Over its impressive 15-season run on the air, Criminal Minds introduced a bevy of fascinating characters and villains, but who was The Black Queen, and why were they important? Criminal Minds debuted in 2005 and put a clever spin on the classic procedural formula by telling the story of the FBI's elite Behavioral Analysis Unit which catches notorious serial killers. As such, many of the show's most gripping episodes were ripped from the pages of true crime history and told darker and more frightening stories than most procedurals dared to do. Even so, Criminal Minds never neglected its main characters, and each had a strong arc throughout the series.
Though The Black Queen was only mentioned in one episode, the storyline was cleverly woven into the larger fabric of Criminal Minds which helped to make the main characters more interesting. So much more than a disposable character of the week, The Black Queen was actually integral to the history of the series and gave fans insight into one of the show's most beloved characters. With a decade and a half worth of seasons, the best Criminal Minds episodes often delved into the characters' pasts to tell stories that helped to elevate it above other procedural shows.
The Black Queen Was Garcia's Hacker Alter-Ego
Though she was one of the most popular characters on the show from day one, the BAU's resident computer guru Penelope Garcia had a somewhat vague backstory. That all changed, though, when the events of Criminal Minds, season 9, episode 12, "The Black Queen" finally shed some light on how exactly she came to work for the FBI. The episode revealed in a flashback that Garcia was working as an anarchist hacker under the code name "the Black Queen" up until the year 2004 when her unprecedented hacking skills landed her a job with the BAU.
The flashback also revealed she had a much more rebellious spirit in her past than what was shown on Criminal Minds, and it was clear that her brush with the law had a sobering effect on the former champion for anarchist justice. Despite the change in her personality, it was clear that the Black Queen still lived within Garcia while she worked for the BAU, and her desire to help those in need came through with her volunteer work. Though her fashion sense changed, Garcia still relied on the Black Queen's computer know-how on almost every case.
Garcia Connects With A Black Queen Ex To Solve A Case
Criminal Minds often relied on hidden details about Garcia to flesh out her character, but "The Black Queen" put her and her past at the forefront of the story. Besides revealing information about her criminal activities, the episode also introduced her former love interest who was still working as a hacker for social justice. Shane Wyeth drew the ire of the BAU for getting involved as an online sleuth who believed a convicted criminal had been wrongfully convicted. This led to Penelope and the BAU calling on him to help solve a series of killings that pointed to his hacker organization.
While Wyeth was mostly motivated by his continued disdain for Penelope following their breakup, he nevertheless proved to be invaluable when helping to bring down the actual unsub who had been operating within his hacking group. Throughout the Criminal Minds episode, Wyeth maintained that Penelope had changed for the worse because she was no longer the Black Queen that he ed, but it was clear she had actually found a better calling that allowed her to do more good.
