Jason Gideon
Encyclopedia
Jason Gideon is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds
, portrayed by Mandy Patinkin
. Along with Agents Aaron Hotchner
and Emily Prentiss
, he seemed to be the traditionally academic of the group. He was portrayed as an extremely gifted profiler, with a particular dislike for the use of religion
as justification or motivation for crimes.
Gideon was shown to have a protective relationship with the younger members of his team - for example, he helped Agents Derek Morgan and Spencer Reid
through their nightmare
s. He had a particularly close relationship with Reid (who he hand-picked from the FBI Academy
for his team), helping Reid through many difficulties, including his implied drug use
, and even leaving his final good-bye letter for Reid to find. When Reid was beaten by serial killer
Tobias Hankel in the second-season episode Revelations, Gideon blamed himself, as he had ordered Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia
to add a virus
warning to a viral video
Hankel had posted, angering the killer.
Gideon's 'father-son' relationship with Reid extended to non-work areas as well. For example, he encouraged Reid to ask JJ out on a date (by buying Redskins
tickets for Reid's birthday), and insisting on calling him 'Dr.
Reid', as he believed the title would make people respect the young genius
more. Through the first two seasons, Gideon was portrayed to be very good at chess
, defeating Reid many times (the only exception being on Reid's birthday, 1x04), and encouraging him to "think outside of the box
."
Prior to the series, Gideon was said to have suffered a nervous breakdown
(or major depressive episode
) after he sent six men into a Boston
warehouse with a bomb
inside. All six agents were killed, and Gideon was heavily criticized about the event, triggering his breakdown. Six months later, he returned to the BAU, where he was reinstated as Unit Chief. However, he later chose to step down, allowing Hotchner
to take over the job, a position Hotch has maintained until season 5 in which Derek Morgan took over but later gave the position back to Agent Hotchner
in season 6. In Won't Get Fooled Again, Gideon finally confronted Adrian Bale, the bomber
who had been responsible for the Boston bombing. In doing so, Gideon was able to face and banish the demons that had haunted him for months.
Gideon was shown to have a son
named Stephen (1x11, "Blood Hungry"). The nature of their relationship was never directly stated, but it was implied that they had not seen each other in some time.
In the season 2 finale, Gideon's girlfriend Sarah Jacobs was murdered at his apartment by a psychopathic serial killer named Frank Breitkopf. As a result, Gideon began losing faith in his profiling skills. In the episode "Doubt," Gideon was shaken by his decision to release murder suspect Nathan Tubbs, which resulted in the deaths of both Tubbs and a young college student named Anna Begley, who had committed a copycat murder due to infatuation
with Tubbs. After Hotch was suspended, Gideon left his gun and badge
behind at his cabin
with a letter for Reid to find, saying that he taking a long trip to regain his belief in happy endings. His final resignation
from the FBI was soon announced, and his position of Senior Agent was later filled by David Rossi
.
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
, portrayed by Mandy Patinkin
Mandy Patinkin
Mandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
. Along with Agents Aaron Hotchner
Aaron Hotchner
Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner is a fictional character from the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, portrayed by Thomas Gibson. He is a Supervisory Special Agent within the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, and has appeared from the series' first episode, originally broadcast on September 22, 2005. Hotch begins...
and Emily Prentiss
Emily Prentiss
Emily Prentiss is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, portrayed by Paget Brewster. Prentiss first appeared in "The Last Word" - episode nine of season two, replacing Agent Elle Greenaway who had quit in "The Boogeyman"...
, he seemed to be the traditionally academic of the group. He was portrayed as an extremely gifted profiler, with a particular dislike for the use of religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
as justification or motivation for crimes.
Gideon was shown to have a protective relationship with the younger members of his team - for example, he helped Agents Derek Morgan and Spencer Reid
Spencer Reid
Dr. Spencer Reid is a fictional character from the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, portrayed by Matthew Gray Gubler.He is a genius and autodidact who graduated from a Las Vegas public high school at age 12. His fellow team members almost always introduce him as Dr. Reid. Hotch revealed in the first...
through their nightmare
Nightmare
A nightmare is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong negative emotional response from the mind, typically fear or horror, but also despair, anxiety and great sadness. The dream may contain situations of danger, discomfort, psychological or physical terror...
s. He had a particularly close relationship with Reid (who he hand-picked from the FBI Academy
FBI Academy
The FBI Academy, located in Quantico, Virginia, is the training site for new Special Agents of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was first opened for use in 1972 on 385 acres of woodland. It is a relatively small government academy, housing three dormitory buildings and...
for his team), helping Reid through many difficulties, including his implied drug use
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
, and even leaving his final good-bye letter for Reid to find. When Reid was beaten by serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Tobias Hankel in the second-season episode Revelations, Gideon blamed himself, as he had ordered Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia
Penelope Garcia
Penelope Garcia is a fictional character on the CBS crime dramas Criminal Minds and its short-lived spin-off Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, portrayed by Kirsten Vangsness...
to add a virus
Computer virus
A computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability...
warning to a viral video
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
Hankel had posted, angering the killer.
Gideon's 'father-son' relationship with Reid extended to non-work areas as well. For example, he encouraged Reid to ask JJ out on a date (by buying Redskins
Redskins
Redskins may refer to:* Redskin , a controversial term referring to Native Americans* The Washington Redskins, a United States football team* Redskin , a socialist or communist skinhead...
tickets for Reid's birthday), and insisting on calling him 'Dr.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
Reid', as he believed the title would make people respect the young genius
Genius
Genius is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight....
more. Through the first two seasons, Gideon was portrayed to be very good at chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
, defeating Reid many times (the only exception being on Reid's birthday, 1x04), and encouraging him to "think outside of the box
Thinking outside the box
Thinking outside the box is to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. This phrase often refers to novel or creative thinking....
."
Prior to the series, Gideon was said to have suffered a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
(or major depressive episode
Major depressive episode
A major depressive episode is the cluster of symptoms of major depressive disorder. The description has been formalised in psychiatric diagnostic criteria such as the DSM-IV and ICD-10, and is characterized by severe, highly persistent depression, and a loss of interest or pleasure in everyday...
) after he sent six men into a Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
warehouse with a bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
inside. All six agents were killed, and Gideon was heavily criticized about the event, triggering his breakdown. Six months later, he returned to the BAU, where he was reinstated as Unit Chief. However, he later chose to step down, allowing Hotchner
Aaron Hotchner
Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner is a fictional character from the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, portrayed by Thomas Gibson. He is a Supervisory Special Agent within the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, and has appeared from the series' first episode, originally broadcast on September 22, 2005. Hotch begins...
to take over the job, a position Hotch has maintained until season 5 in which Derek Morgan took over but later gave the position back to Agent Hotchner
Aaron Hotchner
Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner is a fictional character from the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, portrayed by Thomas Gibson. He is a Supervisory Special Agent within the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, and has appeared from the series' first episode, originally broadcast on September 22, 2005. Hotch begins...
in season 6. In Won't Get Fooled Again, Gideon finally confronted Adrian Bale, the bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
who had been responsible for the Boston bombing. In doing so, Gideon was able to face and banish the demons that had haunted him for months.
Gideon was shown to have a son
Son
A son is a male offspring; a boy or man in relation to his parents. The female analogue is a daughter.-Social issues regarding sons:In pre-industrial societies and some current countries with agriculture-based economies, a higher value was, and still is, assigned to sons rather than daughters,...
named Stephen (1x11, "Blood Hungry"). The nature of their relationship was never directly stated, but it was implied that they had not seen each other in some time.
In the season 2 finale, Gideon's girlfriend Sarah Jacobs was murdered at his apartment by a psychopathic serial killer named Frank Breitkopf. As a result, Gideon began losing faith in his profiling skills. In the episode "Doubt," Gideon was shaken by his decision to release murder suspect Nathan Tubbs, which resulted in the deaths of both Tubbs and a young college student named Anna Begley, who had committed a copycat murder due to infatuation
Infatuation
Infatuation is the state of being completely carried away by unreasoned passion or love: 'expresses the headlong libidinal attraction' of addictive love...
with Tubbs. After Hotch was suspended, Gideon left his gun and badge
Badge
A badge is a device or fashion accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath , a sign of legitimate employment or student status, or as a simple...
behind at his cabin
Cabin
Cabin may refer to:* Cabin. A small, roughly built house usually with a wood exterior and typically found in rural areas* Log cabin, a small house built from logs with basic utilities* Cottage, a dwelling, typically in a rural, or semi-rural location...
with a letter for Reid to find, saying that he taking a long trip to regain his belief in happy endings. His final resignation
Resignation
A resignation is the formal act of giving up or quitting one's office or position. It can also refer to the act of admitting defeat in a game like chess, indicated by the resigning player declaring "I resign", turning his king on its side, extending his hand, or stopping the chess clock...
from the FBI was soon announced, and his position of Senior Agent was later filled by David Rossi
David Rossi
David Rossi is a fictional character from the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, portrayed by Joe Mantegna. The character first appeared in the sixth episode of the third season, replacing Jason Gideon.-Backstory:...
.