For 2023, our holiday theme is holiday-inspired episodes of mystery shows. Look for more posts like this Valentine’s Day article throughout the year.
Valentine’s Day is a time of romance, and many mystery shows honor the season of love with Valentine’s Day-themed episodes. Some embrace it with lighthearted stories, while others subvert it with darker plots that twist the holiday. So if you’re looking for something to watch this Valentine’s Day, while still feeding your mystery habit, here are some thematic episodes of mystery shows.
SPOILER WARNING: By selecting show episodes by theme, in this case, Valentine’s Day, sometimes those episodes occur later in a tv series. Episode descriptions might include spoilers. If you haven’t seen a particular show before, and you want to avoid spoilers, skip over the description. And of course, you’ll also want to skip the episode.
For mystery shows that had more than two Valentine’s Day episodes, like Psych (which had one all eight seasons), I’ve only listed the first two to focus on a wider variety of shows.
Blue Bloods
“My Funny Valentine” (Season 1, Episode 14)
When a young girl is tied up, gagged and held for ransom, Danny and Jackie place her drug-addicted boyfriend at the top of their suspect list. Meanwhile, Erin and her boss, Charles Rossellini, take their flirtatious banter a step further.
Bones
“The Bikini in the Soup” (Season 6, Episode 14)
The liquefied remains of a wedding planner are found in her home tanning bed on Valentine’s Day. While the “squints” works tirelessly in the lab, Booth and Brennan interrogate a slew of possible suspects until they unlock classified files in the victim’s computer, which lead to their main suspect.
Castle
“The Final Nail” (Season 3, Episode 15)
Castle fights to help an old boarding school friend when he is accused of killing his wife.
“Reality Star Struck” (Season 5, Episode 14)
Castle and Beckett get an up-close-and-personal view of a Real Housewives-esque reality TV series, The Wives of Wall Street, when they investigate the murder of the shows rising young star. Meanwhile, Castle’s attempt to give Beckett a Valentine’s Day gift goes horribly wrong.
CSI: NY
“Blood Actually” (Season 9, Episode 16)
The team solves three separate murders which occur on Valentine’s Day. The CSI team and detectives all have their own valentine’s celebrations.
Hawaii Five-0
“E ʻImi pono” (Season 5, Episode 15)
After investigating the death of an investigative journalist, Five-0 discovers that a violent Congolese warlord who was reportedly killed is actually living in Honolulu.
“Hoa ‘inea” (Season 6, Episode 14)
The team unravels a plot to murder a pair of unfaithful spouses, while each member also recounts their disastrous Valentine’s Day mishaps.
House
“Insensitive” (Season 3, Episode 14)
On Valentine’s Day, House meddles in relationships as he works to diagnose a teenager who has a genetic inability to feel pain.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
“Valentine’s Day” (Season 13, Episode 18)
A husband believes that he’s witnessed his wife’s rape during a video call from overseas, but SVU soon discovers that there could be more to his wife’s story than meets the eye.
Manhunters: Fugitive Task Force
“Valentine’s Day Heist” (Season 1, Episode 4)
Female bank robbers are a rare breed, and those who commit the crime almost never show a weapon. But on Valentine’s Day, a woman allegedly walked into the Franklin Federal Savings and Loan Bank in Richmond, VA with a handgun threatening bank employees and demanding money.
Medium
“The One Behind the Wheel” (Season 3, Episode 12)
Joe takes a turn at figuring things out when Allison is inhabited by another woman.
NCIS
“Lonely Hearts” (Season 17, Episode 15)
The lead suspect in an NCIS murder investigation is a woman Gibbs’ friend, Phillip Brooks (Don Lake), met on a dating site. Also, Sloane has a secret admirer on Valentine’s Day.
Picket Fences
“Be My Valentine” (Season 1, Episode 17)
Sheriff Brock is shot with an arrow in his buttock. Maxine suspects the serial killer called Cupid and places a personal ad to meet him.
Psych
“He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, He Loves Me, Oops He’s Dead” (Season 1, Episode 11)
When naked men keep turning up in the same field, Gus is sent on a sacrifice date to gather clues, and Shawn learns more about his dad than he ever wanted.
“There’s Something About Mira” (Season 2, Episode 11)
Shawn finds out a secret of Gus’s involving a woman he can’t say no to. Lassiter learns that Juliet received a higher score on the detectives’ exam than he did, prompting a heated competition between them to see who is truly the better detective.
The Rookie
“Heartbreak” (Season 1, Episode 12)
The most dangerous day of the year, Valentine’s Day, has the team on high alert, and Officer Nolan invites everyone over for a party now that he is single.
Veronica Mars
“Ruskie Business” (Season 1, Episode 15)
Veronica tries to track down a friend’s secret admirer and a Russian bride’s estranged fiancé. Meanwhile, Veronica discovers that Lynn Echolls’ credit card has been used.
“Mars, Bars” (Season 3, Episode 14)
Veronica is let out of jail, while Mac, Parker, Logan, and Bronson go on Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt. Josh decides to flee the country after learning the truth about his dad, and Lamb goes after Steve at Mindy’s house.
These Valentine’s Day episodes of mystery shows offer a diverse range of storylines, from romantic entanglements to supernatural creatures to murders on the most romantic day of the year. Despite the holiday, each episode still manages to keep audiences on the edge of their seats with their thrilling plot twists and turns. Whether you’re a fan of classic whodunits or more modern dramas, these episodes are sure to provide some entertainment and suspense this Valentine’s Day. So, grab some chocolates, pour a glass of wine, and enjoy the mysteries and romance of the holiday season!
