaped convict Mr. Scratch.
- Directed by Glenn Kershaw
- Written by Breen Frazier
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S19E10
Bad Blood
- Directed by Glenn Kershaw
- Written by Christopher Barbour
S19E09
Special Agent Garrity
- Directed by Bethany Rooney
- Written by Ryan McGonnigal, Breen Frazier
S19E05
Friendly Fire
- Directed by Nelson McCormick
- Written by Sullivan Fitzgerald
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
Jeff Davis
Showrunner
Glenn Kershaw
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Christopher Barbour
Executive producer
Mark Gordon
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Breen Frazier
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Harry V. Bring
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Erica Messer
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Edward Allen Bernero
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Jayne A. Archer
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Jess Prosser
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Victor De Jesus
Writer
Janine Sherman Barrois
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Matthew Lau
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Katarina Wittich
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Bruce Zimmerman
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Erik Stiller
Writer
Chris Mundy
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Sullivan Fitzgerald
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Judith McCreary
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Chikodili Agwuna
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Ryan McGonnigal
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Roger Hedden
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Michael Udesky
Writer
Dania Bennett
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Andrew Wilder
Writer
Dan Dworkin
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Jim Clemente
Writer
Kirsten Vangsness
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Simon Mirren
Writer
Kimberly A. Harrison
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Jason Bernero
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Bobby Chacon
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Edward Napier
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Debra J. Fisher
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Charles Murray
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Stephanie Birkitt
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Jay Beattie
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Charles Dewey
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Sharon Lee Watson
Writer
Stephanie Sengupta
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Oanh Ly
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Holly Harold
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Karen Maser
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Erica Meredith
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Rick Dunkle
Writer
Virgil Williams
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Andi Bushell
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Carlton Gillespie
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Haben Merker
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Ticona S. Joy
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Heather Noël Aldridge
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Randy Huggins
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Alicia Kirk
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Mark Bruner
Writer
Aaron Zelman
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Glenn KershawExecutive Producer
- Glenn KershawProducer
- Gigi Coello-BannonProducer
- Christopher BarbourExecutive Producer
- Debra J. FisherProducer
- Mark GordonExecutive Producer
Writing
- Jayne A. ArcherWriter
- Jess ProsserWriter
- Victor De JesusWriter
- Janine Sherman BarroisWriter
- Matthew LauWriter
- Katarina WittichWriter
Direction
- Matt Earl BeesleyDirector
- Constantine MakrisDirector
- James TakataDirector
- Rosemary RodriguezDirector
- Douglas AarniokoskiDirector
- Anthony VietroDirector
Cinematography
- Greg St. JohnsDirector of Photography
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon Prime VideoStreaming
- HuluStreaming
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Paramount Plus PremiumStreaming
- Paramount Plus EssentialStreaming
- PhiloStreaming
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel Streaming
- Paramount+ Amazon ChannelStreaming
- Fandango At HomeBuy
- YouTube TVStreaming
- Paramount+ Roku Premium ChannelStreaming
- Amazon Prime Video with AdsStreaming
If you liked this
Similar Series
Series that share this one's texture, not just its genre tags.
The Closer
2005
Moral complexity · Slow-burn mystery
Numb3rs
2005
Moral complexity · Slow-burn mystery
Dexter
2006
Moral complexity · Slow-burn mystery
CSI: NY
2004
Moral complexity · Slow-burn mystery
Without a Trace
2002
Moral complexity · Slow-burn mystery
NCIS
2003
Moral complexity · Similar storytelling style
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
Moral complexity · Slow-burn mystery
Vera
2011
Moral complexity · Slow-burn mystery
The Blacklist
2013
Moral complexity · Slow-burn mystery
Millennium
1996
Moral complexity · Slow-burn mystery
Prodigal Son
2019
Moral complexity · Slow-burn mystery
MINDHUNTER
2017
Moral complexity · Similar storytelling style
Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
NCIS
2003
Another morally complex epic for anyone who wanted more grey.
The Blacklist
2013
Watch this next if you like protagonists you can't quite defend.
The Mentalist
2008
A crime story told with the patience of a novel.
Blue Bloods
2010
Another morally complex epic for anyone who wanted more grey.
Scene of the Crime
1970
Watch this next if you like protagonists you can't quite defend.
CSI: Miami
2002
A crime story told with the patience of a novel.
Never stop watching
Related Collections
No related collections yet
This title isn't in a published Nutevio collection yet. It will appear here automatically as soon as it is.
Join the conversation