Criminal Minds (season 3)

Criminal Minds Season 3
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	20
Broadcast
Original run	September 26, 2007 (2007-09-26) – May 21, 2008 (2008-05-21)
Home video release
DVD release
Region 1	September 16, 2008 (2008-09-16)
Season chronology
← Previous Season 2 Next → Season 4
List of Criminal Minds episodes

The third season of Criminal Minds premiered on CBS on September 26, 2007 and ended May 21, 2008. The third season was originally to have featured 25 episodes; however, only 13 were completed due to the Writers Guild of America strike (2007-2008). Seven more episodes were produced after the strike, bringing the total number of episodes to 20 for the third season. Mandy Patinkin wanted to leave the series, since he loathed the violent nature of it.^[1] He was replaced by Joe Mantegna several episodes later.

Cast

Character	Portrayed by	Main cast	Recurring cast
Jason Gideon	Mandy Patinkin	episodes 1 & 2	N/A
David Rossi	Joe Mantegna	episode 6-onwards	N/A
Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner	Thomas Gibson	entire season	N/A
Emily Prentiss	Paget Brewster	entire season	N/A
Derek Morgan	Shemar Moore	entire season	N/A
Dr. Spencer Reid	Matthew Gray Gubler	entire season	N/A
Jennifer "JJ" Jareau	A. J. Cook	entire season	N/A
Penelope Garcia	Kirsten Vangsness	entire season	N/A
Erin Strauss	Jayne Atkinson	N/A	several episodes

Episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
46	1	"Doubt"	Gloria Muzio	Chris Mundy	September 26, 2007 (2007-09-26)	12.66[2]
The team investigates a serial killer who is targeting brunette women at a small college in Flagstaff, Arizona. The BAU shuts down the campus, creates a detailed profile of the unsub, and arrests a suspect. However, the team members begin to have doubts about themselves when another woman is killed while the suspect is in custody which raises the possibility of a copycat being around the college campus. Agent Jason Gideon works his final case in this episode.
47	2	"In Name and Blood (In Birth and Death)"	Edward Allen Bernero	Chris Mundy	October 3, 2007 (2007-10-03)	14.56[3]
With Gideon missing, and Hotch and Prentiss off the team, the BAU investigates one of its most difficult cases yet as the remaining agents track a serial killer in Milwaukee who abducts women in public places by using his son as bait. Hotch comes home from the case to find Haley gone. Final Appearance of Jason Gideon
48	3	"Scared to Death"	Félix Enríquez Alcalá	Erica Messer & Debra J. Fisher	October 10, 2007 (2007-10-10)	14.55[4]
The BAU travels to Oregon to assist local authorities in investigating the disappearances of people who are new to Portland and have no strong social ties in the city. All the clues lead to a psychiatrist who is using his patients's worst fears in the most dangerous way possible: by killing them. Meanwhile, the BAU team is still adjusting to Gideon's departure, especially Reid.
49	4	"Children of the Dark"	Guy Norman Bee	Jay Beattie & Dan Dworkin	October 17, 2007 (2007-10-17)	15.03[5]
When home invasions involve the murder of entire families, the BAU is called to Denver to identify the killers who might have been abused while in foster care.
50	5	"Seven Seconds"	John E. Gallagher	Andi Bushell	October 24, 2007 (2007-10-24)	15.05[6]
The BAU and local authorities race against time to locate a young girl, 6 year old Katie Jacobs, who has disappeared from the Potomac Mills shopping mall in Woodbridge, Virginia and may have been kidnapped by a serial killer, but as the time passes the investigation turns to the family of the girl. It becomes vital that they find Katie when they realise that she has asthma, and if her abductor duct-taped her mouth, she could die.
51	6	"About Face"	Skipp Sudduth	Charles Murray	October 31, 2007 (2007-10-31)	14.94[7]
During Halloween the BAU travels to Dallas to assist in the search for a serial killer who scares his victims with "missing" flyers that display the soon-to-be victims' photos and kills them by taking off their faces. Meanwhile, a retired agent returns to the BAU to find it a very different place than it was when he left it. First Appearance of David Rossi
52	7	"Identity"	Gwyneth Horder-Payton	Oanh Ly	November 7, 2007 (2007-11-07)	14.65[8]
The BAU is called to Montana to investigate the case of three kidnapped and murdered women. When another woman disappears, the search leads to a man who has apparently assumed the identity of his partner who had committed suicide earlier. Based on Lake and Ng.
53	8	"Lucky" (Part 1)	Steve Boyum	Andrew Wilder	November 14, 2007 (2007-11-14)	15.73[9]
The BAU pursues a cannibalistic Satanist serial killer in Bridgewater, Florida, that leads Morgan to a crisis in his faith. Garcia believes she has met her dream man, but her first date with him doesn't go exactly as she had expected when in a surprise twist, she ends up being shot by her date and is left for dead.
54	9	"Penelope" (Part 2)	Félix Enríquez Alcalá	Chris Mundy	November 21, 2007 (2007-11-21)	15.88[10]
As Garcia fights for her life in the aftermath of her shooting, the BAU rally around her and also begin searching for her attacker which leads them to believe the assailant could be someone close to the investigation.
55	10	"True Night"	Edward Allen Bernero	Edward Allen Bernero	November 28, 2007 (2007-11-28)	16.23[11]
The BAU and local authorities in Los Angeles investigate a series of brutal serial killings of gang members that appear to involve a famous comic book artist who is suffering a psychotic break.
56	11	"Birthright"	John E. Gallagher	Erica Messer & Debra J. Fisher	December 12, 2007 (2007-12-12)	14.18[12]
The new sheriff of Fredericksburg, Virginia, requests the BAU's assistance in the investigation of a series of mutilation murders that appear to mimic similar crimes that had occurred over two decades earlier. To identify the person responsible for the new killings the team must interview the only surviving victim of the original killer.
57	12	"3rd Life"	Anthony Hemingway	Simon Mirren	January 9, 2008 (2008-01-09)	14.30[13]
When one teenager is found murdered and her best friend is abducted in Chula Vista, California, the BAU must profile the killer and find him before he kills the other teen. The case takes a twist when it is revealed that the girl still missing is in the witness protection program and her disappearance may be related to a crime her father witnessed.
58	13	"Limelight"	Glenn Kershaw	Jay Beattie & Dan Dworkin	January 23, 2008 (2008-01-23)	12.67[14]
After the contents of a self-storage unit purchased at an auction take the BAU to Philadelphia to investigate a series of murders, the ambitious local agent becomes the center of the case. To catch the killer, the team must profile the items inside the unit.
59	14	"Damaged"	Edward Allen Bernero	Edward Allen Bernero	April 2, 2008 (2008-04-02)	12.81[15]
Rossi goes to Indianapolis to continue his investigation into the two unsolved murders that have plagued him for 20 years, and he is joined by Prentiss, JJ, and Morgan when they learn about the case. Meanwhile, Hotchner and Reid interview a death row inmate in a Connecticut prison, but the interview doesn't go as they expected when the prisoner reveals his motive for calling them. Based on Robert Ressler's third interview with Edmund Kemper.
60	15	"A Higher Power"	Félix Enríquez Alcalá	Michael Udesky	April 9, 2008 (2008-04-09)	13.33[16]
The BAU is called to Pittsburgh after an unusually high suicide rate appears to be the work of an angel of death.
61	16	"Elephant's Memory"	Bobby Roth	Andrew Wilder	April 16, 2008 (2008-04-16)	12.98[17]
The BAU is called to West Bune, a small town in Texas, to investigate what appears to be spree killings that involve a teenaged boy and his girlfriend who were both victims of bullying.
62	17	"In Heat"	John E. Gallagher	Andi Bushell	April 30, 2008 (2008-04-30)	13.03[18]
The BAU is called to Miami to investigate a serial killer who appears to have a confused sexual identity. Meanwhile, JJ reveals her relationship with Will to the team.
63	18	"The Crossing"	Guy Norman Bee	Erica Messer & Debra J. Fisher	May 7, 2008 (2008-05-07)	12.88[19]
The team members try to identify a stalker before he can attack a woman in Silver Spring, Maryland. Meanwhile, Hotch and Rossi are called as consultants on a possible battered woman syndrome murder case in Boston. JJ discovers that she is pregnant.
64	19	"Tabula Rasa"	Steve Boyum	Jay Beattie & Don Dworkin	May 14, 2008 (2008-05-14)	12.88[20]
After a suspected serial killer wakes up from a coma, the BAU reopens the case but are surprised to learn that he has amnesia and doesn't remember the murders he had committed four years earlier in Roanoke, Virginia. The team now must find a way to recover his memories so they can try him for his crimes.
65	20	"Lo-Fi" (Part 1)	Glenn Kershaw	Chris Mundy	May 21, 2008 (2008-05-21)	13.15[21]
The BAU faces one of its toughest cases when the team is called to New York City to determine if a series of random shootings is the work of one serial killer or a team of killers working together. The episode ends in a cliffhanger as everyone gets into their separate cars and then one of the SUV's explodes. This episode also announces to the team that JJ is pregnant.

References

1. ^ "Patinkin may be losing his 'Minds'". The Hollywood Reporter. 13 July 2007. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i47021a7b93e549669f2349d5e04cfa1c?imw=Y. Retrieved 2008-07-06. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. October 2, 2007. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=100207_05. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
3. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. October 9, 2007. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=100907_06. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
4. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. October 16, 2007. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=101607_06. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
5. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. October 23, 2007. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=102307_08. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
6. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. October 30, 2007. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=103007_06. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
7. ^ "CBS places first in viewers and adults 25-54; strong second in adults 18-49". The Futon Critic. November 6, 2007. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20071106cbs02. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
8. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. November 13, 2007. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=111307_06. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
9. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. November 20, 2007. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=112007_06. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
10. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. November 27, 2007. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=112707_03. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
11. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. December 4, 2007. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=120407_05. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
12. ^ "First-Run Programming Carries CBS to its Most Dominating Week of the Season". The Futon Critic. December 18, 2007. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20071218cbs01. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
13. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. January 15, 2008. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=011508_03. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
14. ^ "CBS ratings for the week ending January 27". The Futon Critic. January 29, 2008. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20080129cbs03. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
15. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. April 8, 2008. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=040808_06. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
16. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. April 15, 2008. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=041508_09. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
17. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. April 22, 2008. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=042208_05. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
18. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. May 6, 2008. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=050608_02. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
19. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. May 13, 2008. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=051308_06. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
20. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. May 20, 2008. http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=052008_05. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 
21. ^ Gorman, Bill (May 28, 2008). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, May 19-25". http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/05/28/top-cbs-primetime-shows-may-19-25/3922. Retrieved March 15, 2010. 

External links

• Criminal Minds at the Internet Movie Database
• Criminal Minds at TV.com