Frank Breitkopf, played by Keith Carradine, is introduced as perhaps the most prolific serial killer the BAU has ever encountered, with a body count exceeding 100 over 30 years.
Fans and critics often cite this as a "must-watch" episode for its psychological depth and Carradine’s terrifyingly understated performance. However, the ending—where Frank is allowed to walk away in exchange for the lives of a busload of kidnapped children—remains one of the most polarizing "cliffhangers" in the series.
Most of the episode takes place in a remote diner in Golconda, Nevada, where Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) engages in a tense, intellectual "battle of the minds" with Frank.
Watch the BAU team go head-to-head with the scariest and most evil murderer in Gideon's career: