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The Most Garcia Moments Ever on Criminal Minds

The one and only Penelope Garcia

The one and only Penelope Garcia

There's no other character on television quite like Garcia. She's got a brain almost as big as her heart. Her hilarious and infectious nature makes her impossible not to love. Where would the BAU be without her? Lost. That's where. 

Here are all the times she was at peak Garcia. 

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When her desk is way cooler than yours

When her desk is way cooler than yours

Garcia is surrounded by a lot of fun things (her fluffy pen, for instance). Face it: Garcia's desk game is better than any of ours will ever be.

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When she wows us from the start

When she wows us from the start

On her first day with the BAU, she knows she already has the gig, but still brings her A-game (and a pink copy of her resumé) to impress. 

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The moment she gets her favorite nickname

The moment she gets her favorite nickname

Not certain of her real name, Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) shouts out "Baby Girl" to Garcia upon their first meeting. He apologizes, but she takes no offense and gets right to work. And, luckily, the nickname lives on.

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When she calls Morgan

When she calls Morgan "Chocolate Thunder"

Calling your close work bud a delightfully risque nickname is nothing new. But Morgan and Garcia do it better than any other duo. 

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When we get a glimpse of early Garcia

When we get a glimpse of early Garcia

We knew Garcia was a queen from the start, but we didn't know how dark! Whether she's rockin' her spunky blonde look or her sultry goth one, Penelope Garcia is tops. 

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Anytime she speaks her mind, even on speaker phone

Anytime she speaks her mind, even on speaker phone

Give her all the warnings that you want. Garcia's gonna say what she's gonna say. 

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When she single-handedly saves Dr. Reid (and herself)

When she single-handedly saves Dr. Reid (and herself)

In "Demons" (Season 9, Episode 24), Garcia stays by Dr. Spencer Reid's (played by Matthew Gray Gubler) side while he's in the hospital. That's a good thing, considering a killer comes to take a shot at him! Garcia takes matters into her own hands and shoots the perpetrator down. 

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When she finds a needle in a haystack and toots her own horn

When she finds a needle in a haystack and toots her own horn

She's good and she knows it. 

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When we see Garcia's house

When we see Garcia's house

Penelope Garcia's house is ... well ... decidedly Garcia. And that's rad! 

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When her taste in music is exemplary

When her taste in music is exemplary

In "Penelope" (Season 3, Episode 9), Garcia shares an experience that proves her musical preferences are top notch: 
"When I was in the ambulance I could hear the song 'Heroes' playing in my head. I kept flashing in and out of consciousness, everything was really bright and I remember thinking, 'Wait, is David Bowie really God?'"
 
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When she tells Morgan she loves him, too

When she tells Morgan she loves him, too

This happened in "Penelope" (Season 3, Episode 9) and the world gave a collective "Aww!"

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When she backs up the fur babies

When she backs up the fur babies

In "The Black Queen" (Season 9, Episode 12), Garcia is busted for hacking into a cosmetic company's system. Why? Because of their cruelty and testing on animals. But, instead of going to prison, Garcia scores herself a job with the BAU. 

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When she dates her professional dopplegänger

When she dates her professional dopplegänger

Sure, there's no one like Garcia. But there is Kevin Lynch (Nicholas Brendon), who does exactly what she does and calls her pet names like "Plum Sauce." 

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When she attends a killer's execution

When she attends a killer's execution

Garcia's would-be killer invites her to his execution and she goes, despite protests from Morgan. She holds tight to her belief that capital punishment is wrong, and there's always a bit of good left in every person. 

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When she fears the job is changing her

When she fears the job is changing her

But in "House on Fire" (Season 4, Episode 19), she worries that her job within the BAU is causing her to lose faith that people are inherently good. Hotch (Thomas Gibson) reassures her by thanking her for her hard work, and by letting her know that he never wants her to change. Hold on to that giggle with all your might, Garcia!

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When she continues to pleasantly surprise us

When she continues to pleasantly surprise us

Her funky style, her sass, her trove of insightful quotes, her ability to crack the most intricate codes, her faith in humanity ... there are just so many reasons to love Penelope Garcia. 

Watch Criminal Minds on CBS and CBS All Access.