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Between its two spin-offs, the South Korean remake, a continuing sequel, and the two games, "Criminal Minds" remains one of the most enduring crime shows. It plays into the typical format of police procedurals, but what sets it apart from the rest is how it makes the psychological aspect of crimes its anchor. It certainly did not revolutionize criminal profiling in fiction, as there are many movies and shows like "Criminal Minds," but it undoubtedly contributed to its increased popularity and mainstream appeal.
Created by Jeff Davis and premiering in 2005, the series has enjoyed high ratings and a dedicated fanbase. Including the one-season South Korean series, the franchise consists of the 15-season "Criminal Minds" show, the ongoing "Criminal Minds: Evolution" that began with season 16, "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior," and "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders." The longevity of "Criminal Minds" is remarkable, and these series scratch different itches while staying true to the core formula of the story.
4. Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior was short-lived and underwhelming
Airing in 2011 and lasting for only one season, "Suspect Behavior" definitely had all the ingredients. It featured a strong lead in Forest Whitaker as Sam Cooper, who led a team that was part of the Behavioral Analysis Unit but operated with unorthodox methods such as real-time behavioral assessments. Season 5, Episode 18 of "Criminal Minds" served as the backdoor pilot for "Suspect Behavior," where the BAU works with Cooper's Red Cell Unit to track down a serial killer who forces his victims into death matches. The nature of the Red Cell Unit lends itself to an intense and fast-paced atmosphere, but the execution of the story fell flat.
Whereas the original "Criminal Minds" show was beloved for its compelling and intimate character dynamics, the main cast of "Suspect Behavior" lacked the same distinct personalities and interactions that made the OG so memorable. Take, for instance, Michael Kelly's Prophet, who had a compelling past, but it faded into the background as the first season went on. The ensemble's overall cohesion did not manage to replicate the same level of familiarity as the BAU. The cast could have definitely become more interesting over time, but alas, the show did not make it past one season.
3. Beyond Borders' execution was not well-received
A BAU on an international stage makes an exciting escalation of the story's scope. "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders" had the great advantage of new locations and a larger scale, but this actually turned out to be its biggest weakness because it did not approach them with thoughtfulness or nuance. Focusing on the International Response Team as they investigate crimes involving Americans on foreign soil, the series had a backdoor pilot in "Criminal Minds" Season 10, Episode 19.
Where it had the opportunity to showcase countries and cultures with a level of understanding, "Beyond Borders" instead contained undertones of xenophobia and stereotyping that were major points of criticism in reviews. How severe was the pushback against the series' depiction of other countries? The Singapore Tourism Board called out the show's portrayal of the Geylang district in a Facebook post. To make matters worse, the show contained a Singaporean proverb that didn't exist, and it was written in Chinese. This level of research into other cultures is unfortunately not limited to only Season 2, Episode 6.
"Beyond Borders" features plotlines where the team is thrust into unfamiliar territory, leading to interesting cases, good action, and unique reactions. However, this is where the praise ends, as the series was held back by wasted potential and controversial narrative beats.
2. Evolution's long-form storytelling was a breath of fresh air
"Criminal Minds: Evolution" steers clear of the monster-of-the-week format of its predecessor and instead explores a threat across multiple episodes. This allows the show to explore the perpetrator beyond just their psychological architecture and flesh them out as a character rather than an objective. This narrative advantage ended up becoming controversial in the case of Elias Voit, however. While the show's exploration of the villain in the first season was masterful, the fact that he has been an integral character for four seasons straight felt like he is overstaying his welcome and is being used as a crutch.
"Evolution" also subverts the original's tendency to give the BAU almost psychic-level analytic powers and deduce the criminal's personality quickly. Voit operates as the anti-BAU, and his intelligence allows him to analyze the BAU in turn and anticipate them, making the profiling much more thrilling. With another season of "Criminal Minds: Evolution" on the way, the series provides an excellent contrast to the previous 15 seasons.
1. Criminal Minds Remains Hard To Beat
The show that started it all is still unbeatable, unsurprisingly. The level of intimacy and familiarity between the main cast is arguably its strongest point. Each character has a distinct personality and expertise; between Hotch's serious attitude, Garcia's compassion, Reid's awkwardness, and Rossi's dependability, they bounce off each other so well. The cases and profiling might be the engine of the narrative, but their character interactions are the story's emotional core.
"Criminal Minds" has a touch of simplicity because of its episodic nature. There was continuity within the framework of character development and relationships, but viewers enjoyed a different case every week. This allowed the series to touch on a plethora of different cases, and this variety is definitely a selling point.
Of course, maintaining a high level of quality throughout 15 seasons is tough, and this is where the show struggled the most. The best of the series resided within the first five seasons, and especially between Season 3 and Season 5. The highlights include episodes like Season 5, Episode 9, "100," Season 3, Episode 9, "Penelope," and Season 4, Episode 18, "Omnivore." This isn't to say that the show did not produce bangers in later seasons, but the novelty and excitement that earlier seasons invoked faded.
