The popular and lauded drama series Criminal Minds notoriously delved into the psyche of some of the world’s most dangerous and disturbing offenders. The fan favorite, long-time running series captivated audiences everywhere with its depiction of criminal profilers in the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), centering on the brilliant men and women who faced down darkness every day for the sake and safety of humanity. Throughout its 15-season run, the crime drama was a continuous hit in ratings, with its unique and colorful characters attracting a wide array of devoted viewers.
The show concluded its impressive tenure in 2020, but it didn’t take long for talks of a revival to circulate with Paramount+ officially announcing plans to revisit the thrilling program in February 2021. Many beloved faces are returning for the revival, though a few notable actors have decided to pass on rejoining. Most prominently absent is Matthew Gray Gubler, who charmed audiences with his portrayal of resident genius and quirky special agent Dr. Spencer Reid. Gubler is the latest expression of Criminal Minds' high turnover rate, with several other actors (like Mandy Patinkin and Jennifer Love Hewitt) joining the cast before later leaving. With that being said, in advance of the Paramount+ reboot series, these are the characters returning to the Criminal Minds reboot.
David Rossi (Joe Montegna)
The Italian stallion David Rossi is a Supervisory Special Agent at the BAU., having first joined the gripping series in Season 3 as the replacement for Jason Gideon. The character was brought back to the unit after a prolonged period in which he was “semi-retired," though he once again felt compelled to return due to both his personal connection with Aaron Hotchner and an overwhelming feeling of having unfinished business at Quantico. A distinguished and popular writer, Rossi has a reputation of being a bit of a playboy and has been married and divorced three times, with his demanding job being a big source of contention.
Unlike his counterparts Hotchner and Gideon, Rossi is very extroverted and can be abrasive, with his extensive experience in the field giving him immense confidence in his job as a special agent. The laser-focused character was fiercely and relentless when it came to any case, having gone toe-to-toe with frightening foes such as killers like the Butcher, John Curtis, Tommy Yates, and Everett Lynch. A decorated profiler and Vietnam War veteran, Rossi is the person the team turns to for guidance both personally and professionally.
Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster)
The resilient and dedicated Emily Prentiss is the BAU’s current Unit Chief who specializes in terrorism, child advocacy, and linguistics and has been a prominent presence on the series since her debut in Season 2. Prentiss replaced Agent Elle Greenaway and initially felt like an outsider by her peers due to her mother being a US Ambassador. She worried that those around her felt she was given the job because of this, though the character quickly proves herself to be a savvy profiler. Fluent in an array of languages including Arabic, French, and Spanish, she went undercover as a spy for Interpol to take down IRA International terrorist and killer Ian Doyle, leading her to fake her own death in the sixth season to protect her team.
Prentiss’ return the following season caused her relationship with Spencer Reid to become strained, who felt betrayed over her staged death. The tough heroine develops a close bond with both Derek Morgan and Jennifer “JJ” Jareau, and eventually becomes Hotch’s successor as BAU Unit Chief when he departs in Season 12. Prentiss is loyal and protective of her friends and fellow agents and is very level-headed when it comes to cases, though there are times she lets her defenses down and embraces the darkness she faces every day.
Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (A.J. Cook)
Former communications liaison and current Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer “JJ” Jareau started out her career at the BAU by serving as the middle-man between the unit and police and media officials before becoming a full-time profiler and field agent in Season 7. She is able to return to Quantico after being forced to accept a promotion at the Pentagon the following season, reuniting with her close friends and colleagues to search for Prentiss and capture Ian Doyle. JJ is married to New Orleans detective William LaMontagne and the couple share two sons together, Henry and Michael (played by Cook’s real-life children).
She has a close friendship with Reid and eventually confesses to always loving him after being held hostage by proxy killer Case Pinker, but the pair decide to keep it secret and remain best friends. Despite becoming an official profiler later in the series, JJ helped the team constantly and was a reassuring presence to her friends, with the character caring deeply and treating the unit members like her family.
Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness)
The colorful and quirky Penelope Garcia is the BAU’s former technical analyst and communications liaison, having first attracted the unit’s attention when she was a skilled underground hacker known as “The Black Queen.” She was given the choice by Hotch to either join the team and use her talents to do good or serve a jail sentence, choosing to work for the BAU in hopes of redeeming herself and doing something noble with her hacking. Garcia develops an endearing relationship with Derek Morgan, with the two sharing comical, flirty banter and the agent fondly referring to her as “Baby Girl.”
Outside the BAU, Garcia is the leader of a grief support group after her parents were killed by a drunk driver when she was out past curfew at 18, leading to her spiraling for a while and feeling profound guilt. Garcia has saved the day time-and-time again with her remarkable hacking and is an incredible asset to the team, and is the godmother to Morgan’s son Hank and JJ’s son Henry. After back-and-forth ribbing and a rocky start between her and Luke Alvez (Morgan’s replacement), the agent asks Garcia to dinner, and it is implied they share a will-they-or-won't-they romantic spark. She leaves the BAU in the series finale to work at an independent institution.
Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler)
Forensic psychologist and Supervisory Special Agent Tara Lewis joined the BAU as a temporary replacement in Season 11 when JJ and Kate Callahan went on maternity leave before officially joining the series as a regular the following year. She felt compelled to become a psychologist and join the FBI because of her desire to study psychopaths first-hand, and the character came face-to-face with countless killers when she would determine their sanity to stand trial. Lewis spent most of her childhood traveling the world as army brats with her brother Gabriel, who she is able to locate and save after she profiles serial killer Peter Lewis after he is kidnapped.
When conducting her interviews with the serial killers, Lewis expresses to Reid that in order to connect with them, she tries to find something to establish a therapeutic alliance, allowing her to gain their trust. The character of Lewis was met with widespread praise from both fans and critics of the show, with many declaring she was a fantastic addition to the team and helped breathe new life into the drama.
Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez)
Former FBI fugitive task force member and current BAU agent Luke Alvez joined the team when Derek Morgan resigned, much to the initial ire of Garcia, who gave him the nickname “Newbie.” After first teaming up with the unit to catch the “Crimson King” and later “Mr. Scratch,” Alvez was Hotch’s last hire before leaving Quantico; the incident and capture of the deranged killer traumatized the agent. After his previous partner Phil Brooks is brutally murdered by ruthless Mexican sicario Jeremy Grant, Alvez takes it upon himself to hunt down the killer, resulting in his temporary demotion by Prentiss.
Much like Lewis, Alvez’s character helped invigorate the series and fill the void left by Shemar Moore’s Morgan. Alvez was strong and bold and relentlessly pursued the dangerous criminals the BAU faced, while also showing his humor and charm when he bantered with Garcia. Fans were delighted in the series finale when he asked the brilliant hacker to dinner, with many hoping for a much-anticipated romance.