Saddest Criminal Minds Episode That Had Fans Crying Their Eyes Out
Have you ever heard the term "have a good cry?" As in, "I feel better now that I had a good cry." Opening the floodgates occasionally is beneficial mentally and emotionally.
Tears are a way to release stress and anxiety. In case you're in need of turning on the tear taps, I'd like to introduce three of the saddest episodes of Criminal Minds fans say always have them reaching for a box of Kleenex.
100
Season 5 Episode 9
Hotch receives a call from his ex-wife Haley's phone number. To his horror, it's not Haley calling. It's a serial killer named Foyet who he'd helped put in prison (from which the murderer managed to escape). The killer has managed to track down Haley and their son Jack. Tension builds as Hotch tries desperately to get there.
Upon arrival, he discovers Foherty has murdered Haley and there's no sign of Jack. Hotch pulls his service weapon and shoots the killer three times. Anticipating this very thing, Foherty was wearing a bulletproof vest. Hotch attacks Foherty with his bare hands, beating the felon so badly, he died while en route to the hospital. Jack is found hiding from his mother's killer, alive, but not unscathed, leading him to hand his son over to Haley's sister to raise.
Big Wheel
Season 4 Episode 22
A killer records one of his crimes and sends the footage to the agents. Hidden within is a message asking the team to help him stop killing. In this writer's opinion, it's very reminiscent of a message left by a mid-20th century serial killer dubbed "The Lipstick Killer." A message was left for police at the scene. Scrawled using the victim's lipstick, the writing said, "For God's sake stop me before I kill again!" The desperation and helplessness of these words are almost palpable. The serial killer in this episode, Vincent Rowlings, is very effective, refusing to let us forget that although he's committed inhumane acts, he, like us, is human.
Ride the Lightning
Season 1 Episode 14
After receiving an anonymous tip, police discover a dozen girls' bodies buried beneath a garage owned by Jacob and Sarah Jean Dawes. The team travels to interview the couple shortly before their scheduled execution. Gideon begins having doubts about the wife's guilt. Sarah Jean only confessed to a single killing, that of her then 2-year-old son Riley. Gideon not only doubts she's lying about killing him but also about him being dead at all. Thanks to good old-fashioned boots-on-the-ground detective work, his belief is confirmed. Sarah Jean begs him not to reveal the truth, worrying that if it became public knowledge, especially who Riley's true parents were, it could ruin his life. After much heartstring-tugging, Gideon agrees to keep her secret and Sarah Jean is allowed to "ride the lightning" as previously planned, with one caveat— she asks that he be a witness at the execution. Sigh.
Whether it's troubled murderers or losing your loved one, this show never fails to have touching subject matter. We look forward to seeing the upcoming reboot and grabbing our boxes of Kleenex in preparation.