| Criminal Minds | |
|---|---|
| Season 5 | |
 Season 5 U.S. DVD cover | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 23 |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | September 23, 2009 – May 26, 2010 |
| Season chronology | |
The fifth season of Criminal Minds premiered on CBS on September 23, 2009 and ended May 26, 2010. Episode 18 was a pilot episode for the spin-off series Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior .
In the season premiere "Nameless, Faceless", D. B. Sweeney guest-starred as Sam Kassmeyer, a U.S. Marshal who is assigned to protect Aaron Hotchner's family until George Foyet is caught. Christopher Cousins guest-starred as Dr. Tom Barton, a trauma surgeon whose son is targeted by the father of a teenage boy Barton tried to save. In the episode "Haunted", Sean Patrick Flanery guest-starred as Darrin Call, a spree killer who has never forgotten the day his father's last victim escaped. Glenn Morshower guest-starred as Lieutenant Kevin Mitchell, who leads the investigation of the shooting. Michael Bowen guest-starred as Tommy Phillips, the lone survivor of Darrin's father Bill Jarvis, a.k.a. "The Hollow Creek Killer", played by Don Creech. In the episode "Reckoner", Lawrence Pressman guest-starred as Boyd Schuller, a terminally ill court judge who hires Tony Mecacci to commit a series of vigilante murders, with William Sadler playing a mob boss.
In the episode "Hopeless", Clayne Crawford and Blake Shields guest-starred as C. Vincent and J.R. Baker, a gang of thrill killers known as "Turner's Group." Wade Williams guest-starred as Detective Andrews, who leads the investigation of the murders. In the episode "Cradle to Grave", Mae Whitman and Hallee Hirsh guest-starred as Julie and Carol, two women who are abducted by a married couple, who are unable to have children due to the wife dying from breast cancer. In the episode "The Performer", Gavin Rossdale guest-starred as Paul "Dante" Davies, a famous rock musician who is suspected of murdering several of his fans. Eddie Jemison guest-starred as Paul's manager, Ray Campion, who is responsible for the murders, as was his accomplice, Gina King, played by Inbar Lavi. In the episode "Outfoxed", Neal Jones reprises as Karl Arnold, a.k.a. "The Fox", where he is interviewed by Hotch and Prentiss, who are investigating someone who is copying Arnold's murders.
In the episode "The Slave of Duty", Wes Brown guest-starred as Joe Belser, a.k.a. "The Nashville Stalker", a misogynistic serial killer and Khary Payton guest-starred as Detective Landon Kaminski, who leads the investigation of the murders. In the episode "Retaliation", Lee Tergesen guest-starred as Dale Schrader, a serial killer who escapes police custody and abducts the family of his former accomplice. In the episode "The Uncanny Valley", Jonathan Frakes guest-starred as Dr. Arthur Malcolm, a pedophile who molested his daughter, Samantha, and gave her porcelain dolls away to another girl. Rosalie Ward guest-starred as Bethany Wallace, a woman who is abducted by Samantha Malcolm. In the episode "Risky Business", John Pyper-Ferguson guest-starred as Wilson Summers, a father who created a viral internet game that convinces young teenagers to commit suicide.
In the episode "Parasite", Victor Webster guest-starred as Bill Hodges, a serial killer who has a wife and two other lovers. Annabeth Gish guest-starred as Bill's wife, Rebecca, and Valerie Cruz guest-starred as Bill's secret lover, Brooke Sanchez. In the episode "Public Enemy", Sprague Grayden guest-starred as Meg Collins, a religious mother and wife whose husband is murdered by Connor O'Brien, a spree killer who murders people simply to generate fear among the public. In the episode "Mosley Lane", Bud Cort and Beth Grant guest-starred as Roger and Anita Roycewood, a married couple who abduct children and cremate their remains after sedating them. Ann Cusack guest-starred as Sarah Hillridge, an alcoholic mother and wife whose son has been missing for eight years, and Brooke Smith guest-starred as Barbara Lynch, a mother and wife whose daughter, Aimee, is abducted by the Roycewoods.
In the episode "Solitary Man", Morgan Lily guest-starred as Jody Hatchett, a young girl whose father, Wade, abducts mothers for Jody and would later tell her about his escapades as fairytales. Gabrielle Carteris guest-starred as Nancy Campbell, the last victim whom Wade abducts. In the episode "The Fight", Alexa Nikolas guest-starred as Jane McBride, a teenage girl who is abducted by John Vincent Bell, along with her father, Ben. Lesley Fera guest-starred as Leslie McBride. In the episode "A Rite of Passage", Mike Doyle guest-starred as Deputy Ronald Boyd, a serial killer who is targeting illegal immigrants trying to cross the U.S. border. Marlene Forte guest-starred as Sheriff Eva Ruiz, who aids the BAU with the investigation of the murders until Ronald murders her. In the episode "A Thousand Words", Jolene Andersen guest-starred as Juliet Monroe, a pregnant widow who has been abducting women for several years until she dies giving birth to her son.
In the episode "Exit Wounds", Mark L. Young guest-starred as Owen Porter, a serial killer and, at one point, a cannibal, from an abusive family. Eric Ladin guest-starred as Joshua Beardsley, a man who seeks vengeance against Porter for murdering his mother Carol, played by Dale Dickey. In the episode "The Internet is Forever", Ned Schmidtke guest-starred as Austin Chapman, the criminal accomplice of Robert Johnson, a.k.a. "The Internet Killer." In the season finale "Our Darkest Hour", Tim Curry guest-starred as one of the series most notorious criminals, Billy Flynn, a.k.a. "The Prince of Darkness", a serial killer who murders all but one victim. Eric Close guest-starred as Matt Spicer, a police detective leading the Prince of Darkness case, Robert Davi guest-starred as Spicer's partner, Detective Adam Kurzbard, and Linda Purl guest-starred as Colleen Everson, a woman who, after Billy Flynn raped her and murdered her husband, attempted suicide twice.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92 | 1 | "Nameless, Faceless" | Charles S. Carroll | Chris Mundy | September 23, 2009 | 501 | 15.84 [1] |
With Hotch missing and the events of their previous case still weighing on them, the remaining members of the BAU set out to protect a McLean, Virginia emergency room doctor and his teenage son from a former patient determined to avenge a wrongful death. Meanwhile, a serial killer from the team's past (C. Thomas Howell) enacts a sinister master plan involving one of their own. | |||||||
| 93 | 2 | "Haunted" | Jon Cassar | Erica Messer | September 30, 2009 | 502 | 14.24 [2] |
When a traumatized Louisville, Kentucky man suffers a psychotic breakdown and attacks six people at a pharmacy, killing three of them, the BAU juggles putting together a profile and working with local authorities to track him down. Meanwhile, Hotch continues recovering from Foyet's attack and the team notices a disturbing change in his behavior. | |||||||
| 94 | 3 | "Reckoner" | Karen Gaviola | Dan Dworkin & Jay Beattie | October 7, 2009 | 503 | 14.05 [3] |
When three people in Commack, New York are shot at close range and mutilated post-mortem, the BAU sets out to track down a hitman hired to commit a series of vigilante murders. Meanwhile, Rossi finds himself forced to face his past after discovering a connection between a childhood friend and one of the hitman's intended targets. | |||||||
| 95 | 4 | "Hopeless" | Félix Alcalá | Chris Mundy | October 14, 2009 | 504 | 13.92 [4] |
When a series of escalating vandalism incidents in Washington, D.C. culminate in a quadruple homicide, the BAU initiates a manhunt for a trio who commit crimes for the thrill of violence. Meanwhile, Morgan finds himself forging a personal connection with the sister of one of the victims. | |||||||
| 96 | 5 | "Cradle to Grave" | Rob Spera | Breen Frazier | October 21, 2009 | 505 | 14.27 [5] |
When three young New Mexico women are abducted, impregnated, and strangled to death minutes after giving birth, the BAU sets out to track down a serial killer with an unusual motivation. Meanwhile, Hotch starts giving Morgan additional duties after receiving a surprise visit from Section Chief Strauss. | |||||||
| 97 | 6 | "The Eyes Have It" | Glenn Kershaw | Oanh Ly | November 4, 2009 | 506 | 12.55 [6] |
With Morgan officially replacing Hotch as Unit Chief, the BAU travels to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to investigate the seemingly unrelated murders of a 61-year-old man and two teenage girls who all had their eyes removed after they were killed. | |||||||
| 98 | 7 | "The Performer" | John Badham | Holly Harold | November 11, 2009 | 507 | 12.77 [7] |
When three Los Angeles, California women are strangled to death and drained of almost all their blood, the BAU juggles working with an ally from their past (Ian Anthony Dale) and considering whether or not a Goth rock star (Gavin Rossdale) is responsible for the crimes. | |||||||
| 99 | 8 | "Outfoxed" | John Gallagher | Simon Mirren | November 18, 2009 | 508 | 13.70 [8] |
When two Hampton, Virginia military families are murdered in their homes while the fathers are overseas, the BAU determines the crimes are similar to those committed by incarcerated family annihilator Karl Arnold (Neal Jones). Meanwhile, Hotch grows increasingly unnerved after receiving an ominous message. | |||||||
| 100 | 9 | "100" | Edward Allen Bernero | Bo Crese [N 1] | November 25, 2009 | 509 | 13.61 [9] |
Following an encounter with Foyet at Hotch's former residence, the BAU submits to individual questioning about the events leading up to and surrounding their attempt to prevent Foyet from further threatening Hotch and his family. | |||||||
| 101 | 10 | "The Slave of Duty" | Charles Haid | Rick Dunkle | December 9, 2009 | 510 | 14.43 [10] |
With Hotch taking a leave of absence to contemplate his future with the FBI, the BAU travels to Nashville, Tennessee to apprehend a serial killer responsible for the deaths of two women, whom he stalks and romances against their will before killing them. | |||||||
| 102 | 11 | "Retaliation" | Félix Alcalá | Erica Messer | December 16, 2009 | 511 | 14.68 [11] |
After arresting a recently paroled Lockport, New York bank robber for the murder of a woman and the kidnapping of his teenage daughter, the BAU has to search for an ulterior motive when the man escapes with the help of a previously unknown accomplice and embarks on a killing spree. | |||||||
| 103 | 12 | "The Uncanny Valley" | Anna J. Foerster | Breen Frazier | January 13, 2010 | 512 | 13.90 [12] |
When two Atlantic City, New Jersey women are found dead from drug-induced paralysis, the BAU sets out to profile a female serial killer who abducts certain types of women for an unusual personal obsession. | |||||||
| 104 | 13 | "Risky Business" | Rob Spera | Jim Clemente | January 20, 2010 | 513 | 14.91 [13] |
When four Uinta County, Wyoming teenagers commit suicide within a week, the BAU determines they were manipulated into participating in an online "choking game" and attempts to profile and track down its creator. | |||||||
| 105 | 14 | "Parasite" | Charles S. Carroll | Oanh Ly | February 3, 2010 | 514 | 14.75 [14] |
When an agent from the FBI's White Collar Crime Unit suspects a con artist he has been tracking across the country for the past five years is responsible for the recent murder of a Miami, Florida woman, the BAU sets out to profile a budding spree killer who kills the people he cons to prevent them from exposing his activities. | |||||||
| 106 | 15 | "Public Enemy" | Nelson McCormick | Jess Prenter Prosser | February 10, 2010 | 515 | 14.33 [15] |
When three Providence, Rhode Island residents are stabbed to death in locations considered to be pillars of the community, the BAU sets out to profile and track down a serial killer bent on generating mass public fear. | |||||||
| 107 | 16 | "Mosley Lane" | Matthew Gray Gubler | Simon Mirren & Erica Messer | March 3, 2010 | 516 | 13.00 [16] |
When an eight-year-old Ashburn, Virginia girl disappears from a carnival and a single mother (Ann Cusack) claims the abduction is connected to the eight-year disappearance of her then-eight-year-old son, Charlie (Evan Peters), the BAU works to track down a married couple responsible for kidnapping a total of 12 children over the course of 11 years. | |||||||
| 108 | 17 | "Solitary Man" | Rob Hardy | Kimberly Ann Harrison & Ryan Gibson | March 10, 2010 | 517 | 13.29 [17] |
When the FBI's Highway Serial Killer Database suggests five women found strangled to death along Interstates 25 and 40 in multiple states were killed by a budding spree killer, the BAU attempts to track down a trucker based out of Edgewood, New Mexico on a personal mission. | |||||||
| 109 | 18 | "The Fight" | Richard Shepard | Teleplay by : Chris Mundy Story by : Chris Mundy & Edward Allen Bernero | April 7, 2010 | 518 | 12.70 [18] |
When a homeless man is found dead in San Francisco, California and a father and his teenage daughter are subsequently abducted, the BAU works with SSA Sam Cooper (Forest Whitaker) and the Red Cell Unit, a rapid response team with nonconventional methods, to track down a serial killer who forces his victims to fight each other. This episode serves as the backdoor-pilot episode for Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior . | |||||||
| 110 | 19 | "A Rite of Passage" | John Gallagher | Victor De Jesus | April 14, 2010 | 519 | 12.44 [19] |
When three decapitated human heads are discovered in Terlingua, Texas, the BAU sets out to profile a serial killer who targets illegal immigrants crossing the Mexico–United States border. | |||||||
| 111 | 20 | "…A Thousand Words" | Rosemary Rodriguez | Edward Allen Bernero | May 5, 2010 | 520 | 12.39 [20] |
When a female Tallahassee, Florida college student disappears and local authorities receive a 911 call of a man confessing to murder before committing suicide and leaving evidence of several women killed over the past 10 years behind, the BAU juggles profiling the deceased man and locating his latest victim. | |||||||
| 112 | 21 | "Exit Wounds" | Charles S. Carroll | Rick Dunkle | May 12, 2010 | 521 | 13.07 [21] |
When three residents of a small Alaska fishing town are murdered within a week, the BAU attempts to identify a serial killer with an obsession for hunting. Meanwhile, Garcia accompanies the team and finds herself in a dangerous situation. | |||||||
| 113 | 22 | "The Internet Is Forever" | Glenn Kershaw | Breen Frazier | May 19, 2010 | 522 | 13.25 [22] |
When videos of the murders of three Boise, Idaho women are posted online, the BAU juggles profiling a killer who uses social networking websites as his hunting ground and tracking him down before he kills his next victim. | |||||||
| 114 | 23 | "Our Darkest Hour" | Edward Allen Bernero | Erica Messer | May 26, 2010 | 523 | 12.97 [23] |
When three Los Angeles, California residents are murdered in their homes during rolling blackouts, the BAU juggles tracking down a serial killer who uses the blackouts to commit his crimes at night and dealing with an unexpected connection that promises to change the course of the investigation. | |||||||
| The Complete Fifth Season | ||||
| Set details | Special features | |||
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| DVD release date | ||||
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | ||
| September 7, 2010 [24] | February 28, 2011 [25] | March 2, 2011 [26] | ||