The Creepiest Unsub In Criminal Minds Season 3
The initial seasons of the CBS procedural "Criminal Minds" introduced the idea of profiling serial killers and understanding their psyche to many of the show's fans. What the episodes also introduced the audiences to were heart-wrenching crimes, criminals with disturbing pasts, and complex psychological issues. Even then, every new episode featured at least one shocking discovery for fans when it came to the expansive world of serial criminals.
The first two seasons of "Criminal Minds" familiarized the viewers with the various cases the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit would get involved with, from serial killers to terrorists and beyond. The third season, which saw the addition of David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), established the core team of the show's fictional BAU crew that the audience would come to know and love. Together, they apprehended numerous dangerous unsubs who committed heinous crimes, making for some memorable episodes of television. Whether it was the cop who shot the beloved tech analyst Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) or the cold case that haunted Rossi for years, the third season did not want for serial killers.
Looking back at Season 3, the creepiest unsub of the season was one who did unspeakable things to his victims, which, by "Criminal Minds" standards, is a lot to process.
A cannibal unsub from Season 3 was particularly disturbing
The Season 3 episode "Lucky" begins with a doctor arguing against the release of a patient who has a diary describing his violent ambitions. The ominous cold open sets the stage for what becomes a frightening episode. The BAU is called to investigate the murder that will bring them deep into this mysterious killer's world after a victim is found half-eaten by alligators in Florida with an inverted pentagram carved on her chest. The autopsy reveals that she was fed the fingers of several other women. The BAU's investigation leads them to the unsub — Floyd Feylinn Ferell, aka "Lucky," played by guest star Jamie Kennedy — just in time to find one victim alive. However, several other victims are found frozen in the unsub's storage. The completely abhorrent part of the episode was that the unsub had also fed one of the victims to a search party looking for her.
Naturally, the "Criminal Minds" subreddit talked a lot about the episode. On a thread discussing disturbing episodes, u/Aggravating-Quit-110 pointed to this episode and said, "I'm on my fourth re-watch but every time I watch this one and the priest goes in to talk to the unsub, while they realize what's happened, I feel sick! It's so crazy! This is the episode that stuck with me throughout!" On another thread, Redditor u/CMStan1313 remarked, "'Lucky' is the only episode in the entire show that I can't bring myself to watch. It just disgusts me so much!"
It's interesting to note that this wasn't a one-episode unsub arc, either. Ferell returned in Season 13 episode "Lucky Strike" for a final appearance.