The Real Reason Penelope Garcia Left Criminal Minds

In the penultimate episode, "Face Off," Garcia says she's considering a new job opportunity in Silicon Valley. Everyone encourages her to take the position, but the Everett Lynch (Michael Mosley) case takes precedence before we learn of her decision. Then, in the finale, she surprises us all: A month later, Garcia reveals that she's taken a job with a nearby nonprofit. Since it's near Rossi's house, this isn't the job she mentioned earlier. We don't learn much about the new position, other than it has "a less conservative dress code" than the FBI — leaving the audience to wonder how the already colorfully dressed Garcia can expand upon her wardrobe.

Actor and finale co-writer Kirsten Vangsness told TV Insider that it was showrunner Erica Messer's idea to have Garcia leave the BAU at the end. Upon considering Garcia's role in the series, Vangsness thought it made sense. "She's the eyes of the audience, really. She's the empath. She's the one who usually says if something's gross or good or bad," the actor said. They wanted to show that the BAU team — "the good guys" — continue to do their jobs catching killers and helping people, so it's the audience leaving them to their work. "Since Garcia's the eyes of the audience, you pull her away," Vangsness said.

As for why Penelope Garcia, the character, decides to move on, that's a different story. At the party, Garcia says she had many other job offers, so it's clear that she decided that she wanted to leave the BAU during the month's time skip. Judging by her conversation with Spencer's mother (Jane Lynch) earlier in the episode, it seems that Spencer's (Matthew Gray Gubler) near-death experience and hospitalization is what pushed her over the edge.