The twelfth season of Criminal Minds was ordered on May 6, 2016, by CBS with an order of 22 episodes.[1] The season premiered on September 28, 2016, and ended on May 10, 2017.
Criminal Minds was renewed for a twelfth season with an episode order of 22 episodes on May 6, 2016.[1] The season began on September 28, 2016.[2] The entire main cast returned for the season, except Shemar Moore (Derek Morgan), who left the show during the eleventh season.
After Shemar Moore's departure in the previous season, former CSI: Miami star Adam Rodriguez was cast to fill his void in the twelfth season. He will play Luke Alvez, a new recruit to the BAU from the FBI's Fugitive Task Force, tasked with helping to capture an escaped killer from last season.[3][4] On July 21, Kirsten Vangsness confirmed that Paget Brewster would reprise her role as SSA Emily Prentiss for multiple episodes.[5] On August 10, 2016, Aisha Tyler, who joined the show in the previous season as Dr. Tara Lewis, was promoted to a series regular.[6]
On August 30, 2016, Brewster was promoted to series regular, following Thomas Gibson's firing.[7]Jane Lynch reprised her role as Dr. Diana Reid, Spencer Reid's schizophrenic mother after eight years. She appeared in the second half of the season in a multi-episode arc.[8]
To fill the void after Gibson's firing, Damon Gupton was cast in the series regular role of Special Agent Stephen Walker, a profiler from the Behavioral Analysis Program in the FBI. He made his first appearance in the eighth episode.[9]
Shemar Moore reprised his role as Derek Morgan in the season finale as his character tried to help catch Mr. Scratch after bringing the BAU a lead in the case against him.[10]
During April 2017, it was revealed that Gia Mantegna would reprise her role as Lindsay Vaughn in the final 3 episodes of the season. It was also revealed that Beth Riesgraf would reprise her role as Maeve Donovan in the season finale.[11][12]
Gibson's suspension and exit
Producers denied rumors that Aaron Hotchner's written out was because of Thomas Gibson's behavior during an on-set altercation.
On August 11, 2016, Deadline reported that Thomas Gibson had been suspended and therefore written out from two episodes due to an on-set altercation with one of the producers. He was also cut from directing one of the episodes.[13] The following day, Gibson was fired following the on-set altercation. A joint statement from ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios read, "Thomas Gibson has been dismissed from Criminal Minds."
Gibson's character's exit was explained in the sixth episode of the season, "Elliot's Pond", when it was revealed that his character retired and went into witness protection because of Mr. Scratch stalking his son.[14][15] Gibson would not appear in episode three to twenty-two. Paget Brewster was hired to replace him in the following episode as Emily Prentiss.
When a man residing in Tempe, Arizona is found with the initials "BAU" carved into his stomach and the crime is connected to an injustice collector who escaped from prison three months earlier with twelve other convicts, the team works with new member Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) to track down the killer only to find themselves facing a criminal from their past.
After returning from a child abduction case in Los Angeles, JJ breaks down in front of Will and recounts the events surrounding the BAU's attempt to catch a serial killer who kidnapped his victims in broad daylight before burning them alive.
With Hotch on TDY, Lewis on assignment and former SSA Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) assisting during his absence, the BAU travels to Boynton Beach, Florida to profile a killer who subjects single mothers to crude lobotomies and drowns them in concrete. Meanwhile, Alvez opens up to one of his colleagues about his personal history.
When a Virginia state trooper comes across a homeless man carrying a bag of dismembered body parts and the man subsequently flees the scene, the BAU searches the Appalachian Trail for a serial killer with a bizarre motive. Meanwhile, Reid deals with a personal crisis after his mother is accepted into a study on Alzheimer's disease.
When three of the four members of a family from Winona, Minnesota are gunned down in their sleep, the BAU sets out to determine if the sole survivor was behind the killings or if she was deliberately spared. Meanwhile, Garcia attempts to find the perfect gift for Alvez's dog.
When three adventurous teenagers in Clayton, Delaware go missing and their last known location is revealed to be the same area where twin siblings went missing over thirty years earlier, the BAU sets out to establish a connection between the two cases. Meanwhile, Rossi makes an announcement regarding Hotch's absence that leaves the team reeling.
When a complete stranger contacts Lewis and identifies himself as her estranged younger brother, the BAU attempts to uncover the impostor's true identity only to find themselves forced to play a high-stakes cat and mouse game orchestrated by serial killer Peter Lewis (Bodhi Elfman).
When Yakima, Washington authorities receive reports of a woman being abducted and later unearth two sets of female remains in a creek bed, the BAU determines they are searching for a serial killer driven by a twisted sense of morality. Meanwhile, Reid receives an upsetting phone call and the team welcomes profiler Stephen Walker (Damon Gupton) into the fold.
When Rossi receives a chilling birthday message from prolific serial killer Tommy Yates, who is listed as one of the remaining escapees from the mass prison break, the BAU works with a team of up-and-coming FBI profilers to stop Yates from embarking on another spree.
When a series of home invasions in upscale San Diego neighborhoods turn deadly, the BAU suspects that the crimes were committed by a gang of thrill-seeking young adults. Meanwhile, Walker dedicates himself to determining when Peter Lewis will strike next.
When authorities from Tampa, Florida discover a mysterious symbol on the bodies of two residents who previously committed suicide, the BAU sets out to apprehend a killer who believes his crimes to be religious sacrifices. Meanwhile, Reid helps his mother adapt to new surroundings after choosing to take her out of the clinical study.
When two dismembered male torsos are discovered in Palm Springs, California, the BAU juggles identifying both victims and establishing a connection. Meanwhile, Reid juggles returning to work and caring for his mother.
When Reid is arrested and charged with drug possession by Mexican authorities, the BAU works with International Response Team members Clara Seger (Alana de la Garza) and Matt Simmons (Daniel Henney) to prove his innocence in the death of a Mexican-American doctor.
When drivers and pedestrians from Bradenton, Florida are critically injured in a series of car accidents, the BAU suspects the accidents were engineered by a hacker. Meanwhile, Prentiss and defense attorney Fiona Duncan (Jeananne Goossen) juggle preventing Reid from being indicted and sorting through a mountain of incriminating evidence.
When four Philadelphia civilians are disfigured in planned attacks, the BAU sets out to catch a budding serial killer who wants to make his victims feel as ugly as he does. Meanwhile, Reid is sent to the general population by a guard with a grudge and makes a friend in former federal agent Calvin Shaw (Harold Perrineau).
When three New York City women are tortured to death and found with their bones crushed, the BAU works with a single mother (Tatum O'Neal) who claims her son is behind the heinous crimes. Meanwhile, Reid faces a difficult decision after a fellow inmate is threatened.
When two radically different killing sprees take place in Burlington, Vermont, the BAU sets out to determine if two different serial killers are working in concert or if a lone serial killer is behind both sprees. Meanwhile, Alvez presents Shaw with an ultimatum after Reid is assaulted.
The BAU returns to New York City to identify a killer with an unquenchable thirst after a sixteen-year-old girl disappears from the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood and the investigation is connected to two cold cases. Meanwhile, Reid makes a bold decision that threatens to place his well-being in jeopardy.
When three decomposing bodies are found tied to wooden stakes outside Tucson, Arizona, the BAU determines the victims are pawns in a sinister vendetta. Meanwhile, Lewis convinces Reid to undergo a cognitive interview.
When one of Walker's former colleagues is hospitalized after being injected with a radioactive toxin, the BAU suspects the incident is connected to the deaths of several government employees. Meanwhile, Reid receives an unexpected visit in the form of his mother and a ghost from his past.
When Prentiss discovers that Reid's mother has been abducted by former victim Lindsey Vaughn (Gia Mantegna), the BAU sets out to rescue her only to question everything they thought they knew when the person responsible for framing him is unmasked.
As the BAU continues searching for Reid's mother, Reid finds himself forced to participate in a high-stakes game of wits with hitwoman Cat Adams (Aubrey Plaza). Meanwhile, former SSA Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) provides the team with a possible lead on Peter Lewis.
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