‘Criminal Minds’ season 12: What Thomas Gibson’s exit means for remainder of cast

As of right now, in many ways the big news is still reverberating through our brain: Thomas Gibson is gone from “Criminal Minds.” The actor was fired on Friday following an on-set altercation, and with this not being his first alleged incident, the higher-ups determined that this was the time to take action.

As we noted earlier, this was a hard but probably right choice for the show to make, given that respect for the crew, the writers, and producers has to be paramount on any show no matter who is in the cast. However, at the same exact time it puts the show in an incredibly difficult position. Production is already underway on season 12, and we’re not sure how you can give the Hotch character a fitting exit given the abrupt departure of the actor. You certainly don’t want to punish Hotch for Gibson’s actions, or the fans who love that character.

As for “Criminal Minds” as a whole, the show’s already in a state of flux thanks to the revolving-door nature of the cast at present. Shemar Moore departed the series during season 11, and with this exit Matthew Gray Gubler is the only cast member who was billed as a main player in the first season and has been around as a regular every step of the way. (Kirsten Vangsness was billed as “also starring” in season 1, while AJ Cook left briefly during season 6.)

What should help to stabilize the show somewhat is the presence of Paget Brewster back as Emily Prentiss for a few episodes. Meanwhile, Aisha Tyler has also been promoted to series regular. As much as we like Hotch the character, the reality is that “Criminal Minds” is bigger than any one person, and we do think that it will find a way to push forward. We just hope the viewers stick with it.

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