‘Criminal Minds’ season 12, episode 3 preview: Thomas Gibson’s exit; Paget Brewster returns

Tonight, sad as it is to say, was the final episode of “Criminal Minds” with Thomas Gibson. The way filming for season 12 worked was that the actor was fired following the completion of that episode, and following that point the time for Hotch is at an end. Our hope is that there will be some sort of proper tribute to him, but when the dust settles the show will go on. Therefore, we would not be surprised if Hotch is somehow a blip on the radar for next week’s “Taboo,” even if we do not agree with it.

What we do know in the way of good news is this: Paget Brewster is coming back permanently as Emily Prentiss. This marks her big return to the show, and fingers crossed that she manages to take on the leadership position in Hotch’s wake. She’s smart, savvy, and has a boatload of experience in helping people in need; are you really going to find a better new character for the job?

CBS did not release much in the way of new information for this episode. All we can say is that Prentiss will help with the disappearance of three women.

Promo – This preview is all about Paget, which from one vantage point is awesome. However, at the same time the lack of Gibson or even a Hotch mention is almost an insult to fans who cared about him. As much as you may have strong opinions on Gibson’s firing, why punish Hotch for it? That seems like a complete miscalculation on the part of the writers.

For more news on “Criminal Minds,” including a review for Wednesday’s episode, head over to the link here. Also, sign up over here to score some additional TV news on everything we cover via our official CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: CBS.)