Season Eight is the eighth season of Criminal Minds. It ran from September 26, 2012 to May 22, 2013. It was released on DVD on September 3rd, 2013.
Ratings[]
Season Eight received 12.153 million viewers and a 3.3 score in the A18-49 demo on CBS. The first episode received 11.73 million U.S. viewers, while the last episode drew 11.01 million U.S. views.
Cast[]
- Joe Mantegna - David Rossi
- Thomas Gibson - Aaron Hotchner
- Shemar Moore - Derek Morgan
- Matthew Gray Gubler - Doctor Spencer Reid
- A.J. Cook - Jennifer Jareau
- Jeanne Tripplehorn - Doctor Alex Blake
- Kirsten Vangsness - Penelope Garcia
Episodes[]
| Image | Title | Airdate | Writer | Director | Season Episode | Series Episode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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"The Silencer" | September 26, 2012 | Erica Messer | Glenn Kershaw | 1 | 163 | |
| When a Texas prison inmate escapes during a transfer, he leaves behind victims with their mouths sewn shut, a signature the BAU remembers as unique to the infamous serial killer "The Silencer". While they investigate who he was and who he has become, the team gets to know their newest member. | |||||||
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"The Pact" | October 10, 2012 | Janine Sherman Barrois | Karen Gaviola | 2 | 164 | |
| When the bodies of two seemingly unrelated victims are found just hours apart in San Diego and Los Angeles respectively, the BAU suspects that not one, but two killers are working together to commit the murders. | |||||||
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"Through the Looking Glass" | October 17, 2012 | Sharon Lee Watson | Dermott Downs | 3 | 165 | |
| When a family in Kansas turns up dead and another goes missing, the BAU searches for a link between the cases in order to find out who is responsible. Meanwhile, Hotch gets surprising news from Beth. | |||||||
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"God Complex" | October 24, 2012 | Breen Frazier | Larry Teng | 4 | 166 | |
| When a legless corpse is found outside Albuquerque, New Mexico, and an unwilling amputee is later found in a motel, the BAU sets out to profile an amateur surgeon before he can prey on his next victim. Meanwhile, Reid's phone calls to a mystery woman leave the team intrigued. | |||||||
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"The Good Earth" | October 31, 2012 | Bruce Zimmerman | John Terlesky | 5 | 167 | |
| When four men go missing in rural Oregon, the BAU searches for a common link among them in order to track them down. Also, JJ becomes upset when her son Henry doesn't want to celebrate Halloween this year. | |||||||
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"The Apprenticeship" | November 7, 2012 | Virgil Williams | Rob Bailey | 6 | 168 | |
| The BAU searches for a killer with escalating confidence when a Miami prostitute is murdered in a manner similar to a series of recent animal killings. Meanwhile, Morgan tries to increase Reid's athletic skills by convincing him to join the bureau softball team. | |||||||
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"The Fallen" | November 14, 2012 | Rick Dunkle and Danny Ramm | Doug Aarniokoski | 7 | 169 | |
| The BAU travels to Santa Monica when burned bodies of homeless people begin showing up by the famous pier. Also, Rossi reconnects with his former Marine sergeant from Vietnam. | |||||||
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"The Wheels on the Bus" | November 21, 2012 | Kimberly Ann Harrison | Rob Hardy | 8 | 170 | |
| The BAU launches a massive search for a missing school bus full of students outside the Washington, D.C. area. As the search continues, they uncover a twisted motive for the mass abduction. | |||||||
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"Magnificent Light" | November 28, 2012 | Sharon Lee Watson | John Kretchmer | 9 | 171 | |
| The BAU links a series of ritualistic murders in Seattle to a popular motivational speaker, but the case takes a puzzling turn when the main suspect disappears. Also, Garcia is puzzled when Morgan declines to attend a dinner honoring an old family friend. | |||||||
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"The Lesson" | December 5, 2012 | Janine Sherman Barrois | Matthew Gray Gubler | 10 | 172 | |
| The BAU investigates a serial killer who oddly disposes his victims in Arizona. Also, Reid gets anxious when faced with the possibility of meeting his mystery woman. | |||||||
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"Perennials" | December 12, 2012 | Bruce Zimmerman | Michael Lange | 11 | 173 | |
| The BAU heads south to investigate a fast-moving killer whose signature matches that of a serial killer from thirty years ago. Also, the team learns that someone is keeping track of their cases and replicating crimes they have solved. | |||||||
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"Zugzwang" | January 16, 2013 | Breen Frazier | Jesse Warn | 12 | 174 | |
| When Reid discovers that his girlfriend has been abducted by her stalker, he and the BAU band together to find and rescue her before it is too late. | |||||||
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"Magnum Opus" | January 23, 2013 | Jason Bernero | Glenn Kershaw | 13 | 175 | |
| While Reid copes with a loss in his personal life, the rest of the BAU travels to San Francisco to investigate a serial killer active in the Mission District. | |||||||
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"All That Remains" | February 6, 2013 | Erica Messer | Thomas Gibson | 14 | 176 | |
| When two sisters are reported missing on the anniversary of their mother's disappearance, the BAU is tasked with profiling their father, well-known writer Bruce Morrison, as a possible suspect. | |||||||
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"Broken" | February 20, 2013 | Rick Dunkle | Larry Teng | 15 | 177 | |
| The BAU heads to Austin to investigate victims found there with their watches set inaccurately, a clue which may help them find the killer. Meanwhile, the unsub stalking the BAU inches closer in his pursuit of the team. | |||||||
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"Carbon Copy" | February 27, 2013 | Virgil Williams | Rob Hardy | 16 | 178 | |
| When victims are found dead in Philadelphia in a similar style to victims of The Replicator, the stalker who has been tracking the BAU's every move, the team thinks this could be the break they need to try and apprehend him. | |||||||
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"The Gathering" | March 20, 2013 | Kimberly Ann Harrison | Michael Lange | 17 | 179 | |
| The BAU investigates victims who were documenting their personal lives and inner desires on blog posts and social media. Also, Kevin gets jealous when he learns Garcia may have a new love interest. | |||||||
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"Restoration" | April 3, 2013 | Jim Clemente and Janine Sherman Barrois | Félix Enríquez Alcalá | 18 | 180 | |
| The BAU goes to Morgan's old neighborhood in urban Chicago in search of a spree killer targeting middle-aged men, and a clue leads Morgan to believe that they are after someone connected to the man who molested him as a child. | |||||||
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"Pay It Forward" | April 10, 2013 | Bruce Zimmerman | John Terlesky | 19 | 181 | |
| When a time capsule in a small Colorado town is opened twenty-five years later and contains a gruesome discovery, the BAU investigates the crime and find a possible link to the death of a local police officer. | |||||||
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"Alchemy" | May 1, 2013 | Sharon Lee Watson | Matthew Gray Gubler | 20 | 182 | |
| The BAU travel to Rapid City after two male victims are found murdered in a ritualistic manner. Also, Reid continues to grieve over Maeve's death. | |||||||
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"Nanny Dearest" | May 8, 2013 | Virgil Williams | Doug Aarniokoski | 21 | 183 | |
| The BAU travels to Los Angeles looking for a serial killer who is abducting nannies and the children they care for on the same day each year. | |||||||
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"#6" | May 15, 2013 | Breen Frazier | Karen Gaviola | 22 | 184 | |
| The BAU goes to Detroit to track down an escalating killer with a rapidly changing M.O. Also, Blake's husband returns from overseas with a surprising, life-changing career proposition for her. | |||||||
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"Brothers Hotchner" | May 22, 2013 | Rick Dunkle | Rob Bailey | 23 | 185 | |
| The BAU is called in to investigate a string of deaths in Manhattan tied to apparent ecstasy overdoses, and Hotch discovers that his estranged brother Sean is caught in the middle. Meanwhile, the Replicator begins to zero in on the BAU. | |||||||
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"The Replicator" | May 22, 2013 | Erica Messer | Glenn Kershaw | 24 | 186 | |
| The Replicator zeroes in on the BAU when the killer targets one of the team as the next victim. The team must now struggle against his endgame as the stakes grow higher. | |||||||
Highlights[]
Jeanne Tripplehorn joined the series as a regular, portraying Alex Blake, filling Prentiss' spot in the team.
In the fourth episode, Reid got a girlfriend named Maeve Donovan. Unfortunately, she was killed by her stalker in the early half of the season, and the later half was spent with Reid recovering from those traumatic events.
Thomas Gibson and A.J. Cook hinted that "a strange criminal" would be stalking the BAU throughout the entire season. Later on, Erica Messer confirmed that fact, explaining that for the first time, they will be able to feature a season-long unsub, something producers have wanted to do for a while but had never gotten approval on until now. She has also added that "...this guy is replicating crimes we've solved. [...] We'll probably see him five or six times [throughout the season]." The stalker first appeared in the end of "The Silencer" and was prominent for a total of eight episodes.
The airdate of the episode "Brothers Hotchner" was changed, and it aired just before the season finale as a two-hour episode, just like last season's "Hit" and "Run". In the episode, the stalker's identity was revealed, and they lost one of their own.
DVD Special Features[]
- Beautiful Minds
- Gag Reel
- Deleted Scenes