History Characters / CriminalMindsBAU

* FanWank: In an in-universe example, Reid has a tendency to bore his colleagues with rants about the specs of the [[Franchise/StarWars Death Star]], that ''Film/BillAndTed'' was a ripoff of ''Series/DoctorWho'', and the nature and "surprising infrequency" of science errors in the original ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}}''.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Does not look the part of an FBI employee at all, but it doesn't matter because she's brilliant at her job.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: The vast majority of the team's roster has one, in all shapes and sizes. See their individual entries for more details.

* {{Flanderization}}: In the first season -- particularly the first half -- Morgan dressed in suits and other professional attire and was known as an intellectual who just happened to be good at fighting. While his brain hasn't left him, his style of clothing (to a much more casual dress) and the pronouncement of his emotions suggest that the "fighter" part of his persona has shoved his brain to the back seat, though he goes back toward his previous characterization after being promoted to unit chief. See also WhatHappenedToTheMouse below for more.

[[center: [- [[Characters/CriminalMinds Main Character Index]] | '''BAU''' | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnSubs [=UnSubs=]]] | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnsubsSeasonsOneToFive UnSubs Seasons 1-5]] | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnsubsSeasonsSixToSeven UnSubs Seasons 6-7]] | | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnsubsSeasonsEightToTen UnSubs Seasons 8-10]] | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnsubsSeasonsElevenToFifteen UnSubs Seasons 11-15]] | [[Character/CriminalMindsEvolutionUnsubs Evolution UnSubs]] | [[Characters/CriminalMindsOthers Others]] ]]-]

* SomedayThisWillComeInHandy: Reid has so much apparently useless knowledge that it is, in fact, ridiculous. By contrast, his knowledge of pop culture varies: he knows Siouxsie and the Banshees but not ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' or Music/LadyGaga.

** He's also forced to wound the Mirror Man UnSub in Season 10, to his relief he recovers in hospital.

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Luke gleefully tells Calvin Shaw, a crooked FBI agent [[spoiler: in the same prison as Reid, who exposed Reid as FBI, nearly getting Reid killed in the process]] that he's personally arranged for Shaw to be transferred to a supermax prison in Michigan...namely the same prison where a lot of the Russian gangsters Shaw put away during his time in the Bureau are incarcerated, leaving Shaw looking [[OhCrap utterly terrified]] at the prospect.

* TheSmartGal: See PlayfulHacker above.

* CharacterTics: Jason Gideon has a tendency towards having an open mouthed, "calculating face", whenever processing new information or hearing shocking news (or pretending to).

* TheChessmaster: Could beat Reid in chess.

* DefectiveDetective: Has PTSD from a pre-series case.

* TheLancer: To Hotchner's TheLeader.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The reason Gideon disappears without a trace is because actor Creator/MandyPatinkin couldn't take the constant emotional impact of the horrific cases on the show.

* TheStrategist: He is the person who is most likely to plot out the strategies to capture killers and to plot out their responses.

* ToKnowHimIMustBecomeHim: All the time.
* {{Troll}}: Gideon shows a propensity for messing with Unsubs, to throw them off their game. He provokes the Footpad killer's stutter by repeatedly insulting him, gets the villain of "Plain Sight" to surrender by threatening to make him and his crime spree forgotten, repeatedly hangs up when a kidnapper calls to provoke the man into a fit a of anger which makes him reveal crucial clues about his identity. Suspecting a victim they found is one of their two unsubs the tells the man that the agents hunting for his "attacker" have orders to shoot on sight to make the man break down and reveal he's his accomplice. His entire interrogation technique with a terrorist is putting an amicable façade on the man while messing with the guy's sense of time to get a confession. This tactic would sometimes come to a head when Gideon, annoyed at the Fisher King, would organize a press release against the Unsub's demands. The Fisher King would in turn shoot Elle in revenge, and leave a fingerprint behind which the BAU would use to identify him. Gideon is left wondering if he did the right call - he did provoke the unsub to make a mistake, but Elle paid the price. While the BAU would continue such tactics after Gideon's gone, in the first two season this is very much Gideon's trademark.

* SilverFox: His hair has gone completely grey over the years but he's still quite handsome for his age.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: Poor kid. Mom's schizophrenic and Dad abandoned everyone. At one point, he was going to be the next victim of a local pedophile and child murderer. Biggest brain in the room and usually the one targeted physically by the serial killers.
* DisappearedDad: First with his own father, and then with his ''father figure'', Gideon.

* InsistentTerminology: ''Doctor'', not ''Agent''.

* BadassBaritone: A trained FBI agent, Stephen has quite the deep sounding voice.

[[center: [- [[Characters/CriminalMinds Main Character Index]] | '''BAU''' | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnSubs [=UnSubs=]]] | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnsubsSeasonsOneToFive UnSubs Seasons 1-5]] | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnsubsSeasonsSixToSeven UnSubs Seasons 6-7]] | | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnsubsSeasonsEightToTen UnSubs Seasons 8-10]] | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnsubsSeasonsElevenToFifteen UnSubs Seasons 11-15]] | [[Characters/CriminalMindsOthers Others]] ]]-]

** JJ is TheChick; originally in charge of handling media and communications, she's the TeamMom who usually takes point on speaking to victims' families and is the one most likely to express empathy for someone (even an [=UnSub=]).

* [[WhenYouComingHomeDad When You Coming Home, Mom?]]: While it's never really confirmed, Emily Prentiss does not have a good relationship with her mother, and has implied numerous times that Ambassador Prentiss was neglectful toward her (most notably in "Honor Amongst Thieves", when she's surprised the Ambassador would go to her, and in "Demonology", [[spoiler: when she says her mother "would have killed" her if she'd found out Emily was pregnant and had an abortion]]). It really doesn't get much more neglectful than [[spoiler: failing to attend your own daughter's funeral.]]

* AmbiguousDisorder: Whether or not he is autistic is up in the air. The [=UnSub=] of "Broken Mirror" states it's obvious (though he was trying to intimidate the team) and Alex Blake makes a joke about the possibility. It has been confirmed by Matthew Gray Gubler and one writer on the show that he does have UsefulNotes/AspergerSyndrome.

* {{Jerkass}}: Depending on the writer. Moreso in Season 3, but there have been episodes in Season 5 where writers of various episodes have him lapsing back into his Jerkass-y ways. Rossi comes off as an egotistical bastard when he first shows up, baiting [=UnSubs=] and insulting a lot of people's intelligence.

[[center: [- [[Characters/CriminalMinds Main Character Index]] | '''BAU''' | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnSubs [=UnSubs=]]] | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnsubsSeasonsOneToFive UnSubs Seasons 1-5]] | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnsubsSeasonsSixToTen UnSubs Seasons 6-10]] | [[Characters/CriminalMindsUnsubsSeasonsElevenToFifteen UnSubs Seasons 11-15]] | [[Characters/CriminalMindsOthers Others]] ]]-]

* ManicPixieDreamGirl: She looks the part, rather than playing the part

* Tomboy: Was one growing up; she tells a suspect about her aunt having to mend her ripped clothes.

Due to a series of events starting in Season 1 involving serial killer Frank Breitkopf, Gideon eventually leaves the show at the start of Season 3. [[spoiler:Any chance of return is squashed when he's murdered by a psychopath he once chased with Rossi.]]

--> '''Garcia:''' ''(in reference to Rossi giving away his vacation days)'' Altruism is sexy.
--> '''Hotch:''' Yes it is.

* TheLancer: To Hotchner.
& Prentiss as TheLeader.

''(Morgan, Prentiss, and JJ exchange looks)''
-->'''Prentiss''': Because you do.

* {{Troll}}: Gideon shows a propensity for messing with Unsubs, to throw them off their game. He provokes the Footpad killer's stutter by repeatedly insulting him, gets the villain of "Plain Sight" to surrender by threatening to make him and his crime spree forgotten, and repeatedly hangs up when a kidnapper calls to provoke the man into a fit a of anger which makes him reveal crucial clues about his identity. His entire interrogation technique with a terrorist is putting an amicable façade on the man while messing with the guy's sense of time to get a confession. This tactic would come to a head when Gideon, annoyed at the Fisher King, would organize a press release against the Unsub's demands. The Fisher King would in turn shoot Elle in revenge, and leave a fingerprint behind which the BAU would use to identify him. Gideon is left wondering if he did the right call - he did provoke the unsub to make a mistake, but Elle paid the price. While the BAU would continue such tactics after Gideon's gone, in the first two season this is very much Gideon's trademark.