Criminal Minds: Evolution brings back the classic show with an unlikely star — Penelope Garcia. She has been a popular character partly because her quirky and funny nature is a direct contrast to the darkness that often prevails on the show about serial killers. Since the beginning, she was often used as a comic relief, especially in her friendship with Derek Morgan. But even though she occasionally got pulled into a bigger storyline, her character was frequently pushed into the background.
This may have changed because of the smaller cast of Criminal Minds: Evolution. Garcia's personal life wasn't featured as often as some of the other characters in the original series. While characters like Emily, JJ, and even Reid found their respective partners and got their happy ending potential, Penelope seemed stuck in place, never really moving forward. They often featured her friendship with Derek but never quite bothered to develop her as an individual person as much as they did many other characters.
Penelope Garcia Is Finally Being Utilized By Criminal Minds
Things, however, seem to be changing in the new season of Criminal Minds, as Penelope has been featured at the forefront of many episodes. The season begins with the team scattered around and still managing to close cases despite the insane restrictions surrounding them, including Spencer Reid's absence, finally explained by the showrunner recently. But when push comes to shove, it is the FBI's best hacker that they can't do without. Penelope seems to have created a happy life for herself, and it's lovely to see her dedicate time to her hobbies and ions finally.
Her character has been one of the most interesting and complex ones on the show. From beginning her FBI career as a rebellious hacker to becoming a literal ray of sunshine amidst the darkness, she's had quite a journey. Finally seeing Garcia in her element outside the FBI feels special, and the audience knows that the happiness she's worked so hard for is well-deserved after her long service to the Bureau. That's why it almost feels cruel to her character when she is plucked from her everyday life and thrust back into action, which makes this BAU member the biggest victim of Criminal Minds: Evolution.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Shows How Much Penelope Has Changed
Considering the original series, Penelope Garcia is the character that has seemingly changed the most in Criminal Minds: Evolution. Though she's always been a warm and loving person, a newfound air of confidence radiates from her. The improvement may be attributed to the fact that she's set up her life for success and seems to be thriving. Like everyone else, she's grown during the original series, overcoming multiple personal traumas, like getting shot and facing her parents' killer, but Penelope 2.0 seems even more invincible.
Given the fact that the team might be facing the most dangerous serial killer yet, this might come in handy. Not only is she the glue that keeps the team together, confirming she's the most important character in the BAU, as recently proven with her blunt but necessary intervention with Rossi, but this might be one of the darkest cases they've ever worked on Criminal Minds. As everyone on the team battles their own demons while trying to catch Elias Voit (Zach Guilford) and his network of killers, Garcia's optimism and warmth might be just what gets them all through it. Hopefully, her temporary return to the FBI doesn't mean a setback for her own personal happiness.
