In any case, right now it’s clear that the producers of the show aren’t looking to take it off the screen anytime soon, evident by the fact that they are already actively planning for season 12.
If they also introduce some additional more drastic changes in the structure of the show, it could easily remain popular for many more seasons with a fresh new formula. It’s true that the general style of “Criminal Minds” is starting to wear out a bit and many fans have been expressing this regularly, so perhaps there is some truth to the claims that the departure of a main character could end up beneficial to the show as a whole.
Some fans were worried that the spin-off “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” will steal the spotlight from the current production, and correspondingly the efforts of the people behind it, but it looks like the showrunners want to give both shows an equal chance at success.
So far, “Beyond Borders” has been enjoying moderate success but it’s too early in the lifetime of the show to make any accurate judgements about its quality. If it remains on the screen for a few seasons like its predecessor – and it has a chance to do that – it would be more interesting to see what people have to say about it after they’ve had a chance to experience it in more depth.