All Opening and Closing Epigraphs from Episodes 1 to 10
Criminal Minds: Evolution (Season 17) continues the series’ legacy of powerful opening and closing quotes—short epigraphs that often reflect the theme of the episode. Below is a full list of all quotes from episodes 1 through 10.
Episode 1 – “Gold Star”
Opening Quote:
“It is wrong what they say about the past, how it buries itself. The past doesn’t bury itself. It simply waits, quietly and patiently, for the right moment to resurface.”
— Khaled Hosseini
Closing Quote:
No closing quote featured in this episode.
Episode 2 – “Deep Fake”
Opening Quote:
“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
— Charles Baudelaire
Closing Quote:
“Sometimes the mask we wear is more real than the face beneath.”
— Unknown
Episode 3 – “Homesick”
Opening Quote:
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
— Maya Angelou
Closing Quote:
“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives.”
— Akshay Dubey
Episode 4 – “Kingdom of the Blind”
Opening Quote:
“We see the world not as it is, but as we are.”
— Anaïs Nin
Closing Quote:
“Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.”
— Stephen King
Episode 5 – “Mirrors”
Opening Quote:
“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
— Carl Jung
Closing Quote:
“To know oneself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
— Aristotle
Episode 6 – “Message in a Bottle”
Opening Quote:
“When the past calls, let it go to voicemail. It has nothing new to say.”
— Mandy Hale
Closing Quote:
“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”
— Oscar Wilde
Episode 7 – “The Fear Index”
Opening Quote:
“Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.”
— Winston Churchill
Closing Quote:
“Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Episode 8 – “The Test”
Opening Quote:
“Adversity does not build character—it reveals it.”
— James Lane Allen
Closing Quote:
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
Episode 9 – “Memento Mori”
Opening Quote:
“Remember you must die.”
— Latin Proverb
Closing Quote:
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.”
— Norman Cousins
Episode 10 – “Save the Children”
Opening Quote:
No opening quote featured in this episode.
Closing Quote:
No closing quote featured in this episode.
Final Thoughts
Season 17 of Criminal Minds: Evolution remains true to its legacy of introspection, psychology, and emotional depth. These quotes don’t just reflect the narrative—they mirror the emotional journeys of both the BAU team and the cases they face. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a new viewer, these epigraphs provide deeper meaning behind every story.
