Gideon is pitted against the scariest and most evil murderer in his entire career. When the BAU confronts the sadistic killer in a remote diner in the Nevada desert, the local authorities want to move quickly and make an arrest. But Gideon bides his time as he attempts to persuade the man, who has sworn not be captured, to reveal the whereabouts of a woman he is holding hostage.

A serial arsonist who targets the homes of upper-middle-class families as they sleep is investigated. The BAU determines the arson victims are linked together through corporate development companies that have been accused of building on contaminated land.

The investigation turns to the family as the BAU and local authorities race against time to locate a young girl who has disappeared from a local shopping mall.

The new sheriff in 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.

The BAU is called to Miami to investigate a serial killer who appears to have a conflicted sexual identity.

The BAU joins the manhunt to catch a serial killer who conceals the manner of his crimes by staging car accidents.

The BAU team suspects a member of an affluent community in Atlanta is responsible for the disappearance of a local young woman and that the suspect may have worked with an accomplice

When a new type of chemical warfare is released into the open air, the BAU must act quickly to find the source before any more innocent people are exposed.

The BAU team is tracking down a family annihilator, but needs to take a break from the case to get advice from "The Fox", who is an horrific killer from the team's past. "The Fox" surprises the team with a ominous message for Agent Hotchner.

The BAU team heads to Texas to track a serial killer targeting illegal immigrants attempting to make safe passage into the U.S.

A series of bizarre, ritualistic murders brings the team to Miami; Reid experiences hallucinations and blinding headaches.