Criminal Minds Season 11 Report Card

On Criminal Minds Season 11 brought about a fair amount of change to the BAU family.

We lost Derek Morgan when he retired from the BAU. Morgan was a fan favorite (not to mention Garcia's as well!)

We also gained a new member in Dr. Tara Lewis. As a rare car aficionado, she has a lot in common with Rossi.

JJ made a late start in the season due to the birth of her latest son Michael.

The season itself got off to a rocky start because of some of these changes, but then evened out. This was the result of some good writing.

Let's now take a look at the overall season, and make note of some of the more remarkable episodes.

Don't forget to watch Criminal Minds online to relive it all!

1. Best Episode

The award goes to the last story of the season, in Criminal Mind Season 11 Episode 22. It was compelling from minute one to the end. We got to see Antonia again; we worried that Hotch may have had a psychotic break. Mr. Scratch made an appearance, and we got to see JJ get all Mama Bear at Antonia. The icing on the cake was watching the FBI unload their guns at a helicopter until it finally blew up and crashed to the ground.

2. Worst Episode

The candidate for the worst of the season is Criminal Minds Season 11 Episode 1. The case itself was interesting: it involved an assassin who injected his victims with a slow-acting nutritional supplement designed to cause a heart attack. Not so interesting was the lack of team dynamic within the BAU. JJ’s absence was keenly felt, and the usual team bonding just wasn’t there. This is also the same episode that introduced us to Dr. Tara Lewis.

3. Most Heartbreaking Episode

Many of us were shocked and saddened when Morgan just up and quit the BAU on Criminal Minds Season 11 Episode 18. The story arc that brought him there made perfect sense though: he had been captured and tortured, and then Savannah had been shot - while pregnant with their son. He simply didn't want to put his new family into harm's way anymore. That hug between Morgan and Reid just broke our hearts didn't it?

4. Best Villain

The honor goes to Antonia Slade, who we first met in Criminal Minds Season 11 Episode 21. Antonia, played by Frances Fisher, fairly dripped with contempt for all those who she felt were beneath her. She may have been a genuine misandrist too, as she reserved the bulk of her hatred for the men in the BAU, especially Hotch.

5. Most Nerve-Wracking Episode

Derek’s capture and torture on Criminal Minds Season 11 Episode 16 was the most intense episode of the season. Watching one of our favorite characters applying his training to mentally disassociate from what the bad guys put him through put us on the edge of our seats. Honourable mention has to go to Danny Glover for his portrayal of Derek’s long-dead father, who helped him think everything through.

6. Most Wild West Episode

That honor goes to the Unsubs of Criminal Minds Season 11 Episode 4. The story had it all the elements, including bad guys on motorcycles, one of whom shot up a pharmacy in search of drugs. And best of all, the end involved a wild west shootout between the bad guys and the BAU. As usual, of course, the BAU remained standing.

7. Female Empowerment Honor

This belongs to a girl named Riley who, on Criminal Minds Season 11 Episode 6 took matters into her own hands when she was abducted by an unsub. Rather than cower in fear, she told the bad guy she needed to get her pom poms out of her closet. Really, she was going there for her dad's rifle. The unsub grabbed her though, just as the gun went off. She turned and hoofed him in the crotch.

8. The Paranoia-Inducing Award

Criminal Minds Season 11 Episode 12 gave us all reason to re-think our willingness to use ride-sharing services when it introduced an Unsub who was picking his victims up after they called for his services via a smartphone app. His thing was to walk them to their door, tase them, and then take them somewhere else where he chopped their heads off. Guess they didn't tip will or something.

9. The Chess Award

This prestigious award goes to Reid for his excellent cat and mouse play with an Unsub named "Cat" (played with admirable elan by Aubrey Plaza) on Criminal Minds Season 11 Episode 11. Most of the show was shot in one location, and for the most part focused on just those two as they each gained the upper hand at various points in the story.

10. The Icky Gross Award

This was a nightmare episode, especially for those prone to empathy. In Criminal Minds Season 11 Episode 17, the Unsub's unique MO was to put sand and glue in the eyes of his victims, watch while they stumbled around, and then killed them. We've given this season an overall grade of B. How do you score it?