Criminal Minds

Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005 on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) at Quantico, Virginia. Criminal Minds differs from many procedural dramas by focusing on the criminal rather than the crime itself. The show is produced by The Mark Gordon Company in association with CBS Television Studios and ABC Studios. The original title for Criminal Minds was Quantico, and the pilot was filmed in Vancouver. In the Quantico script, Jason Gideon was named Jason Donovan.

On May 26, 2010, CBS officially renewed Criminal Minds for a sixth season, which is set to premiere on September 22, 2010 at 9:00 PM EST. A spin-off to the show, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, has also been announced,^[1] and is set to premiere mid-season in the 2010–2011 fall schedule.

CBS announced in October 2009 that Legacy Interactive will develop a video game based on the show. The game will require players to examine crime scenes for clues to help solve murder mysteries. The game is scheduled to come out sometime in December.^[1]

Background

Initially, the series centers on Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin), Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) and the rest of the BAU team. For the first season, that includes Elle Greenaway (Lola Glaudini), Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore), Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), Jennifer Jareau, or "JJ" (A. J. Cook), and Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness).

During the second season, Elle Greenaway (Lola Glaudini) leaves after the sixth episode, "The Boogeyman", and Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) replaces her in the ninth episode, "The Last Word". At the beginning of the third season, Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) departs after two episodes, making his last appearance in "In Name and Blood". After a gap of several episodes, David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) comes out of retirement in episode six, "About Face", to replace him.

The frequently-used term "UNSUB" stands for the "unknown subject" of an investigation.

Characters

BAU team members

FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent/Unit Chief Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner

Played by Thomas Gibson, Hotchner used to be a prosecutor, and was formerly assigned to the FBI Field Office in Seattle. His attempts to balance his family life and his job successfully had been an ongoing theme on the show. Shortly after he and his wife, Haley, were divorced, his family was threatened by The Reaper. Haley is eventually killed and Hotchner takes a leave of absence, likely to make up on lost time with his son, Jack. Hotch later returns to the team to help catch a criminal who has escaped from custody.

FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi

Played by Joe Mantegna, Rossi, a "founding father" of the BAU, was in early retirement until his voluntary return to the BAU in 2007. He had retired in order to write books and go on lecture tours, but returned to settle some unfinished business which was revealed shortly after his return.

FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent/Acting Unit Chief Derek Morgan

Played by Shemar Moore, Morgan is a confident, assertive, and often hot-tempered character. He went to Northwestern University on a football scholarship, holds a black belt in Judo, runs FBI self-defense classes, and served in a bomb squad unit and as a Chicago police officer. Former unit chief Aaron Hotchner promotes him to unit chief in Hotchner's place, a promotion Morgan sees as only temporary until the "The Reaper" is captured. He returned the unit chief position to Hotchner after "The Reaper" was killed.

FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid

Played by Matthew Gray Gubler, Doctor Reid is a genius who graduated from a Las Vegas public high school at age 12. He is almost always introduced as Dr. Reid, even as the others are introduced as S.S.A. 'blank'. This was explained by S.S.A. Hotchner in the first (pilot) episode that the reason why he gets called that by the other members of the team is to immediately create a respectable impression of Reid, deflecting judgments about his age. It has been revealed that he holds Doctorates in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Engineering, BAs in Psychology and Sociology, and is working on a BA in Philosophy. After being kidnapped by an un-sub in "Revelations", he is drugged with narcotic painkillers and held captive by a man with multiple personality disorder. The man sometimes believes he is his abusive father, the angel Raphael or himself. As a result, Reid becomes addicted to the painkiller Dilaudid but later cleans up after going to a series of addiction support meetings specifically for members of law enforcement. In season 4, he questions what his mother has told him, and goes to find out that his father abandoned the family after the mother has a breakdown at a crime scene. He is godfather to Jareau's son, Henry.

FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau

Played by A.J. Cook, Jareau acts as the team's liaison with the media and local police agencies. She is dating William LaMontagne, a New Orleans Police Officer. The two have a son together, Henry. She will not be returning as a series regular in season 6, due to the production company opting not to renew A.J. Cook's contract,^[2] but she will return for two episodes to wrap up her storyline.^[3]

FBI Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia

Played by Kirsten Vangsness, Garcia is the team's computer technician at BAU Headquarters in Quantico. She lost both her parents at a young age and then lived off the grid as a computer hacker. Garcia brought the attention of the FBI upon herself after illegally accessing some of their equipment. She had little choice but to join the ranks of the bureau to avoid a jail sentence. She is godmother to Jareau's son, Henry. She was shot and almost killed by an unsub, later caught. She is not Latina as Garcia is her stepfather's last name.

FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss

Played by Paget Brewster, Prentiss is the daughter of a Russian ambassador. After Agent Elle Greenaway left the BAU, Prentiss showed up with papers stating she was the newest member of the BAU. At first it is implied that she pulled some strings through family ties to get her placement on the team. However, it is later revealed that FBI Section Chief Director Erin Strauss placed her there to have leverage on a team member in order to later undermine Hotchner. She refused to do so, deciding to resign rather than help Strauss undermine Hotch. She decides to stay with the BAU, but refuses to help Strauss get rid of Hotch. She is a self professed nerd and is also well spoken in some foreign languages. Because of CBS's decisions regarding the Criminal Minds Cast, she will be in a limited amount of episodes for season 6. It has been reportedly stated that the sixth season will be her last season on the show.

FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent Jason Gideon

Played by Mandy Patinkin, Gideon is the BAU's best profiler and former Unit Chief (was Unit Chief prior to the series, but replaced by Hotchner before the series began). Prior to the series timeline he is said to have had a nervous breakdown (or "major depressive episode") after sending six agents into a Boston warehouse with a bomb in it. All six were killed and he was heavily criticized for his decision. Gideon is also skilled at chess, having continually beaten Dr. Reid throughout the series.

Gideon also provides classified behavior analysis service for the CIA, and it is unknown how deep his assignments penetrated into the government. While it is an unofficial rule that the team not profile each other, Gideon is often seen counseling his agents and helping them through their problems. After a series of emotional cases, and the murder of his friend Sarah in Gideon's own house by fugitive serial killer "Frank", Gideon begins to feel burned out. The last straw is Hotch's two-week suspension, for which Gideon feels responsible. He retreats to his cabin and leaves a letter for Dr. Reid, who he knows will be the one to come looking for him. When Reid arrives at the cabin, it is empty except for the letter and Gideon's badge and firearm. Gideon is last seen remarking to a Nevada diner waitress that he does not know where he is going or how he will know when he gets there, leaving the diner and subsequently driving off in his vehicle.

FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent Elle Greenaway

Played by Lola Glaudini, Elle was formerly assigned to the FBI Field Office in Seattle, Washington, and assigned to the BAU as an expert in sexual offense crimes. Her father was a New York City police officer who was killed in the line of duty. She is half Cuban and speaks Spanish. Elle suffers extreme emotional trauma after she was shot by a psychotic UNSUB, who proceeds to stick his hand in her wound and writes on the wall using her blood. She returns to the BAU rather quickly after the incident, against the advice of the rest of the team. Not long after, she stakes out and shoots a suspected serial rapist in cold blood because of his crimes against women. Her ability as a profiler is questioned by Hotchner and Gideon because of this, even though the local police force deems it self-defense. She turns in her badge and her gun to Hotchner, declaring that it is not "an admission of guilt."

FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent Jordan Todd

Played by Meta Golding, Jordan is JJ's handpicked replacement to serve as the BAU's Media Director during JJ's maternity leave, from late 2008 through early 2009. Jordan had formerly served in the FBI Counterterrorism Division, but only follows JJ for one day of shadowing before JJ goes into labor (4x07, "Memoriam"). Jordan seems to get along well with most of the team, even flirting platonically with Derek Morgan. She is especially close with David Rossi, who is seen to counsel her while they are on cases. However, Jordan clashes several times with Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner. The first is after she lies to the mother of a victim in order to gain information to be used in the team's victimology (4x09, "52 Pickup").

Later, she is overwhelmed by her emotions during the Los Angeles Freeway Killer case. Feeling responsible for the death of another victim after a press conference she gives, she is visibly angry and emotional near television cameras, leading Hotch to tell her, "Tell me right now, can you do this job, or can't you?" Jordan does manage to get things under control, though the cumulative effect of that case and the files she has to look through every day seem to be catching up with her. At the end of 4x13, "Bloodlines", she tells Hotch that JJ would be waiting for them at the BAU by the time they returned. Though she likes working with the team, she is glad to be going back to Counterterrorism. She tells Hotch that "a family takes on the character of its leader" and that he does not smile much. She also tells him to make sure that JJ knew she was not taken for granted.

Other characters

Haley Brooks Hotchner

Played by Meredith Monroe, Haley is Agent Hotchner's high school sweetheart and his wife. According to 1x22 ("The Fisher King, Part 1"), it was love at first sight when Hotch saw Haley walking down a school corridor and when he learned she was in the school musical, he joined the cast, playing "the worst 'Fourth Pirate' ever." Their son Jack was born in late 2005 and the couple's marital issues have been a running theme, specifically Haley's feelings that Hotch devotes more time to the job/team than to his family. These come to the fore in the first three episodes of Season 3, and by the end of episode 3x02 ("In Name and Blood", also entitled "In Birth and Death"), Haley moves out of the house, taking baby Jack with her. At the end of episode 3x03 ("Scared to Death"), Hotch tells Morgan he is not sure if Haley is coming back. By the end of episode 3x11 ("Birthright"), Hotch is served with divorce papers and in episode 3x14 ("Damaged"), at Haley's request and without retaining a lawyer, he signs the papers.

Although she moved out in 3x02, Haley is referred to but not seen again until episode 5x01 ("Faceless, Nameless") when the Boston Reaper stabs Hotch and steals Haley's address from Hotch's address book. Though Haley and Jack are soon found unharmed, they are taken into protective custody, intentionally leaving Hotch in the dark about their new location. This leaves Hotch devastated, knowing that he will only be able to see Haley and Jack again once the Reaper brought to justice.

In episode 5x09 ("100"), the Reaper lures Haley to Hotch's home by tricking her into believing that he is her new lead agent since her previous primary agent and her ex-husband Hotch are both dead. Once he gets her alone, the Reaper directs her to call the very-much-alive Hotch and once she and Hotch realizes the peril she is in, Hotch tells her to be brave and show the Reaper no fear as they tearfully say their goodbyes, then the Reaper kills Haley while Hotch and the team listen over the phone.

Diana Reid

Played by Jane Lynch: Diana Reid is the mother of BAU team member Dr. Spencer Reid. She first appeared in 1x22 ("The Fisher King, Part 1"), when we learn that she has an odd connection to the serial killer Randall Garner, the man who shot SSA Elle Greenaway. Garner was institutionalized at the same mental hospital as Diana Reid and Garner decided to target the BAU team because Mrs. Reid's talk of the team intrigues Garner and leads him to obsess about the team. Like her son, Diana Reid has a genius IQ and prior to her diagnosis with schizophrenia, she was at one-time a literature professor at a university. She currently resides at the Las Vegas-based Bennington Sanitarium where Dr. Reid committed her when he was eighteen. Her husband, William Reid, left her when Spencer was a child in part due to her schizophrenia.

While he was growing up, Diana spent much time reading aloud to Spencer and he still writes her a letter every single day. In episode 4x07 ("Memoriam"), while Dr. Reid is investigating the cold case of a murdered boy, it is discovered that Diana has a peripheral involvement. While Dr. Reid had originally suspected that the boy was murdered by his father, we learn that Diana became suspicious of a local man who had also approached her son (Dr. Reid) when he was four. Diana intuited that the boy was murdered by this probable pedophile and she told the father of the murdered boy; the boy's father killed the pedophile. After the pedophile was killed, Diana entered the house after the adult's murder and suffered a psychotic episode, causing the family to move because she was mistakenly believed that Reid's life was in danger as well, creating so much stress that Reid's father left his wife and son.

FBI Section Chief Director Erin Strauss

Played by Jayne Atkinson, she is the BAU's direct superior. Her job lies in administration, and she had no actual field experience before accompanying the team to Milwaukee in 3x02 ("In Name and Blood"). She was under the impression that Hotch's team was disorganized, and posed a threat to the BAU. (It was also suspected by Hotch that she saw him as a threat to her own advancement within the FBI.) After placing Emily Prentiss on the team in early season 2, she attempted to enlist Emily's aid in spying on the team. Emily refused, instead briefly resigning. Strauss then used his and Gideon's handling of the Flagstaff, Arizona case as pretext to suspend Hotch for two weeks from the BAU pending an investigation of his methods. After seeing first-hand what the team's job is like (while catching Milwaukee serial killer Joe Smith), Strauss eventually backed off on her attempts removing Hotch from the BAU or reorganizing the team. Instead, she made it clear that none of the team members should expect to be promoted to any higher positions within the FBI.

However, the fact that a season later, Morgan was being looked at to head the New York field office makes her power to back up her claim questionable. Because of Hotch's questionable actions since being stabbed by George Foyet (AKA the Boston Reaper) in 5x01 ("Faceless, Nameless"), Strauss is forcing Hotch to step down as Unit Chief, be reassigned or possibly be fired. Hotch decides to step down and promote Morgan, as this internal promotion will at least keep the team together. Morgan agrees, but says he will only serve in that role until George Foyet is caught (episode 5x05, "Cradle to Grave"). Strauss heads the 100th episode investigation in the incident with Hotch and George Foyet. The team is hostile to her (Morgan and Rossi, most notably) and though she seems to have it out for Hotch, in the end she shows genuine compassion for him and clears him of any wrongdoing.

Detective William LaMontagne, Jr.

Played by Josh Stewart, Detective LaMontagne was first seen in 2x18 ("Jones") as a New Orleans detective investigating a serial killer case which had initially belonged to his father. Detective William LaMontange, Sr. was a detective and had made a breakthrough in the case right before being killed in Hurricane Katrina. The unsub was believed to have suffered the same fate, but when evidence to the contrary arose, Detective LaMontagne took over the case using the work his father had done and a single clue carved on the wall by his father, just before he had died. Detective LaMontagne, Jr. called in the BAU to assist him, and they were ultimately successful in capturing the unsub. LaMontagne, Jr. spent much of his time on the case choosing to work closely with Agent Jareau.

In 3x17 ("In Heat"), it was revealed that they had been involved for over a year, and in 3x18 ("The Crossing"), JJ called Will to tell him she was pregnant with his child. In the season three finale ("Lo-Fi") Will showed up in New York City while the BAU was on a case, reiterating an off-screen proposal of marriage, and further telling JJ that he would be willing to give up his shield, move to Virginia, and raise their baby. As of early season 4, Will had moved to Virginia, and is apparently now serving as stay-at-home dad to their son, Henry. JJ has not, as yet, canonically accepted the marriage proposal, but they did exchange rings with insets of Henry's birthstone, citrine. He is seen briefly in the 100th episode getting medicine for Henry with JJ.

FBI Technical Analyst Kevin Lynch

Played by Nicholas Brendon, Kevin first appeared in 3x09 ("Penelope") in which he was required to search Garcia's computer to learn who shot her. Kevin sent the team live video alerting that the unsub was in the BAU headquarters. He was intensely impressed by Penelope's computer skills, and the feeling was mutual. At the end of the episode Garcia was introduced to Kevin, and the two have been romantically involved ever since. Though Garcia was briefly worried about violating FBI rules against fraternization after being "caught in the act" in her house by Rossi in 3x14 ("Damaged"), her worries did not bear fruit. Kevin visits the BAU often to spend time with Garcia, and seems to have been accepted whole-heartedly by the rest of the team.

In episode 4x23 ("Roadkill"), he told Garcia that he had applied for a better-paying job with the NSA, and asked whether she would be willing to move with him if he got it. Garcia struggled with this decision, eventually telling Kevin that the BAU was her home and she did not feel she could leave. Kevin then told her that the NSA position had just been withdrawn, due to a breach in security. Penelope let it slip that "you wouldn't have been happy in Karachi anyway," suggesting that she had hacked into the NSA mainframe to learn about the job. However, Kevin did not seem to be disturbed by her actions, and the relationship is, to all appearances, still going strong. He is seen briefly in the 100th episode and helps Penelope search for Foyet.

Episodes

The first season ran from September 22, 2005 to May 10, 2006, and the second season ran from September 20, 2006 to May 16, 2007. The series' third season, ran from September 26, 2007 to May 21, 2008 and was interrupted in late 2007 by the industry-wide WGA strike. On May 14, 2008, Criminal Minds was renewed for a fourth season, which ran from September 24, 2008 to May 20, 2009. The fifth season ran from September 23, 2009 to May 26, 2010. The sixth season will start on September 22, 2010.

Spin-off

Premiering in late 2010 or early 2011.

DVD releases

CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount) has released the first four seasons of Criminal Minds on DVD in Region 1.^[4]

In Regions 2 & 4, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (formerly Buena Vista Home Entertainment) has released seasons 1-4 on DVD.

Ratings

Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of Criminal Minds on CBS:

Series high: 26.31 million viewers (10:30pm ET; week of 1/29/07) (following Super Bowl XLI-93.18 million, and Super Bowl XLI Post Game-57.34)

DVR ratings

The show ranked number nine in DVR playback (2.35 million viewers), according to Nielsen prime DVR lift data from 9/22/08 - 11/23/08.^[10]

Syndication

The series is now in syndication on A&E Network and ION Television.^[11] Both networks edit the show for profanity; A&E likely for both timing reasons and the ability to air the show in marathon runs in the morning and afternoon hours, while ION is traditionally family-oriented.

Merchandise

In October 2009, Legacy Interactive announced a licensing agreement with CBS Consumer Products to develop a video game based on the Criminal Minds television series. The videogame, slated to be released in December on the PC, will be the latest addition to their Hollywood Hits™ game series.^[12]

See also

• Andrew S. Wilder

References

External links

• Official website
• Criminal Minds at Yahoo! TV
• Criminal Minds at the Internet Movie Database
• Criminal Minds at TV.com
• A&E's Criminal Minds site
• "List of Criminal Minds Episodes". TVGuide. http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/criminal-minds/192244.