Any Criminal Minds fan probably adores Penelope Garcia. Played by Kristen Vangsness, the adorable, chipper, and crazy-intelligent Garcia appeared in every episode of the show — except for one. Vangsness told Parade that she only missed out on that episode because she wasn't originally going to be a main character, but since she had so much chemistry with Shemar Moore, the writers decided to make her a series regular.
But that decision came after the first episode, and it shows. When the audience first sees Garcia in "Extreme Aggressor," she's missing all of her trademark brightly colored clothes and eye-catching chachkies. Instead, she's dressed in a bland button-up shirt and sweater vest, and her office is full of boring FBI techie junk. She still shows some of her sass, though, as her first line is, "You've reached Penelope Garcia in the FBI's office of the supreme genius."
Even though Garcia took some time to develop, we're so glad she stuck around. Vangsness is too, as she told E! News that her costars are "her family" and making the show was a "wonderful, joyous, friendly and creative experience."
