Criminal Minds series finale: Just how emotional is it?

Criminal Minds season 13

If you wanted some advance warning that the Criminal Minds series finale is going to make you tear up, we’ve got that for you here.

In a new post on Twitter, show executive producer Harry Bring wrote the following after watching the show through the final mix (something that we wrote about on the site yesterday):

My 9 seasons on Criminal Minds was a blessing for a million reasons. Watching the series finale today was a killer. I cried 10 times. So many memories. If this is my swan song, what a way to go. Thank you to everyone on the show. I will never forget you.

There are a couple of different thoughts that we’ve got about this. First is immense gratitude for Bring, who has been a wonderful ambassador for the show online through much of his time there. He’s always been great sharing updates on production and behind-the-scenes tidbits, and these are the sort of thing that strengthens the fandom during these long hiatuses. (As many of you know already, this one’s especially long — Bring wrote on Twitter that season 15 will likely premiere in January, which is the same sense that we got from upfronts last month.)

Beyond our gratitude for Harry, the other takeaway is that apparently, the series finale is going to be very emotional. There’s obviously a different layer of emotion here for him given that he’s worked on this show and it’s become an essential part of his everyday life. Nonetheless, we know that there are a number of people out there who adore Criminal Minds and have been a part of this journey for many years. They’ve gone through all of the highs and lows of the BAU and been with the show through periods of uncertainty. They love the characters and, in some ways, aspire to be like them. That’s been one of the great things about this show — in an era where we’ve watched a lot of bad people somehow become TV “heroes,” the characters on this show legitimately are. While they may all be fictional, they’re likable and reflections of real people out there in the world who are making sure that various cities and small towns are a little bit safer. This show is a tribute in some ways to the real BAU.

If you haven’t seen our most-recent Criminal Minds video, be sure to see our take on the season 14 finale at the bottom of this article! Once you do that, remember to subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube and also view our official series playlist.

Now, the waiting continues … but at least we have even more awareness of how sentimental the end of the road is going to be. Expect some tears, but also a celebration of both the show and the people responsible for making it such an institution.

What are you expecting right now in terms of the Criminal Minds series finale? Be sure to let us know right away in the comments, and we’ll be back with more news. (Photo: CBS.)

This article was written by Jessica Carter and you can follow her on Twitter here.

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