In the seventh season premiere, the members of the BAU are questioned by a Senate Committee for their retaliatory actions after the assumed death and disappearance of Emily Prentiss, but a familiar face could help them win their case and keep the team together.
The BAU is called to rural Oklahoma when women are being murdered after being tortured with sulfuric acid. Meanwhile, Reid treats JJ and Prentiss with deliberate disregard as he tries to deal with their deception regarding Prentiss' fake death.
Investigation into a mass murder at an internet security company in Charlottesville, Virginia, reveals the butchery is not the work of a typical serial killer. Meanwhile, Morgan oversees Prentiss's requisite recertification training.
When the survivors of a high school massacre in Boise return on the 10th anniversary of the horrific event, the BAU is called to Idaho when another killer with a similar style begins to target the survivors. Meanwhile, Hotch becomes concerned that his son, Jack, might be a victim of bullying at his school.
The BAU travels to St. Louis to investigate the disappearances of young children with troubled mothers as Rossi reconnects with his first wife, Carolyn, who brings him disturbing news.
The BAU is called to the Angeles National Forest in California after bodies mysteriously turn up in the mountain lakes there. Meanwhile, Rossi must make a difficult decision regarding his ex-wife, Carolyn.
After a series of tornadoes strike Kansas, the BAU is called to investigate when bodies of young boys are discovered in the aftermath of the storms in Wichita. Meanwhile, JJ faces pressure at home as well as at work.
The BAU is called to determine the real reason behind what appears to be a mass suicide by a small group of young men at a military academy. Meanwhile, Hotchner and Morgan are at odds with each other when they discover their investigation could be jeopardized by another team member.
The BAU is called to Philadelphia to investigate a series of brutal murders and is led to the city's boxing scene in search of the killer. Meanwhile, Hotch meets an attractive runner as they both train for a triathlon.
The BAU travels to San Francisco when a series of murders leads the team to believe the elusive "Zodiac Killer" might have returned as Reid contemplates his own genius capabilities. Meanwhile, Prentiss and Reid attend a seminar on violent crime hosted by the crime novelist Patricia Cornwell.
The team is called to Texas to search for a serial rapist in Houston known as "The Piano Man" who has returned and is attacking his past victims. Meanwhile, Prentiss begins to deal with the traumatic experience caused by Ian Doyle after she returned to the BAU.
The BAU is called to Atlantic City to investigate a series of ritualistic casino-related murders. Meanwhile, Garcia is concerned about her relationship with Kevin Lynch after the pair have a spat and she finds Morgan in her apartment dressed only in a towel.
When the BAU investigates a series of brutal home invasions and murders in the Inland Empire of Southern California that appear to be related to gangs, the investigation uncovers a more nefarious motive for the crimes.
When married couples that are fostering young children are being killed in Seattle, the BAU investigates the possibility they are being murdered by someone with a maternal instinct. Meanwhile, Garcia believes Kevin is about to ask her to marry him.
The BAU searches for a kidnapper when a scared and emaciated young boy is found in the Arizona desert and another boy goes missing. Meanwhile, Morgan revisits his own past and tries to bond with the boy who has been found.
The BAU reopens the case of Morgan's cousin's disappearance after his sister sees a woman in Chicago who resembles Cindi. Morgan is forced to admit that he had lied to his family about Cindi's body being found in Florida, and the search begins to find her alive.
A copycat begins murdering women in the same Oklahoma town and in the same manner after an infamous serial killer is executed, and the BAU must move quickly before more people are killed. Meanwhile, Prentiss anxiously considers a large real estate purchase.
In a class where college students are being taught criminal profiling, SSA David Rossi and the team present one of the BAU's longest open serial killer cases, which takes the class through the Bureau's pursuit for a murderer that lasted nearly 20 years.
In the first part of a two-part season finale, the BAU encounters a gang of bank-robbing serial killers in the nation's capital. As the team tries to negotiate the situation that is unfolding inside the bank, one of the team is taken hostage.
In the conclusion of a two-part season finale, the BAU continues to pursue the bank-robbing serial killers and the team determines the suspects have a bigger target. Due to the hostage situation, they must work quickly to diffuse an explosive situation. Meanwhile, a team member is married as Prentiss ponders her future with the BAU.