Criminal Minds is a series that deals with heavy topics in every episode. It is pretty much the opposite of your average light-hearted sitcom, and because it deals with such dramatic content, the show puts quotes of wisdom at the beginning and the end of nearly every episode. A handful of these opening and closing quotes from the series truly stick with the audience. Sometimes, the agents catching the serial killers also drop some pearls of wisdom while working the case. These particular quotes from Criminal Minds are ones that the audience will always .
Updated on June 6th, 2022 by Amanda Bruce: A long-running series like Criminal Minds draws a hugely dedicated fanbase. While some fans enjoy the episodic nature of the cases, others like longer arcs concerning the lives of the team , and still others are curious about watching this group of people deal with darkness and still come out the other side. There are particularly memorable quotes for every type of fan of the series. Some of those quotes come in the form of the show's signature voiceovers that open and close the episodes, while others come from the main characters directly, giving the audience insights into those particular characters.
Prentiss Quotes Adam Serwer In The Final Season
"HISTORY HAS A WAY OF ALTERING VILLAINS SO THAT WE NO LONGER SEE OURSELVES IN THEM."
While there are a lot of great lines in Criminal Minds, there are also a lot of opening and closing voiceovers whose words don't come from the writers of the show. In the final season, Prentiss gives the audience this particular quote that reminds them how much history is rewritten by those who come later.
Criminal Minds does a great job over its seasons at showing very human villains that the audience can sympathize with as well as those that appear distinctly "other." The quote reminds the audience that those two types of villains in the show really aren't as far apart as they might think.
JJ Will Do Anything For The Team
"YOU DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY."
When the series first begins, JJ isn't a field agent in the same way as the other of the team. She has the same firearm training, but she's their liaison to the public, the person presenting news conferences and answering public relations questions, not the person interviewing witnesses or processing evidence. That changes when an unsub actually threatens the other of the team and JJ is the one to pull the trigger to stop them. While Garcia apologizes that JJ has been put in that position, it makes JJ realize that there's nothing she wouldn't do for the team. Her line foreshadows just how far she'll go in the future, lying to the entire team about Prentiss' death to keep them safe from another criminal and giving Prentiss the chance to go undercover to stop him.
Tara Has An Interesting Way To Describe One Type Of Serial Killer
"THEY'RE LIKE VAMPIRES, READY TO SUCK YOUR SOUL DRY AND FILE YOUR INFORMATION AWAY FOR A RAINY DAY."
Criminal Minds explores a lot of the different types of criminals, but the shows main focus is on serial killers in its long run. Tara Lewis studies serial killers long before she s the team, and she interviews plenty of prisoner to determine whether they're fit for trial. She's one of the most knowledgable additions to the show. Her way with words when describing the type of serial killer who is more interested in mind games and getting to know their victims than the actual act of killing is incredibly descriptive and one that paints a disturbing picture for the audience.
Garcia Can Do Just About Anything With A Computer
"I DID A THING... BEST NOT TALK ABOUT THE THING."
Penelope Garcia is very good at her job. She can find just about any piece of information hidden in any file in any computer system. Sometimes, the methods she uses to help the team aren't strictly legal, but she keeps those details to herself. For example, when the team is suddenly presented with new tablets to help them view files and photos, Garcia makes this remark about what she did to get them. Her methods get the team results, even if they don't always understand or know the full extent of what she does.
Reid Doesn't Like Being Talked Down To
"THIS IS CALM... AND IT'S DOCTOR."
Spencer Reid begins his time on the show as the youngest member of the team, the one with the least experience in the field, but the one with the most academically gifted mind. He knows the ins and outs of his job well. He sees patterns when no one else does. Reid also takes his work incredibly seriously. He doesn't appreciate it when he's treated as unreasonable or like a child.
That idea is reinforced repeatedly throughout the series, but it comes to a head when the team is under investigation and Reid gets heated while answering questions. When he's called "Agent" more than once, and is told to calm down, he calmly explains himself again, and reminds everyone in the room that he isn't just an agent. It's certainly one of Reid's most memorable moments in Criminal Minds.
A Samuel Becket Quote Encourages Learning
"TRY AGAIN. FAIL AGAIN. FAIL BETTER."
Just as in real life, not every case the Behavioral Analysis Unit takes on has a happy ending. Sometimes, they don't catch the bad guy in time, and sometimes, the murderer gets away to go after someone else. That's evident even in the first season, in which this Criminal Minds quote, courtesy of Samuel Beckett, appears. Though plenty of the stories in the series are unrealistic, the idea of learning from failure, of taking lessons from mistakes, is one that certainly applies to real life.
G. K. Chesterton Provides Hotch With This Quote
"FAIRY TALES DO NOT TELL CHILDREN THAT DRAGONS EXIST. CHILDREN ALREADY KNOW THAT DRAGONS EXIST. FAIRY TALES TELL CHILDREN THAT DRAGONS CAN BE KILLED."
One of the criticisms of Criminal Minds is just how dark some of the subject matter is - especially in episodes that concern kidnapped children. That criticism is aimed at a lot of fictional crime dramas. That idea isn't lost on the writers, who include this G.K. Chesterton quote in an episode's closing through Hotch's voiceover. The idea is that no matter how dark or scary the stories get, the show is a reminder that in nearly two decades worth of episodes, there is a supreme effort to make sure that the good outweighs the bad and that there are ways to bring people to justice.
Prentiss Refuses To Sacrifice Her Humanity
"I NEED TO KNOW THAT I CAN BE HUMAN."
This particular line doesn't come from a scholar or philosopher at the opening and closing of the show. Instead, this is one of the few Criminal Minds quotes here from an agent in the series - Agent Emily Prentiss.
Her judgment on a case is questioned because she doesn't remain impartial, and Emily responds with this line. In the face of so much death and destruction, it's difficult to not bring emotions into the job, no matter how methodical and careful an agent is. That's part of what makes the characters so compelling for the audience.
Mitch Albom Provides Insight Into Death
"DEATH ENDS A LIFE, NOT A RELATIONSHIP."
Mitch Albom indicates that just because someone es away, it doesn't mean the relationships that they shared during their time in this world suddenly disappear. This quote carries a lot of weight and it can be relatable to anyone who has lost a loved one before whether it be a romantic partner, a parent, or a sibling. Those bonds and connections don't just go away once someone leaves this earth. They stick with individuals forever and they are just as meaningful in death as they are in life. With the amount of loss present in the series, this has become one of the most iconic Criminal Minds quotes.
Helen Keller's Quote Encourages Expansion Of The Senses
"THE BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN THE WORLD CANNOT BE SEEN OR EVEN TOUCHED."
When most people think of the word "beauty," visual images usually come to mind. Whether it be a beautiful sunset or beautiful eyes, it is something society tends to associate with the physical aspects of reality.
This quote sheds light on the fact that the most beautiful things in the world aren't tangible. Feelings are not something everyone can see or touch, yet they are the most lovely things this world has to offer. This certainly makes for one of the most popular quotes used in Criminal Minds.
