Criminal Minds Features A Bizarre Grand Theft Auto Reference

Believe it or not, but "Criminal Minds" actually had back in the day. The original series closed up shop back in the Spring of 2020, but not before sneaking a strange Niko Bellic reference in there. Pop culture mentions are not unheard of in "Criminal Minds," but with the release of "Grand Theft Auto 6" on the horizon, some people are stumbling upon this fun reference for the first time. Despite the fact it can't seem to get a film adaptation of its own off the ground, GTA has had many different versions since Niko explored the streets of Liberty City, and the same could be said of "Criminal Minds," with the original crew now making their home on streaming with Paramount+'s "Criminal Minds: Evolution."

Long before the series expanded into spin-off territory, David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) had to prove that he knew his way around a PlayStation to catch a bad guy in the season 6 episode "Safe Haven." It turns out that some quality time with a Dual-Shock analog controller helped save a couple of people's lives during that episode. Niko Bellic is exactly the kind of protagonist that a wayward teenage boy would use as an alias while he was trying to do something edgy. Luckily, the "Criminal Minds" team got to him before any more damage could be done. Here's what happened.

"Safe Haven" sees Rossi and the crew tracking a serial killer. The bad guy in question is murdering families under the alias Niko Bellic, the Serbian gangster protagonist of "Grand Theft Auto IV." Based on the name, our killer clearly logged a lot of time in the game's Liberty City as a youth.

Those hunches prove to be correct as Jeremy Sayer, a teenager abandoned at a hospital near the crimes, is discovered to be responsible. The kid was looking for revenge on his sister for their family's turmoil, and it's up to the "Criminal Minds" agents to find him before he ruins any more families. It's the kind of drama you would expect from a crime procedural, but the "GTA" connection adds to the entertainment factor. Some hardcore fans have even uploaded the scene on YouTube.

But, longtime viewers really got a kick out of Mantegna's line delivery regarding the game. As soon as analyst Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) brings up Niko Bellic, Rossi sails in with an explanation. Fans even noted that the normally dramatic music cut out, and stunned silence from the rest of the agents. "What? A guy can't like video games?" Rossi quickly asserts, "What, I know things!" The light moment heads right back into serious territory for this show. It's an example of the kind of character dynamics that have kept "Criminal Minds" on for all these years.

Joe Mantegna played David Rossi, a former Marine and the functioning leader of the Behavioral Analysis Unit on "Criminal Minds" for 13 seasons. As a Supervisory Special Agent of the BAU, he works to capture the most heinous killers with his team. Rossi is the Senior Agent, so everyone looks to him for guidance at one time or another during "Criminal Minds." 

Each agent in this unit brings their own specific knowledge to these cases, but Rossi knows a ton about a bunch of different topics, making him invaluable. Fans really enjoyed Rossi and his dynamic within the team, and the dinner parties he hosted are often referenced on social media among "Criminal Minds" fans. Even the final episode of this series includes a scene at Rossi's house that left a lot of viewers emotional. 

Now? He's the BAU Unit Chief in "Criminal Minds: Evolution," now in its 18th season.