The Most Illegal Thing Prentiss Ever Did On Criminal Minds
Working with the Behavioral Analysis Unit that the hit crime drama "Criminal Minds" is centered around seems like a dream job for anyone wanting to work in law enforcement. Because of this, it even says now on the FBI website that Behavioral Analysts are not actually how they appear on "Criminal Minds," which may be a bummer for some who have aspirations of becoming profilers after watching the show.
On the other hand, after taking a closer look at the series, it becomes a bit clearer that the team of profilers in "Criminal Minds" have some notable differences and tendencies that set them apart from what life would really be like working for the FBI. In fact, one of the main differences is that not every decision the "Criminal Minds" BAU team makes is a legal one.
Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), for example, is an absolute genius in the series, speaking multiple languages and working all around the world, and it's safe to say that she usually does things by the book. However, there are some moments throughout the show when her integrity at her job becomes compromised, and she does things that aren't exactly legal. This is the most illegal thing Prentiss ever does on "Criminal Minds."
Prentiss destroyed evidence to help Reid get out of jail
In Season 13, Episode 15, "Annihilator," Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) pays a visit to Emily Prentiss in her apartment to talk her out of leaving the team and returning to her old assignment at Interpol. While discussing with her why she shouldn't leave, viewers learn that previously, when Prentiss is trying to get Reid out of jail, she records conversations that she and Reid have that need to be on the record. However, she later deletes these messages, believing that Reid will have a better chance at getting out without the recordings being used as evidence.
In the real world, this is a big red flag and very much illegal. Prentiss deleting the recordings is purposely destroying evidence and would have much bigger consequences if this wasn't a television series. However, "Criminal Minds" is wholly fictional, and without Prentiss deleting the recordings, who knows what would've happened to Reid. So, for freeing Reid, we are thankful to Prentiss' illegal actions.