In recent news it was unveiled that Thomas Gibson was fired from the beloved show, "Criminal Minds." Fans everywhere are truly let down by this news as Hotch gave us some of the best moments on the long-running show. Even though his character was often lacking emotion, his focus and commitment to the BAU has lead us to discover much about Hotchner, even if it was too heart-wrenching to handle. Our favorite Unit Chief will be parting soon, but until then, here's a look back onto some of Aaron Hotchner's best episodes.
Season 3, Episode 3: "Scared to Death"
This episode is significant because this is the first time Hotch leads the team after Gideon's departure. Because of this episode, we were able to see the strong leader that Hotch came to be for the last 9 seasons.
Season 1, Episode 8: "Natural Born Killer"
Even though Hotchner wasn't a key role in this episode specifically, we did learn a lot about him. In this episode, the unsub comments that some abused children will grow up to be serial killers while Hotch replies, "and some grow up to catch them." This line gave the audience a sneak peak into Hotchner's background. Being abused at the hands of his father certainly explains his quiet demeanor and why he seems to have no sense of humor.
Season 5, Episode 9: "100"
Possibly one of the most intense episodes of the show. Period. After being stabbed nine times by the notorious unsub, "The Reaper," he fears for the safety of his family. Even though they are under the protection of Marshall Sam, Hotch knows this unsub would stop at nothing to hurt him and his family due to the continuous threats he has been receiving. By the end of the episode, "The Reaper," had tricked Haley into trusting him, leading them both to their possible death. Even though his son Jack was ok after hiding in Hotch's home office, Haley was not. One of the last shots we see is Hotchner carrying Haley's lifeless body in his arms while crying. This episode changed everything for Aaron Hotchner.
Season 7, Episode 14: "Closing Time"
With only two years passing since the murder of his wife Haley, Hotch has to decide whether or not he wants to start dating again. Hotch met Beth, a fellow female runner, while training alone for a triathlon. After training together and getting occasional lunches, Hotch realizes his romantic interest in her is serious and decides to go to her house with flowers, asking her out. Though trivial for anyone, this move was huge for Hotch's character as we have rarely seen positive emotion, or really any, throughout his time on the show. His decision to date again also showed that he is really trying to move on from his painful past.
Season 3, Episode 14: "Damaged"
While interviewing a death-row inmate at a prison in Connecticut with Reid in tow, we see a side to Hotch we haven't seen before. Usually we see the quiet, serious, and focused Hotch. In this episode we saw Hotch after the emotional aftermath of receiving divorce papers from his wife Haley because his constant choosing of work over his family. Coming close to a physical altercation with the inmate after antagonizing him during the interview, Hotch comes clean about his personal problems with Reid. This Hotch gave us another glimpse of the real Aaron Hotchner and really amped up his character development for the show.
Season 4, Episode 2: "The Angel Maker"
We see Hotchner as he continues to deal with the aftermath of his divorce as well as the aftermath of the BAU's latest case concerning a terrorist attack. Despite doctor's orders, Hotchner goes back to work even though his ears had suffered a great deal of damage from a bomb exploding relatively close to both him and Kate. As Hotchner chose his work over his family, it's all he has left and he is determined to work through his problems. His injuries proved to be a continuous issue whenever exposed to any slightly loud noise, resulting in a great amount of pain. This of course, greatly interfered with his work as the BAU often flies to various locations for each case.
Season 6, Episode 6: "Devil's Night"
Though small, Hotch experiences a truly great moment with his son. After years of feeling unconnected from Jack (due to his choice of work over his family), he gets to spend Halloween with him. When Jack states that he doesn't want to be Spiderman because he's not, "a real superhero," he surprises Hotchner with what he thinks of as a real hero. In a suit thats too big, Jack says, "I'm you, daddy." This moment is really special and shows us that Hotch and his son's relationship is healing after Haley's murder.
