Why Criminal Minds Fans Think The Team Lacked Work Experience
Even the most loyal "Criminal Minds" fans would probably agree that the show takes quite a few creative liberties in its depiction of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. And that's perfectly okay! "Criminal Minds" ran for an impressive 15 seasons (and almost had a revival series that now, unfortunately, appears to be dead) and its success and longevity certainly wasn't due to its gritty realism.
However, just because we're capable of suspending disbelief doesn't mean it's not also fun to pick apart some of the show's more glaring inaccuracies. Remember the time Rossi was surprised to learn that the BAU has a private jet only to later reveal he'd stashed a gun on it 20 years ago? Or Spencer Reid's (Matthew Gray Gubler) inconsistent resume?
In a recent Reddit thread, some fans brought up another point of contention. There are a few members of the BAU whose timelines don't quite add up. Whether they have more years on the force than is feasible or have backstories that are outright outlandish, if you dig too deep into the lore of certain characters on the show you'll eventually hit some pretty big plot holes.
The timelines just don't add up
In a thread called "Unpopular opinions," user u/ShawarmaWaffles had some thoughts about the resume of a few members of the BAU. While they felt that some — such as Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) and David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) — seemed to check out, others felt a little more wobbly.
First up, longtime team member Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson). As u/ShawarmaWaffles notes, Hotch's longevity on the BAU is one of the details that simply doesn't shake out. "Hotch was somehow an accomplished lawyer, switched to law enforcement, spent time on security details, but also was around when the BAU started," they detailed. They noted that Hotchner was only in his 40s at the beginning of the show, which doesn't give him a ton of time for multiple careers requiring significant education and experience in addition to helping found the BAU itself.
Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) has a similar issue. Specifically, u/ShawarmaWaffles points out, "Morgan went from beat cop, to bomb squad, to fbi, to BAU by 30?"
And, of course, there's Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) aka the former renegade hacker known as The Black Queen. Those who are up on their "Criminal Minds" lore know that Garcia was coerced into joining the FBI and using her skills for law enforcement with the threat of jail time. It's certainly a unique backstory, but as u/ShawarmaWaffles succinctly puts it, "Garcia is the least believable character on the show and her past makes zero sense."
It's something to keep in mind next time you do a binge of the series. Or, actually, you could also forget everything you read and go back to blissful ignorance.