Criminal Minds is always a show that I can turn to when I have nothing else to watch. TV channels such as TNT, USA, Ion, and Bravo all have Criminal Minds marathons (typically on weekends) that feed my love for the thriller. It wasn't until (somewhat) recently that I actually started watching it in order on Netflix, which allows for greater character development and for the audience to get a better connection to the characters that we're watching.
Now, I mostly understand how the acting world works, with contracts and deals and personal conflicts arising. As much as you love an actor/actress playing a certain role theres a lot more behind it (most of the time) than just wanting to leave. As an dedicated audience member of any show, hearing an original character is leaving is always sad because you have become to attached to them, and however the writers take them off the show, it's always as if you've lost your own friend. I don't know about anyone else, but when my favorite characters leave a show I am one of the biggest cry babies (but I cry about anything that happens in the show too).
One of the first major shocks was that Paget Brewster (Emily Prentiss) was leaving the show. The producers originally minimized her role in the show suddenly only to just bring her back for another year (17 episodes). She said she didn't want to renew her contract because she wasn't happy with CBS and her heart wasn't in it anymore. As a fan of the show, you have to respect her as an actress, however you miss her character even more. Many Criminal Mind lovers said that after this, they would stop watching the show however, rating proved otherwise and maintained a solid.
The second major shock was in season 11 when Shemar Moore (Derek Morgan) left the show. Personally, I love watching the show because of Morgan. He's a great guy, badass agent, and an overall perfect character. However, after being on one show for 11 seasons and over 250 episodes, I'm sure it gets a little boring. Actors want to go out and get new roles and develop other characters and if they've done the same thing for that long, it would make sense that he would want to leave. However, unlike Brewster, Moore isn't bitter with CBS and stated down the line he would be more than happy to guest star if they asked for him to. I would have assumed that with as many people that loved Moore on the show, ratings would have significantly declined after his departure, yet they maintained the average 1.8.
With all of this it makes you wonder what is going to happen to Thomas Gibson (Aaron Hotchner). As a major role for leading the team, Hotchner was the rock that everyone on the team turned to. However, after an altercation with one of the writer, what should have been a 2 episodes suspension the Criminal Minds crew decided to fire Thomas Gibson, making this the 3rd departure of an original character in the past year. Will ratings stay the same as they always have? If so, how in the world do they maintain good ratings?
