Played by Thomas Gibson, Hotch was formerly assigned to the FBI Field Office in Seattle, Washington.Currently, he is the head of the BAU team. He has a son named Jack byway of an ex-wife. Hotch's attempts to balance his family life and hisjob successfully is an ongoing theme on the show. After a two-weeksuspension for releasing a serial killer, Hotch requested a transfer byErin Strauss, who was pressuring him for such a request. This pleasedhis wife, until Agent Morgan begged Hotch to come help on a case inMilwaukee and while he was packing up his desk, Garcia handed him thecase file and lied to him, telling him that his transfer was held upand that JJ wanted him to have the file. Hotch decided to stay with theBAU against his wife's wishes—when he returned to Virginia, his wifeand son were gone. In episode 3x11 (Birthright) he was served withdivorce papers as he was leaving the office; he is seen signing them ina later episode. In episode 3x01 (Doubt) it was revealed that Hotchnerhad previously worked as a prosecutor - more specifically, episode 3x19(Tabula Rasa) indicated he had been with the District Attorney'soffice. In 1x08 (Natural Born Killer), when he is interrogating VincentPerotta, Hotchner comments on the fact that it is logical for some ofthe abused to become killers. In response to further conversation withPerotta, Hotchner counters his assertion that some abused childrenbecome killers by saying: "Some grow up to catch them." This commentseems to pretty clearly imply that Hotchner was also abused as a child.His hearing has been damaged as a result of the car explosion he wascaught in, in Season 3. The doctor tells him that if he isn't carefulhe will go deaf, instead he goes on a case and a gun is fired in hisear which nearly makes him lose his hearing,

Played by Joe Mantegna,David was in early retirement until his voluntary return to the BAU. Hehad retired in order to go on lecture and book tours but returned tosettle some unfinished business which wasn't immediately specified. Inepisode 3x11 (Birthright) Rossi revealed his reasons for returning toSheriff Caulfield. He held out a charm bracelet with the names of threechildren from one of his first cases. The children had watched theirparents get beaten to death and he promised them he would find out whodid it. Each year on Christmas Eve, Rossi calls the children to letthem know he hasn't forgotten them and he hasn't given up on solvingthe case of their parents' murders. He kept with this tradition throughhis return to the BAU, though none of the children had replied to hismost recent call. Rossi finally told Caulfield that the case had goneunsolved for 20 years; it was finally solved in episode 3x14 (Damaged).He steps in as a hostage negotiator in 4x03 (Minimal Loss) when hisfellow employees Reid and Prentiss are held hostage.