There are several Criminal Minds episodes directed by Matthew Gray Gubler, and each shows just how integral he was to the series. Gubler's Spencer Reid, the brilliant yet conflicted member of the BAU team, was a fan favorite. He was analytical, figuring out clues where none seemed possible, but also had a tortured past and a fear that his future could see him losing that great mind that led him to the team. While Spencer never returned to the Paramount+ reboot of Criminal Minds, many viewers still hold out hope he'll return — both on screen and as a director.

Why Gubler never returned for Criminal Minds: Evolution remains a mystery. He hasn't done much since Criminal Minds initially went off the air in 2020. He appeared in Horse Girl in 2020, King Knight in 2021, and seven episodes of Dollface. However, one thing he hasn't done is work as a director, which is something he accomplished with Criminal Minds. Overall, there were 12 Criminal Minds episodes directed by Matthew Gray Gubler, and each of them gave him a chance to show his talent both in front of and behind the camera.

12 "The Capilanos"

Season 13, Episode 17

In this Matthew Gray Gubler-directed episode of Criminal Minds, two struggling brothers who work as rodeo clowns have resorted to looting wealthy houses as income. However, one of the brothers is secretly killing the victims of their robberies. This leads the BAU to travel to Guymon, Oklahoma, where they discover that the crimes are being carried out by a pair of criminals known as the Capilano brothers. Like most UnSubs in Criminal Minds, their crimes stem from troubles in their past, with Sal and Tony turning to crime (and Sal becoming a serial killer) due to the abuse suffered at the hands of their alcoholic father.

In "The Capilanos," he subtly manipulates many viewer's phobia of clowns.

The Capilano brothers were particularly memorable among the UnSubs in criminal minds due to Sal dressing as a clown when he murdered his victims and crossing off his kill locations on a map with smiley faces. Gubler has a knack for playing on fear in his episodes, and in "The Capilanos," he subtly manipulates many viewer's phobia of clowns. Many people consider clowns, and particularly killer clowns, terrifying. It was one of the best-directed episodes of season 13 and showed Gubler's talent extends beyond his acting abilities.

11 "Elliott's Pond"

Season 12, Episode 6

For this investigation, which has the team sent to Delaware, the BAU is faced with the disappearance of three young children who went missing riding their bikes. They are also challenged with the mystery of the disappearance of two children thirty years ago who went missing on the same path. This is one of the many episodes of Criminal Minds that end with a twist, revealing the children who disappeared years ago are still alive and being held captive by their kidnapper from childhood.

Gubler succeeded in making this already ominous story have a particularly chilling setting, using his willingness to showcase the bizarre up front. What's more, he also proved he could handle overarching character narratives on Criminal Minds as well as the procedural cases, since "Elliott's Pond" also had some key moments for Prentiss and the rest of the team when new information about the absent Hotch came to light.

10 "Alchemy"

Season 8, Episode 20

In Criminal Minds season 8, episode 20, "Alchemy," the BAU investigates the murders of two young men in the quaint area of Rapid City. These murders were particularly memorable due to the ritualistic nature of the killing, and this is also what caused the case to grab Reid's attention. The killings had been carried out by a pair of UnSubs: Tess Mynock, woman struggling with her past trauma of losing a child and attempting to use her victims to recreate them, and Raoul Whalen, a sociopath who enjoyed murder-by-proxy, taking pleasure in the acts he helped Mynock carry out.

Spencer Reid was still grieving over the loss of his love interest Maeve.

"Alchemy" was a standout episode of the show for several reasons, and was likely a challenge for Gubler to direct. Not only was this one of the Criminal Minds episodes based on real cases and directed by Matthew Gray Gubler, but Spencer Reid was still grieving over the loss of his love interest Maeve, something that brought a lot of pressure to his character's psyche.

9 "Blood Relations"

Season 9, Episode 20

Never one to shy away from darker material, Matthew Gray Gubler was in the directors' chair for one of the most disturbing installments of Criminal Minds - the season 9 episode "Blood Relations", which dealt with (among other things) incest and child abandonment. This murder investigation leads the team to a rural area in West Virginia.

When they arrive, the BAU have to unravel the complex nature of two feuding families that seem to have an undeniable connection to the series of murders. "Blood Relations" is one of the most uncomfortable episodes; not only is it eerie, but the storyline also shockingly incorporates the big family secret of two teenage siblings producing a child they abandoned, which led to the murders within their adult families. As with most of the Criminal Minds episodes directed by Matthew Gray Gubler, this one is creepy and extremely disturbing.

8 "Gatekeeper"

Season 9, Episode 7

The Criminal Minds season 9 episode "Gatekeeper" also has an overwhelmingly creepy ambiance — a common theme across many of the Matthew Gray Gubler-directed installments. In this investigation, the team follows a string of strangulation murders in Boston that lead them to an overly diligent front desk clerk determined to protect the people of his building at all costs.

It's yet another example of how the Criminal Minds star can handle both grizzly cases and important moments of character development in the show.

In this Criminal Minds episode directed by Matthew Gray Gubler, Reid takes charge when a woman is ready to give birth and can't make it to the hospital. This leads to Gubler having to pull off directing a compelling and complex episode while also giving a performance in which his character has to assist in delivering a baby. It's yet another example of how the Criminal Minds star can handle both grizzly cases and important moments of character development in the show, especially when it comes to the BAU member he plays, fan-favorite Spencer Reid.

7 "Heathridge Manor"

Season 7, Episode 19

Many of the Criminal Minds episodes directed by Matthew Gray Gubler have elements of horror weaved in, but perhaps in no other installment are they more apparent than season 7's "Heathridge Manor". When the BAU investigates the murder of women dressed in Shakespearean costumes in Oregon, they realize this string of murders is related to the concept of witches and the devil.

This is another episode that incorporates disturbing family secrets, something else Matthew Gray Gubler seems to specialize in when he's in the director's chair. In Criminal Minds' "Heathridge Manor," Gubler also succeeded in creating a family atmosphere that was both full of disturbing secrets and an uncomfortable sibling relationship. The conclusion of the episode leaves viewers with a mysterious and even supernatural feel. The Criminal Minds episodes directed by Matthew Gray Gubler are never normal cases, and "Heathridge Manor" is no different.

6 "The Lesson"

Season 8, Episode 10

Season 8's "The Lesson" is one of the creepiest Criminal Minds episodes in the entire run of the show, so it should be of little surprise to fans to learn that Matthew Gray Gubler directed it. In "The Lesson," an Arizona man is drawn to his past when he and his father ran a theater that specialized in puppets. The man in question, Adam Rain, processes his trauma by kidnapping men and women, dislocating their limbs, and then hanging them from the ceiling using rope-pulleys to reenact a puppet show.

Many of the Criminal Minds episodes directed by Matthew Gray Gubler focus on mental health issues and how they can play into dangerous illusions.

This incredibly creepy UnSub has been using victims to reenact a puppet show with a deadly ending. Many of the Criminal Minds episodes directed by Matthew Gray Gubler focus on mental health issues and how they can play into dangerous illusions. In this episode, he took that idea and developed a fascinating tale that never seemed to go where the viewers expected.

5 "The Tall Man"

Season 14, Episode 5

Season 14's "The Tall Man" has the Criminal Minds team fly out to Pennsylvania for a case with apparent links to the supernatural, making this episode an almost-textbook Matthew Gray Gubler-directed installment. When two people go missing in the woods, the BAU must investigate a local ghost story of the "Tall Man" and its connection to the disappearances.

This is one of the more ominous Criminal Minds episodes directed by Matthew Gray Gubler, revolving around a local story that has inspired crime. Gubler has a fascination with creepy stories, and in "The Tall Man," he succeeds in emphasizing how local legends can come to life when people obsess over them. It was another example of Gubler moving closer to horror than the regular Criminal Minds episodes, and also had some important character moments too, as the case prompts JJ to recollect some buried memories abou the death of her sister.

4 "A Beautiful Disaster"

Season 11, Episode 18

Several of the Criminal Minds episodes that Matthew Gray Gubler directed were installments with incredibly important plotlines for the BAU team themselves, and one of the most prominent examples of this is season 11's "A Beautiful Disaster". When an UnSub targets Morgan's pregnant girlfriend, Savannah, the team races to figure out the truth. The culprit is revealed to be Chass Montolo, a recurring UnSub in Criminal Minds who is responsible for at least 5 victims and operates as a serial killer on an international level.

it's also a bittersweet ending when Morgan decides to leave the Criminal Minds team.

"A Beautiful Disaster" is one of the most heartbreaking yet heartwarming episodes, as Savannah gives birth to Morgan's son, sparking a rare moment of joy for the BAU. However, it's also a bittersweet ending when Morgan decides to leave the Criminal Minds team. "A Beautiful Disaster" is one of the most emotional Criminal Minds episodes directed by Matthew Gray Gubler, he weaved the story through the team's highs and lows and left fans in tears.

3 "Lauren"

Season 6, Episode 18

Of all the episodes of Criminal Minds that Matthew Gray Gubler directed with important moments of character development, few stand out more thant season 6's "Lauren", which was a key installment for the overarching narrative regarding Prentiss and her recurring nemesis Ian Doyle. Before "Lauren," Emily Prentiss' past was somewhat of a mystery. Doyle appeared in several episodes of Criminal Minds, though "Lauren" was the one that showed just how much of a threat he truly was.

However, when the incredibly dangerous Doyle, a figure from her past, comes back to kidnap her, and the BAU team learns the shocking truth about their friend and coworker. "Lauren" has an emotional ending as the team grieves over the murder of Emily, though the audience learns she faked her death. When it comes to the Criminal Minds episodes directed by Matthew Gray Gubler, this was a tough episode to pull off, as he had to logically show how Emily fooled her entire team and give her a tangible exit from the show.