'Criminal Minds' season 12 release date news 2016: Premiere confirmed; Derek returning, Emily rejoining the BAU team?
All is set for the return of CBS' police procedural crime drama series "Criminal Minds," which is already in its 12th season. Apparently, with most of the script for the upcoming season done, filming is in full swing and a fall premiere is imminent.
Talking to TV Guide, the show's executive producer, Erica Messer, hinted at what fans could expect from the upcoming season.
"It's going to be a really fun, different year. We're excited to catch these bad guys all over again," Messer said.
She said that series resident baddie Peter Lewis a.k.a. Mr. Scratch would be a vital cog of season 12. It would be remembered that Mr. Scratch (Bodhi Elfman) first appeared on the show's 10th season as a hacker, stalker, and serial killer. In season 11, viewers saw him escaping with 12 other serial killers. Since his whereabouts were never traced, it looks like the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) would pick up chasing him in season 12.
Veteran TV actor Adam Rodriguez will also see action in "Criminal Minds" season 12 as an FBI Fugitive Task Force Agent. According to HOFMag, the 41-year-old actor would be replacing Shemar Moore who plays Derek Morgan on the series. Rodriguez will help the rest of the team, which includes David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson), Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), Jennifer Jareau (AJ Cook) and Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), track down Mr. Scratch.
Meanwhile, Messer said that they are still hopeful that they could get Moore back on the show. Considering the emotional bond between Reid Morgan, there's a possibility that the former would have a hard time coping with a new special agent in BAU. She even teased that Morgan is just a phone call away.
"You adapt and you move on, and life goes on. It's not like he's lost him from his life forever; he can always call Morgan. I don't know how much we'll play it actively, but I think it's one more layer that all of them can tap into as we move into Season 12," she said.
Paget Brewster, who played Emily Prentiss on the show, also posted something on Twitter, which prompted fans to speculate that she might be returning. Even series regular Vangsness retweeted the post.
"Criminal Minds" season 12 will premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 9/8 CT on CBS.
