The Creepiest Unsub In Criminal Minds Season 10
Over the years, the myriad of unsubs (unknown subjects) varying from angels of death and family annihilators to arsonists and kidnappers have kept the CBS drama "Criminal Minds" going. The crime procedural focuses on the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI as its team of profilers study and apprehend the most evasive of serial killers.
With over 300 episodes of the show, there have been almost as many criminals that the team has put away. And while it is known that the show uses its creative freedom to exaggerate aspects like the brutality of the crimes or an unsub's meltdown, certain unsubs still manage to leave a haunting impression on the viewers.
From outright frightening unsubs like the Reaper aka George Foyet (C. Thomas Howell), the troubled web-cam helpline executive Tobias Hankel (James Van Der Beek), or the kidnapping duo Anita and Roger Roycewood (Beth Grant and Bud Court) who attempted to form a family of their own with the children they abducted, there have been many memorable unsubs.
A similarly scary unsub presented itself in Season 10. Their intriguing modus operandi and attack on one of the team's own made the unsub a particularly dangerous one.
Mr. Scratch was the creepiest unsub in Season 10
Peter Lewis aka Mr. Scratch (Bodhi Elfman) made his first appearance on "Criminal Minds" in Season 10. In a departure from its traditional episode set-up, the episode begins with three apparent killers in custody, all claiming to have been attacked by a "shadow monster" after smelling burning sage in the air. Spooked by their stories, the team races to find a connection as the BAU's online network and infrastructure is destroyed.
A traumatic past connection to Lewis' parents, who fostered all the suspected killers, leads the team to Lewis. Finally, in a showdown with Lewis, even the indomitable Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) gives in to Lewis' suggestive therapy and hallucinates his entire team being shot. Even as Lewis is caught in the end, the torture leaves a lasting impression on Hotchner — and fans, too.
On a Reddit thread discussing the scariest unsubs of the show, Mr. Scratch received several mentions. U/mccabebabe said, "Mr. Scratch, for the hallucination scene near the end. Still scares the crap out of me, every time, although I've seen it probably fifty times." On another thread, u/geotraveling, like many others, explained why they liked the episode: "So far, one of my favorite episodes in ages!! The shadow figure reminds me of the monster from Insidious. I love the idea of this plotline too. Very innovative."
With a horror-esque arc that eventually ended in Season 13, Mr. Scratch became one of the creepiest unsubs of the series.