Penelope Garcia

"One of the last things I said before he shot me was everything happens for a reason. Derek, if I lose faith in that then nothing in my life makes sense."

Penelope Garcia is the BAU's Technical Analyst. She is also filling in for JJ, on a (presumably) temporary basis, until the team finds a replacement.

Background
Garcia is into online games, specifically MMORPGs. She has said she can run U.S. Central Command from her office while also playing online poker. She is extremely protective of her computers and the FBI database, although a serial killer was able to access the database while having her laptop connected to the FBI's network (to play an online RPG).

On the Job
Garcia seems to share a playful, flirtative relationship with Derek Morgan. When working together, they refer to each other by such names as "sweet cheeks" or "baby girl" (later revealed because the first day on the job, Derek couldn't remember her name and shouted "baby girl" to get her attention). There hasn't been an actual romantic relationship, though Derek seemed a little jealous when Garcia told him about a cute guy (Battle) she had met in a cafe. It is clear that the two of them care very deeply for each other, and share a sibling-type love.

Some cases seem to eat away at Garcia, as she often gets nervous or upset when analyzing video or sound recordings of murders or other serious crimes, as she has to listen to and watch them over and over again. In one episode, she showed a fondness for Reid, offering to take him out on the town to distance himself from a subject, only to have it interrupted by the subject's attempted suicide.

In "100", Garcia is instrumental in narrowing down George Foyet's location, with the help of Kevin Lynch. She cross-referenced all of the medications that Foyet required and found out that he was back in the D.C. area. Reid would later discover his alias (Peter Rhea).

In the episode "Lucky", Garcia was shot by a man she had just gone on a date with, but she survived the gunshot and later recovered.

Suspect Behavior
Garcia serves as Technical Analyst for Sam Cooper's team as well as for the BAU. Though she reverted back to being blonde shortly before Coda, which aired the same day that Suspect Behavior premiered, she is still a redhead in Suspect Behavior episodes.

Personal Life
It is revealed in the episode "Penelope" that when Garcia was eighteen years old her parents were killed in a car crash caused by a drunk driver. In the aftermath of their deaths, she went underground and began learning computer code as a way to deal with their loss. It is also revealed that she is considered by the FBI as one of the most dangerous hackers in the world, and, when she was finally arrested after several years of mercenary hacking, they offered her an expunged record and amnesty if she agreed to join the FBI.

Penelope was once shot at near point blank range by Jason Clark Battle. While lying prone after the gunshot, she held her breath while Battle looked for any signs of life. She nearly died at the hospital but a surgeon was able to save her. The entire BAU team was there for support. While she was recovering, another hacker was brought in to cover for her while the team investigated her shooting. Garcia and the new hacker, Kevin Lynch, made friends while collaborating and would later begin a romantic relationship.

Like most characters of her type (Abby of NCIS, for example), Penelope has a very eccentric and eclectic personal appearance. Though her clothing style varies, her basic theme could be described as a blend of goth and hippie culture. As of the end of season four, she has added black and red streaks to her blonde hair. Shortly before The Uncanny Valley, she dyed her hair red. In Reflection of Desire, she dyed her hair blonde in order to trick the UnSub, but is a redhead again in the following episode. In Today I Do, she is a blonde once again, though she is still a redhead in Suspect Behavior.

Quotes

 * Garcia: (to Kevin Lynch) "If you ever come within one hundred feet of Agent Rossi, I will unleash such an unrecoverable virus on your personal computer, it will reduce it to something like a cross between a Commodore 64 and a block of government cheese...call me later."
 * Garcia: (to Aaron Hotchner) "You, my fabulous, furry friends, are welcome"

Behind the Scenes
Penelope Garcia is portrayed by Kirsten Vangsness.

In the "Making Of" documentary for Season 3, Vangsness stated that Garcia's bullet injury was moved from her chest to her stomach between the episodes Lucky and Penelope since a chest injury would mean there would be a large scar on her chest for several following episodes that would require make-up and also mean that Garcia wouldn't be able to show any cleavage.