There really is no contest as to which relationship in Criminal Minds is the downright best, offering us the most deliciously flirtatious lines and wholesomely poignant friendship. The dynamic bond between the hunky Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) and tech-savvy Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) captured our hearts from the moment they graced our screen, even if their behavior has caused the bureau some headaches — like a sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace seminar. When Moore left the original series in Season 11, we mourned not being able to see our favorite couple anymore, but Criminal Minds: Evolution gave us a heart-warming update on their friendship that we sorely needed.
Shemar Moore’s Exit From ‘Criminal Minds’ Ended the Show’s Best Friendship
Moore exited Criminal Minds in Season 11, with his character deciding to focus on his family rather than chasing down horrific serial killers. While it was an endearing reason for Derek to leave the BAU, it did spell out the end of the show’s most notable friendship. Penelope and Derek have been staples of Criminal Minds since their pilot episode, constantly promising us laughter, drama, and emotion with their friendly banter. Alongside Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid, they were one of the more iconic and memorable aspects of the show, and it definitely hasn’t been the same without them.
Evolution Season 2’s finale sees the BAU frantically trying to rescue Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), who has just been abducted by the two surviving members of the Gold Star program. Though their profiling techniques managed to get them halfway there, they resigned to relying on Elias Voit’s (Zach Gilford) help again. Naturally, Elias doesn’t make it easy on them, demanding his sentence to be carried out at a low-security prison, and also claims that he needs to use Penelope’s laptop to track down the Gold Star members’ location. He had previously helped the assassins by creating a program that would detect deepfake videos and had secretly put geotagging technology into these videos. As such, when the time comes, Penelope forces Elias to turn around while she inputs her password and allows him into her precious technological abode.
As soon as Elias gazes onto the screen, he asks, “What is Chocolate Thunder?” Fans of Criminal Minds will instantly recognize this as one of the many pet names Penelope reserved for Derek. Aside from generally flirting conversations that kept them under the watchful eye of the bureau’s HR department, they also indulged in a wide variety of nicknames, including “babygirl” for Penelope and “Chocolate Thunder” for Derek. We cannot see the computer screen, so we don’t know if it was the name of a folder, a file, or something else digital — the fact that it immediately appears as soon as you log in speaks volumes, considering how much Penelope values her technology.
If the name’s mere existence on her laptop isn’t proof enough of Penelope’s continued devotion to Derek, her expression following Elias’ question certainly is. Though it is Jennifer Jareau (A.J. Cook) who immediately interrupts him and changes the subject, we see Penelope standing behind him with a death stare that bores into the back of his skull. How dare he utter the precious nickname that is sacred to her? This is also reminiscent of a couple of scenes back, where Elias makes a testy remark about the BAU-gate website, which rankles JJ. Always ready to protect her loved ones, Penelope squares up against Elias and, once again, gives him a death stare while maintaining eye contact. Her menacing resolve is enough for Elias’ arrogant smile to fade off his face. As such, linking the two uses of Penelope’s threatening stare, it is clear that her friendship with and love for Derek is alive and well.
Derek Returned To ‘Criminal Minds’ Once To Support Penelope
In recent seasons, we have been left in the dark about the status of their friendship. Evolution Season 2 has brought about a lot of nostalgia, as Jill Gideon’s (Felicity Huffman) introduction paved the way for scenes of Spencer’s desk and also in-depth conversations about Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin), who had originally led the series when it first aired. While this has partially satiated our reminiscing, Season 2’s finale topped the nostalgia off with a brief reference to Derek, much to our delight, reassuring us that his flawless friendship with Penelope is still as important as ever.
‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Confirms Penelope Still Loves Derek
This momentary scene is not the only testament to how integral their friendship is to the show and to their characters. Since Season 11, Moore has made a brief appearance in Criminal Minds Season 13, Episode 5, “Lucky Strikes,” where he returns solely to comfort Penelope after the episode’s case brings up memories of her past. The fact that his guest appearance revolved around their friendship is not only touching but also speaks to how special it really is.
Moore has not been able to return to the series since due to his successful lead role in SWAT, where he plays the role of a police officer in the LAPD while keeping crime off the streets. However, between Moore being open to reprising his profiling role in Criminal Minds, and the announcement of SWAT’s eighth season being its final one, fans can start crossing their fingers for his potential return to Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3. It’s not only the return of his feisty yet grisly personality that we await but the revitalization of a beloved friendship that has remained dormant for far too long. For now, we simply live off the ephemeral references that reaffirm the existence of their friendship.
