'Criminal Minds' Season 11 News: Prentiss Seeks BAU's Help; Fans Fear Series Will Be Cancelled
"Criminal Minds" fans may have just said goodbye to one of their most beloved characters, Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore), but a former cast member should lift their spirits when she returns to the series in an upcoming episode.
On Wednesday's episode of the long-running CBS police procedural drama series, former Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) will re-emerge to ask her friends at the fictional Behavioral Analysis Unit for help tracking down an international fugitive.
In the episode, titled "Tribute," Prentiss will be after an international copycat serial killer who has been evading the Interpol for some time. After analyzing the suspect's movements, Prentiss will determine that the serial killer is on his way to the United States.
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In an interview with TV Guide, "Criminal Minds" showrunner Erica Messer spoke about having Brewster back and how Prentiss will be helping her pals at the BAU cope with Morgan's exit. According to the "Criminal Minds" boss, they had originally planned Brewster to return for the season 11 premiere, but she was caught up in another project. The situation turned out to be a blessing in disguise, however, because she was then available to come back for the episode right after Moore's last.
"Having Paget back is always fun—she's the best—but having her back for [Episode] 19 was particularly special because Prentiss knows what it's like from both sides of [watching] someone leaving the team and walking away herself," Messer explained.
"Everyone misses Morgan and she helps them cope," she said. "She has that perspective. And at the same time, it's a happy reunion with her - with us. We're all thrilled whenever she can come back."
Meanwhile, fans of the series have been speculating that "Criminal Minds" may soon be axed by CBS. On Friday, March 25, the network announced that it had renewed 11 of its shows, including "NCIS: Los Angeles," "NCIS: New Orleans," "Blue Bloods," and "Hawaii Five-0." There were two notable omissions to the roster: "Criminal Minds" and "CSI: Cyber."
Though CBS has yet to decide the series' fate, Deadline reports that the series costs a lot of money to produce, which could be a reason the network is still mulling over its future.
"Criminal Minds" airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.
