The thirteenth season of Criminal Minds was ordered on April 7, 2017, by CBS with an order of 22 episodes.[1][2] The season premiered on September 27, 2017 in a new time slot at 10:00PM on Wednesday when it had previously been at 9:00PM on Wednesday since its inception. The season concluded on April 18, 2018.[3] This is the first season not feature to Thomas Gibson, portraying Aaron Hotchner. Gibson was dismissed from the show by ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios, following his during on-set altraction in previous season.
Cast
The entire main cast from the previous season returned for the season, except Damon Gupton (Stephen Walker), who was written out of the show.[4][5] His character was killed off in the season premiere off-screen.
Criminal Minds was renewed for a thirteenth season with an episode order of 22 episodes on April 7, 2017.[1][2] The entire main cast from the previous season returned for the season, except Damon Gupton (Stephen Walker), who was leaving from the show.[4][5]
Matthew Gray Gubler directed the seventeenth episode of the season and it was said to be "the spookiest episode of Season 13" and involved clowns.[7] On August 10, 2017, it was revealed that Aisha Tyler will make her television directing debut and direct the sixth episode of the season.[8] On August 12, 2017 it was revealed that Erica Messer and Kirsten Vangsness will be co-writing the eleventh episode of the season, which will be the fourth episode they have co-written together.[9] On October 31, 2017, it was announced that Adam Rodriguez will make his Criminal Minds directing debut and direct the sixteenth episode of the season.[10]
On June 11, 2017, it was announced that Damon Gupton had been let go from the show after one season.[4] CBS said his departure was "part of a creative change on the show".[4][5]
On October 12, 2017, it was announced that Shemar Moore would reprise his role as Derek Morgan in the fifth episode of the season ("Lucky Strikes"). His character returned to help Penelope Garcia get through a tough time.[12]
When escaped serial killer Peter Lewis (Bodhi Elfman) launches a devastating final assault on the BAU, killing one of their own and taking another hostage in the process, Garcia brings in former FBI International Response Team member Matt Simmons (Daniel Henney) to help apprehend Lewis before more lives are lost.
When two women from Naples, Florida are found stuffed inside suitcases after being strangled to death and both crimes are connected to the discovery of an unidentifiable female corpse, the BAU returns from their mandatory vacation to determine what connects the three victims. Meanwhile, Reid learns about a condition to his reinstatement and the team welcomes Simmons into the fold.
When two businessmen in Detroit, Michigan are tortured, emasculated and posed post-mortem, the BAU juggles searching for a former escort who was involved with both victims and tracking down an anger-driven serial killer.
When a workplace shooting claims the lives of three employees at a Silicon Valley video gaming company, the BAU works with the Department of Homeland Security to determine why the victims were targeted. Meanwhile, Prentiss confronts Alvez about the events surrounding his final confrontation with Peter Lewis.
When a Floridian prostitute is found dead with both legs severed and several fingers cut off, the BAU sets out to determine if cannibalistic killer Floyd Feylinn Ferell (Jamie Kennedy) has embarked on another spree or if a copycat killer is framing him. Meanwhile, former SSA Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) visits Garcia after she becomes overwhelmed by memories of a ten-year-old trauma.
When a chef from Richmond, Virginia mysteriously disappears from her place of work, the BAU sets out to connect the abduction to a series of missing persons cases in both Richmond and Culpeper. Meanwhile, JJ connects with a potential victim's sister and Garcia searches for a new apartment.
When three women from Austin, Texas are tortured and disfigured, the BAU sets out to identify a serial abductor obsessed with a venomous creature. Meanwhile, Alvez tries to help his former Fugitive Task Force partner come to terms with his paralysis.
When the third in a series of robbery-homicides takes place in Miami, Florida and two daters are gunned down on the same night, the BAU sets out to profile a spree killer who films the crimes as he commits them before releasing the footage to the media.
When two members of a Roswell, New Mexico conspiracy theory group die in quick succession, the BAU determines both crimes were committed by a budding serial killer only to find themselves reexamining the evidence after a catastrophic event. Meanwhile, Lewis struggles to keep her emotions in check as she interrogates a young podcaster (Zelda Williams) with ties to the group.
When a couple living in Ramona, California is killed in their home and the crime is connected to two perplexing robbery-homicides, the BAU works with a frustrated sheriff (Lou Diamond Phillips) to profile a delusional serial killer with mysterious motives and an equally mysterious past.
When a Virginian police chief's wife is hospitalized after surviving a brutal home invasion-homicide, the BAU coordinates with local authorities to identify her attempted killer only to unearth a series of dark secrets being kept by the inhabitants of a rural town.
When a New York City jogger is disemboweled and his death is connected to a series of gruesome murder-mutilations, the BAU searches for a killer suffering from a bizarre condition. Meanwhile, Alvez deals with the fallout of a blind date gone wrong.
When a businessman in Washington, D.C. is stabbed to death in his office and a mysterious cryptogram is found lodged in his throat, the BAU sets out to catch a serial killer determined to eradicate institutions of power. Meanwhile, JJ grows concerned after receiving an email asking her to sit down with Assistant Director Linda Barnes (Kim Rhodes).
When local authorities uncover a mass grave in a New Orleans cemetery, the BAU searches for a killer who sees himself as a modern-day plague doctor. Meanwhile, Prentiss finds herself forced to endure a hostile interrogation after Barnes suspends her from active duty and summons her for an internal audit.
With Prentiss still suspended and Reid refusing to work without her, Barnes takes the lead and joins the remaining members of the BAU as they search St. Louis, Missouri for the perpetrator of a quadruple homicide. Meanwhile, Reid attempts to dissuade Prentiss from making a bold decision.
In the wake of Barnes' attempt to restructure the BAU, the divided team works behind her back to track down and identify a serial abductor who photographs high-class call girls from Washington, D.C. before shooting them and incinerating their bodies.
When a Guymon, Oklahoma man is stabbed to death during a home invasion and his seven-year-old son claims a man dressed as a circus clown killed him, the BAU attempts to determine if the child's statement is true or not.
When two women in Chicago, Illinois are stabbed to death on consecutive nights and found with a red rose in their mouths, the BAU searches for a serial killer with unexpected motives. Meanwhile, Rossi takes personal time off after receiving a phone call from his third ex-wife Krystall (Gail O'Grady).
When three gunmen break into a Washington, D.C. law firm and take the employees hostage, the BAU sets out to determine the perpetrators' underlying motives before the situation can escalate any further. Meanwhile, Simmons becomes emotionally involved after discovering that his wife, Kristy (Kelly Frye), is among the hostages.
When two people spontaneously bleed to death in Arlington, Virginia over the course of twenty-four hours and the CDC suspects bioterrorism, the BAU juggles identifying the killer and preventing a large-scale incident from taking place. Meanwhile, Garcia reunites with her stepbrother after learning that the drunk driver who killed their parents is eligible for parole.
When two Taos, New Mexico residents are blitz attacked and later found dead with holes drilled into the left temporal lobes of their brains, the BAU determines they are searching for a serial killer obsessed with proving that an inexplicable collection of phenomena exists.
When Reid receives a cryptic message leading him to a disgraced VICAP agent locked inside a Washington, D.C. storage unit, the BAU investigates his claims of an active serial killer nicknamed "The Strangler" only to find themselves questioning everything they think they know after making a shattering revelation.
Ratings
Viewership and ratings per episode of Criminal Minds
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