Emily Prentiss is arguably the best character that turned Criminal Minds into a hit series.
SSA Emily Prentiss joined Criminal Minds in the sophomore season and undoubtedly transformed the series for the better. Emily’s complex nature and her earnestness to learn from her team in the BAU made her a very endearing character. Compared to the cocky and brash Elle Greenaway, Emily was a much more accessible character to fans. Emily would also grow in her skills and confidence alongside the growth of the series itself, which is part of the reason she is a fan-favorite character.
Emily has a multi-faceted personality that is a perfect fit with her past as an undercover intelligence agent, which contributed to her brilliance as a profiler. She is fascinatingly secretive while at the same time being open and emotionally accessible to her teammates, which allowed her to help craft a family dynamic among the BAU team. Her brilliant spycraft plotline in season 6, which resulted in her fake death, was one of the most shocking and brilliant plot twists of Criminal Minds. Emily’s character is the perfect blend of emotionally and professionally developed over the course of the series, making it no wonder she became a staple of Criminal Minds.
When it comes to Criminal Minds, there have been several FBI agents enter and exit the Behavioral Analysis Unit over the 15 seasons of the original series. The Behavioral Analysis Unit is an elite unit of criminal profilers who analyze the behavior of serial killers and other predators known as ‘Unknown Subjects,’ referred to as unsubs. These elite agents are exposed to some of the most heinous criminals ever seen on television and are dedicated to arresting these offenders.
Due to the dangerous nature of the agent’s job, there is a notable turnover rate when it comes to the BAU. New profilers joining the team is not uncommon in Criminal Minds. New agents replacing other characters in Criminal Minds vary drastically in quality, with some barely leaving a mark and others becoming truly iconic series characters.
Luke Alvez Is a Solid Replacement Character
SSA Luke Alvez had very big shoes to fill when he joined the BAU in the 12th season of Criminal Minds. Fan-favorite and original Criminal Minds team member Derek Morgan had left the BAU to focus on family in the prior season. Derek Morgan’s exit left the team needing a member who embodied both physical and mental strength to pair with keen profiling skills. In this regard, Luke Alvez proved he was up to the task.
Luke Alvez has a fun personality that pairs well with his approach to profiling. As a character, Alvez succeeded in striking a balance between being his own person and filling the void left by Derek Morgan. Like Morgan, Alvez shares fun banter with Garcia, but it is not flirtatious; rather, it is friendly bickering. The familial bonds held by Derek Morgan towards characters such as Reid and Garcia is not present with Alvez, but a new kind of camaraderie is present that ties this new character with Morgan’s old team.
Alex Blake Brought New Intellect and Wit to the Team
SSA Dr. Alex Blake is a whip-smart linguist who is a pillar in her field and also has a background as an FBI Agent with a tarnished record. Blake is brought back into the fold to rejoin the team when Prentiss moves to London for an international post. Blake elevated the intellect of the whole team and fostered a learning environment that evolved the team’s profiling skills.
Blake brought a new perspective to the BAU team when it came to profiling. Her specialization in linguistics had the BAU team looking at certain elements of cases from a new perspective. Her background in education and teaching also allowed her to convey her findings in an accessible manner. Unfortunately, Blake’s time with the BAU would come to an end when she resigned after a traumatizing case where her friend and teammate SSA Dr. Spencer Reid took a bullet for her in the line of duty. Blake’s time with the BAU produced two great seasons and a new style of profiling for the BAU team.
