Season Ten

Season Ten is the tenth season of Criminal Minds. It ran from October 1, 2014 to May 6, 2015. It was released on DVD on August 25th, 2015.

Ratings[]

Season Ten received 14.11 million viewers and a 3.6 score in the A18-49 demo on CBS. The series premiere received 11.74 million U.S. viewers, while the season finale drew 9.61 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
• Kirsten Vangsness - Penelope Garcia
• Jennifer Love Hewitt - Kate Callahan

Episodes[]

Image	Title	Airdate	Writer	Director	Season Episode	Series Episode
	"X"	October 1, 2014	Erica Messer	Glenn Kershaw	1	211
	The BAU investigates a serial killer active in Bakersfield, California, who leaves unidentifiable victims behind. Also, the team welcomes new agent Kate Callahan into the BAU, who assists them in their efforts in solving the case.
	"Burn"	October 8, 2014	Janine Sherman Barrois	Karen Gaviola	2	212
	The BAU goes to Seattle to apprehend a serial killer who is murdering his victims in various brutal ways and holds a psychotic obsession. Meanwhile, Garcia heads to Texas to confront the man she shot while defending Reid and herself, as he waits on death row.
	"A Thousand Suns"	October 15, 2014	Sharon Lee Watson	Rob Bailey	3	213
	When a passenger jet crashes in Colorado, the BAU is called in to build a profile around the suspicious circumstances. Also, the case hits close to home for Kate, who is reminded of a family tragedy.
	"The Itch"	October 22, 2014	Breen Frazier	Larry Teng	4	214
	When a body is discovered in Atlanta covered in scratches, the BAU finds that this death and subsequent murders could be linked to a man suffering from an obsessive skin disorder.
	"Boxed In"	October 29, 2014	Virgil Williams	Thomas Gibson	6	216
	When a young boy who mysteriously went missing in San Diego on Halloween suddenly reappears one year later, the BAU must work fast when another trick-or-treater disappears under similar circumstances.
	"If the Shoe Fits"	November 5, 2014	Bruce Zimmerman	Bethany Rooney	5	215
	The BAU is faced with a tough challenge while searching for a common denominator among male victims in Montana, making it difficult to profile the killer. Also, JJ must confront her feelings about her sister's suicide.
	"Hashtag"	November 12, 2014	Rick Dunkle	Constantine Makris	7	217
	When victims with large social media followings are found dead in Maryland, the BAU searches for an unsub who is taking on the persona of an Internet urban legend. Meanwhile, Morgan and Savannah struggle to find quality time for each other with their busy careers.
	"The Boys of Sudworth Place"	November 19, 2014	Kimberly Ann Harrison	Laura Belsey	8	218
	When a prominent attorney suspiciously goes missing in Boston, the BAU unearths secrets in his past, which could point to the reason for his disappearance. Meanwhile, Morgan is faced with personal demons due to the case.
	"Fate"	November 26, 2014	Janine Sherman Barrois	Rob Bailey	9	219
	The BAU pursues a remorseful but uncontrollable spree killer who is committing random murders in northern Virginia. Meanwhile, Rossi is visited by a woman who could hold a secret from his past.
	" Amelia Porter"	December 10, 2014	Sharon Lee Watson	Alrick Riley	10	220
	The BAU is called to Salt Lake City to investigate two bloody, linked crime scenes. As they search for a connection among the victims, the team is led to a fugitive who might have close ties to the killer responsible for the crimes.
	"The Forever People"	January 14, 2015	Breen Frazier	Tawnia McKiernan	11	221
	When frozen corpses are found floating in bodies of water in Nevada, the BAU's investigation leads them to suspect that the victims were part of a cult that could be behind the deaths. Also, JJ confronts old demons from her abduction and torture last year.
	"Anonymous"	January 21, 2015	Bruce Zimmerman and Danny Ramm	Joe Mantegna	12	222
	The BAU searches Tallahassee for a spree killer who calls the authorities to report the crimes prior to committing them. Also, as Rossi prepares for a weekend visit with his daughter, Joy, he receives startling news about the death of a comrade from the Vietnam War.
	"Nelson's Sparrow"	January 28, 2015	Erica Messer and Kirsten Vangsness	Glenn Kershaw	13	223
	The BAU revisits its origins when they look at one of Rossi and Gideon's old cases to track a serial killer who appears to have resurfaced after over three decades of inactivity.
	"Hero Worship"	February 4, 2015	Rick Dunkle	Larry Teng	14	224
	When an explosion rocks a coffee shop in Indianapolis and a hero emerges from the wreckage, the BAU tries to protect that person and his family while searching for the bomber before more incidents occur. Meanwhile, Reid continues to struggle with the recent loss of a former colleague.
	"Scream"	February 11, 2015	Kimberly Ann Harrison	Hanelle Culpepper	15	225
	Brutal murders in California have the BAU searching for a killer who is targeting women. Meanwhile, Kate becomes concerned when her niece, Meg, makes a date with a friend to meet a boy they met online.
	"Lockdown"	March 4, 2015	Virgil Williams	Thomas Gibson	16	226
	When two guards working at a privatized maximum security prison in Texas are murdered, the BAU suspects that more than one unsub from within the prison could be at work.
	"Breath Play"	March 11, 2015	Erik Stiller	Hanelle Culpepper	17	227
	The BAU is called to Wisconsin in search of a serial killer, and the team looks for a connection among the victims for clues to the unsub's identity. Also, as Kate has trouble dealing with her niece, Meg, when she begins acting out, she has some rather surprising news for the team.
	"Rock Creek Park"	March 25, 2015	Sharon Lee Watson	Félix Enríquez Alcalá	18	228
	When the wife of an up-and-coming Congressman disappears under mysterious circumstances, the BAU investigates his many political enemies as possible suspects.
	"Beyond Borders"	April 8, 2015	Erica Messer	Glenn Kershaw	19	229
	When a family of four is abducted while on vacation in Barbados, and the case is connected to several others, including one they investigated last year in Florida, Hotch and the BAU are called in to assist Unit Chief Jack Garrett and his International Response Team, which specializes in cases that involve Americans staying abroad, in a joint investigation.
	"A Place at the Table"	April 15, 2015	Bruce Zimmerman	Laura Belsey	20	230
	When a Maryland heiress and her family are found murdered at their dining room table, the team must track down other family members and friends to uncover secrets that may have led to the massacre. Meanwhile, Hotch struggles to make peace with his father-in-law, Roy, after discovering he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and it is worsening.
	"Mr. Scratch"	April 22, 2015	Breen Frazier	Matthew Gray Gubler	21	231
	When three people implicated in murders claim that they were attacked by a "clawed shadow monster" at the moment each crime occurred, the BAU searches for a man who appears to be controlling the suspects' minds. However, as the search for the culprit continues, the life of one of the team is put in jeopardy.
	"Protection"	April 29, 2015	Virgil Williams	Tawnia McKiernan	22	232
	When shooting victims are found in the Los Angeles area with possible links to criminal activity, the BAU launches a manhunt for what they believe to be a vigilante.
	"The Hunt"	May 6, 2015	Janine Sherman Barrois and Jim Clemente	Glenn Kershaw	23	233
	When Kate's niece Meg and her best friend are both abducted, the BAU initially suspect an online predator. However, as they continue the search, they find the unsub is possibly engaged in online sex trafficking.

Highlights[]

During the season, the BAU's ranks were joined by Kate Callahan, a former undercover FBI agent who has a prior friendship with the team. It was hinted that additional members may join the team around mid-season. The team pursues, among many other criminals, a delusional unsub who is obsessed with collecting human limbs, a traumatized unsub who works as a high-school English teacher, and a highly attractive female unsub who leads a successful personal life but is emotional and prone to rages.

Garcia also feels guilt over her shooting an unsub in the Season Nine finale "Demons", which she tries to remedy by returning to Texas to visit the unsub. Reid is also traumatized after being shot in the neck by a suspect during a shootout in "Angels", which he is also still physically recovering from. In addition, the story-arcs of Beth Clemmons and Savannah Hayes, the love interests of Hotch and Morgan, respectively, are further explored. Mid-season, there was a commemorative episode called Nelson's Sparrow, which celebrated the show's ten-year history, which "will have many callbacks and possibly old faces from the last nine years". This episode featured flashbacks of a younger Rossi and Gideon working on a case.

Joe Mantegna directed an episode called "Anonymous", which concluded the story arc of Harrison Scott, whose actor (and Mantegna's best friend) Meshach Taylor died from lung cancer a few months after his latest appearance on the show; the episode was a tribute for Taylor. The season's third episode "A Thousand Suns" involved "the largest mass-casualty event" the BAU have ever seen, later revealed to be a plane crash. The ninth episode "Fate" featured Rossi's second ex-wife in a flashback that was set in 1994. The nineteenth episode Beyond Borders served as the backdoor pilot for the show's second spin-off after the short-lived Suspect Behavior, also titled Beyond Borders.

Also, A.J. Cook implicitly stated that Demons "will directly impact [this season]", with any plot-holes in Season Nine being concluded in this season as well. There was focus on JJ still be recovering from her abduction that occurred in "200" in the episode "The Forever People". In addition, a recurring unsub first become prominent midway into the season.

DVD Special Features[]

• Memo from the Acting Director

• H.I.M. Business As Usual

• Criminal Minds International

• Payback's An Itch

• Origin Story

• Greatest Hits

• Salute

• Gag Reel

• Deleted Scenes