Since 2005, millions have tuned in to CBS to catch the Behavioral Analysis Unit track
down "unsubs" on Criminal Minds.
A show with that kind of lifespan generates a lot of on-set stories and trivia, much of
it well-known to casual fans.
But there are some tidbits only the show's diehard fans know about.
Here are five facts you might not know about the mega-popular procedural.
In the line of duty
Early in the fifth season of Criminal Minds, Spencer Reid, played by Matthew Gray Gubler,
is shot in leg in the line of duty.
For the next several unrelated episodes, Reid is shown walking with crutches.
It's a realistic touch - and dramatically effective, showing that sometimes the good
guys suffer for being the good guys - but the shooting and the crutches actually had
to be written into the episode.
Just before season five started filming in 2009, Gubler dislocated his knee… from dancing
too hard.
Unscripted sweetness
Along with all the murder, assault, kidnappings, and other darkness that fuels the Criminal
Minds plot machine is a lighthearted palate-cleanser: the wordy flirtations between Shemar Moore's
Derek Morgan and Kirsten Vangsness Penelope Garcia.
"Oh you are the light of my life, sweet lady."
[Speaking French]
"Drives me crazy when you talk that voulez-coucher stuff to me.
Stop it!"
Until Moore left the series in 2016, the two frequently called each other cute and affectionate
names; Morgan was particularly fond of calling Garcia "baby girl."
It feels spontaneous and organic, because it is - those exchanges were based on a bit
of improvisation on Moore's part while shooting a first-season episode.
Fans loved it, but Moore kept it under control: He said he set a limit of no more than one
or two "baby girls" per episode.
No Love for Jennifer
After years as a star of teen-oriented movies and TV shows, Jennifer Love Hewitt settled
into a career as reliable, familiar presence on primetime TV dramas.
In 2014 she was cast as investigator Kate Callahan on Criminal Minds, ostensibly replacing
the departing Jeanne Tripplehorn and her character, Alex Blake.
"It's such a different job for me than I've ever had before, so it's great!"
Some fans did not take to the former Party of Five star, nor her character.
In addition to the customary negative social media chatter, a small number of particularly
upset fans even signed a petition at Change.org to "Write Jennifer Love Hewitt's character
off Criminal Minds."
One fan wrote that "developing a new character just takes away screen time and distracts
from the cases" and "the acting and writing for this character is just wild corny."
Hewitt left the show after Season 10, citing her pregnancy.
No reality show
The Behavioral Analysis Unit is a real division of the FBI that's really based in Quantico,
Virginia, and it's very selective: only 26 of the FBI's 12,000 agents are part of the
department.
But life in the BAU isn't quite like it's depicted on Criminal Minds.
Only a handful of the most complicated and extreme cases ever make their way to the small,
elite real-life BAU team, and they certainly don't solve a case per week.
And unlike on TV, it's almost entirely a desk job.
Rarely do BAU team members leave Quantico to hit the field.
When they do leave, they're certainly not the ones who confront criminals and put their
lives in danger while doing so - the vast majority of that action is handled by police
and other law enforcement officials.
In her own words
The set of Criminal Minds seems to foster a collaborative, creatively inclusive vibe.
Numerous cast members past and present have directed episodes of the series.
Kirsten Vangsness has also co-written three installments of Criminal Minds since 2015.
It's hardly a lark, as Vangsness is an accomplished playwright.
In fact, Vangsness says the writers expect her to rewrite the many phone call conversations
required of her character.
They also asked her to write the final scenes between her character and Derek Morgan when
Shemar Moore left Criminal Minds in 2016.
"You will always be my original baby girl."
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