Why is Morgan Not Returning in ‘Criminal Minds’

Criminal Minds is bidding farewell after 15 seasons. The hit CBS crime show’s two-hour series finale will air Feb. 19. The final episode will feature a number of familiar faces, but Derek Morgan will not be one of them. The Criminal Minds showrunner, Erica Messer, revealed why Shemar Moore won’t be back for one final appearance as Morgan. “I’ve been asked if Shemar is coming back, and it’s no,” Erica told our sister site TVLine. “He’s very busy shooting S.W.A.T. Again, I wanted to be able to acknowledge the history of the series, certainly in that finale, and was able to do it in a different way.”

Shemar played Derek Morgan from season 1 until season 11. Morgan and Garcia’s friendship was one of the notable dynamics of the series. You couldn’t help but swoon when Morgan called Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) his “baby girl.” Shemar made guest appearances in both season 12 and season 13. Shemar is currently playing Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in the CBS series S.W.A.T.

Knowing Criminal Minds, Morgan may not physically be returning for the series finale but his presence will be felt. Notable guest stars in the series finale include Jane Lynch, Beth Riesgraf, Jayne Atkinson, and more.

The Criminal Minds series finale will feature back-to-back episodes. It has been a year since Rossi nearly died at the hands of Everett Lynch, a.k.a. The Chameleon, and he has developed some new theories, with inspiration from his former partner, Jason Gideon (Ben Savage). The BAU team sets out on an epic hunt to capture Lynch. Following an explosive face-to-face encounter with Everett Lynch, Dr. Reid suffers from a brain injury and, while experiencing hallucinations, is visited by ghosts from his past. Also, the BAU makes a shocking discovery about Lynch that affects Rossi personally, and the entire BAU team comes together to celebrate Rossi’s retirement.

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