After fifteen long years on CBS, the hit show Criminal Minds has come to an end. Created by Jeff Davis, Criminal Minds came out during the police procedural boom of the 2000s but proved its staying power through interesting character development and thrilling plots. The series finale consisted of two separate episodes where the BAU says goodbye after searching for one last psychopath. As expected, the series finale ended with the cast sharing heavyhearted speeches and clinking glasses to celebrate the end of a legacy.

The first episode of the two-parter (entitled “Face Off”) sees Agent Rossi (Joe Mantegna) set out to find and capture Everett Lynch, also known as “The Chameleon” (Michael Mosley). Lynch has been silent for months, after killing his daughter Grace and almost killing Agent Rossi. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Rossi believe that Lynch’s mom Roberta (Sharon Lawrence) is only pretending to be helpful to them when in fact she has her own plans. Meanwhile, Everett is searching for his father while hiding away with a woman named Marilyn (Tracy Melchior) and her daughter Olivia (AlexAnn Hopkins). The first episode consisted of the same thrill-seeking adventure as every other episode in the series.

This episode ends on a cliffhanger that immediately gets picked up in “And In The End,” where we see a number of familiar faces from past seasons through the memories from Reid’s past: we see the return of Derek (Shemar Moore), Hotch (Thomas Gibson), Gideon (Mandy Patinkin), Elle Greenaway (Lola Glaudini) and Chief Strauss (Jayne Atkinson). We also see the familiar face of villain George Foyet (C. Thomas Howell) and Reid’s late girlfriend Maeve (Beth Riesgraf). Remembering these characters left the viewers feeling sentimental about the past fifteen seasons.

The last two episodes of a successful fifteen-year production were bittersweet, to say the least. None of the main characters were killed off, which was a great sign. Fans got to experience old friendships from previous seasons once more, and they got a reminiscent goodbye from long-time character, Penelope Garcia. Fans are heartbroken that after fifteen years of hunting down serial killers, meeting new members of the BAU and solving cases has come to an end. Although, the way the farewell was handled, served the last fifteen years justice. The production was amazing, the choice of music, lighting, everything about this was simply outstanding, and you couldn’t ask for more.

I love this show, I’ve been a fan of it for many years and I’ve seen every episode countless times. This is a great crime show with a different storyline every episode, while still getting to know the members of the Behavior Analysis Unit. The years of success are due to its captivating characters and stories. Criminal Minds is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys diving into the minds of psychopaths.