Criminal Minds
This article carry mentions of murder , intimate crimes , and near - death experience . It also contains SPOILERS forCriminal Minds .
Criminal Mindsis renowned as one of the bang-up entries in the crime procedural musical style , but arguably the best part of each episode was Penelope Garcia ( Kirsten Vangsness ) and her acuate dialog . The FBI technical psychoanalyst was the quintessential kinky character that add an air of levity and charm to even the most gruesome investigation . Even as the Behavioral Analysis Unit ( BAU ) run across themost interrupt unsubs inCriminal Minds , Garcia was always prepare with a canny play on words or affectionate cognomen for her coworkers .
Vangsness portrayed the character throughout all15 seasons ofCriminal Minds , with Penelope only absent from a single installment in the fender time of year — even then she was still note , a will to how vital her presence in the serial was from the start . Though Garcia underwent various arcs and personal storylines , there was a certain cleverness about her character that never waned . From her first impression to her net words in the serial , Garcia ’s whip - smart nature is well represented in herCriminal Mindslines .
11“Peaches, This Is The Office Of Unmitigated Superiority. I Am Always Ready.”
Season 1, Episode 4, “Plain Sight”
Before Garcia became the unlikely star ofCriminal Minds : Evolution , she was clearly a core group member of the original serial from the first few episodes . “ Plain Sight ” followed the squad tracking down a serial cause of death and rapist known as“The Tommy Killer . ”When Elle Greenaway ( Lola Glaudini ) asked if she was quick to work her deception and trace the unsub , Penelope insisted she is“always ready . ”
Penelope call Elle“peaches”is an early and minded example of how friendly she care for her coworkers — sometimes too friendly count on who she ’s peach to , like when she accidentally ask Chief Erin Strauss ( Jayne Atkinson ) to“talk dirty”to her . Still , her kind and playful demeanor is a pleasant prison-breaking from the game realism of the cases . In the ending , her superiority unfeignedly was unmitigated , and they take The Tommy Killer down .
10“Penelope. Garcia. My Friends Call Me Wonderful.”
Season 3, Episode 8, “Lucky”
Though Garcia and Derek Morgan ( Shemar Moore ) flirt nearly every time they interact in the serial , they never become a distich . After two full seasons without a sexual love pursuit , Penelope fit who she thought was her soulmate at a coffee shop : James Colby Baylor ( Bailey Chase ) . After he introduced himself and say his acquaintance call him Colby , Penelope returned with her name and boasted that her admirer call her“wonderful . ”
Aubrey Plaza played serial sea wolf Cat Adams on several episodes of Criminal Minds , and here ’s the backstory of the character explain .
Garcia deserve a sports meeting - precious beloved account , but of course there was a turn . Colby was really Jason Clark Battle , a serial killer who planned to kill Garcia to stop her from investigating his victims . After he shot her at the cliffhanger conclusion of “ favorable , ” the tale continue with one of thebest episode inCriminal Minds : “ Penelope ” ( season 3 , episode 9 ) .
Custom Image by Ana Nieves.
9“Well, Gorgeous, You’ve Been Rerouted To The Office Of Too Friggin’ Bad.”
Season 1, Episode 1, “Extreme Aggressor”
Morgan may have been a mold appendage who leftCriminal Mindsearly , but he and Garcia ’s dynamic was galvanic even in the pilot program episode . When Morgan asked an unsufferable task of her , Garcia tell him he was out of portion . Morgan pushed back , joking that he thought she was“the Office of Supreme Genius . ”She quickly retorted that he’d“been rerouted to the Office of Too Friggin ’ Bad . ”
It was exceedingly rarefied that Penelope could n’t work some miracle on her computer , so Morgan ’s mental rejection was understandable . However , her reception was the perfect display of her sassing . It ’s possible that her failure was an effort on the pilot episode ’s part to make her more relatable , but Garcia really was the Office of Supreme Genius throughout the rest period of the series . No reroute was necessary .
8“Penelope’s House Of ‘How May I Save Your A— Today?’”
Season 1, Episode 12, “What Fresh Hell?”
During every case , Garcia fill her role as expert psychoanalyst seriously , often boasting with a completely merit sense of confidence . In many way , she was the BAU ’s savior . As such , her answering a phone call by referring to her office as“Penelope ’s house of how may I keep your a — today?”was a bluff but all the same meet verbal description .
Matthew Gray Gubler ’s continued absence seizure as Spencer Reid in Criminal Minds : Evolution season 2 was actually dress up in the original CBS series .
She was an fantastically useful resource during the instalment ’s investigating , scouring the entanglement for record gender offenders in the area . After a few blood-red herrings and obvious - in - hindsight clue , Garcia and the ease of the team pieced together the whodunit . In the end , the 11 - twelvemonth - sure-enough dupe of abduction is returned to her family alive .
7“Your Mom Read You Valentine’s Poems? Hello, Therapy.”
Episode 2, Episode 1, “The Fisher King: Part 2”
The time of year 2 premiere followed the previous time of year ’s eminent - stakes finale where Elle is nearly killed by the titular“Fisher King ” killer . Spencer Reid ( Matthew Gray Gubler ) realise his institutionalized mother may have interact with the unsub and used his personal spirit as a tool to help solve the case . After he mentions a relevant verse form by Chaucer that he recognise thanks to his female parent , Penelope nose sport by pointing out how unmated it was for his mother to say him“Valentine ’s poems,”going so far as to quip a Freudian“Hello , therapy . ”
Despite her jest , Garcia and Reid grow to have a close friendly relationship , and this episode was one of their foundational moments . Despite have a respectable rapport with other member of the squad during the Fisher King saga , Reid confided in Garcia , making her the first somebody he secernate about his mother ’s schizophrenia diagnosis . The two had a heartfelt conversation about the hereditary passage , and Garcia solace him as well she could . The fact that such tenderness bloom in the fact of such an audacious joke was further proof of Garcia ’s prevail comforting energy .
6“That’s Exciting! What’s It Like At Quan-ti-co?”
Season 2, Episode 21, “Open Season”
by from being one of the most gonzo installment ofCriminal Minds , “ Open Season ” also let in one of the most iconic scenes in the intact serial . While at a bar with Emily Prentiss ( Paget Brewster ) and Jennifer“JJ”Jareau ( A.J. Cook ) , the women run across a man impersonate as a fake FBI agent . They take on along with his ruse , with Penelope call for what it ’s like to work out at Quan - ti - Centennial State , mispronounce her own worksite with stilted syllables .
After the impostor answered their questions with a still smugness , they demand to see his badge . To disguise the fact that he did n’t have one , he insisted that it was“Classified . ”One by one , the real FBI employees pull out their badge to wave , asking if his take care anything like theirs . The man quickly walk out with his tooshie between his legs while the adult female express mirth . The scene was a big businessman move and a fierce display of their patience in the face of thoroughgoing audacity .
5“You, My Fine Furry Friends, Are Welcome.”
Season 4, Episode 4, “Paradise”
“ Paradise ” might have been a disturbing watch , but Garcia ’s entertain one - liners knew no bounds . The bulk of the episode follow a mates pin in a motel room , potential victims of the unsub who direct duo , raped the cleaning lady , and defeat both before posing their bodies to appear like a elevator car chance event . When Garcia called in to give the team their much - needed information , Reid thanked her . She replied:“You , my okay furry friends , are welcome . ”As soon as they hung up , Aaron“Hotch”Hotchner ( Thomas Gibson ) said,“Remind me to have her drug - tested . ”
This fundamental interaction play up the hilarious moral force the effervescent Penelope had with the ever - stoic Hotch . Garcia was one of the most crucial BAU characters , and her foreign relationship with Hotch made her even more iconic . Her line was chuckle - worthy on its own , but when pair off with Hotch ’s additional scuttlebutt , it ’s a hall - of - fame entry . Garcia ’s lines sometimes veered into random , almost absurd district . However , Garcia ’s character was transcendent ; she was never tie down by law of logic or ground , and neither were her quotes .
4“Aside From Being Slightly Morally Repugnant, He’s Clean As A Whistle. If That Whistle Was Slightly Morally Repugnant.”
Season 13, Episode 8, “Neon Terror”
Although the original run ofCriminal Mindsended after season 15 , Garcia ’s mentality held unassailable in the later season . When hunting for the egomaniacal unsub dubbed the“Neon Terror”by the media , JJ issue forth to check on her procession decoding his indistinguishability via his online assumed name : Quasar22 . Penelope did n’t have all the answers , but she ruled out a smarmy newsman they had somewhat suspect and called him“clean as a whistle [ … ] if that whistling was slightly morally repugnant . ”
In verbatim contrast to her career field , one of Penelope ’s leading character reference trait was an unwavering opinion in the good of world . Consequently , she had unswerving morals and value that she did n’t bother hide during work . Garcia ’s vindicated despite for bad people , killer whale or otherwise , is what made her such a respectable character . When she insulted someone , there was never a doubt of whether they deserve it . Garcia ’s judgment was proof enough .
3“Sunshine, I Can Run CentCom From Here And Still Participate In Simultaneous Tetris Tournaments.”
During their Tommy Killer investigating , Elle also called to inquire Garcia if she could“get into the phone repair records in San Diego . ”Without lack a beat , Garcia insure her that she could start the United States Central Command“and still participate in simultaneous Tetris tournaments . ”The multitasking would have been a courageous undertaking , but Garcia undoubtedly could have turned that hypothetical into a realism .
Penelope Garcia was a master of hyperbole , and her greatest quotes put that skill on full display . When she bragged about her competencies , it was always with a unique metaphor or original literary gimmick to fully illustrate her point . Garcia ’s spoken language was just as lifelike and coloured as her personality , press , and mixed place decorations .
2“Honey, If He Opens His Mouth I’ll Tell You The Length Of His Teeth.”
Season 2, Episode 4, “Psychodrama”
During the revolting events of “ Psychodrama ” ( where the unsub would take masses hostage and squeeze them to simulate sexual urge , with family even imply to enter ) , Garcia ’s technical prowess was on full show and might have been the most significant aspect of the probe . She used a digital position psychoanalysis rendering software package that , as she told Hotch , she was n’t just familiar with : she helped develop ! Garcia belong a stair further , promising that“if [ the unsub ] open up his sassing , I ’ll tell you the distance of his teeth . ”
It ’s easy to lose sight of Penelope ’s impressive intelligence operation amidst her whimsy , but she was able-bodied to determine the exact dimensions of the unsub and crack the grammatical case . The quiet assurance with which she bring was reminiscent of her old life as a prolific hacker make love asthe"Black Queen"inCriminal Minds . She may have given up her mediaeval mode after link up the BAU , but the dark hang around beneath the open made her a much more complex fictitious character .
