Penelope Garcia actor, Kirsten Vangsness, has a nostalgic reunion with Criminal Minds‘ original lead star. Originally a CBS production, the procedural ran for 15 seasons on the network before wrapping up its run. By then, the idea was to fully end the show, with the remaining BAU members getting their respective swan songs. Realizing how popular the show continued to be, both on streaming and syndication, Paramount+ brought the project back on their platform.
Now officially rebranded, the revamped version quickly found its audience again, despite being on streaming. Proof of its enduring success was Paramount+ renewing the procedural for season 4 ahead of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3’s finale. As beloved as the new iteration of the show is, there will always be a special place for the earliest years of the series on CBS. Hence, why it is so heartwarming to see people from that time period come together.
That was exactly what happened when Vangsness shared an image on her official Instagram account of her and Mandy Patinkin. For context, the revered actor was part of the original cast for Criminal Minds when it debuted in 2005. He played the BAU’s co-founder and then-leader, Jason Gideon. Check out the nostalgic photo below:
Patinkin was only on Criminal Minds for two seasons, however. Despite playing the lead role and being fantastic at it, the actor decided to walk away from the project as he deemed the show’s subject matter way too dark. He prioritized his mental health, leading to his decision to leave. Patinkin’s Criminal Minds exit led to the arrival of Joe Mantegna’s Dave Rossi โ Gideon’s old partner and BAU co-founder. On-screen, Gideon’s exit somewhat reflected that, as he left the BAU after getting disillusioned on the heels of the murder of his girlfriend.
Years later, Criminal Minds gave Gideon a definitive send-off, when he was killed off-screen. The case, naturally, was handled by the BAU, allowing his former team members to process their grief. Until now, the character remains relevant to the series, being name-dropped every now and then. It has been nearly 20 years since Patinkin left the series, but it’s clear that he has maintained a good relationship with the people he worked with before.
Considering Gideon’s death, the chances of Patinkin returning for Evolution are very small at this point. That said, Criminal Minds has found ways to bring dead characters back, including Rossi’s wife, Krystall. So if the stars aligned and a strong story comes up, especially one that could redefine the role of the BAU, the actor may not be opposed to doing a guest-starring role.
Criminal Minds
8/10
- Release Date
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September 22, 2005
- Showrunner
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Erica Messer
- Directors
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Fรฉlix Enrรญquez Alcalรก, Rob Bailey, Matthew Gray Gubler, Joe Mantegna, John Gallagher, Douglas Aarniokoski, Guy Norman Bee, Larry Teng, Nelson McCormick, Alec Smight, Charles S. Carroll, Rob Spera, Charles Haid, Diana Valentine, Rob Hardy, Tawnia McKiernan, Bethany Rooney, Karen Gaviola, Sharat Raju, Thomas Gibson, Aisha Tyler, Anna Foerster, Gloria Muzio, John Terlesky
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Kirsten Vangsness
Penelope Garcia
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Matthew Gray Gubler
Dr. Spencer Reid