Criminal Minds is a crime drama that premiered on September 22, 2005 on CBS. It follows the adventures of an FBI profiling team from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) from Quantico, Virginia. Criminal Minds differs from many criminal system procedural dramas by focusing on the criminal rather than the crime itself.

Current cast

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• Mandy Patinkin as Jason Gideon: the BAU's best profiler, who taught Hotchner and Reid that you don't need a gun to kill someone if you have their profile. He helped Morgan and Reid through their nightmares. Had a "famous breakdown" when he sent six men into a warehouse with a bomb in it.
• Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner: formerly assigned to the FBI Field Office in Seattle, Washington; currently the head of the BAU team. He recently had a baby daughter; his successful family life and how he tries to balance it and his job is an on-going theme on the show. He helped Reid with his firearms qualification. Hotch was formerly a lawyer before joining law enforcement. It was hinted that he was at one time assigned to SWAT. He believes in taking justice into his own hands if he needs to.
• Lola Glaudini as Noelle Greenaway: Called "Elle," formerly assigned to FBI Field Office in Seattle, Washington; recently assigned to the BAU, expert in sexual offense crimes. Her position as a woman in what she calls "a boys' club" is an on-going theme to which she refers to often.
• Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan: thinks of himself as Gideon's right hand; expert in obsessional crimes; frequently makes fun of Reid's genius. He often flirts with AV Tech Penelope Garcia, though it is played as a non-serious non-romantic relationship.
• Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid: a 24-year-old former Las Vegas schoolboy with a triple PhD. Graduated from high school at 12; has an uncanny ability for spotting complex patterns. Statistics expert. Fell in love with a Hollywood star. He does not believe that genius can be measured but admits that he has an eidetic memory, an I.Q. of 187 and can read 20,000 words per minute. It has been hinted that he is also slightly autistic.
• A.J. Cook as Jennifer "JJ" Jareau: the team's liaison with the media and local police agencies; went on a date to a Washington Redskins game with Reid, but apparently it has not gone farther than that.

Recurring Cast

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• Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia: the team's Audio/Visual Tech at BAU Headquarters in Quantico, VA; when she speaks with Morgan they use pet names such as "hot stuff" or "sweet cheeks"; believes she can run U.S. Central Command from her office and still play online poker.
• Meredith Monroe as Haley Hotchner: the wife of series regular, Agent Hotchner. Though she and Hotch have a happy marriage, it is frequently strained by the demands of his job.

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