Criminal Minds: Between watching the episode shooting and hanging around with the writers we spent time with Jess roaming around the sets.
As you step inside the main set, you're in a large room, the entry hall. It's a bit surreal to look at a set because on one side of the wall is undecorated plywood, on the other is all of the colors and shapes that we're used to. On the board near the elevator is a building directory. The BAU is 626 on it.
Inside the glass doors was like stepping through our TV sets. The set is a marvel and a tribute to the unbelievable professionals behind the scenes. To one side is the kitchen area. On the counter are glass bowls full of mints and candies. Just to the side of the kitchen was a set of stairs that led him to the BAU Room.
The room is almost exactly like what it looks like on TV. The boards(like most boards around the studio), however, are interesting. They're full of things like "guest speaker needed" and "retirement party". The actual Round Table is surrounded by heavy, but comfortable chairs. We sat around it, taking in the LCD and the old tattered couch that is up against one of the walls.
Back down the stairs and into the bullpen, the first thing we noticed was that the drop from the second floor where Hotch and Rossi's offices are is a lot shorter than it looks like on TV. On the way to the second floor was a glass board with pictures of victims on it. To one side is a in-box that seems to still be collecting mail for Agents Gideon and Greenaway.
Upstairs, we saw a baseball poster in Hotch's office and the photos used to profile Rossi in the ep he debuted in were on the wall in his office.
As we exited the BAU, we asked where JJ's office was. Jess told us that we had passed it on our way in, but that it wasn't currently put together. He told us that the set design for her office when in use was simple - dump as many files as possible all over the place.
Next up was Garcia's office. To our surprise, we discovered that it was not an actual enclosed office. It's a desk with computer screens above it. The wall next to it was open, revealing sunlight. Her desk was covered with pens, many of them sent by fans.
From there we crossed into a room is mid-build. We were told that it was currently being converted from one precinct to another. Right next to it was a room with fake blood on the carpet. Typical CM.
