# Criminal Minds season 3

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 before the Writers Guild of America strike (2007–08). 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. He was replaced by Joe Mantegna several episodes later.

## Cast
### Main

* Mandy Patinkin as Supervisory Special Agent Jason Gideon (BAU Senior Agent) Ep. 1–2
* Joe Mantegna as Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi (BAU Senior Agent) Ep. 6–20
* Paget Brewster as Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss (BAU Agent)
* Shemar Moore as Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan (BAU Agent)
* Matthew Gray Gubler as Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid (BAU Agent)
* A. J. Cook as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (BAU Communications Liaison)
* Kirsten Vangsness as Special Agent Penelope Garcia (BAU Technical Analyst)
* Thomas Gibson as Supervisory Special Agent Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner (BAU Unit Chief)

### Special guest stars

* Frankie Muniz as Jonny McHale
* Fredric Lehne as Jack Vaughan

### Recurring

* Jayne Atkinson as Supervisory Special Agent Erin Strauss (BAU Section Chief)
* Nicholas Brendon as Kevin Lynch
* Meredith Monroe as Haley Hotchner
* Cade Owens as Jack Hotchner
* Josh Stewart as William "Will" LaMontagne Jr.

## Guest stars

In the season premiere "Doubt", Shelly Cole guest-starred as Anna Begley, a suicidal college student who copied the crimes of Nathan Tubbs, aka "The Campus Killer". Alexa Alemanni guest-starred as Amy Deckerman, Anna Begley's first murder victim. In the episode "In Name and Blood", Eddie Cibrian guest-starred as Joe Smith, a serial killer who uses his son to lure women and murder them. Gordon Clapp guest-starred as Detective Victor Wolynski, who leads the investigation of the murders. In the episode "Scared to Death", Michael O'Keefe guest-starred as Dr. Stanley Howard, a psychiatrist who uses his patients' worst fears to murder them.
In the episode "Children of the Dark", Francis Capra guest-starred as Ervin Robles, a serial killer who was abused by a strict foster family. William Lee Scott guest-starred as Robles' foster brother and accomplice Gary, and Christine Healy guest-starred as Mrs. Manwaring, an abusive foster mother. In the episode "Seven Seconds", Ariel Winter guest-starred as Katie Jacobs, a young girl who is kidnapped at a shopping mall. Suzanne Cryer guest-starred as Susan Jacobs, Katie Jacobs' aunt who might be involved in her disappearance. Paula Malcomson guest-starred as Katie's mother, Beth, and Alexander Gould guest-starred as Susan's son, Jeremy.
In the episode "About Face", Andrew Kavovit guest-starred as Max Poole, aka "The Have You Seen Me Murderer". Michael O'Neill guest-starred as Detective Frank Yarborough, who investigates the murder of his wife's friend. In the episode "Identity", Kaj-Erik Eriksen guest-starred as Henry Frost, a serial killer who assumed the identity of his partner in crime and idol, Francis Goehring, who committed suicide. Pat Skipper guest-starred as Harris Townsend, a retired U.S. Special Forces sniper who reluctantly assists the BAU during a standoff. In the episode "Lucky", Michael Beach guest-starred as Father Marks, and Nick Searcy guest-starred as Detective Jordan. In the episode "True Night", Frankie Muniz guest-starred as Johnny McHale, a famous comic book artist whose recent works have striking resemblances to murders he might have committed.
In the episode "3rd Life", Riley Smith guest-starred as Ryan Phillips, a thrill killer who leads a trio of abductors. Gia Mantegna (daughter of series star Joe Mantegna) guest-starred as Lindsey Vaughan, a teenage girl who is kidnapped by Ryan's gang, Hayley McFarland guest-starred as Katie Owens, the first victim raped and murdered by Ryan's Gang, Fredric Lehne guest-starred as Jack Vaughan, a former hitman and Lindsey's father, and Michael Harney guest-starred as U.S. Marshal Pat Mannan.
In the episode "Limelight", Andrea Roth guest-starred as Jill Morris, an FBI Agent whose lust for fame and less concern for eventual collateral damage becomes more apparent to the BAU. In the episode "Damaged", Dennis Christopher guest-starred as Abner Merriman, a prison warden who allows Hotch and Reid to interview Chester Hardwick, an inmate on death row.
In the episode "A Higher Power", Jennifer Aspen guest-starred as Laurie Ann Morris, a depressed woman who was convinced by Peter Redding to commit suicide. Renee O'Connor guest-starred as Pam Baleman, the wife of Paul Baleman, one of the apparent suicides, and sister-in-law of Detective Ronnie Baleman, who is investigating. In the episode "Elephant's Memory", Cody Kasch guest-starred as Owen Savage, a spree killer who is going after those who have wronged him during his childhood. Lindsey Haun guest-starred as Jordan Norris, Owen's girlfriend, and Alexandra Krosney guest-starred as Eileen Bechtold, Jordan's friend. In the episode "In Heat", Michael Graziadei guest-starred as Steven Fitzgerald, a serial killer confused about his sexual orientation. Tia Texada guest-starred as Detective Tina Lopez, who leads the investigation of the murders.
In the episode "The Crossing", Scott Lowell guest-starred as Michael Hicks, a delusional stalker who obsesses over a woman named Keri Derzmond, played by Bonnie Root. Mary-Margaret Humes guest-starred as Audrey Sawyer-Henson, a battered housewife and mother who murdered her husband. In the episode "Tabula Rasa", Eric Lange guest-starred as Brian Matloff, aka "The Blue Ridge Strangler", a serial killer who suffers from amnesia after he attempted to evade the BAU by jumping off a building. In the season finale "Lo-Fi", Sienna Guillory guest-starred as Supervisory Special Agent Kate Joyner, an FBI Agent who aids the BAU in arresting members of the New York Terrorist Cell. Erik Palladino guest-starred as Detective Cooper, an NYPD officer who is shot in the line of duty by a member of the NYC terrorist cell.

## Episodes

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 46 | 1 | "Doubt" | Gloria Muzio | Chris Mundy | September 26, 2007 (2007-09-26) | 221 | 12.66 |
| When three women are stabbed to death at a Flagstaff, Arizona college, the BAU sets their sights on a campus security guard only to find themselves doubting their profiling skills when another woman dies while their prime suspect is in custody. ||||||||
| 47 | 2 | "In Name and Blood" | Edward Allen Bernero | Chris Mundy | October 3, 2007 (2007-10-03) | 301 | 14.56 |
| With Gideon missing, Hotch transferring, and Prentiss resigning, Strauss and the remaining members of the BAU set out to track down a Milwaukee, Wisconsin spree killer who cuts women's hearts out with a chisel. ||||||||
| 48 | 3 | "Scared to Death" | Félix Alcalá | Debra J. Fisher & Erica Messer | October 10, 2007 (2007-10-10) | 302 | 14.55 |
| When four bodies are found in a mass grave outside Portland, Oregon, the BAU determines the victims all died at the hands of a serial killer who uses people's greatest fears to his advantage. The team struggles to come to terms with Gideon's departure. ||||||||
| 49 | 4 | "Children of the Dark" | Guy Norman Bee | Dan Dworkin & Jay Beattie | October 17, 2007 (2007-10-17) | 303 | 15.03 |
| When three middle-class Denver, Colorado families are murdered in their homes, with the parents bludgeoned to death and the children euthanized, the BAU sets out to identify a pair of family annihilators with a sinister ulterior motive. ||||||||
| 50 | 5 | "Seven Seconds" | John Gallagher | Andi Bushell | October 24, 2007 (2007-10-24) | 304 | 15.05 |
| When a six-year-old girl disappears from a Virginia shopping mall one week after another girl is abducted and murdered, the BAU juggles searching for the missing girl and identifying her kidnapper. ||||||||
| 51 | 6 | "About Face" | Skipp Sudduth | Charles Murray | October 31, 2007 (2007-10-31) | 305 | 14.94 |
| When a Carrollton, Texas woman goes missing after finding a missing persons photo of herself pinned to her front door, the BAU searches for a serial killer with a mysterious motive. The team welcomes veteran profiler David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), returning full-time to the FBI after a period of semi-retirement. ||||||||
| 52 | 7 | "Identity" | Gwyneth Horder-Payton | Oanh Ly | November 7, 2007 (2007-11-07) | 306 | 14.65 |
| When a Montana woman disappears and one half of a serial killing duo commits suicide on the same day, the BAU juggles identifying the second killer and rescuing his latest victim. The team speculates on the reasons why Rossi came out of retirement. ||||||||
| 53 | 8 | "Lucky" | Steve Boyum | Andrew Wilder | November 14, 2007 (2007-11-14) | 307 | 15.73 |
| When a Florida woman is found dead with several fingers cut off and two other women are reported missing, the BAU juggles rescuing the missing women and tracking down a cannibalistic serial killer. Morgan struggles with a crisis of faith and Garcia finds herself in a life-threatening situation. ||||||||
| 54 | 9 | "Penelope" | Félix Alcalá | Chris Mundy | November 21, 2007 (2007-11-21) | 308 | 15.88 |
| With Garcia fighting for her life, the BAU determines her attacker is someone close to the investigation. After Hotch assigns analyst Kevin Lynch (Nicholas Brendon) to search Garcia's computer, Kevin unearths a file that could jeopardize Garcia's future with the FBI. ||||||||
| 55 | 10 | "True Night" | Edward Allen Bernero | Edward Allen Bernero | November 28, 2007 (2007-11-28) | 309 | 16.23 |
| When the latest in a series of gang-related killings take place in Los Angeles, California, the BAU gradually suspects the crime scenes mirror drawings from a graphic novel written by a man suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder. ||||||||
| 56 | 11 | "Birthright" | John Gallagher | Debra J. Fisher & Erica Messer | December 12, 2007 (2007-12-12) | 310 | 14.18 |
| When a series of mutilation-murders in Fredericksburg, Virginia mimic a series of crimes that occurred over two decades earlier, the BAU is forced to interview a survivor of the original killing-spree in order to identify the unsub. ||||||||
| 57 | 12 | "3rd Life" | Anthony Hemingway | Simon Mirren | January 9, 2008 (2008-01-09) | 311 | 14.30 |
| When a Chula Vista, California teenager is found dead and her best friend is reported missing, the BAU juggles launching an intense manhunt and connecting the disappearance to a crime her father witnessed ten years earlier. ||||||||
| 58 | 13 | "Limelight" | Glenn Kershaw | Dan Dworkin & Jay Beattie | January 23, 2008 (2008-01-23) | 312 | 12.67 |
| When the contents of a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania self-storage unit are sold at auction and reveal evidence of a misogynistic serial killer, the BAU works with an FBI agent bent on making a name for herself to profile and track down the killer. ||||||||
| 59 | 14 | "Damaged" | Edward Allen Bernero | Edward Allen Bernero | April 2, 2008 (2008-04-02) | 313 | 12.81 |
| With Hotch and Reid interviewing a prolific death-row inmate in Connecticut, the BAU travels to Indianapolis, Indiana to investigate an unsolved case that has plagued Rossi for more than two decades. ||||||||
| 60 | 15 | "A Higher Power" | Félix Alcalá | Michael Udesky | April 9, 2008 (2008-04-09) | 314 | 13.33 |
| When a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania neighborhood experiences an unusually high suicide rate, the BAU suspects the crimes are being committed by a serial killer who sees himself as an Angel of Death. Hotch takes personal time off after Haley presents him with divorce papers. ||||||||
| 61 | 16 | "Elephant's Memory" | Bobby Roth | Andrew S. Wilder | April 16, 2008 (2008-04-16) | 315 | 12.98 |
| When a series of increasingly violent killings take place in Texas, the BAU sets out to track down a teenager (Cody Kasch) with ties to each victim; Reid becomes emotionally involved in the investigation after empathizing with the prime suspect. ||||||||
| 62 | 17 | "In Heat" | John Gallagher | Andi Bushell | April 30, 2008 (2008-04-30) | 316 | 13.03 |
| When a Miami, Florida serial killer claims a vacationing New Orleans detective as his next victim, the BAU works with Detective Will LaMontagne, Jr. (Josh Stewart) to apprehend the killer before he strikes again. JJ attempts to keep a secret that may be catching up with her. ||||||||
| 63 | 18 | "The Crossing" | Guy Norman Bee | Debra J. Fisher & Erica Messer | May 7, 2008 (2008-05-07) | 317 | 12.88 |
| With Hotch and Rossi consulting on a case involving battered woman syndrome in Boston, Massachusetts, the remaining members of the BAU set out to protect a Silver Spring, Maryland woman from her stalker. ||||||||
| 64 | 19 | "Tabula Rasa" | Steve Boyum | Dan Dworkin & Jay Beattie | May 14, 2008 (2008-05-14) | 318 | 12.88 |
| When a suspected Roanoke, Virginia serial killer wakes up from a coma and insists he doesn't remember the crimes he committed four years earlier, the BAU relies on brain fingerprinting to determine if his claims are true. ||||||||
| 65 | 20 | "Lo-Fi" | Glenn Kershaw | Chris Mundy | May 21, 2008 (2008-05-21) | 319 | 13.15 |
| When the latest in a series of shootings takes place in New York City, the BAU sets out to determine if the crimes are the work of one killer or a team. Hotch endures a tense reunion with an old acquaintance and JJ makes a surprising announcement. ||||||||

## Home media

The Complete Third Season :
| Set details | Set details | Special features | Special features |
| 20 episodes 5-disc set Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Subtitles: English English: Dolby Digital 5.1 | 20 episodes 5-disc set Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Subtitles: English English: Dolby Digital 5.1 | Profile: Rossi/ Mantegna Shemar Moore: Criminal Minds’ Wild Ride From Script To Screen: “True Night” Killer Roles The Criminal Element: The Making of Criminal Minds, Season 3 Gag Reel Deleted Scenes | Profile: Rossi/ Mantegna Shemar Moore: Criminal Minds’ Wild Ride From Script To Screen: “True Night” Killer Roles The Criminal Element: The Making of Criminal Minds, Season 3 Gag Reel Deleted Scenes | Profile: Rossi/ Mantegna Shemar Moore: Criminal Minds’ Wild Ride From Script To Screen: “True Night” Killer Roles The Criminal Element: The Making of Criminal Minds, Season 3 Gag Reel Deleted Scenes |
| DVD release date |||
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 |
| September 16, 2008 (2008-09-16) | April 6, 2009 (2009-04-06) | March 18, 2009 (2009-03-18) |