What Only Hardcore Criminal Minds Fans Noticed About The Pilot And The Series Finale
Over the 15 seasons that the crime drama "Criminal Minds" was on the air, the show solved hundreds of deadly mysteries while exploring the lives of the men and women who ran the BAU. Many popular characters on the show came and went, but a select few stuck around for the entire series. As a result of the show's staying power, "Criminal Minds" kept producing new episodes, developing storylines, and giving viewers the opportunity to experience real growth from some of the characters. Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) stands out as the youngest member of the BAU, who begins the show as a knowledgeable yet inexperienced member of the elite investigation unit. Under the early guidance of Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) and Hotch (Thomas Gibson), Dr. Reid matured into a senior member and irreplaceable part of the "Criminal Minds" team.
Some fans have even noticed some subtle parallels between some of the situations Dr. Reid finds himself in later in the show and choices that his mentors faced. An especially interesting example of this is seen when comparing the events that introduced the show to those that close it out. Here is what only hardcore "Criminal Minds" fans noticed about the pilot and the series finale.
Dr. Reid finds himself in a bad situation eerily similar to Gideon's
Comparing the events in the beginning of a show to the end is always tricky, as a lot of time usually passes between those two events. For a show like "Criminal Minds," which was on the air for well over a decade and produced more than 300 episodes, it can be nearly impossible. So when one fan on Reddit was watching the series finale on TV, they were pleased to find when it ended, the show started back over at the beginning. After watching the final episodes and the pilot back-to-back, the fan remembered that Gideon is on medical leave for mental exhaustion related to his decision to send six agents into a building that exploded. That choice haunts him, and Gideon must overcome his grief to return as a functional part of the BAU.
However, the fan notes, "coincidentally Reid does almost the exact same thing in the penultimate episode, sending agents into the house with Everett Lynch, killing six when he blew up the house." While some fans wondered if it may have been a coincidence, others felt that it might have been an effort to illustrate the similarities between the two characters. Another Redditor noted, "Also bonus that Reid decides to teach during his sabbatical leave mirroring Gideon's teaching as well." Fans will have to wait for the planned "Criminal Minds" revival to see if the show decides to explore these connections further. Still, the parallels between the two situations seem undeniable.