‘Criminal Minds’ season 6 spoilers: More on key episode for Thomas Gibson’s Hotch

There are some big moments coming up on “Criminal Minds” season 9, and in addition to the 200th episode, one of them is going to be a super-intense episode that brings us back to a little bit of Hotch’s own past. This is an installment entitled “Route 66,” and is going to air on the network on Wednesday, October 23.

Want to know some of the most-important aspects of it now? Well, here you go: C. Thomas Howell is going to reprise his role as The Reaper, a certain villain from Hotch’s past, and to make matters even more stunning, that is not the only major player that we are going to see back on the show.

Just take a look at the synopsis below for some more specifics:

“As Hotch fights for his life due to complications from his stabbing at the hands of George Foyet, a.k.a. “The Reaper,” he experiences visions of his late wife, Haley, and his nemesis, Foyet. Meanwhile, the BAU searches for a missing teenager and investigate her estranged father as a suspect in her disappearance.”

All in all, it appears as though this is going to be an episode that really appeals most of all to those who are longtime fans, and have been with the show through thick and thin, and since the very beginning. Newer fans will probably receive at least a little bit of an explanation as to who everyone else is, but as we heard from showrunner Erica Messer earlier in the year, this is really a season that is all about diving into the past.

What do you think is going to transpire with this “Criminal Minds” episode, and is this one that you are stoked to see? We want to hear some of your thoughts below! Meanwhile, click here if you want to get a look at the new boss that will be gracing the show on next week’s new episode.

Photo: CBS