Criminal Minds

Premise

The series follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) using behavioral analysis and profiling to help investigate crimes and find the suspect known as the unsub (unknown subject).

The team is supervised by Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner, and later Emily Prentiss. The team included Jason Gideon, the founder of the BAU, who was known as the best profiler in the Bureau; Derek Morgan, an ex-Chicago Police officer who is an expert on obsessional crimes; Spencer Reid, an expert on geographic profiling; Jennifer Jareau (JJ), the team's communications liaison, who later becomes a profiler; Elle Greenaway, an expert on sex crimes; David Rossi, one of the original BAU agents who is also an expert in criminal profiling; Ashley Seaver, a rookie FBI agent; Alex Blake, a linguistics specialist helping with nuances in communication; Kate Callahan, a seasoned undercover agent; Tara Lewis, a forensic psychologist; Luke Alvez, an expert fugitive tracker who becomes a profiler on the team; Stephen Walker, an expert on counterintelligence; and Matt Simmons, an expert profiler who joins the team from the FBI International Response Team.

Characters

Main

Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin; Seasons 1–3), FBI Senior Supervisory Special Agent and formerly BAU Unit chief.

Gideon is widely known as the BAU's best profiler. After a series of emotionally troubling cases and the murder of his girlfriend Sarah by fugitive serial killer Frank Breitkopf (Keith Carradine), he begins to feel burned out. The last straw occurs when Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner is suspended for two weeks by the team's boss—an action for which Jason feels responsible. He retreats to his cabin and leaves a letter for Spencer Reid, whom he knows will be the one to look for him. When Spencer arrives at the cabin, he finds the letter and Jason's FBI credentials and firearm. Jason 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 driving off. In season 10, he is killed (off-screen) by a suspect he had tracked down from one of his first cases.

Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson; Seasons 1–12), FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Unit Chief of the BAU, previously an agent in the Seattle field office.

Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner is a former prosecutor and was originally assigned to the FBI field office in Seattle. He is one of the most experienced agents in the BAU. He struggles to balance the demands of his job with his family life, but his wife, Haley Brooks (Meredith Monroe), divorces him in season three. In the episode "100" (season 5), Haley is killed by fugitive serial killer George Foyet (C. Thomas Howell), also known as "The Boston Reaper", whom Aaron fights and beats to death. He also has a son named Jack (Cade Owens) and a brother named Sean. After Haley is murdered, he has custody of Jack, and Haley's sister, Jessica Brooks (Molly Baker), helps him take care of Jack. When SSA Jennifer Jareau leaves the BAU, Aaron and technical analyst Penelope Garcia take over her job as communications liaison. Aaron dated a woman named Beth Clemmons (Bellamy Young), who first appeared in the episode "The Bittersweet Science" (season 7), before the couple separated after Clemmons accepted a job in Hong Kong. Following an on-set altercation, Thomas Gibson was removed from the main cast after season 12, episode 2, at which point his character Hotch went on a temporary assignment. In a later episode, Aaron and Jack went into witness protection after Jack was stalked by Peter "Mr. Scratch" Lewis, a serial killer from a previous BAU case. Following Peter Lewis's death in the 13th-season premiere, Prentiss reveals that Aaron has opted not to return to the BAU to focus on his son but still believes Prentiss should continue being chief.

Recurring

Erin Strauss (Jayne Atkinson; Seasons 2–3, 5–9; Guest Season 15) an assistant director and the BAU Unit Chief's direct superior. While her FBI experience was primarily in administration, SSA Derek Morgan remarked on her masterly marksmanship after observing her at a firing range. In early episodes, Strauss appeared only concerned with herself and appearances within the Bureau, going so far as to force SSA Jennifer Jareau to accept a promotion to the Pentagon in the episode "JJ" (season 6). Further character development revealed her alcohol abuse. After being confronted by Morgan and Hotchner, Strauss accepts help and achieves sobriety. In the season 8 finale, The Replicator breaks into Strauss's hotel room in New York, drugs her, and forces her—at gunpoint—to drink alcohol from her room's minibar. Hotchner finds her on a bench near the hotel, where Strauss dies in his arms. Her death is avenged when Rossi traps the Replicator in an exploding house. Fittingly, Strauss's sobriety helps defeat the Replicator as Rossi uses her sobriety chip to escape the Replicator's trap and taunts him with it. After attending her funeral, the members of the BAU gather in a still-emotional Rossi's backyard, reminisce, and toast her memory. Showrunner Erica Messer chose to kill Strauss off because she felt that the character had come full circle since she was first introduced.

Haley Hotchner (Meredith Monroe; Seasons 1–3, 5, 9) is Agent Aaron Hotchner's wife and the mother of his only son, Jack Hotchner, born in late 2005. The couple's marriage was troubled, and she walked out on him. She later appeared with divorce papers, and he accepted reluctantly so as not to cause any trouble for his son with the divorce. In the episode "100" (season 5), Haley and Jack were captured by a killer known as "The Reaper"; though Jack was saved, Haley was shot and died before Aaron could save her. Aaron later beat The Reaper to death. In the episode "Route 66", Hotch collapses from internal bleeding and dreams about Haley. She tells him that he should stop blaming himself for her death and to make sure Jack knows that he can talk about his mother's death. Haley leaves Hotch by telling him that he and Beth have a good relationship and he shouldn't mess it up by not telling her how he feels.

Jessica Brooks (Molly Baker; Seasons 1, 3, 5, 9–11), is Agent Aaron Hotchner's sister-in-law, Jack's aunt, and Haley's sister.

Jordan Todd (Meta Golding; Season 4) is SSA Jennifer Jareau's handpicked replacement to serve as the BAU's media director during Jennifer's maternity leave, from late 2008 through early 2009. Jordan had formerly served in the FBI counterterrorism division, but follows Jennifer for only one day of shadowing before Jennifer goes into labor. Jordan seemed to get along well with most of the team, even flirting platonically with SSA Derek Morgan. She is especially close with SSA David Rossi, who is seen to counsel her while they are on cases. However, Jordan has clashed several times with Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner. She eventually leaves when she decides she can't handle the stress that comes with her job.

Reception

Season 1

The first season of Criminal Minds received mixed reviews from critics. It has a Metacritic score of 42 based on 21 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Dorothy Rabinowitz said, in her review for The Wall Street Journal, "From the evidence of the first few episodes, Criminal Minds may be a hit, and deservedly" and gave particular praise to Gubler and Patinkin's performances. Ned Martel in The New York Times was less positive, saying, "The problem with Criminal Minds is its many confusing maladies, applied to too many characters." The reviewer felt that "as a result, the cast seems like a spilled trunk of broken toys, with which the audience—and perhaps the creators—may quickly become bored." The Chicago Tribune reviewer, Sid Smith, felt that the show "may well be worth a look", though he too criticized the "confusing plots and characters". Writing in PopMatters, Marco Lanzagorta criticized the show after its premiere, saying it "confuses critical thinking with supernatural abilities" and that its characters conform to stereotypes. In the Los Angeles Times, Mary McNamara gave a similar review, and praised Patinkin and Gubler's performances.

Season 2

Gillian Flynn said, in her review for Entertainment Weekly, "Like every procedural crime series of late, Minds is stocked with weary, overworked detective types. But here they also seem bored, bitter, and unengaged."

Ross Ruediger, had a more positive review, in his review for Bullz-Eye.com, he said, "The producers and writers deserve major kudos for developing a strategy for keeping the show on the air without dumbing it down, and the second season of Criminal Minds sets a higher bar for this type of network series." He praised the show for not repeating its themes, and highlighted Matthew Gray Gubler's performance as the usual standout of the show. He also mentioned the performances from the rest of the cast, saying, "There isn't a weak performer in the BAU ensemble."

Season 3

Bruce Simmons said, in his review for Screen Rant, "Last season, they started showing both sides of the equation ... It took some of the fun out of wondering who or what, but they made up for it with decent character interaction and development, and there were many last season."

Cynthia Fuchs, in her review for PopMatters, focuses on the character David Rossi's, played by Joe Mantegna, addition to the show. In her review, she said, "[Criminal Minds] needs signs of effort, gritty character work rather than shorthand "traits" ripped off from other shows (how many times have you seen the enticing oddball researcher or the socially inept genius?) It's tempting to think Patinkin was tired of the same-old. Rossi's traditional earnestness and self-reliance, his recklessness and self-doubt, might juice this too-slick series into a semblance of originality, even relevance." She explained how she thought the addition of his character could shake up the formula of Criminal Minds, giving it a more interesting angle. She rated the season a 6 out of 10.

Season 4

Todd R. Ramlow, in his review for PopMatters, criticized the fourth season's depiction of Islam, saying that the "manipulation of racial assumptions and liberal guilt" is problematic, aligning themselves with the principle that if someone looks like a terrorist, then they are a terrorist. He criticizes the season for "further linking Islam to a so called 'culture of death', as opposed to the 'culture of life' seemingly celebrated by the Christian West". He said, "It's unfortunate that even when the architects of the 'global war on terror' have changed their phrasing and perhaps their presumptions, Criminal Minds steps back in with such absolutism." He rated the season a 4/10.

Will Harris, in his review for Bullz-Eye.com, focuses on the performances of the guest stars, citing how the opportunity to play villains within the show brings out some of their best acting performances. He said, "There's clearly something about playing a bad guy on Criminal Minds that brings out the best in the show's guest stars, as some of the season's best episodes come courtesy of one-off performances by recognizable faces who have taken on that very challenge. Luke Perry plays a deluded cult leader, Mitch Pileggi plays a 'normal' guy who snaps after a personal tragedy and turns into a killer, and Alex O'Loughlin is a murderer with enough of a conscience to leave messages at his crime scenes asking for help."

Season 5

Anthony Ocasio, in his review for Screen Rant, focused on Aaron Hotchner's storyline, which was one of the main points of the season. He stated the episode "100", which was also the show's 100th episode, was "amazing" and said, "The whole angle about Hotchner never being able to see his son again was pretty intense. I can't believe they went in that direction with it. It's something I wasn't expecting ... at all." However, he heavily criticized the season's finale, citing that it was flat from the beginning and had a poor cliffhanger. He said, "The fifth season finale of Criminal Minds was terrible, at best. Even an amazing guest star like Tim Curry was unable to save this lack-luster 'cliffhanger'."

Season 6

Darragh McManus of The Guardian gave the season a positive review, saying that Criminal Minds was only getting better with each season. They said that despite the fact that it was not groundbreaking or new, it was still thoroughly entertaining: "Season six has since settled into the groove nicely, with two excellent subsequent episodes rinsing out memories of Toothy Tim. [The episode] 'J.J.' had a tense plot, almost like a play, centered on two Leopold and Loeb types, and a touching denouement as the titular agent took her leave, while [the episode which aired] last Friday, 'Remembrance Of Things Past', was grueling and gruesome, and scarier than usual, with the team tracking down a killer come out of retirement – a residual nightmare from Rossi's past."

Steve Marsi, in his review for TV Fanatic, said that the season was overall good, rating it a 4 out of 5, but cited casting issues. He praised A.J. Cook's performance as the "performance of a lifetime" and lamented her departure from the show that season. He said, "It's a shame that 'The Longest Night' marked a career high point for Jennifer Jereau, a character who just delivered so strongly, only to be shown the door next week. Was this CBS' way of sending her off on a high note? If so, it worked in a sense. She was great. But it made us even more confused and sad about Cook's departure."

Season 7

Renatta Selliti, in her review for TV Fanatic, gave the season a positive review with a 5 out of 5 rating, and said, "What's equally compelling as the profiling aspect on a show like Criminal Minds is the personal connection between the characters, and this group has it pitch perfect." She praised the season's writing and memorable moments such as Prentiss' return, stating that it created emotional scenes that kept viewers engaged, saying, "Moments like these are what primetime television viewers live for."

Anthony Ocasio, in his review for Screen Rant, also had a positive review. He said that the storyline which focused on Emily Prentiss' fake death, and the aftermath of such, was a new format that while it was not the representation of a good Criminal Minds case, it was refreshing from the usual case of the week approach. He stated that each character got their moment to shine, and the writing resulted in compelling character moments. Specifically, he praised Matthew Gray Gubler's performance, especially in the judiciary meeting scene, and said, "The moment where the Senator stated, 'Calm down, Mr. Reid,' and Gubler replied, 'I am calm - and its doctor,' may very well be one of the best performances of a line in the history of the series." Finally, he stated the season wrapped up well, and said, "Of course they're going to be fine. Of course nobody from the team is going to be permanently suspended. But that doesn't mean the manner in which we came to this resolution wasn't appropriately earned, or deserved."

Season 8

Douglas Wolf, in his review for TV Fanatic, gave the show a positive review with a 5 out of 5 rating. He focused particularly on the two-part finale, which featured Mark Hamill, saying:

The Criminal Minds two-part finale left me on the edge of my seat, earning a perfect rating and leaving my jaw hanging open in shock. ... I didn't realize the depth of his commitment to Strauss, nor was I aware that he was pretty much cheering in her corner as she obtained her medallion for one year of sobriety. The writing around the relationship of these two was compelling and real - and so his agony over her death, and especially about how it would affect her kids, was compelling.

Broadcast and ratings

In 2016, a study by The New York Times of the 50 TV shows with the most Facebook Likes found that "like several of the other police procedurals", Criminal Minds "is more popular in rural areas, particularly in the southeastern half of the country. It hits peak popularity in Alabama and rural Tennessee and is least popular in Santa Barbara, Calif."

Note: The series premiere episode aired outside of its regular day and time at Thursday 10:00 p.m.

The series is in syndication on the A&E Network and Ion Television, as well as on We TV, Sundance TV, and Pop. Early seasons of the show have also begun airing on Rewind Networks's HITS TV channel in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

All episodes are available to stream on Paramount+ in the United States and on Disney+ in Canada. The series, which ABC Signature co-produces while also handle worldwide distribution, is available on Disney+'s Star content hub with all 16 seasons in selected territories.

Franchise

Criminal Minds: Evolution continuation

The series originally culminated after its fifteenth season on February 19, 2020. In February 2021, a revival of the series was in early development at Paramount+, with a 10-episode revival officially greenlit. This change modified the show's format to better fit into a more serialized arc, preferred by streaming modern audiences. It was announced to still be in development by the time of the Television Critics Association winter press tour in February 2022. In July 2022, Paramount+ officially gave the revival a full season order. The main cast of the previous seasons would return, with the absence of Daniel Henney and Matthew Gray Gubler (the latter of whom has been with the series since the first episode). The season began filming in August 2022.

In January 2023, Paramount+ renewed Evolution for a second season. In May 2023, CBS Home Entertainment announced that Evolution would be released to Blu-ray and DVD on June 20, 2023; with the home release officially dubbing it the "sixteenth season" of the series overall.

Showrunner Erica Messer confirmed that all main characters from the sixteenth season will be returning for the seventeenth: filming began in January 2024, and the 10-episode season premiered on June 6. On June 5, Criminal Minds was renewed for an eighteenth season, which premiered on May 8, 2025 and will consist of ten episodes. In March 2025, Criminal Minds was renewed for a nineteenth season, which is set to premiere on May 28, 2026. In March 2026, ahead of the release of the nineteenth season, the series was renewed for a twentieth season (the fifth Evolution season), which is set to premiere in 2027.

Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior

The Season 5 episode, "The Fight", introduced a second BAU team and launched a series called Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior. The spin-off series debuted February 16, 2011, on CBS but was canceled after a short 13-episode season owing to low ratings. On September 6, 2011, CBS DVD released The Complete Series on a four-disc set. It was packaged as "The DVD Edition".

The cast features Forest Whitaker as the lead role of Sam Cooper; including Janeane Garofalo, Michael Kelly, Beau Garrett, Matt Ryan, Richard Schiff, and Kirsten Vangsness, who reprises her role as Penelope Garcia from the original series.

Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders

A proposed new series in the Criminal Minds franchise to be named Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders was announced in January 2015. Former CSI: NY star Gary Sinise (who is also a producer on the show) and Anna Gunn were cast in the lead roles of Jack Garrett and Lily Lambert, though the latter departed after the backdoor pilot. Tyler James Williams was cast as Russ "Monty" Montgomery and Daniel Henney as Matt Simmons, with Alana de la Garza as Clara Seger and Annie Funke as Mae Jarvis further being cast as series regulars.

The series follows the FBI agents of the International Response Team (IRT) helping American citizens who are in trouble abroad. CBS aired a backdoor pilot on April 8, 2015, in the Criminal Minds slot, with a crossover episode titled "Beyond Borders". The second spin-off series debuted March 16, 2016, on CBS. On May 16, 2016, CBS renewed the series for a second season. On May 14, 2017, CBS canceled the series after two seasons due to low ratings.

The Real Criminal Minds

In addition to Evolution, a true-crime docuseries titled The Real Criminal Minds was ordered by Paramount+. The series will feature a real former FBI profiler and examine real cases and real behavior, illustrated by clips from the fictional Criminal Minds series.

South Korean adaptation

In 2017, tvN launched their own Korean version of Criminal Minds. The episodes are based on the original American version after its third season. On the cast is Lee Joon-gi as Kim Hyun-joon (Derek Morgan), Moon Chae Won as Ha Sun-woo (Emily Prentiss), Son Hyun-joo as Kang Ki-hyung (Aaron Hotchner), Yoo Sun as Nana Hwang (Penelope Garcia), Lee Sun-bin as Yoo Min-young (Jennifer Jareau), and Go Yoon as Lee Han (Spencer Reid). The episodes are an hour-long.

Video games

CBS announced in October 2009 that Legacy Interactive would develop a video game based on the show. The game would require players to examine crime scenes for clues to help solve murder mysteries. The interactive puzzle game was released in 2012, but the show's cast was not involved with the project so it did not feature any of their voices. The second game, developed by Tilting Point, was released on November 20, 2018, for Android and iOS devices.

Awards and nominations

In January 2017, Criminal Minds won the Best TV Crime Drama award at the People’s Choice Awards.