Watch Criminal Minds

When Criminal Minds first aired on September 22, 2005, many looked at it as yet another cop show.  Competing with a growing trend for stimulating intrigue and discovery as those seen on the CSI franchise, Criminal Minds offers a different kind of science.

The television show is about an elite group of FBI agents who specialize in analyzing the behaviour of criminals and predicting their next move.  The BAU team digs into the minds of some very evil, albeit skilled minds to find clues that reveal the unsub’s (unidentified subject) approximate age, working trade or class and even a geographical preference.

But the popularity for those who watch Criminal Minds is more than just the cops-and-robbers drama of years past.  This sharp, intellectual  drama has some great reasons to keep old fans returning as well as welcoming new viewers.

• The Characters: No television show can survive without a well fleshed out cast of characters. Criminal Minds combines the straight-laced, serious what-you-expect from an FBI agent, with an eclectic blend of complementing characters.  Unit chief, Agent Hotchner is offset by the colourful and quirky Penelope Garcia, a computer hacker recruited by the FBI to be a technical analyst.  All the characters have experienced deeply emotional trials throughout the series, making them flawed, imperfect and completely relatable.

• The Pace: Almost every episode opens with an adrenaline rush and the pace picks up from there.  Missing just a few moments of an episode can leave the viewer a little behind in the action.  However, it’s not a dizzying effect, just constant movement toward a conclusion that is not easily predicted.

• The Friction: Occasionally, there is a riff with someone on local law enforcement, but on Criminal Minds, the behavioural analysis unit must be invited to assist in a crime by the local police.  The real friction comes with the superiors who supervise the team and sometimes clash with the group ethics of the BAU.   It’s a very down to earth dilemma that many people face in their own working lives, and again, adds a human quality to fictional characters.

• The Intelligence: Unlike many classic police dramas, Criminal Minds does not try to dumb down the core elements of the show.  It assumes and often demands the viewer make the obvious connections, and rarely uses silly puns and one-liners to soften the seriousness of the content.  Yes, there are some oddball, quirky characters, but they too are considered brainiacs, and by no means diminish the intelligent nature of program.   Even the criminals being pursued bring their own brand of intelligence and cunning to each episode, making them worthy of an elite team of FBI agents being called in to help stop them.