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 remember.
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 members, 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 members 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 members 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 joins 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 passes 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.
Garcia Hates Not Having Answers
"MY LEAST FAVORITE WORDS STRUNG TOGETHER: I DON'T KNOW."
It's hard to be someone who is incredibly detail-oriented, used to solving puzzles, and always ready to pick apart the facts, in a world where so many answers are hard to track down. That description applies to every single character in the BAU over the course of the series, but this line from Penelope Garcia highlights their struggle when stumped on a case. No one likes to be lost or unsure of themselves, which makes the quote just as relatable as it is appropriate to the show.
An Unknown Speaker Provides A Voiceover Quote
"LOVE IS GIVING SOMEONE THE ABILITY TO DESTROY YOU, BUT TRUSTING THEM NOT TO."
The author of this quote is unknown, yet it carries a whole lot of wisdom and truth. It can be terrifying to love someone because the more someone cares about a person and the more passion they hold for them, the more likely they are to get hurt. It is so much easier not to mess with love because that way they can never experience heartbreak, but romance is all about taking chances and trusting the other person to stick by someone's side. If a relationship doesn't have trust, then there is no point in trying to make it work. Trust is the glue that keeps two people together, and a prevalent theme in the series.
Shakespeare Gives Criminal Minds Many Good Lines
"NOTHING IS SO COMMON AS THE WISH TO BE REMARKABLE."
Shakespeare's words provide a simple theory, yet it is so very accurate to how most humans feel. Nobody on this earth wants to be anything less than extraordinary. As a society, people often push each other to become the best versions of themselves so they can leave their mark on the rest of the world. It doesn't matter who they are or where they come from.
Everyone wants to have an impact. Perhaps this has to do with the human ego. Whatever the case may be as to why people want to be remarkable, it is never a bad idea for someone to have faith in themselves so that they can one day make a change.
Hotch Worries For His Team
"HOW MANY MORE TIMES WILL THEY BE ABLE TO LOOK INTO THE ABYSS? HOW MANY MORE TIMES BEFORE THEY WON'T EVER RECOVER THE PIECES OF THEMSELVES THAT THIS JOB TAKES?"
Just as Prentiss wants to retain her humanity in a cruel world, Hotch wonders how long his team will be able to do just that. It's clear that the entire team - no matter which iteration of the team it is - doesn't just love their job, but feels a need to do it. Some team members do get burnt out, like Elle and Gideon in the early seasons, but ultimately, this is a group that seeks out justice. That doesn't mean they can face the world unchanged. It might be one of the longer quotes from Criminal Minds, but it's still incredibly memorable.
Albert Pine's Quote Encourages Selfless Acts
"WHAT WE DO FOR OURSELVES DIES WITH US. WHAT WE DO FOR OTHERS AND THE WORLD REMAINS AND IS IMMORTAL."
This is an extremely valuable Criminal Minds quote because it helps people understand the importance of selfless behavior. If people spend their days only thinking about themselves and if they tend to act out of human greed rather than doing things for others, it will fail to leave an impact on the world. If they instead put their energy into benefiting those around them, it will be remembered forever. One person alone has the ability to change humanity if they put other people's needs before their own.
Abraham Lincoln Provides The Team With A Wise Quote
"IN THE END, IT'S NOT THE YEARS IN YOUR LIFE THAT COUNT. IT'S THE LIFE IN YOUR YEARS."
This beautiful quote expresses how it is not about the number of years a person lives, it is about how much they have lived during those years. It is better to die at a young age while having done a lot for the world than to pass at an older age while not having done much for others or had lasting experiences. Therefore, Lincoln is saying the quality of life is much more important than the quantity. After all, what is the point of life if a person isn't actually living?
Alfred Hithcock Knows Fear
"THERE IS NO TERROR IN THE BANG OF THE GUN; ONLY THE ANTICIPATION OF IT."
This quote said by Alfred Hitchcock emphasizes the fact that the biggest fear of all is fear itself. Once someone lets go of that feeling of fear that comes from the anticipation, there is nothing left to be afraid of. It isn't the act of shooting that scares someone; it is the moments leading up to it that cause people to tense up. While this is a great film theory in regards to creating suspense, it also makes a fantastic life quote because it teaches people where the terror in their minds really rests.
Edgar Allen Poe Knows The Danger Of Overthinking
"I REMAINED TOO MUCH INSIDE MY HEAD AND ENDED UP LOSING MY MIND."
Edgar Allen Poe's quote is meaningful for those who spend too much time inside their heads. While it is important to have an inner world and to make use of imagination, it is equally important to spend some time outside of someone's own thoughts and instead listen to what other people have to say.
This is one of the Criminal Minds quotes that teach the importance of finding a balance in life. In this case, the balance is between time spent alone and time spent with the outside world.
Tillie Olsen Provokes Thoughts Of Time
"THE CLOCK TALKED LOUD. I THREW IT AWAY. IT SCARED ME WHEN IT TALKED."
Tillie Olsen's words emphasize how society places so much value on time. When it comes to time, people either always want it to go backward or forward. They are almost never satisfied with the current time and this is a classic example of wanting what someone can't have. It is important to live in the present instead of just sitting around waiting for things to come or wishing for things to go back to the way they were.
David Rossi Speaks Of Life
"LIFE IS A HELL OF A THING TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE."
This is another of Criminal Minds' quotes that comes from an agent: David Rossi. Rossi hits the nail on the head with this quote which is filled with positivity and mystery. If someone really stops to think about it, human beings are so lucky that they have been granted a life to live. Just being born alone is a tremendous thing to happen to a person, so everyone should all learn to appreciate and cherish the time that they are given.