25 Days of Crime-mas Day 20: Criminal Minds is coming to a killer end

Criminal Minds’ final season will begin in less than a month. It’s certainly worth a mention on our 25 Days of Crime-mas countdown.

Even in 2005, it was unheard of for shows to get past five seasons or so. Only the greatest managed it, which puts Criminal Minds at the top of the list of shows right away. On Jan. 8, it will premiere its 15th season, offering something bittersweet for fans.

Day 20 of our 25 Days of Crime-mas is all about the FBI crim drama. It was a show ahead of its time, offering something different to the usual crime dramas out there while still feeling somewhat familiar. Here’s why it is worth the watch and why it’s ending is going to be killer.

300+ episodes in 15 seasons

More from TV Crime Dramas

The show is coming to an end after its up-coming 10-episode final season. In a way, the writing has been on the wall for the show for a number of years, mostly due to the unusual set up between two studios.

The set-up is odd in the way that ABC Studios produces the series with CBS Studios, but CBS is the network the series airs on. In fact, there’s an odd financial situation, which certainly always played a part later in the seasons as to whether the show would be canceled or renewed.

However, Criminal Minds has always tried to remain fresh. It takes the crime drama darker than most shows will, focusing on some of the most gruesome attacks. The horrors and dark turns of the series have been the main reason for complaints, and it was also the main reason original lead star Mandy Patinkin left the series.

In Criminal Minds, we follow the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), a specialized FBI unit that focuses on analyzing the behavior of “UnSubs” to figure out who it could be. This is a real part of the FBI, as profiling has helped to catch killers in life. However, it often leads to some of the darkest cases and has certainly taken its toll on the agents in the show now and then.

The Criminal Minds cast

The show’s original cast was made up of Patinkin, Thomas Gibson, Lola Glaudini, Shemar Moore, Matthew Gray Gubler, A.J. Cook, and Kirsten Vangsness. However, Vangsness wasn’t a series regular for the first season. She took on that mantel in the second season after Glaudini’s departure.

Glaudini’s departure was the first, with Paget Brewster stepping in to fill the gap. Patinkin was the next to depart, leading to Joe Mantegna to join the cast in the third season as a former agent coming out of retirement.

While Cook left for a while, it was for maternity leave and there was always the plan for her to return. However, Meta Golding held the fort waiting for Cook to return.

Over time, there have been other changes. Some of the biggest involved the exit of Shemar Moore’s Derek Morgan (his choice) and the firing of Gibson (definitely not his choice). Gibson’s exit led to a #NoHotchNoWatch campaign. While the ratings took a dip, it wasn’t enough to see the show canceled. In fact, the series has had a couple of seasons without Gibson at the helm.

Why it deserves a place on the list

With just 25 days to cover some of the greatest TV crime dramas, it’s important to look at why Criminal Minds is worthy. The basic reason is that it’s different. It was the first to take the BAU side of things, focusing on the psychology of a killer and not just the whodunit storyline.

This is also a series not afraid to delve into the individual lives of the characters while trying something different now and then. We’ve had conflict from outside and inside sources, there have been serial killers with eyes on one member of the BAU, and the show has delivered some of the most shocking and heartbreaking deaths.

It’s a show that has always tried to do something different. It’s always tried to be a step ahead of everyone else. While it’s going to be sad to see it go, getting a final episode that wraps up the storylines is more than deserved for this TV crime drama powerhouse.

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Best Criminal Minds episodes

I always think the best place to start is with the pilot, and that’s certainly the case with Criminal Minds. This is the place to get to know about the characters, the team, and the style of show you’re getting yourself into. But if you don’t want to sit through all 300+ episodes, you’ll want to get a sense of the show with some of the best episodes, right?

Well, I do highly recommend Season 5, Episode 9. This is the 100th episode and aptly titled “100.” It’s also the episode with the most memorable serial killer in the series, as well as one of the most heartbreaking deaths ever on TV. Yes, this is the one where Hotch and his family face The Reaper.

Season 4, Episodes 25 and 26 are worth watching together. The double season finales see the BAU track down a killer who chooses homeless people, prostitutes, and other “undesirables” or “nameless” people to kill. Those people are then dragged across the Canadian border, which makes it much harder to catch him.

Season 2, Episodes 14 and 15 are must-watches. During this two-parter, Reid is the one captured and he’s tortured on a live feed for the entire BAU to watch. James Van Der Beek from Dawson’s Creek guest-starred as the torturer in these episodes, which certainly meant Dawson fans were left in awe at his abilities. The episode would also lead to some longer-term issues for Reid.

Finally, Season 8, Episode 12 is one to turn to. This episode sees Reid’s girlfriend get kidnapped by her stalker. There had been a leadup to this kidnapping but we always assumed the stalked was a man. It turned out to be a woman, who needs Reid to watch her die. It’s a very dark episode and sadly doesn’t end with the happiest of outcomes.

What are you currently watching in the runup to Christmas? What’s your favorite Criminal Minds episode? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Criminal Minds Season 15 will begin on Jan. 8 at /8c on CBS. Follow Precinct TV on Facebook for more 25 Days of Crime-mas and news straight to your feed.