Criminal Minds takes a lot of liberties when it comes to its characters. With its viewers keeping in mind that the series is based on fiction, it has easily become one of the most beloved crime shows on television. However, its lack of real foundations can make many of its solves seem more like miraculous displays of luck than detective work.
With this, one cannot help but wonder just how much of these miracles could be counterproductive. In fact, there is one gaping plot hole that could end up destroying years of detective work within the span of a few unveilings. Interestingly enough, it all connects to the beloved Penelope Garcia.
Criminal Minds and Criminal Police Officers?
Penelope Garcia has become a beloved part of Criminal Minds. On top of being a tech genius, she is also a character who played several roles within the series, acting as more than just the average technical analyst. On top of acting as the comic relief in every scene that she is in, she is also an artist when put behind a screen.
She is also able to hack and find any piece of information that she needs. Although this is an excellent addition to the series, it could also be a very big problem for the FBI. She uses her own system to find the information that she needs, having a specific, Linux-based GUI that basically makes her god.
Since most people’s lives are online, she is able to find out anything from their dental records to who they were roommates with when they were in college. While this works in the bureau’s favor, it can often work against the law.
Penelope Garcia Broke the Law
A lot of the information that Penelope Garcia brings out is private, with her having even consciously broken HIPAA at times. This act, on its own, is very illegal. However, she has taken it a step further many times, using several illegal means to get what she needs.
She is able to get into any system convenient for the plot of a particular episode and has broken the law by doing so multiple times. Although this can be beneficial in a case, it can also make a lot of information that she gathers illegitimate by the court.
This can be a very big problem when they are crucial in the capture and arrest of certain criminals. There have been many cases in real life that have been dismissed because information was procured through illegal means.
With this in mind, a majority of the cases that Garcia helped on would end with the criminals walking free, able to commit crimes yet again.
Criminal Minds is available for streaming on Hulu.
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