Disney+ has many shows I enjoyed in the past that I wanted to revisit. Sometimes it takes me a while to go through them. Most of my favorites usually lasted more than half a decade at least so it's a lot to catch up on. With around twenty or more episodes per season, that is a lot of episodes to go through. There are shows I sometimes avoid watching again because they would be too much to see. The only good thing I've gotten from watching these shows has been letting shows play on TV while I work out. That means I can catch up and get fit at the same time. The shows have been a good motivation for me to work out! Because of that, I have been able to finish all 16 seasons of Criminal Minds, the revival season included.
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| Image Credit: Entertainment One & CBS |
As a fan of crime procedurals, I have always enjoyed watching Criminal Minds. I'm aware that in a way it’s a bit creepy that I love watching criminals doing their thing. But I can't help it! I find it fascinating how someone can evolve into that kind of person. It makes me curious about what goes through people's minds that turn into criminals.
Plot
The show is an American procedural drama. It follows the cases of criminal profilers who are part of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. The show follows the team on its various cases. In the series, they use behavioral analysis and profiling to solve the cases assigned to them. After the series ended in 2020, a revival season was created. This series continues the stories of the characters from the original.
My Review
The first thing I noticed while I was re-watching the show was how young they all looked when they first started. They all looked like babies at the start of the show! And the technology! Even the phones and computers were very old-school during the first few seasons! I don’t know how Penelope did it! I thought the earlier seasons were amusing to see. they were all so different tech-wise compared to the latest (revival) season.
I found it nice to see how each character entered the show (and how some of them left) during the series. It was so long ago that it wasn’t something that I remembered. Seeing it again was a nice throwback. This is one of those shows that had a great combination of actors and a good ensemble cast. No matter how many times they switched actors, the chemistry remained intact.
As far as the characters go, I have always been a fan of Reid and Penelope (and her dynamic with Morgan). But, I also have a special place in my heart for Matt Simmons, played by Daniel Henney. It’s too bad that during the revival season, Daniel couldn’t reprise his role. By then he was already working on Amazon’s Wheel of Time. The same goes for Matthew Gray-Gubler (Reid), who was busy working on his book. Shemar Moore (Morgan) was also on another show, SWAT. I hope that this revival will go on for a few more seasons so that I can see those three guys back in the show. I loved that their characters were not killed off so there is still a chance for a comeback.
One of the things that I liked about Criminal Minds was how they were able to combine all the stories in one show. Viewers got to see stories of the characters outside of their jobs with the crimes they had to solve. The stories came out organically, without feeling forced or taken away from what the show was about. It's not an easy task considering how many characters there were in this series. The stories ranged from dating to family life as well as a host of other personal issues and concerns. It was those little things that helped balance out the negativity in the show. Sometimes the stories got so heavy so it was nice to have these things to lighten the mood.
South Korean Version
I don’t think that many people know that this show had an official South Korean version back in 2017. Watching it I could tell they based the leads in that version from the original. I immediately recognized who played the Korean Penelope, Morgan, JJ, Reid, and Hotch. I'm not sure if the other actors were the other characters from the original. I couldn't tell even if I tried! One of them seemed to be Prentiss only because she was the only one missing from the lead dynamic, but I'm not sure.
I can't help but mention the South Korean version because of episodes that were like the original. I was re-watching the US version and realized the criminals in the South Korean version were the same! They did not appear in the same order but had similar stories. These might have been storylines they could adapt to the Korean market. I found myself having constant “aha” moments once I recognized the storylines. It blew my mind to recognize the episodes that were the same.
Where are they now?
Mandy Patinkin - He has had several voice and acting roles since Criminal Minds. He appeared in the show The Good Fight and had a voice role in the TV documentary Benjamin Franklin (TV) in 2022. His latest project was voice work for the movie The Magicians Elephant in 2023.
Thomas Gibson - After the show he appeared in films and TV shows. His latest work was on the TV show Shadow Wolves in 2019.
Lola Glaudini - Her roles post-Criminal Minds were for many successful shows. She appeared in shows like Blue Bloods, Law and Order, White Collar, Person of Interest, Castle, Revenge, Agents of Shield, and The Brave. Her last TV appearance was in 2022 in the Law & Order Special Victims Unit.
Shemar Moore - After leaving Criminal Minds he became the lead role in the series SWAT. The show will soon be having its seventh and final season.
Matthew Gray Gubler - After Criminal Minds he has made various film and TV appearances. He was also part of the show Dollface until 2022. In 2019 he released a children's book called Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging and Being Yourself. The book became part of the New York Times Best Seller list.
A. J. Cook - She is part of the revival show. Apart from Criminal Minds, she has also made TV and film appearances, the latest of which is in the show 911 in 2022.
Kirsten Vangsness - She is another cast member who is part of the revival series. There are no other reported projects for her so far.
Paget Brewster - She has done voice and other acting roles post-show and appears in the revival. Her latest TV appearance post-Criminal Minds was in 2022 in How I Met Your Father.
Joe Mantegna - He has appeared in TV shows and films but has no new projects apart from being part of the revival series.
Rachel Nichols - She has appeared in films and TV shows after her stint in the show. Her latest work is on the show A Million Little Things
Jeanne Tripplehorn - After Criminal Minds, she appeared in several films and TV shows. Her latest work was in 2022 in shows like The Gilded Age and The Terminal List.
Jennifer Love Hewitt - She moved on to the show 911 after leaving the series.
Aisha Tyler - Another cast member in the revival series, she has appeared in other shows. Her latest was in the 2023 series The Last Thing He Told Me.
Adam Rodriguez - Another member of the revival cast, he has other appearances in films and TV. He appeared in the Magic Mike movie with Channing Tatum. He was also part of shows like Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, One Day at a Time, and Ordinary Joe.
Damon Gupton - His last movie was Babylon in 2022 and he is currently on the show The Big Door Prize.
Daniel Henney - After Criminal Minds, he reprised his voice role in the Disney cartoon Big Hero 6. He appeared in the series version of the cartoon as well as The Wheel of Time series and the film Missing in 2023.
What happens now?
The revival season was good, but I wish that the whole gang of profilers could be together again like they used to. I'm excited because I heard that there would be a second season (2nd for the revival, but 17th for the entire series). The show hasn’t started filming yet, and I don't know when it will happen with the ongoing actors' strike. I hope that doesn’t mean that there is still a possibility of it not happening at all. I would love to see this show again. Even if the missing cast members don’t appear the entire season, it would be nice to see them in guest roles at least.
I hope there will be another season for the revival show. I would love for them to say “Wheels up” again even if it’s for one last time.
Does anyone else reading this love the show? If you do, leave a message in the comments and share what you loved about the series! Tell me who your favorite character or storyline was, I'd love to know about it!
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