Criminal Minds' Mandy Patinkin Shocked the Studio By His Ugly Exit

Criminal Minds had 15 seasons and consistently high ratings. The series tells about the FBI's special unit that specializes in behavioral analysis of the criminal's actions.

FBI agents try to understand the motives of the criminal, to make his psychological portrait and thus to catch him as soon as possible.

Criminal Minds is a project that has been a huge success not only in the US, but also in many other countries.

It premiered in September 2005, and new episodes are still being filmed, though not as part of the original series, but as part of the reboot Criminal Minds: Evolution, which is still considered by many to be the continuation of the original, since almost all of the main characters are present.

In the early seasons of the series, the BAU group had an unquestioned authority and a respected and experienced agent, Jason Gideon.

He was once the head of the department, but when six FBI agents died because of him, he decided to leave the main position.

Gideon was embodied on the screen by the three-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Mandy Patinkin.

Although agent Gideon quickly won the hearts of many and became a beloved member of the BAU team, he suddenly disappeared after the second season.

His departure from the show was not related to the amount of money he was paid, but was due to creative differences.

In an interview, he stated that he has always hated violence on television, and some scenes of Criminal Minds were simply unacceptable to him. He called his participation in the show the biggest mistake of his career.

"I never thought they were going to kill and rape all these women every night, every day, week after week, year after year. It was very destructive to my soul and my personality. After that, I didn't think I would get to work in television again," the actor revealed in his interview with New York Magazine.

Not only did Mandy Patinkin leave the show, but he did so without warning. He just didn't show up on set one day.

This is why his character's exit from the show was so crumpled – such a turn of events caught the writers and showrunners off guard and they did not have enough time to logically justify the character's departure.

Meanwhile, the reboot of Criminal Minds: Evolution, like the original series, has enjoyed strong ratings and viewership.

The show has already been renewed for a second season, which will most likely be released in the fall of 2023.

Source: New York Magazine