Everyone was waiting for a while now for the upcoming new season of the hit drama Criminal Minds after the show ended last season’s finale with a big cliffhanger. Now, the wait is over since Season 13 premiered last September 27 on CBS. Warning, huge spoilers ahead and find out who makes it alive on the first episode.
Last season was a major cliffhanger thanks to the serial killer Mr. Scratch (Bodhi Elfman). Before the good guys even made out it out of their cars, spike strips were on the road that busted the wheels of the agents’ cars causing a huge wreck.
A giant 18-wheeler truck also plowed into them that left a lot of damage leading to question whether the people inside made it out alive or died.
Before the first episode with the title “Wheels Up” was released, there were several spoilers going around the web. In a sneak peek, Garcia played by Kristen Vangsness desperately and frantically trying to reach the phone of Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) but the calls went straight to voicemail.
Together with Simmons (Daniel Henry), they suddenly stopped when they see just ahead of them of two wrecked vehicles.
In the preview, Prentiss was seating in the passenger seat where the truck went straight into. It turned out Emily survived and Scratch himself pulled her out to torture and subjected to his cruelties as he probes for answers and information. As a serial killer and probably a psychopath, he had no mercy at all and she was in no state to fight her way out.
Scratch pumped gas to Prentiss that made her believe her legs and arm are broken. As it turned out, he dosed her full of adrenaline to stop her heart but Emily knew the difference between death and probable life ahead as she had experience being dead before.
The adrenaline was enough to put her back to consciousness and even got close enough to attack him on the ear.
The rest of the agents didn’t escape unscathed but survived as well. J.J. had a nasty bleeding head with glass shards on his temple, David Rossi needs surgery with a wobbly leg and Dr. Tara was hospital bound with undisclosed injuries.
The only one who didn’t survive the crash was Stephen Walker. But fans kind of already had an idea that he didn’t make it out due to reports that producers let the actor go over a hiatus or some speculations due to a creative change in the show.
Reid and Luke come to try and rescue Prentiss. When running away from Luke, Scratch ended up dangling off the side of a building. When Luke saw him and tried to doubtingly save the serial killer, Scratch himself let go and fell to his death after the fall smashed his head hard enough on the ground.
With Scratch definitely dead, Hotch played by actor Thomas Gibson could probably return in BAU. Earlier, Hotch’s character was written out of the Season 12 due to some behavior of Gibson.
It was explained in the series that he entered a witness protection program because Scratch was stalking his son Jack. He loved being able to spend time with his son on a full-time basis and it seems that he’s not going to give up their relationship now for his old job.
Hotch could theoretically return and pick up where he left off since Mr. Scratch is no longer in the picture but the question was whether the producers would invite Gibson back.
Fans are missing the character and hoping the return of Thomas Gibson. But the events in the finale mean that the show is moving to a new exciting era with Scratch gone and Hotch free of responsibility and harm. As the series move forward with a new era, different stories can come up that can be more thrilling and exciting.
Hopefully it would be more bracing and sensational as the premiere.
Criminal Minds airs every Wednesdays at 10p.m. on CBS.