The final episode of the hit crime procedural Criminal Minds aired on Wednesday night. The show, which followed the criminal profilers of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, had been on the air for 15 years. It was one of the longest-running crime procedurals on TV.
The cast of the show has been posting some amazing behind the scenes shots on social media as they wrap up the show. And as the final episode aired, the cast signed off on the show that had been part of their lives for the last 15 years.
Here’s what they had to say.
![[Spoilers] Why Did Penelope Garcia Leave in ‘Criminal Minds’?](https://blastcdn.b-cdn.net/0d306960e7fb38a100cb3cb1ecf2c20a.jpg?aspect_ratio=2:1&width=180)
Matthew Gray Gubler played Spencer Reid, a literal genius with an eidetic memory, whose beautiful brain solved many a murder for the BAU. When the show started, his character was in his early twenties, so the audience watched Spencer Reid grow up right in front of their eyes.
Gubler gave some of the most moving performances of the show. He’s also one of the only original cast members who never left the show, even temporarily.
Gubler posted a picture of his BAU ID, his sidearm, and his watch, commenting that he’d been carrying these props almost daily for 15 years.
Kirsten Vangsness played Penelope Garica, the technical goddess who could track down any person, place, or thing with her custom-built computer setup. She could also hack literally any system, which is how she got her job – by hacking the FBI.
Penelope Garcia was the heart of the team and Kirsten Vangsness was the heart of the cast, especially since she’s the other cast member who’s never taken a break from the show. Vangsness has been posting final season behind the scene shots for weeks now.
Wednesday night, she simply posted a video of her watching a clip of the final episode in the editing room.
Aisha Tyler joined the cast of Criminal Minds in season 11 to play Dr. Tara Lewis, a criminal psychologist who made her career out of interviewing serial killers. Her keen insight into the psychology of the criminals the team chased helped give the BAU team the edge they needed to solve their cases.
On Wednesday evening, Tyler posted a video on her Instagram that was a tribute to the history of the show. All we can say is don’t watch without Kleenex. She captioned it simply, “Wheels up. One last time. @crimmindscbs ♥️”
A.J. Cook played Jennifer Jareau or JJ, the media liaison turned criminal profiler. JJ is the character that progressed the most throughout the 15 seasons of the show. She was always a crucial part of the team, but she went through some seriously tough stuff to grow into the incredible criminal profiler she became.
A.J. Cook has been posting her favorite moments from the show for a couple of weeks. Wednesday, she posted a series of incredible behind the scenes moments and in the comments expressed her gratitude for her Criminal Minds family.