Behind-the-Scenes Criminal Minds Drama That Led to Physical Altercation
Criminal Minds: Evolution could have been a different show if a behind-the-scene scandal didn't make CBS fire one of the leading actors.
With the arrival of the Criminal Minds revival, many fans remember their favorite characters who haven't made it to Evolution.
Of course, everyone misses Dr. Spencer Reid who has been on the show since day 1 and hasn't returned for the revival because Matthew Gray Gubler is reportedly busy with other projects. Another actor who should have but couldn't join the revival due to scheduling conflicts is Daniel Henney portraying Matthew Simmons.
According to the plot of the first two episodes of Evolution, both characters went on a secret assignment and can return any day.
Besides these two beloved characters, Criminal Minds fans dearly miss and often mention two more profilers, Derek Morgan played by Shemar Moore and Aaron Hotchner aka Hotch portrayed by Thomas Gibson.
Both characters left the BAU in a relatively good physical condition though psychologically scarred, which could potentially let them return to the BAU. Dedicated fans would certainly love that.
While Shemar Moore left the CBS crime show to pursue other projects, Thomas Gibson had a much more serious reason to exit and never come back.
The actor who played the chief of Quantico's BAU since the show's inception in 2005 was written out of it in season 12 after a shocking incident on the set of one of the episodes Gibson directed. The actor reportedly got into an altercation with writer and co-executive producer Virgil Williams and, when things got heated, kicked him. This day on the set of Criminal Minds has become the last for Thomas Gibson.
At first, the actor was suspended for two episodes and issued an official apology, calling the incident "a disagreement" based on "creative differences."
But later that week, CBS Studios issued a statement saying that Gibson had been laid off. The fact that it was not the first fight with a crew member most likely played a part in the studio's decision.
Years before the kicking incident, Gibson reportedly had a heated argument with another producer Ian Woolf and even had to take anger management counseling afterward.
If the actor was not fired, the plot of both the original show and the revival could be very different. Aaron Hotchner was a strong and reliable leader who served as a driving force for many plot twists. No wonder, fans hope Paramount+ would revisit the CBS decision.