Best Team of Seven In the BAU

Spencer Reid, Jennifer Jareau, Alex Blake, Derek Morgan, Aaron Hotchner, and David Rossi (from left to right).

Spencer Reid, Jennifer Jareau, Alex Blake, Derek Morgan, Aaron Hotchner, and David Rossi (from left to right).

Criminal Minds is the one television show that captures my attention episodically.

Criminal Minds is centered around the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) of the FBI. The show follows a team of seven, six profilers and their helpful Technical Analyst.

Not only does the psychological aspect of evaluating a crime to find the “unsub” (the unknown subject or in other words, criminal) prove to be interesting, but the different personalities of each character in the show make it very well-rounded and varying.

Unlike most shows, the main characters of Criminal Minds are all characters I like. Aaron Hotchner, the Unit Chief of the team, Derek Morgan, David Rossi, Jennifer “JJ” Jareau, Alex Blake, and Spencer Reid, the Supervisory Special Agents (SSA), and Penelope Garcia, the technical analyst are all lovable characters with their own individual personalities.

The reason Criminal Minds seems to appeal to me so much comes from how it’s not only about the criminal investigating but also about the relationships between the members of the team. It’s always entertaining watching Derek Morgan call Garcia because of the playful jokes they exchange. All in all, they’re a tight-knitted group who genuinely care about each other.

The varying and lovable personalities of the group make the episodes that are more centered around their emotions and personal lives either heart-breaking or heart-warming.

In the episode “Zugzwang,” Reid and the team work diligently to try to find the stalker and kidnapper of Maeve, Reid’s girlfriend who he had only ever talked on the phone to. The kidnapper ended up being her ex-fiancé’s girlfriend who committed a murder-suicide right before Reid’s eyes, which was the first time he had seen Maeve in person. After Maeve’s death, Reid spent a few weeks alone in his apartment, ignoring the members of his team who kept trying to help him. He returned to work lacking sleep and unable to sleep because of recurring dreams about Maeve.

The cases that the teams solve are always intriguing and how they connect a crime to a criminal is a very interesting process. Whether the unsub paints with his victim’s blood or is a “copycat,” meaning they replicate previous and usually famous crimes, the way the team rules things out and pieces everything together keeps you watching.

One of my favorite parts of the show is the quotes. Usually after a commercial break or at the beginning and end of the episode a jet is shown soaring through the air as one of the character recites a famous quote that connects to the crime in the episode.

For example, “To die is poignantly bitter, but the idea of having to die without having lived is unbearable” a quote from Erich Fromm, was recited by David Rossi in a season seven episode.

Criminal Minds shows on CBS and Ion, new episodes every Wednesday at 9/8c on CBS.