The final season of Criminal Minds premieres tonight on CBS. This is the 15th season of the show and it is time for the cast to say goodbye.
There will be 10 episodes in the final season as the BAU sets out to find and stop The Chameleon, once and for all.
However, with this being the end for Criminal Minds, fans are wondering if any beloved characters from the past will return.
Will Derek Morgan be back for Criminal Minds final season?
Out of the three characters fans have been talking about the most, Derek Morgan is the one that had the best chance of returning.
Sadly, it will not happen.
Even though there are 10 episodes in the final season, Criminal Minds could not get actor Shemar Moore back to reprise his role even for one episode as a final way to say goodbye to fans of the series.
In an interview with TV Line, showrunner Erica Messer made it clear that Derek would not be back so fans wouldn’t think it could happen and end up disappointed.
“I’ve been asked if Shemar [Moore] is coming back [as Derek Morgan], and it’s no. He’s very busy shooting S.W.A.T. Again, I wanted to be able to acknowledge the history of the series, certainly in that finale, and was able to do it in a different way.”
What about Hotch or Gideon?
Hotch or Gideon returning will also be a big no.
While Hotch (Thomas Gibson) was a huge part of the show for many years, he was fired for his aggressive and violent attitude and there is no way he will be back to say goodbye — no matter how much fans miss him.
Gideon is also a no-go. Actor Mandy Patinkin was one of the key leaders of the team when the show started. However, Patinkin quit the series and called accepting the job his biggest regret.
Patinkin said that the show haunted him when he was not filming and took him to a dark place. Besides, his character was murdered off-screen in Season 10.
Criminal Minds returns for its final season Wednesday night at 9/8c on CBS.
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