Criminal Minds Season 12 premiere is a week away, and fans are impatient to find out what’s in store. News of a reshuffle in the cast of Criminal Minds had piqued the interest even further.
The viewers have stuck with the same cast members barring a few changes since Season 1, and they aren’t happy with the news coming their way.
Season 11 was a shocking one for the fans. Paget Brewster might have come back as Emily Prentiss, but Thomas Gibson might not be back to play the role of Aaron Hotchner. Season 10 had seen Shemar Moore’s Derek Morgan leave the show. Fans had only started to get used to his absence when the news of Gibson’s departure hit them.
Thomas Gibson was fired from Criminal Minds after he got involved in an altercation with Virgil Williams, the writer for the series. Gibson had been playing the role of Agent Hotchner for over a decade, and the news of his departure shocked the fans.
The franchise hasn’t released any update about their plans for the role of Aaron Hotchner. Reports suggest that Hotchner would be present in the first two episodes of Criminal Minds Season 12 so that his story can get a proper ending.
The hashtag #NoHotchNoWatch has taken Twitter and Instagram by storm and the team of Criminal Minds Season 12 have a real task at hand.
International Business Times reported that the writers could show Hotchner moving on to another job, similar to what they had done with Paget Brewster’s Emily Prentiss.
The writers might treat Gibson’s character in the same manner as Shemar Moore’s departure. Agent Morgan left the BAU quoting his need to take some time off. However, this doesn’t look feasible since Hotchner had continued at BAU even after the murder of his wife, Haley.
The executive producer had always maintained that they don’t kill the characters to bring them back if required. Since the case with Gibson is different, there are chances that Hotchner might meet his end during an altercation with an escaped convict whom he had sent to prison.
Fans would remember that Mr. Scratch (Bodhi Elfman) continues to influence Hotchner. The writers need to deal with Hotchner’s story sensitively since it could hamper the viewership of Season 12.
With Hotchner’s departure, the BAU will need a new unit chief. A new unit chief won’t be acceptable by either the fans or the BAU team. In such a situation, it looks like the executive producers are going to get Emily Prentiss to fill in.
Paget Brewster is a series regular and being one of the senior agents who has worked with Hotchner, would be a perfect fit as the new unit chief of BAU.
With the lead actors leaving the show, the fans were worried that Criminal Minds Season 12 wouldn’t become a reality. However, Breathecast confirmed that Criminal Minds Season 12 was on the cards and the premiere episode would be called ‘The Crimson King.’
Criminal Minds Season 11 ended with thirteen serial killers escaping the prison. Season 12 will pick up from the same point. The upcoming season will bring in Adam Rodriguez as a replacement for Shemar Moore. He will play the role of Luke Alvez.
Fugitive Task Force leader Luke Alvez is tasked with capturing the 13 criminals who escape from prison. Alvez will successfully apprehend eight of the thirteen serial killers and will agree to join FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. Alvez will offer his help to the BAU to track the remaining five serial killers.