ADDS FLAIR

THERE are countless reasons to like Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) from “Criminal Minds.”

Over her 15-year run in the original series, Penelope stole scenes with her can-do attitude, eccentric fashion style and flirtatious behavior with co-workers. However, she was, above all, every character’s rock. Not only did she have a tendency to save the day, but she was usually the voice of reason for her colleagues whenever they were faced with a tricky dilemma.

Penelope is no different in the show’s revival, “Criminal Minds: Evolution,” on Paramount+. Picking up right where the original series left off, she is no longer part of the Behavior Analysis Unit since, in the series finale, she left to pursue a job at an independent institution. But when she discovers that her team is in trouble, she wastes no time before rushing back to help.

Throwing the original’s format out the window, the revival investigates one antagonist throughout its 10-episode arc, and he’s a wild one. Elias Volt (Zach Gilford) is a serial killer who used the pandemic to build a team of like-minded individuals; and as he throws the profilers for a loop, the separated team members slowly recruit one another to get the job done. But when it comes to Penelope’s turn, she’s already moved on from her gruesome past as a tech analyst, which has caused her intense anxiety and distress.

In the opener of a two-episode premiere, it is revealed the team isn’t functioning well without Penelope, even before this case. Profilers Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) and Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) deliver subtle jabs at their “Remote Garcias” who take “twice as long” as Penelope would’ve to handle simple tasks, and as professionals struggle to find what connects the unsubs to their victims.

In comes Penelope, who brings a much-needed tonal shift to the dark episode. Her bright and cheery introduction is accompanied by regency-esque classical music. But Penelope’s good times quickly come to an end when Luke informs her that the team suspects that the unsub is hacking a user platform that she personally secured.

As the episode continues, the now-reunited team falls into their usual jesting, which is quickly ruined by a grieving Rossi (Joe Mantegna) who shuts down Penelope’s findings. But, she tells him, “You don’t know what it took me to dive in. I want to help and I’m going to, but nobody talks to me like that anymore. Especially not the people I love” and hangs up. When she’s brought back on the screen, she doesn’t fixate on how Rossi addressed her; instead she worries about his changed demeanor and his hot-headedness, instantly recognizing it as loneliness.

It is this innate goodness amid the bad, the ugly, and the evil, that, not only, keeps the series balanced, but also makes Penelope a fan-favorite.

The next episode continues to hone in on this as Penelope personally confronts Rossi and encourages him to stop punishing himself for his loss, and instead, let his friends and family comfort him.

Vangsness brought her personal fashion sense to the series when it first began airing, due to the costume team not knowing how to work with larger bodies

While we don’t know what future episodes will bring . . . we do know that we’ll be seated for as long as Penelope is there.

Why ‘Criminal Minds’ vet Kirsten Vangsness is its secret weapon