Before Season 11 of the American police procedural drama TV series “Criminal Minds” premiered on CBS last year, the biggest casting change was the absence of A.J. Cook, who plays Agent Jennifer JJ Jareau, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, who plays Kate Callahan, both because of pregnancies and subsequent deliveries.
A.J. Cook returned before the second half of Season 11 of “Criminal Minds” but Jennifer Love Hewitt decided to take the full season off.
Season 12 of “Criminal Minds” is set to premiere on CBS on September 28 and it looks like it will showcase the most casting shake up the show has ever had in 12 years.
There are still no reports whether Jennifer Love Hewitt would already return as Kate Callahan but if the rumors are true that Aisha Tyler shall be returning in the upcoming season 12 to reprise her role as Dr. Tara Lewis, then the “I Know What You Did Last Summer” actress is unlikely to return to the TV series.
It can be recalled that Dr. Tara Lewis came in to join the team of Dr. Spencer Reid, played by Matthew Gray Gubler, in Season 11 to pinch hit for the absence of Kate Callahan in his services under the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU).
The major casting changes
Apart from Jennifer Love Hewitt, also not returning to “Criminal Minds” Season 12 is Shemar Moore, who played the role of Agent Derek Morgan in the TV series over the past 11 seasons.
Moore decided to leave the show after the 16th episode of Season 11 to pursue more opportunities outside of “Criminal Minds.”
But he returned during the first day of filming for Season 12 to express his gratitude to the rest of the cast and production staff and for giving him the priceless opportunity of working with them for 11 years.
Subsequently, reports came out that Adam Rodriguez was taken in by the production team to serve as the replacement for Shemar Moore. However, it was only lately when reports confirmed that Rodriguez shall be taking on the role of Luke Alvez, who is the Fugitive Task Force leader, in light of the escape of 13 hardened criminals and serial killers during the Season 11 finale, reports the International Business Times.
Accordingly, by the Season 12 premiere, Alvez would have caught eight of the 13 escaped serial killers. He will then join the BAU full-time to help track the remaining five, including the infamous murderer that uses mind-controlling drugs, Mr. Scratch.
Another addition and a big loss
In addition, it has also been confirmed that Paget Brewster shall also be returning to “Criminal Minds” to reprise her Emily Prentiss role. She was also promoted as a series regular, which means that Jennifer Love Hewitt is not coming back at all, at least for Season 12.
And of course, the biggest news on the set of “Criminal Minds” Season 12 is the recent sacking of actor Thomas Gibson who played BAU Supervisory Special Agent Aaron ‘Hotch’ Hotchner for allegedly shoving one of the producers of the show. Of late, the reports are saying that it was not a producer but a show writer, notes Game & Guide.
Still the fact that Gibson shove a production staff because he felt that his ideas are being neglected means something is really wrong with him since it is not his first time to get really mad at the set. As a matter of fact, the producers of the show previously asked him to attend anger management therapy sessions.
Reports also have it that Gibson will still be part of the series for only a few episodes of Season 12 of “Criminal Minds” but his character in the TV series will certainly be given a graceful exit.
Showrunner Erica Messer revealed that Hotch shall be sent by the FBI on a special assignment but only on a temporary duty or so the story arc would say. He would no longer return to the show after that.