‘Criminal Minds’ Will Stick Around for Season 9

Thomas Gibson and Jeanne Tripplehorn star in 'Criminal Minds'
Thomas Gibson and Jeanne Tripplehorn star in 'Criminal Minds' - Photo © CBS Broadcasting

Was this show’s renewal ever in doubt? Probably not, but CBS has made it official by announcing the renewal of Criminal Minds for the ninth season. All new episodes will air during the 2013-2014 broadcast season, with Joe Mantegna, Thomas Gibson, Shemar Moore, Matthew Gray Gubler, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, and Jeanne Tripplehorn returning for another season.

Over season eight, Criminal Minds was Wednesday’s #1 drama in viewers with 12.24 million, according to CBS.

The Plot:

Criminal Minds revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country’s most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit’s most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU, who is essential in helping the team solve new cases. The BAU team is led by Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, a strong profiler who is able to gain people’s trust and unlock their secrets.

Other members include Special Agent Derek Morgan, an expert on obsessional crimes; Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid, a classically misunderstood genius whose social IQ is as low as his intellectual IQ is high; Jennifer “JJ” Jareau, the team’s former unit liaison-turned-profiler who recently married her longtime love; Penelope Garcia, the team’s indispensible computer wizard who helps research the cases with her unique charm; and the team’s newest member, Alex Blake, who rejoins the FBI after a stint as a university teacher and brings her linguistics expertise to the BAU.

Each member brings his or her own area of expertise to the table as they pinpoint predators’ motivations and identify their emotional triggers in an attempt to stop them.