Criminal Minds: The Best Episode Of The Series (So Far) According To IMDb

Though crime dramas and police procedurals tend to have some of the longest runs in television history, few examples from either genre can approach the success of "Criminal Minds." The popular CBS series boasts over 330 episodes across its 16 seasons and remains incredibly popular to this day, and that's despite losing some of its key cast members over the course of its extensive run. 

All the same, there are a couple of truly exceptional episodes of the series that radiate as the show's most popular, and according to the fan ratings on IMDb, Season 5, Episode 9 ("100") sits at the top of the list. 

The episode follows the end of George Foyet's, aka The Reaper's, reign of terror as a serial killer in the Washington, D.C., area and ends on a decidedly dark note as Hotch (Thomas Gibson) beats the killer to death after he has already surrendered. Still, there is another episode that is just as highly rated, even if it may not have quite as many votes as the top-rated hour of "Criminal Minds."

Season 11, Episode 11 ("Entropy") also wraps up a "Criminal Minds" arc in a tense and satisfying manner. The episode sees Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) putting himself in harm's way as part of a plan to capture Cat (Aubrey Plaza), the final link in the infamous Dirty Dozen hit squad.

The episode plays out like a grueling chess match or an ambiguous poker game between the two, with each one gaining the upper hand in the tense standoff before Reid is finally able to trick Cat into giving herself up. Essentially a bottle episode, this hour of "Criminal Minds" is also arguably the show at its most ambitious and commanding in terms of its confidence and tone.

Either way, fans of the series who have been watching since the beginning will no doubt recall these standout episodes of "Criminal Minds." Meanwhile, for viewers who have been thinking of dipping their toes into the long-running police procedural, these two episodes offer a solid appetizer for what the CBS series looks like when it's at its absolute best.