Every Season Of Criminal Minds, Ranked Worst To Best

Like other long-running procedural series, "Criminal Minds" is an institution of network television. After an admirable fifteen seasons on CBS, the series was given a new life by Paramount+ – one of the quickest revivals in television history — with "Criminal Minds: Evolution," which premiered in November 2022. While it may not be the longest-standing procedural nor the most critically acclaimed, "Criminal Minds" has one big thing going for it: a legion of dedicated fans who live for the show's twisted action.

For viewers who've watched every episode without fail, the appeal of "Criminal Minds" is twofold. Of course, there's the killer-of-the-week mystery. (Yes, it can become a bit repetitive over the years.) But then there are the characters — a team who acts more like a family – who we continue to root for as the seasons continue. Unfortunately, the lineup at the BAU has changed several times over the years, which is one of the things that make each season vary in quality.

Even the most dedicated fans of "Criminal Minds" will admit that not every season is equally memorable, which is why we're here to discuss the best of the best. Here, I'll rank the fifteen seasons of "Criminal Minds" from worst to best.

We have five words for you: Reid and JJ's love reveal. Okay, if we're being honest, there are more than five words that could describe season 14 of "Criminal Minds," but those are the first that come to mind. Like season 15, season 14 of the series was shorter than usual — clocking in at 15 episodes. There are a few intriguing moments this season, but it doesn't make up for the lackluster run. Garcia has yet another traumatic experience when she gets kidnapped, and Rossi finally gets married. The best episode of the season is "The Tall Man," which sees JJ traveling to Pennsylvania and confronting her older sister's suicide.

But we need to return to the JJ/Reid love confession! Honestly, this marked the beginning of the end of the series. In the season 14 finale, JJ and Reid are being held at gunpoint. JJ admits that she's always loved Reid but was too afraid to say it before. For most fans, this confession came out of nowhere, as JJ and Reid's relationship always felt more like siblinghood. Thankfully, JJ put an end to any future romance between them at the start of season 15. But that kind of abrupt character deviation is hard to forgive.

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The "Criminal Minds" writers have made silly choices over the years. But replacing JJ and Prentiss is by far the worst. After season 5, the creative team fired A.J. Cook and Paget Brewster — upsetting many fans of the series. Cook returned for two episodes to wrap up JJ's storyline, while Brewster appeared in 18 of season 6's 24 episodes before exiting the series in season 7. Brewster told The A.V. Club that producers fired her and Cook because they wanted newer, younger women to keep things fresh. It appears Brewster was right, as Ashley Seaver (Rachel Nichols) – a young(er) blonde – was brought on to replace JJ in season 6. Nichols was let go after only one season. JJ's replacement did not go over well with fans.

The "Criminal Minds" showrunners thinking they could replace JJ with another beautiful blonde woman was the season's biggest downfall. It marked a trend that continued for future seasons: The series would replace female agents on the team one by one. One of the few highlights of the season comes near the end when Prentiss fakes her death to escape Ian Doyle (Timothy V. Murphy), a storyline that shakes up the team in compelling ways. Still, the departure of JJ and Prentiss is a loss too big to overcome.

Season 9 of "Criminal Minds" has one of the goofiest storylines, and it has to do with the revelation of what JJ was doing when she left in season 6. This season we meet Mateo Cruz (Esai Morales), who has previously worked with JJ. We finally learn he and JJ worked together on a secret mission to apprehend Osama Bin Laden, during which JJ suffered a miscarriage. It's pretty laughable that they tried to write off JJ's absence (which, as you might recall, only happened because of Cook's unceremonious firing) by saying she was busy apprehending one of the most infamous terrorists of all time. But realism isn't always the name of the "Criminal Minds" game.

But it's hard to be annoyed with JJ because she's such a lovable character. Still, her storyline this season was a bit of a stretch. Prentiss also returns in the 200th episode, but her appearance is brief, which makes her absence more apparent. Looking at the series overall, you realize how vital the team dynamic is to each season's success. Luckily, season 9 had an exciting two-part finale where the team travels to Texas to catch a killer known as "The Preacher" (Mosley) and Reid gets caught in a shootout. This finale creates another team shakeup, leading Alex Blake to leave.

"Criminal Minds" season 12 features the longest multi-episode arc in the original series' history. Season 11 ends with thirteen serial killers escaping prison, so the first half of season 12 sees the team trying to recapture these killers. Also, season 12 is one of the most controversial seasons of the series, as it saw the exit of Thomas Gibson — fired after an altercation with a writer. Thankfully, his departure resulted in the return of Prentiss, becoming BAU chief.

Tyler reprised her role as Dr. Lewis in season 12, Adam Rodriguez joined the team as Luke Alvez, and Damon Gumpton came on board but for this one season. As a whole, it's a chaotic season — mainly due to all the personnel changes. But at least that adds some intrigue and drama! Mr. Scratch also returns as one of the team's most fearsome enemies, but it's clear that the storyline didn't end as planned due to Gibson's abrupt departure. As is often the case, things pick up again at the end of the season when Reid gets sent to prison by Cat Adams –making Season 12 one filled with several peaks and valleys. More Aubrey Plaza, please!

Season 1 of "Criminal Minds" is where it all began. Watching the first season today feels almost nostalgic, as the characters seem so young and as-of-yet unbroken by the world. The main squad hasn't formed: Elle and Gideon are still on the team, but there's a freshness to the first season that's missing in later seasons. Elle and Gideon are somewhat divisive characters within the fandom. But Patinkin is such an iconic actor it's hard not to get a thrill out of seeing him dance around in this procedural space. Still, Gideon is an extremely important character to Reid and his development as an agent and a person. Reid fans have to give Gideon some credit for that.

Compared to later seasons, the unsubs in season 1 don't feel as horrific. In some ways, that's a good thing. The first season doesn't have as much of a sense of melodrama as some of the other seasons. The series is still gritty, scary fun. (Yes, most "Criminal Minds" fans would describe the show as "fun" without all of the expectations that would come as the show grew in popularity.) Indeed, because it's the first season, none of the cases feel played out or overdone. While most of the episodes aren't as over-the-top as fans have come to expect, the two-part finale – in which Elle gets shot and the killer writes on the wall with her blood – definitely amps it up a notch.

The greatest thing about season 7 of "Criminal Minds" is that Prentiss and JJ returned! The worst thing about it is that Prentiss also leaves again at the end of the season. Interpersonal drama is the most compelling drama on "Criminal Minds." Season 7 finds the team dealing with one of their biggest obstacles. When Prentiss returns, it's a shock for the team, who believed she was dead. (Although we learn Hotch and JJ knew all along, a revelation that was pleasing to JJ/Prentiss shippers.) But this reveal creates a lot of strife within the team, who are upset they weren't let in on this huge secret. As Morgan succinctly puts it in the season opener: "Any issues? Yeah, I got issues."

But, as we all know, the members of the BAU are a resilient bunch. Eventually, they bounce back from this betrayal. The season starts with emotionally compelling stuff and concludes with a thrilling climax, a familiar season arc for "Criminal Minds." JJ's husband, Will (Josh Stewart), returns this season, and we learn more about JJ's home life. Then, in the two-part season finale, Will gets taken hostage by a group of violent bank robbers, and the team must race to save his life. Season 7 brings a fruitful combination of emotional and physical stakes for the agents.

Season 3 of "Criminal Minds" marks the first time the long-standing BAU lineup works together. Gideon leaves the team because the death of his girlfriend is too much to bear. The upbeat David Rossi (Robert Dunne) replaces him: In many ways, he's Gideon's opposite. While Gideon is serious, Rossi is social and passionate. Following Rossi's addition to the team, the BAU feels more like a family, which becomes more obvious when Rossi starts cooking family dinners.

But now we're getting ahead of ourselves! Season 3 features high-stakes storylines, the likes of which we hadn't seen in previous seasons. The most distressing plotline is the two-part episode where Garcia gets shot by a man who has just taken her on a date. It's deeply upsetting seeing Garcia – the most cheery member of the team – go through something so horrific, and the events of these episodes reverberate for seasons to come.

Hotch also struggles with his home life in Season 3, eventually divorcing his wife, Haley (Meredith Monroe). Ending on a suspenseful cliffhanger, the season 3 finale sees the team race to uncover the unsubs behind a series of random shootings. Season 3 is memorable for being both the origin of the dream team and delivering some adrenaline-inducing thrills along the way.