‘Criminal Minds’ season 12, episode 2 preview: Thomas Gibson’s last episode

Tonight’s “Criminal Minds” premiere was probably all sorts of emotional for many people out there, mostly because of both the story and the clear realization that in just one week’s time, we would be saying farewell to Thomas Gibson as a key part of the cast. It’s odd to imagine the show without him, but this is where we are and it doesn’t seem like there is any changing that.

Given that episode 2 was likely filmed in its entirety before it was decided that Gibson would be fired from the show, it’s possible that there will not be anything within it that fully explains its exit. Based on the synopsis below, CBS is really not interested in giving us a whole lot in advance:

“When JJ arrives home shaken after a rough case, she breaks down and tells her husband about the abduction of two children.”

Don’t get us wrong: We’re not trying to diminish JJ as a character, since we do love AJ Cook and the work that she does on the series. It’s just a tricky position to be in at present given that we would love to also have some recognition that the show’s longtime lead is leaving in some way, especially since there are so many obvious stories about it in the press. It may be episode 3 before the departure really starts to take hold within the lens of the show, but we want to tell you about it now, if for no other reason than to help ensure that you are ready for it when the departure is actually here.

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