Top 10 Most Heartbreaking Criminal Minds Moments

[@MsMojo]

Which "Criminal Minds" moment broke YOUR heart? Let us know below, and be sure to also check out our video of the Top 10 Best Criminal Minds Episodes - kzbin.info/www/bejne/nmfHaZ2Iir17d80

[@suzannerust8658]

Garcia being shot. Thank the god I don't believe in that she survived and continued her flirty relationship with Derek "Chocolate Thunder" Morgan.

[@Avatar-Destiny]

Maeve

[@wendyodell356]

When Emily was killed off but she wasn't really. Her death was faked to keep her safe but the team thought she'd died except Hodge and Jj. I cried for a week. There are so many great episodes.

[@sharonroberson3416]

When Reid finally got a girlfriend and she was stalked and killed in front of him by a crazy jealous woman. He was heartbreaking to watch for the next few episodes 😔

[@angelapalmer3464]

A few more examples...When Reid's girlfriend was killed, when Penelope got shot, when J.J's husband almost got blown up in the bank, when Hodge's van blew up.... OMG, so many more!!

[@dionysisnance4204]

Hotch on the phone when Hayley dies is the most Emotional episode in criminal minds but hotch got his revenge

[@kittylover62]

"I worked the case, Daddy, just like you said." Can I say that Jack is one of the cutest characters on the show? He saw his dad as a hero after his mother died. He even dressed up as Hotch for Halloween! "No one beats Daddy!"

[@lovingmayberry307]

Absolutely agree!

[@christinesentman5437]

I agree

[@jenniferschmitt8373]

I bawled when I watched that episode. Hotch 😢 crying...the same when he was trying to save the other agent in the street after the car bomb...and when he sat by that burned woman's bedside 😭

[@ELmayberry]

that episode had me bawling my eyes out 😭

[@luxuryhub1323]

Mosley Lane BROKE ME... that dad realizing his son was alive yesterday was absolutely devastating. If I remember correctly, that was the first episode that Matthew Gray Gubler directed.

[@nathanandrews6554]

aw i know i never really get emotional of tv but that episode made me get a tear in my eye proper sad 😢

[@lonnieeastin6401]

For me it's "Normal" The guy is emasculated by his wife and family. And he doesn't realize he killed all of them days ago. The worst was that he was feeling his oates. (In a completely F'ed up way) But he was thinking he's a bad ass. And then he takes his imaginary family for a ride.

[@fearofdamoon]

That scene always hurts. My brain just thinks how torn I would as a parent. So sad that my son died just before he was safe and back in my arms but so proud that he saved another child.

[@krislatoya7556]

@@lonnieeastin6401 That episode was truly a twist. I still wonder how much was real like the at home scenes and at what point did he murder his family.

[@bluhamilton2485]

@@krislatoya7556 I think Rossi says in the episode that they were dead before they even got called to the scene, but nobody thought anything because it was during a school break and his wife had also taken a vacation before starting her new position due to her promotion. So I don't think any scene with them was real

[@GingerSnapped14]

"I worked the case daddy, just like you said." The whole episode is a tear jerker, but that line really gets to me.

[@Unknown-oo4hh]

What about the time - Reid's girlfriend was kidnapped and murdered right in front of him - JJ was shot and put into a coma - Prentiss almost die - Morgan leaving - Garcia was shot - Strauss's death - Reid was in prison - Gideon's death

[@MiguelSilva-ty5do]

Goes to show just how great this show was. There are so many moments that people remember.

[@hhrugger]

When Reid pulls up to Gideon's cabin takes a moment to get out, and then walks in, his heartache is palpable. So well acted!!!

[@amandasmith2399]

Or the time when Tobias Hankel beat and drugged Reid for two days all the while his torture was being streamed online for everyone to watch.

[@dannilad5606]

pretty sure that's already been covered in another video

[@dannilad5606]

@@amandasmith2399 that was literally in the video. did you even watch it?

[@meld0507]

No matter how many times I rewatch this show Hotch’s call with Hayley always breaks me.

[@markelabanks4808]

Yep!

[@chelseylin6724]

Mosley Lane is probably my favorite episode of the whole series but that ending just hits you right in the heart…the dad who found out his missing son was alive just one day before they were rescued gave an amazingly heartbreaking performance, I know what’s coming in the episode but every time I watch that episode I can’t help but tear up 😭

[@tigerhubbard6572]

if i dont feel like full out ugly cry/sob, i end it early

[@fromthehaven94]

That one had Evan Peters as a guest star, right?

[@chelseylin6724]

@@fromthehaven94 yes! Love him!

[@alishasmith1546]

This one for me is like the biggest moment I ball at....as a parent...heartbreaking.

[@melodysymphonystar]

I'll just add mine: Will walks into a hostage situation and J.J. is fighting off both Morgan and Hotch trying to get to him.

[@sierrabussell8444]

Wasn’t that one in the honorable mentions?

[@nixfb8576]

And this is why the JJ loves Reid storyline was stupid.

[@melodysymphonystar]

@@nixfb8576 You. I love you. Care to kidnap the writers and replace them for the new series?

[@MegsCatNamedFluffy]

That stupid storyline tainted JJ forever. Will deserves better and Reid didn’t need that burden.

[@melodysymphonystar]

@@MegsCatNamedFluffy Like. Reid had too much on his plate, he didn't need that. And my man Will was done so dirty, like excuse me that man is a wonderful husband and father, and J.J. rocks as a wife and mother, she was done dirty as well! Twelve years back I wouldn't have batted an eye, but not after 14 seasons of character development! Who's the brainiac responsible for that mess? I have WORDS.

[@rebzmcw]

When Spencer was abducted, drugged and tortured and you could see that his wee innocent soul broke. And the team couldn't do anything to help him 💔

[@robindew9072]

Oh that one was deep

[@A_Rose_From_Concrete]

Y'all didn't add Reid watching his girlfriend being murdered right in front of him. That moment just broke me, they always have moment where he's finally happy and then his happiness is ripped from him. 😭😭😭😭 Dr. Spencer Reid deserves all the happiness in the world

[@kendrarasberry3078]

I hate that storyline.

[@kendrarasberry3078]

I really miss Maeve.

[@daniellesequeira8201]

I think that scene should replace JJ admitting she has feelings...okay I am a bit biased because I hate that they made that a thing since I love them so much as friends but that moment FOREVER changed Reid as a character

[@A_Rose_From_Concrete]

@@daniellesequeira8201 Yeah that scene was so unnecessary. Nobody asked or wanted that moment, it shattered their sibling bond

[@malloryweeks3306]

@@A_Rose_From_Concrete me too. I hated that they made Reid and JJ love each other as more than just friends

[@mckaylamurphy5336]

The whole episode of Riding the Lightning was so heartbreaking. Sarah telling Gideon to not let Riley be Jacob’s last victim made me so sad and the fact that she was innocent and died just so her son would be protected from the truth is so heartbreaking.

[@kristashafer93098]

The wedding rings from “The Fox”. A therapist takes families hostage in their homes, holds them captive for several days and then murders them. Starting with the youngest child and killing them each in front of the parents. He killed the father last and kept only his ring as a souvenir. When the team catches him, Gideon finds his stash of rings. He slowly empties the box on a table in front of the rest of the team and the looks on their faces as dozens of rings fall is absolutely gut wrenching.

[@matthewvorwald7169]

The Reaper killing Hotch's wife will always be one of the most heartbreaking moments of the show for me. Criminal Minds and Supernatural will always forever have some of the most heartbreaking moments in TV history.

[@robindew9072]

Definitely

[@baileeharding8886]

We got the same tastes in shows. The emotional damage these shows in flict

[@alexowen5987]

Can we just say how much this show was GOOD? I mean, alongside with Bones, this show completely changed my prospective over TV shows, and now we have a season 16... Just incredible. I'm crying. Miss them SO MUCH.

[@brennathecatlover4360]

I thought it ended?

[@alisonjones4236]

@@brennathecatlover4360 One of the actors just confirmed they are filming another season for Peacock or something. Apparently a lot of the cast will be in it.

[@alexowen5987]

@@alisonjones4236 they're making a short-lived revival series, like they did with another show a few years ago: fans didn't like the finale, which felt rushed, and they made another season to sum up everything and cluse up the series. I don't remember which series it was, I remember Dexter with the New Blood revival, but I think there was another great example of this...

[@Naruwitchfan945]

I love Paget Brewster's performance in Seven Seconds! That alone makes it one of my favorite episodes to rewatch.

[@GingerSnapped14]

Hotch and Emily interrogation scenes are just incredible. They did it in "Seven Seconds" and "Bloodlines" and I really enjoy those scenes. We really needed more of those two working together.

[@ChristionGirl45]

Honestly this could of been a Top 20 list, as there are so many sad moments through out CM's 15 season run, the episode "sick days" broke me! I felt so bad for JJ! And the little girls acting was on par, made it seem so realistic!!

[@vanessastegall]

Suggest it on the Watchmojo suggestion page

[@RawrfearmeXP]

The absolute chill that runs down my body when I hear the gunshot while Hotch is on the phone is just so awful and always makes me feel absolutely horrible. They didn’t deserve that 💔

[@kittylover62]

Garcia's face said it all for me.

[@josefk7437]

Another heartbreaking scene was the one with Robert Adams when we find out that he was the actual hero who saved the day ten years earlier, but the other kid stole the credit while Robert was unconscious in the hospital. He never gets his chance to set the record straight. That episode did the Asshole Victim very well.

[@marinakyriacou6525]

When everyone thought Emily had been murdered and we didn't know if she was coming back.

[@xeruwynn8987]

I don't think she would've come back had Hotch stayed on the show, and she would've just worked on her comedy

[@connorflaherty175]

Maeve’s death should have gotten an honorable mention, at least.

[@Kuyjac258]

There’s a scene in Exit Wounds (S5x21) (the episode where the team go to Alaska) where Garcia goes outside when the internet goes down and then she sees the killer and someone being attacked. She doesn’t hesitate to run straight to the victim and she explains to Morgan that when she got shot she thought she was going to die and that the last face/thing she saw was the killer and she didn’t want this for this victim she wanted to make sure that the last face he saw wasn’t the person who killed him.

[@fairyghoul9032]

Nah. Number 10 should have been higher on the list. Sarah Jean was one of the kindest souls we ever saw in the show. I will always remember that episode

[@ImaWildMango]

My favorite also.

[@MetalMama-Mimi523]

One of my favorites as well. I'm just happy they put it on the list. The ending quote of Riding the Lightning, has to be all rime favorite quote.

[@frescopotatoemd4757]

the family trapped and burned alive in their home is gut wrenching. when Spencer’s girlfriend gets kidnapped and then is part of a murder suicide is brutal too.

[@sleepingwitharia]

Seven seconds has to be my favorite episode ever. Paget’s performance was immaculate and it made me realize Emily is actually my favorite character of the entire series. The suspence, the twists, and that monologue…just, perfect

[@danipaige316]

I did not bawl my eyes out to Maeve's death just for it to not even be mentioned

[@AlexAttempts]

Mosley Lane was the worst for me. The pain on the fathers face was haunting.

[@Ryan_Hansen]

I love Morgan’s storyline. It may hit close home to me, but I love it so much.

[@johnmurray8835]

Hotch hearing Haley die on the phone after telling Jack to work the case is my number 1. A close second is the death of Maeve. She started as someone Reid turned to for help. They didn't meet face to face but fall in love over calls from pay phones. They see each other only just before Maeve's obsessed stalker kills Maeve and herself with the same shot, which absolutely wrecked me

[@farrellanne90]

This should be a Top 20 list for sure!

[@jenniferferguson1517]

“I worked the case daddy” may be the most heartbreaking lines in all of TV

[@thalia2424]

The one with the soldier that has ptsd and he thinks he is still at war and at the end he tries to safe the kid and is shot💔 broke my heart

[@confessionofabookdragon]

When Gidden dies, Hotch's wife dies, when Reid is kidnapped

[@hermyjack]

Another one that broke my heart is just before Blake leaves, when she calls Spencer by her late son's name.

[@elliefizer4614]

the episode that got to me was when Reid had to go through all of the painful memory’s about his mom and her illness

[@fearofdamoon]

I honestly hated that scene where JJ confessed to Reid. If I am honest it felt like it was done for pandering to fans in my opinion. By that point in the series it felt like they had both moved on from those feels and were just very close friends. Had it happened earlier in the series I think it would have been a great scene.

[@lukemurphy2537]

Anyone else wanted Gideon and Rossi to work together in the present and make the most badass BAU team ever?

[@craftthatbykat]

I think the one that broke my heart the most wasn't even in this video. It was when Reid lost the only woman he dated throughout the show. I bawled like a baby.

[@ElvisRose_]

Keep the Criminal Minds lists coming. The number of the shows this series' quiet but enduring & immense popularity. Haley's death is honestly one of the most heartbreaking of any I've ever watched on TV. Definitely a "I remember watching that" moment for me. I think that Reid and JJ's friendship always had a more intimate vibe than any other and her confession that not only did she have feelings for him but that he was her first love and she would always love him really set in me this regret that she ever met Will or that the show did not dare to go there when it had the freaking chance. Spencer Reid should have been the father of Jennifer Jareau's children instead of The Godfather.

[@kendrarasberry3078]

How was that Will’s fault?

[@ElvisRose_]

@@kendrarasberry3078 Oh, I did not say that is Will's fault. In fact, I quite like the Will character and I really liked the Will character before the show actually went and acknowledged the potential for more underlying the deep friendship because I remember the episode when Spence asked JJ to that Redskins game. I always wished that we had gotten to see that develop into more then 13 years later, the writers are like, not only did Reid feel that way but JJ did too. I always thought they didn't work out because the show didn't want dating inside the team. It made me mad that they were willing to go there but just not when we could really have seen anything happen because, I do like Will & JJ, but I wish I had gotten to see Spence and JJ.

[@nixfb8576]

@@ElvisRose_ oh please, she speaks to reid the way a mother speaks to a son... there was no believable romantic chemistry what so ever... was the worst storyline in the whole show.

[@markelabanks4808]

Yea, Hotch on that phone call will always get me. He use to present such a hard exterior & to see him breaking down while killing Foyet 💔 And then seeing Jack had survived because of something Hotch had taught him 😢 All of the personal stories from the team are usually emotional but Hotch was the heart of this team! Nothing felt the same when he left. You knew Hotch loved his team just as much as he loved his family

[@Rebelwithacause94]

Reid’s girlfriend getting murdered was heartbreaking 💔 he had been through so much throughout the series; jailed, tortured, a mentally ill mum. But when his girlfriend died it was so so sad 😭

[@Leahonomatopia]

The episode with Frankie Muniz has never left my mind. That and Haley's death are my most remembered moments.

[@malloryweeks3306]

“Sometimes what an unsub does actually makes sense.” I loved both of those episodes. So sad but so good

[@ciaranbrk]

I think the exact same his preformance was top notch you could feel the characters pain.

[@sweet89angel]

Hayley getting shot and the father realizing his son was alive he day before get me everytime! I teared up while watching the clip, when Garcia broke down I was done for.

[@cmurdock5256]

J.J. is not the only one allowed to call him Spence. She's just the only one who does. In the 4th episode of the 1st season, when they're celebrating Reid's birthday and he has that goofy birthday cake hat on, he's called for a piece of his cake. He starts off to go get it and then turns back to Gideon and says "You know? JJ is the ONLY one who calls me Spence ". He says it as if he thought it would be nice if more of them did.

[@sierrabussell8444]

anything that has to do with Hotch or JJ mess me up so bad because they’re my favorites. But 100 has to be the saddest. Traumatic for not only Hotch and Jack, but everyone. Literally everyone. They all heard those shots. They all knew what that meant for Hotch. They are a family. 😭

[@bridgetmarden7224]

If you watch it, your heart breaks at the sickness of the world. But if you watch it it just might help save your life. No one wants to be in a situation like this but sadly it IS the world that we live in today. There is truth in this show if you look into the disgusting world that we all live in today. Just saying

[@RayKaiLover]

Gideon's death in the Nelson's Sparrow episode and Reid talking about his high school past in the Elephant's Memory episode should of been on the list!!!

[@sithhunter126]

Anytime Garcia has tears dwelling up, it gets me.

[@wani-r]

Strangely, the Tim Curry episodes broke me but I'm a huge fan of his. Also the episode where Penelope watch the guy died on death row was super emotional.

[@JST138]

#10 should be higher up the list. When Gideon told Morgan and Elle they got the wrong kid and the dad said thank you, it broke me. Reid watching Mave get shot was another scene that really got to me

[@introvertsrock9843]

Hoping the show can continue it's awesomeness when it returns, even when a few ppl will be missing

[@amonrodriguez3518]

It’s amazing

[@duckysguidetoshipping8930]

Every episode Every Freaking Episode

[@Unknown-oo4hh]

Top 20 Most Badass Moments On Criminal Minds Top 10 JJ and Reid moments Top 10 BAU Agents

[@lukabizarri8058]

The 10th broke me...she was innocent and died to protect her son...

[@ItsKaitlinperrin76]

Everything that happened with Spencer is still so heartbreaking and I still cry like a baby everytime 🥹🥹😭😭

[@brittneycross8365]

Watching Reid getting addicted broke my heart

[@theresakikambi4223]

Hotch losing his wife. Ohhhh myyyyyy the memory of that episode just made me cry again.

[@megan.mckenna]

this list's number five will ALWAYS be the most heartbreaking moment in my eyes. mosley lane is one of the two episodes i have sworn i will never see again. though the other i refuse to watch is the lesson because that noise when their bodies are being dislocated still haunts me whenever i think about it. only watched both of those episodes once and have never watched them again. MGG has traumatized me. i would have also included on my personal list the guy who garcia saved spencer from who gets the death sentence. i sob every time he looks in the glass, sees garcia, and thanks her.

[@josefk7437]

I thought the most heartbreaking episode was the one with the German unsub because he succeeded at everything he set out to do before getting caught. Even getting caught seemed to be part of his plan. It was heartbreaking that he hardly got any comeuppance. Going to jail seemed like nothing to Anton Harris, but his sister underwent extreme horror and her medical school career is over, just as Anton planned. The BAU was shocked that Anton's father tried to get him extradited to Germany at the end of the episode.

[@santiagoquinteros5330]

I'd add the boxer talking for the last time to his son. It's the only one moment in the entire series in wich I cried.

[@cadeevans4623]

This is a great show heartbreaking moments

[@seanhorace925]

I can name of few others: .Rossi killing Thomas Yates- (Profiling 202) .Stephen Walker Gets Killed (Red Light-Wheels Up)

[@jenniferferguson1517]

Garcia getting shot. Garcia begging the unsub not to hurt here in Alaska, Garcia speaking at her parents’ murderer’s parole hearing (can you tell who my fav character is?) lol

[@kittylover62]

Why didn't they show the clip of Jack saying that he 'worked the case'? He's a cute little peanut! 😍

[@haileyhardin1997]

I love all seasons of criminal minds and my top 8 most heartbreaking criminal minds moments are Taking the blame,Needed more time,Words better left unsaid,A day too late,Confronting the past,3 enter,2 leave,Tortured by Tobias and I worked the case. Cleaning up,Familial monster and shoes.

[@westwardmedia9375]

No One Was Happy With JJ Telling Reid She Loved Him Maybe At The Beginning We Shipped Them, But Later They Felt Better As Just Close Friends. Plus, She Asked Will TO Ask Her Again To Marry Him. She Loves Will. This Only Just Shows That The Writers Were Out Of Ideas

[@mezipe6429]

The wedding ring collector was the most heartbreaking to me

[@allthingsaddi]

Literally as soon as I clicked on the episode I said “when hotchner’s wife dies” as mine. No surprises in the end cause omg that episode made me SOB

[@TeXXicJA]

I remember that Hotch episode. I think it was early in the season. It was gut-wrenching.

[@heyyothisisfire3687]

I cried so hard for No.10

[@linda157pariseau7]

I agree with all your choices. There are many more that could have been added. One that got to me was when Garcia got shot. I loved the way JJ took out that jerk too!

[@monicasuyo1330]

All of them, Profiler, profiles!

[@nikogirlneko9295]

I rewatched the show and when it came to Hayley’s death episode I couldn’t watch it and had to skip it, that episode will forever break my heart and make me cry

[@elliefizer4614]

the episode that hit closest to home was when Derek had to open up about his checkered past

[@guisercore136]

anyone remember the episode “True Night?” personally johnny not knowing that he was killing while at the same time suffering his pregnant fiancés death over and over is traumatizing. the fact that he was made to sit and watched as she was graped and killed and almost losing his own life. this was the saddest episode to me because of how broken he became is just 6 months

[@MegsCatNamedFluffy]

JJ telling Reid she loved him like that was one of the stupidest criminal minds story decisions ever. It completely tainted JJ’s character for me.

[@amandasmith2399]

Hotch may not have been able to save Haley from The Reaper but he SURE was able to save Jack.

[@candicevinson8075]

Gideon dying. That killed me so much.

[@rileymorris8632]

What about Maeve's death??? That had me sobbing harder than any of these

[@josephtoman-xr2qu]

"100" Always Breaks Me💔

[@hajrakhan557]

The way the women looked at Morgan when he complimented Garcia omg

[@crashingimpulse]

The 3 enter and 2 leave episode was the first criminal minds episode I'd watch and got me hook forever

[@lewismaclean8849]

Someone do correct me if I'm wrong as I'm fairly new to watching Criminal Minds from the first season. A couple episodes after Reid is tortured my Tobias, his dependancy to the drug he was given to slow the pain of the torment is still being mentioned. After the fourth or so episodes in the same season, it's not mentioned on screen again. It seems like at the moment I'm at in season 4 like a dropped point.

[@scdl-m2z]

i think the only thing sadder than hotch having to hear his wife die over the phone was spencer watching his girlfriend die right in front of him

[@tiger31623]

Whoever's reading this,I pray that whatever you're going through gets better and whatever you're struggling with or worrying about is going to be fine and that everyone has a fantastic day! amen

[@alisonjones4236]

You didn’t have to do us dirty with that thumbnail 🤣

[@lisabaxter7786]

Nice job thanks

[@0DdOne]

They truly tackle and respect humanity from the bottom up

[@darlenewooldridge2298]

Or when Garcia was shot. That hurt my hear. Another was when all the suburbans exploded and nobody knew who was hurt. Or when JJ was kidnapped and brought to Afghanistan and revealed she had a miscarriage. Queen of hearts? Hmmm.

[@janeausten1820]

What about Reid losing the love of his life?

[@kendrarasberry3078]

So heartbreaking.

[@realdelta_games]

The end of number 10 killed me emotional😅

[@vmaninc.761]

12:02 This was the one episode I wish was a crossover with Dexter cause given how he lost his wife to a serial killer he was hunting and failed to capture because of the errors he made I'm pretty sure he would've went out of his way to prevent hotch from suffering the same painful fate he went through despite him and the bau team being his greatest rivals in the serial-killer hunting business!🔥💯😉😁👍

[@ericaleach1110]

"100" was definitely in the right spot!!! I would add Maeve's death though

[@penelopeobrien3999]

Still breaks my heart

[@jenniferferguson1517]

I think we need a part 2 to this list, so many other heart breaking moments are listed in these comments!

[@KringleCakes55]

Does anyone else watch Press Escape Kofi's Criminal Minds reactions? They are the best.

[@MisterDeadDoxx]

I remember crying when Hotch lost hailey and I normally don’t cry with TV shows

[@CajunFyre92]

The Big Game/Revelations, 100, and Nelson's Sparrow. All heartbreaking for me

[@Queenbeauty472]

About time this was made uwu

[@johnnahollister3721]

I could name 10 more they shouldn’t done like 25 most heartbreaking. Or we need a part 2

[@thedevilsrockstxr2309]

Maeve was only around for 3 episodes idk how yall think she fits here

[@nikkitadrake8739]

Mosely Lane should be higher than 5