The Most Illegal Thing Rossi Ever Did On Criminal Minds

Crime and police procedural dramas have been successful for decades, with some of the series being so popular that they've been on the air almost as long. "Criminal Minds" is one of those shows. Airing from 2005 to 2020 with 15 seasons under its belt, "Criminal Minds" remains one of the most popular crime shows even after coming to an end.

Characters in the series are given great growth and backstories to make them interesting and relatable to viewers, while the show is constantly exciting as the agents put their lives on the line working in the Behavioral Analysis Unit for the FBI. For example, while Agent David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) is kept lighthearted and fun through his love of fine wine and cooking the perfect dinner, work is a different story, adding depth to the character through the intense obstacles and emotions he faces everyday. 

Rossi is a model agent, teacher, and author in the series, but like anyone else, even he had a regular old adolescence and upbringing. His normal life took him to places where he participated in activities that he probably stays away from during his time as a part of the BAU, some of which probably weren't legal. This is the most illegal thing that Agent Rossi ever does in "Criminal Minds."

Overall, Agent Rossi is a pretty regular, stand-up guy, so you probably wouldn't expect this FBI agent to have done anything illegal. But in Season 8, Episode 20, "Alchemy," Agent Rossi alludes to the use of illegal drugs when he and Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) are discussing the effects of solanine, a type of poison in the nightshade family (via ScienceDirect). 

Reid mentions that ingesting solanine would result in something similar to a bad acid trip, which Rossi explains wouldn't be fun. This implies that Rossi has firsthand experience in the department of a bad acid trip, which is illegal whether you're an FBI agent or not. So, while partaking in the use of illicit drugs is, in fact, illegal, Rossi is likely talking about something he did before his time with the BAU. In previous episodes, Rossi mentions his wild youth and how his time in the Marines helped him get on a better path. 

While the Behavioral Analysis Unit members seem like perfect superheroes, at the end of the day, they're just very intelligent and hardworking people who have important decisions to make on a daily basis. Rossi's admission to illegal drug use is proof that even the agents in "Criminal Minds" can veer toward the wrong path sometimes.