"The defects and faults of the mind are like wounds in the body. After all imaginable care has been taken to heal them up, still there will be a scar left behind." — Francois de la Rochefoucald, as quoted by Jason Gideon in "The Fisher King - Part 2"

The Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) featured in Criminal Minds knows too well the truth of this quote. The second season box set of Criminal Minds continues the adventures of the Quantico-based FBI agents who profile and track down kidnappers, serial killers, and other human monsters who prey on a hapless populace in the United States.

The show’s focus remains heavy on the mystery and the urgency of catching the villains before they strike again, always racing against the clock. This season, however, more and more characterization and even some serialization permeates the show. What happens earlier in this season has ramifications felt as we move through to season’s end.

The writing on the show is strong. Watching an episode is like watching a short thriller movie. There are some formulaic bits to the show, but all criminal investigation shows have their formula. In Criminal Minds it’s the profile moment, where the agents detail out who the “unsub” - short for unknown subject - is that the police and local law enforcement should be looking for. This portion of the show would undoubtedly get old without the visual component the show adds. Any time the characters think like the killer or cite an example of a serial killer from the past the background shifts to show what the killer did or is doing. This is an effective illustration of the characters putting themselves into the psyche of the suspect.

Thomas Gibson’s portrayal of Aaron Hotchner as the stalwart leader of the group tortured by his lack of time for his family is second only to Mandy Patinkin’s strong performance as the seasoned profiler Jason Gideon. Kirsten Vangsness lights up every scene with wit and some much needed lightheartedness with her portrayal of computer genius Garcia. Not to say that Shemar Moore’s portrayal of Agent Morgan isn’t strong. There are a few times when his status as the young physical agent seems predictable, but he does get his own background episode in “Profiler, Profiled” that adds depth to the character and gives the actor a chance to shine.

Likewise, AJ Cook gets “North Mammon” to fill out JJ’s backstory and she even gets a possible romance in “Jones” to show she’s more than the scheduler for the BAU’s assignments. The most interesting character twist comes from the addiction Matthew Grubler’s Reid character goes through. His struggle humanizes and adds depth to the boy genius profiler.