By Joyce Eng

So it was Luke Skywalker after all.

Criminal Minds' season-long unsub/stalker The Replicator was finally unmasked on Wednesday's two-hour finale as Mark Hamill's federal agent/biochemistry nut John Curtis. At the end of the first hour, Curtis breaks into Strauss' (Jayne Atkinson) hotel room, after which he forces the recovering alcoholic to drink before drugging her with "Doctor Death," the meth/ecstasy mix at the center of the case the BAU had just solved. He lets Strauss wander the New York streets, where the section chief dies on a bench in the arms of Hotch (Thomas Gibson) - not her BAU-member-with-benefits Rossi (Joe Mantegna).

So who is John Curtis anyway? And why was he targeting the BAU? It turns out Curtis worked in the Department of Justice, which receives the team's case reports, and like Blake (Jeanne Tripplehorn), he was screwed over by Strauss when they had to take the fall for a mishap in the Amerithrax case 12 years ago. Needless to say, he did not take it well that Blake managed to join the BAU all these years later. Strauss had actually been investigating The Replicator rogue after having told the team that the case was dormant in the 16th episode. Believing that The Replicator was on the inside, she doctored the team's case report from last week, listing a fake M.O. that The Replicator used on Strauss.

After kidnapping Blake when the BAU's chopper was forced to crash-land on his property, Curtis planned to kill the whole team via a bomb in his house, but Rossi - whom Curtis had drugged earlier to lead him to believe that Morgan (Shemar Moore) was The Replicator - instead locks Curtis in the booby-trapped room and escapes the room by using Strauss' sobriety chip as a wedge in the lock. The house explodes... but we never see Curtis' body.

So is The Replicator really dead? And why did Strauss have to die? Showrunner and executive producer Erica Messer answers our burning questions.

Read more about the season finale, why no cliffhanger, why Strauss, and what to expect for season 9 going to SeattlePI.com

Here, you can post comments and talk about tonight's Criminal Minds season finale episodes titled 'Brothers Hotchner' and 'The Replicator', written by Rick Dunkle and Erica Messer respectively.

Enjoy tonight's 2 hours Criminal Minds season finale!

The crime:  The latest episode of Criminal Minds takes our team to Michigan where two affluent Caucasian couples from Grosse Pointe were found murdered in the trunks of their cars, which were then dumped in urban downtown areas of Detroit.  The couples have been held for almost a week before their bodies are dumped. All victims have upwards of 50 stab wounds each, most of which are shallow with one fatal wound that ended their lives. 

by Sandra Gonzalez

All season long, Criminal Minds has been teasing the arrival of The Replicator, and this Wednesday on the two-hour season finale, we'll finally be able to put a face to the name. But first, the Hotchner brothers are going to find themselves dealing with a tricky situation.

As you can see in this exclusive preview from the episode, Hotchner is called away from a seemingly lovely reunion with Beth (guest star Bellamy Young of Scandal) after receiving an urgent call from his younger brother, Sean, who may have gotten himself mixed up in a crime. (Per the episode description, Sean's predicament will likely tie into a string of ecstasy-related deaths.)

You can see the sneak peek video at EW.com

Thanks to @Quinny150 for the information!

By Matt Webb Mitovich

It is time for The Replicator to be revealed — but at what cost?

This Wednesday at 9/8c, CBS’ Criminal Minds closes Season 8 with a pair of episodes, the first of which tests one family – the brothers Hotchner – and then the finale proper, which will put the BAU bunch in jeopardy as they close in on their aforementioned season-long stalker.

Showrunner Erica Messer spoke with TVLine about delivering this dire denouement, ruling out one “suspect” while teasing grave consequences for at least two characters.

To Read More: TVLine.com

Lily Kershaw is known to the Criminal Minds fans as the talented singer/song writer who wrote the song 'As it Seems' that was used in the season 7 finale dancing scene at JJ and Will's wedding. Lily is back with a new song  'Ashes like Snow' that will also be featured on the Criminal Minds season 8 finale!

The song will be available tomorrow on Itunes and for more information about Lily Kershaw and her music you can follow her on twitter at @Lily_Kershaw

You can see the video and listen to 'Ashes like Snow' here: youtube.com

According to Nielsen L+3 Day viewing for May 15 [8.22: "#6"], Criminal Minds added +2.07m viewers (12.63m from 10.56m), +0.9 rating points in adults 25-54 (4.3 from 3.4) and +0.8 rating points in adults 18-49 (3.4 from 2.6) from live from same day.

Criminal Minds moved past "American Idol Wednesday" in L+3 Day rating in adults 18-49 (3.4 vs. 3.3, +3%).  This is the second straight week, Criminal Minds outperformed "Idol" in adults 18-49 with L+3 Day viewing added.  In both weeks, Criminal Minds trailed "American Idol Wednesday" when the live plus same day ratings were released.

NOTE: Remember that the measurement that really counts to appraise how profitable a show is for the network that airs it, is precisely this one, Live + 3 Day.

Source: CBS

From The Hollywood Reporter

Thanks to @suceress for the heads up about this video!