"Criminal Minds" season 12 has been quite controversial after Thomas Gibson, who played the role of Aaron Hotchner, was fired from the show. The actor, who was fondly referred to as "Hotch" in the police procedural series, was kicked off the show after he had an altercation with writer-producer Virgil Williams. The two parties have differing versions of what really happened and despite the appeal from the show's fans, it seems that the network won't cave in and bring back Gibson.
"Criminal Minds" Season 12: Hotch's Exit
"Criminal Minds" season 12 will not be the same without Hotch. The last time Hotch was shown in the series was in episode 2 and the series made a lot of effort to make up for his loss. However, there was one hanging question - how will they stage Hotch's exit?
In episode 6 which aired on Wednesday, Nov. 16, titled "Elliot's Pond," it was revealed that Hotch was in Witness Protection not on a special assignment. According to Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Hotch had to give up his post in the Behavioral Analysis Unit since he is under "Witness Protection." This is because Peter Lewis whom they refer to as Mr. Scratch has been stalking his son, Jack (Cade Owens) during a soccer game. Rather than put his son in danger again, Hotch opted to leave for the sake of his family. Given this development, Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) will take his place as BAU's new head.
Gibson's Sudden Departure From "Criminal Minds"
"Criminal Minds" season 12 suffered from dwindling ratings after Hotch's sudden absence. Gibson has been fired by the network after he purportedly kicked Williams in the shin. Gibson claims that his foot merely brushed against Williams' leg and even if they had a heated exchange, everything went well after that.
Meanwhile, Williams remembers the events quite differently. He claims that Gibson requested a change in a line and when he did not agree, the actor kicked him in the shin. He claims that Gibson created a "hostile work environment." However, he made it clear that despite their issues at work, he is not holding a grudge against Gibson.
Despite everything that happened, there seems to be much hope for Williams and Gibson to patch things up. Given how the show staged Hotch's exit, there is a possibility that they are thinking about hiring Gibson back as he is a key character in "Criminal Minds." Aside from that, the characters in the series have been fired and rehired and with this as a precedent, Hotch might find a way to catch Mr. Scratch and go back to BAU. Right now, however, these remain as speculations until there is an official confirmation from the show.
