Here's Criminal Minds' terrorist and unsub Ian Doyle and his impact on the show explained. Criminal Minds is another procedural from the CBS factory, which debuted in 2005 and became something of an instant hit. This was likely down to its great ensemble, with Mandy Patinkin, Matthew Gray Gubler, Shemar Moore and the rest of the cast making the BAU a likable team of heroes. Criminal Minds was also a little darker than other CBS shows like NCIS, focusing on the horrific crimes committed by some oddly inventive serial killers.
This formula made the thriller series a huge success, and it survived headline-grabbing events like Patinkin exiting following Criminal Minds season 2. Even though the show came to an end in 2020 after 15 seasons, a revival show is already in development for Paramount+. Criminal Minds featured many famous killers during its years on the air, from Tim Curry's harrowing "Prince of Darkness" to Aubrey Plaza's assassin Cat Adams, who makes it her goal in life to make Spencer Reid miserable.
One of the most charismatic unsubs the BAU faced was Ian Doyle (Timothy V. Murphy), a former Captain in the IRA who Agent Prentiss (Paget Brewster) has a very tangled past with. She was part of a team assembled by Interpol to find Doyle, who at that point had departed the IRA after committing various killings and had come to be considered a major threat. Criminal Minds' Agent Prentiss went undercover with Doyle - also known by the name "Valhalla" - and the two entered into a romantic relationship. The operation was ultimately a success, with Doyle captured and imprisoned in a North Korean camp.
Ian Doyle Sought Revenge In Criminal Minds
Prentiss also faked the death of Ian Doyle's son Declan so the boy could lead a normal life. This being Criminal Minds - where anything that can go wrong, will - Prentiss' past comes back to haunt her. Doyle returns after seven years, seeking revenge on the team that "ruined" his life, and saving Prentiss for last. He sends ominous threats and even meets with her to let Prentiss know he's going to destroy her life after he's already killed various agents who had a hand in his capture. This comes to a head in the two-parter "Valhalla," where Doyle captures and tortures Prentiss, and comes to learn his son is still alive.
The second episode of Criminal Minds "Valhalla" ends with Prentiss stabbed by Doyle and seemingly dying. She fakes her death to keep the rest of the team safe, and in the season 7 premiere, the Ian Doyle plotline comes to a suitably dramatic end. The Doyle story is one of the most unique in Criminal Minds, for its twisted romance and the fact "Valhalla" is one of the most complex villains the BAU has faced - even though he's no less monstrous.
