'Criminal Minds' season 11 spoilers: What happens next after Derek's departure?
Following the departure of Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) in last week's episode, fans are aching to know what happens next after the monumental episode of the CBS series.
The latest episode from "Criminal Minds" drew a whopping 10.9 million viewers, together with a 2.2 rating. Since November 26, 2014, this is the show's best numbers as noted by TVLine.
With so many tuning in that time, fans want to know how the story will take shape after the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) lost one team member. There are rumors that Derek will be replaced, but series showrunner Erica Messer told TVLine that a replacement is not in order, especially right after Derek's exit. Given that they only have four episodes left, Messer wanted the team to "actually move on and sort of find their new groove without Derek, instead of, 'OK, you had two episodes. Now here's somebody else.' It didn't feel like the fans would fall in love with anybody new who came in under those circumstances."
Obviously, Penelope "Baby Girl" Garcia will be hit hardest after Derek left, but Messer said that Reid will be equally lost as seen in the last episode. "Losses effect Reid in a different way than everybody else, because those connections are so strong with him," the showrunner noted.
On the lighter side, Aisha Tyler might become a series regular in the show, as reports say. Tyler plays Dr. Lewis on the show, but she might be up for a permanent spot in the upcoming season 12 of the CBS series. No word yet if the rumors are true, but Messer openly expressed her hopes to have Tyler for the next season of the show. "That is my hope," Messer said in an interview with TVLine. "I love her," she added.
"Criminal Minds" airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.
