What Are The Similarities Between NCIS And Criminal Minds

Captivating Crime Television
With shows like NCIS and Criminal Minds, CBS shows the many complicated and different ways of solving crimes in the United States. While NCIS and Criminal Minds are similar in both plot and characters, Criminal Minds stands apart from NCIS in the methods used to solve their crimes.
In the earlier seasons, NCIS investigated crimes related to the military; but in later episodes, they began to solve international crimes involving terrorists. The BAU team, often called in to work cases that the local authorities find to be perplexing, uses their unique skills to track down their suspects. NCIS is easy to recognize, with their signature “foof” sound to begin and end each scene, the bullpen style of their workspace

where the NCIS team spends most of their time, the wacky and bizarre forensic lab, and the sterile walls and tables in the autopsy room. Each Criminal Minds episode starts and ends with a member of the team reciting off screen, quotes from authors, philosophers, movies, and scripture. The BAU refer to their suspects as “Unsubs”, or Unknown Subject. In most cases, each episode of NCIS and Criminal Minds has a new manipulator, killer, kidnapper, or terrorist; keeping each of them unique and different.
Additionally, NCIS and Criminal minds resemble each other by their characters.

NCIS and Criminal Minds both have strict, no nonsense leaders. For example, NCIS’ Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a man considered tough and brusque to most, with a limited patience for technology and people. He is firm leader who has a unique set of rules that he expects each agent to follow; he does not put up weakness. Nevertheless, throughout the seasons, he develops a fatherly relationship with each member on his team. As well as strong leaders, both shows have consistent key players throughout. Criminal Minds’ quirky and colorful Penelope Garcia is a combination of NCIS’ Abby Sciuto and Timothy McGee, with a talent in forensic and technological work. Both shows have their tough hitters with the BAU’s Derek Morgan, and NCIS’ Ziva David. Yet each show has characters unique to their story. For example, Criminal Minds’ socially awkward Spencer Reid is an amazing young genius. He is able to read 20,000 words a minute, as well as having an eidetic memory; he also has several degrees and a couple of PhD’s. However, his biggest fear is that he will become a schizophrenic just like his mother. Both shows point to the fact that each agent is a vital component to their team. They would be, and are at times, crippled without each

other.
While NCIS and Criminal Minds are identical in several ways, they contrast in the way that their agents are able to solve crimes. NCIS uses an investigative approach to catch their criminals, relying on forensic evidence, and a great amount of sleuthing. In contrast, Criminal Minds focuses on the behavioral patterns of their criminals, delving into the minds of the psychopaths and sociopaths they run across. Glenn Woods, a former RCMP investigator, explains that profilers can gain knowledge about the criminals they are chasing when they "leave a piece of their personality” in a crime scene "(qtd. in Sibley. para 6). This element makes Criminal Minds a better show by engaging its viewers as to how their behavior might be perceived in everyday life.
All in all NCIS and Criminal Minds are both shows that bring family, teamwork, and solving crimes, together in an exciting way that gets its viewers involved. However, Criminal Minds causes its audience to think outside the box, by providing an understanding of the human mind in a way that NCIS is missing.