Criminal Minds: The Lighter Side - Part 1

A current Round Table discussion revolved around the lighter moments that we are treated to in every episode of Criminal Minds. Sometimes they are funny like the zippy one-liners often provided by Garcia or Prentiss. Others times they are the personal glimpses into their lives that cause us to go "awww". Some episodes like "100" you struggle to find even one so-called lighter moment but in other episodes like "Damaged" there are 3 or 4 so you struggle to decide which scene should be represented in this list.

The members of CMRT have gathered some of their personal favorites and have decided to list them starting with the first eight episodes of Season 1. We will continue to post until we reach our favorite light and/or funny moment from our last episode, Solitary Man. We hope you enjoy reading these as much as we enjoyed putting them together. It really was a fun discussion.

1.01 Extreme Aggressor - After Garcia tells Morgan she can't help him break through the UNSUB's password defense program. Morgan: "I thought I was calling the office of 'Supreme Genius'" Garcia: "Well, gorgeous, you've been rerouted to the office of too freakin bad."

1.02 Compulsion - When they arrive at the college, Gideon tells the team no badges, that he doesn't want the UNSUB to know that he got the FBI's attention. Gideon: "Try not to look official." He looks at his no-nonsense, all business team and says, "Try to look less official."

1.03 Won't Get Fooled Again - Hotch is talking to Elle and JJ about collecting coins as a child. Hotch: "I spent a good chunk of my childhood searching for a 1944 penny worth thousands." He pauses, looks at Elle and continues "Yes, I was a bit of a nerd. Is that so surprising?" Elle replies, "Not to me."

1.04 Plain Sight - Reid's birthday and the trick candles (in the picture you can see what Reid was hoping was his birthday present).

1.05 Broken Mirror - Morgan asks Reid about taking JJ to the Redskins game and they start to talk about women, specifically fellow agents. Reid: "There is no code of conduct that says agents can't socialize." To which Morgan replies, "Yeah, well see, my code of survival says never mess with a woman that carries a gun."

1.06 L.D.S.K. - Reid to Hotch "You kick like a 9-year-old girl"

1.07 The Fox - Haley Hotchner brings Hotch's infant son, Jack, to the BAU. JJ: "He's so gorgeous." Haley: "Thank you." Reid: "If you find baldness and wrinkles attractive."

1.08 Natural Born Killer - In the junkyard after the UNSUB tried to garrotte Hotch, Gideon tries to help Hotch loosen his tie. Gideon: "Take your tie off for once in your life."