What Happened to Hotch on 'Criminal Minds'? He Was Written Off

'Criminal Minds' Fans Probably Won't Get to See Hotch One Last Time within the Series Finale

Mar. 18 2021, Updated 2:04 p.m. ET

Hotch has been a part of Criminal Minds since the start and left his mark because the gun-wielding Behavioral Analysis Unit chief who incessantly led SWAT groups on intense and dangerous missions. But after his blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance in Season 12, it gave the impression that Hotch had all at once left the show. And with Criminal Minds’ final season smartly underway, enthusiasts are most likely wondering what happened to Hotch and if he shall be back one final time prior to the show wraps for excellent.

To be honest, Hotch isn't the only key Criminal Minds personality to get the boot over time. Gideon was the BAU unit chief prior to Hotch and was best on the display for three seasons. And while Agent Morgan was considered a guest superstar in Season 12 and 13, he was more of a chief character for the display’s first 11 seasons. Still, Hotch is one of those longtime characters fanatics are still considering.

So, what happened to Hotch on 'Criminal Minds'?

At the start of Season 12, Hotch was said to have gone on a "special assignment," which effectively took him off the show and clear of the opposite characters for the foreseeable future at the time. When he didn't go back a few episodes later or even the next season, it was clear that his special project was extra of an enduring placement.

Then, it was revealed that he and his circle of relatives had gone into witness coverage due to his son being stalked. When Season 13 premiered, Hotch was stated to have decided to take a step back from the BAU in order to focal point on being a dad. From there, Hotch was but reminiscence to the opposite characters, even if some Criminal Minds enthusiasts nonetheless neglected him.

The actor who performed Hotch was fired.

Hotch was written off Criminal Minds so temporarily since the actor who played Hotch, Thomas Gibson, was fired back in 2016. After a bodily altercation with a manufacturer over traces within the script that Thomas didn't trust, he was put on a two-week suspension. He by no means got the risk to return and advised People magazine in a September 2016 issue that he known he ruined his popularity, but sought after to make the effort to reflect on what had happened.

"It seems like they’re trying to erase me from the show. That hurts," Thomas admitted. "But I’m using this time to be with my kids, and I look forward to what’s next. Maybe I’ll do a comedy, or a play, or direct, or produce." He added that his "pride and reputation" had been harm, but he was looking ahead to getting back to paintings on different projects.

Will Hotch go back to 'Criminal Minds' for Season 15?

The method Hotch was written off on Criminal Minds indubitably makes it seem as though there are no plans to bring him again. Add to that the way in which Thomas left the sequence in actual lifestyles and it’s even much less likely that producers had considered it a good idea to bring him again for the overall season. In a way, his story might be better left wrapped how it was.

In January 2019, Criminal Minds government manufacturer Erica Messer instructed Deadline that they planned to "honor all of those characters who have been beloved and with this team, with the audience for years," however said she wasn't certain what that would mean for explicit characters returning. Even if Hotch is long gone for good on Criminal Minds, a minimum of he was given a relaxed, if no longer altogether correct, finish to his tale arc.

Watch Criminal Minds on Wednesdays at Nine p.m. ET on CBS.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pbXSramam6Ses7p6wqikaKhfrLWiwIyhmKmolaOypXnTqGShp6SYtW6v0aKkoqaRoXqutc2dqg%3D%3D