For the regular, law abiding citizen it may be impossible to begin to fathom what is going on in the thoughts of a criminal. For most people doing what is legal and morally correct just seems natural. Imagining thinking in any other terms may be next to impossible. Sure, we may be at least rationalizing to some degree crimes motivated by lust or greed but the psychology of the more heinous criminals completely eludes us, thankfully so. Of all the criminal types around the ones with the thought process completely foreign to the normal person is the serial killer. A person who can snuff out life after life devoid of any sense or regret just doesn’t seem to fit in any human paradigm. The FBI maintains an elite unit whose job is to understand the warped minds of these murderers and use that insight to track them down and stop them. This part of the FBI is called the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) and the cases they routinely encounter make for taut, gripping television as demonstrated by the success and critical acclaim afford to the CBS series about them; ‘Criminal Minds’. The series is just ramping up to start its fifth season which means season four has just been released on DVD. For those out there not familiar with the series use this opportunity to rectify that condition. ’Criminal Minds is one of the more intelligently presented crime dramas to cone along in a very long time. Instead of acquiescing to the current trend of advanced technology and complete reliance on forensic science the agent depicted here have to use their skills and training to get into the dark and twisted minds of the serial criminal. The result is a much more humanistic vantage point including the emotional and psychological effect this type of work has on the agents in the unit. Since the CBS network’s flagship series include many of these forensic based shows this demonstrates they remain willing to explore other formats.

The series was created by a relatively newcomer to such matters; Jeff Davis. Beginning a career with such a hit is quite an accomplishment and considering the overall quality of the series a major feather in his cap. Much of the success of the series stems from the ensemble nature of the cast. In the first few seasons two major characters where written out yet the series remained as strong as ever. Each of the central characters brings a specific archetype to the mix providing a synergistic effect when combined. This also affords a far greater flexibility and range to the theme the writers can explore helping to keep every episode fresh and interesting. In this forth season more of the back stories of the agents are revealed humanizing the characters allowing the audience to emotionally connect with them. The characters are written in such a fashion that we may not identify completely with the hardships inherent in their work but do empathize with how they react.

The cliffhanger from the previous season showed the different team members getting into identical cars when one suddenly explodes leaving the audience wondering whose vehicle and did anyone survive. Since the series has a track record of shedding major characters no one was truly safe. The one who was caught in the blast was Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson). He survived but with some, hopefully temporary damage to his ears. He is the head of the unit, a position Hotch takes very seriously even when the extreme demands of the job adversely affected his marriage. His dedication often reads to others as being humorless and aloof but that is more his style of command than his true personality. The most senior agent is Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi (Joe Mantegna). When a position of his rank opened up Rossi came out of his early retirement. He was one of the founders of the modern BAU and during his retirement became a highly successful lecturer and author. The agent most frequently in charge while deployed in the field is Special Agent Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore). Typically he is the first to enter and secure a scene; a professional man of action. Next is Special Agent Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster). As a daughter of an ambassador she has traveled the world and was afforded a classical education. She frequently brings a more personal aspect to an ‘unsub’s’ profile. As the team’s liaison to other law enforce areas, the media and the public Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (A.J. Cook) typically has less input to the profile than the others. The demands of her job are highlighted this season and her replacement struggles with the responsibility of selecting which cases are presented to the team for consideration. He may look like a nerdy college student but Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) has an IQ of 187, entered college at 12 and can read 20,000 words per minute with perfect recall. In this season he has to return to his home town of Las Vegas to find a child abuser from his past. This stirs up very disturbing and forces him to confront his mother who is in a mental hospital. Audio/Visual Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) is the master of all things computer related. She is friendly and outgoing even extremely flirty with Morgan. She rarely goes out in the field typically providing vital information and analysis through s secured computer link.

The premise of the series allows the writers a lot of latitude in the stories. Most are naturally darker than the typically permitted on a standard crime show. In one episode a serial rapist/killer seems to have reappeared. The same details including those previously withheld are being found at the new crime scenes including his DNA. The only problem is the original killer was executed vowing to return. It is up to the team to uncover the bizarre truth. Another episode has Prentiss and Reid under cover in a cult’s compound just before guns are fired by both sides. Rossi had been at Waco and is determined to ensure a better outcome.

Every aspect of this series is a cut above the rest of the genre. The acting is excellent, the stories fantastic and the production never fails to be entertaining. This is one to own and enjoy for a long time to come.