I'm only partly kidding. This show is life, and if you haven't watched it yet, what are you even doing.
The day that Netflix finally added Criminal Minds was the best and worst day of my life. It was the best day because Netflix finally added Criminal Minds, and I could bid adieu to the ratchet streaming sites that took an hour to upload an episode. It was the worst day of my life, because that was also the day I said goodbye to my social life and productivity and committed myself to Criminal Minds.
I don’t remember when I fell in love with Criminal Minds, but it has become a very important part of my life. Some of my happiest moments are when I am curled up with my laptop and guacamole, chasing bad guys with my CM family. I have laughed with them, cried with them, and shared the pain and responsibility of their jobs with them.
The team would be nothing without their fearless leader, Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson). Through the years, we’ve watched Hotch grow from a stern and emotionless commander to a softer family man who occasionally cracks jokes and smiles every once in a blue moon. In a world where everything is too complicated, I would like to thank Hotch for always telling people what to do. because it just makes things so much easier.
The more approachable counterpart to Hotch is the FBI agent turned author turned FBI agent David Rossi (Joe Mantegna). An Italian with a flair for the finer things in life, Rossi has been in the game for just as long, if not longer, than Hotch, but he hasn't let the job take away from his personal life. Rossi is like the uncle that takes you out to lunch on the weekends and you tell him about your problems, because even though he probably won't give you an answer to them, he'll at least make you feel better about things.
No show would be complete without some eye candy, and thankfully for us, CM gives us not one, but two pieces: the adorably nerdy and attractive-in-a-hipster-kind-of-way Spencer Reid, played by the wonderful Matthew Gray Gubler (who also writes for the show, if you needed another reason to love him), and the luscious attractive-in-a-dreamy-male-model-look-at-that-body-kind-of-way Derek Morgan, played by the glorious Shemar Moore. So if you don't like scary things, you could always just mute the show and just look at them (I happen to think they actually are great actors, though).
The CM world doesn't forget about the ladies, and the cast has seen quite a few strong female characters. My personal favorites, however, are the quirky and hilarious tech analyst Penelope Garcia, played by the talented Kirsten Vangsness, the strong and motherly communication liaison turned agent J.J. Jareau (A.J. Cook), and the tough and protective Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster). I appreciate these women for representing women well; they kick some serious booty, but aren't afraid to be women.
In all seriousness, Criminal Minds is my favorite show and an all-around great show, so if you haven't seen it yet, you need to start it. Season 11 will premiere on CBS on Sept. 30, so you have just enough time to get caught up on all the episodes. But if you become obsessed with it, don't say I didn't warn you.
