One Derek Scene in Criminal Minds Never Fails to Make Fans Tear Up
Did you manage to hold back tears when watching a storyline leading to Derek Morgan's exit from Criminal Minds?
Derek Morgan, played by Shemar Moore, was a beloved character on the hit television show Criminal Minds. Fans enjoyed watching his character grow and evolve over the course of the series, and many were disappointed when he left the show in Season 11. The storyline that led to his exit was hands-down the most heartbreaking moment in Season 11 and probably the whole series. To this day, Episode 16 leaves not a dry eye in the house.
"I just finished season 11 for the first time and God that episode nearly broke me," one of the new fans recently wrote in a Reddit discussion.
The episode titled Derek features a harrowing storyline in which Morgan is taken captive by a torturous criminal named Edgar Solomon. Throughout the episode, the audience is on the edge of their seats as Derek fights to survive, and the BAU team works to track down and rescue their friend.
The episode perfectly showcases Shemar Moore's acting abilities, who delivers a nuanced performance that is both heartbreaking and inspiring. As Edgar inflicts more and more pain on Derek, using different torture techniques, Derek hides in his mind. He initially imagines a peaceful home life with his wife and children. But as the pain intensifies, he falls into his own painful past.
"People always overlook the trauma that Derek went through," one of the fans on Reddit noted.
If viewers had overlooked Derek's troubled past, episode Derek definitely changed it. While being under torture, Derek flashed back to age 15, when he was abused by a pedophile, and to age 10, the day his father, who was a policeman, got killed in an insignificant purse-snatching incident in front of his son's eyes.
The dialogue between Derek and his imaginary father is the moment that made many fans shed a tear. While acknowledging that his father was killed by a criminal, Derek still blames him for leaving him alone and realizes he is doing the same to his own children.
This realization leads to Derek leaving the BAU after he is successfully saved by his own bravery and colleagues.
With Derek Morgan being one of the most loved Criminal Minds characters and Evolution renewed for another season at Paramount+, many fans hope Moore will one day reprise his iconic role.