“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls. The most massive characters are seared with scars.” – Khalil Gibran 

This famous quote from Khalil Gibran was referenced in one of my favorite TV shows “Criminal Minds.” The quote shows that sometimes the most interesting characters have lots of old trauma that makes them who they are. In “Criminal Minds,” the detectives from the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit dig into the criminal’s mind and background to figure out why they do what they do. Most of the time, they commit the crimes they commit because of childhood trauma or even recent trauma that brings out a side of them that was buried. 

The quote doesn’t only refer to the criminals in the show though. Most of the main characters in the show have rough pasts and home lives that make them who they are. For example, Dr. Spencer Reid has a mother with schizophrenia and dementia, he grew up without a father and he was bullied growing up. All of these factors made him into who he is now.

I say all this because it explains what “Criminal Minds” is. It is a thriller/drama that focuses on the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. The show details how they use a criminal’s mind and thought process to solve crimes. 

I love this show because it has an aspect that not many criminal shows have – great characters. So many criminal shows I have watched don’t have relatable characters, but “Criminal Minds” does. Every character has a secret revealed to the viewers that makes them more relatable. I love this aspect of the show. While the characters are relatable, they also all have wildly different personalities that make the quality of the show great. 

Another thing I love about “Criminal Minds” is the twisty endings. Most episodes have predictable endings, but when they throw in an episode with an unexpected ending, it catches my attention and makes me want to keep watching the show. 

The only thing about the characters I don’t like is how many and how often characters leave. Over 10 main characters come and go throughout the 15 seasons. This creates a very frustrating viewing experience.

Overall, I don’t have many bad things to say about Criminal Minds. I love the show and have rewatched it many times. As someone who has always wanted to be in the FBI, I thoroughly enjoyed this show and would recommend anyone who enjoys crime shows to watch it.