This past Wednesday, one of my all-time favorite shows came to an end. Criminal Minds was one of the most highly-watched crime shows on television for the last 15 years, lasting 14 seasons of action, mystery, and family.
The 2-hour series finale was broken up into two separate episodes within the 10 episodes final season, titled “Face Off” and “And in the End”. The team comes together to catch Everett Lynch, known as “The Chameleon”, who they had been chasing for over year after he had nearly killed David Rossi, who had confronted him alone. However, we also get a shocking revelation by one of the main members of the team. The beloved Penelope Garcia reveals to the team that she had landed a new job outside the Behavior Analysis Unit.
Meanwhile, as the team comes to dealing with one of their own leaving, Rossi is working to figure out Lynch’s next moves so they finally can catch them once and for all. After developing a plan that seems to have successfully trapped and killed Lynch, Dr. Spencer Reid discovers that Lynch managed to escape the explosion they had thought killed him and was still on the run.
The team finally thought they were at peace and the mess was over, Rossi even considering to finally retire from the BAU. After a wild goose chase and the beloved BAU private jet being blown up, their journey with Lynch finally came to a close.
The episode fast forwards a month after the events went down, where Rossi is holding a party at his house that turns out to be a send-off to Garcia. The scenes taking place at Rossi’s house during the party are so heart-warming and fun, as the team dances and has a great time as they say goodbye to their friend. It brings it back to what this show is really all about, which is family, not by blood, but by choice. The episode also manages to weave in a few flashbacks from early on in the show, including familiar faces like Hotch, Gideon, Elle, and Morgan (who I miss so much).
As a long time fan of the show, this was the best way to end the journey that has been 15 years in the making. I grew up watching the show with my sister and mom, and it has become a staple in our daily lives to bing watch the re-runs whenever it is on. It is so hard to say goodbye to the characters I have grown attached to and the BAU family that is at the heart of this show. Criminal Minds will forever remain in my eyes as one of the best shows on television and you bet I will be rewatching it over and over again.
#wheelsup