"Criminal Minds" is one of the long-running crime drama series on television that underwent a major change this season by axing its lead actor, Thomas Gibson. Gibson only appeared in two episodes in "Criminal Minds" Season 13 due to him being fired while filming for episodes. Since then, fans believe that the series is no longer as interesting as it had always been and it led them to believe that "Criminal Minds" Season 13 won't be happening.
However, there are now rumors suggesting that "Criminal Minds" Season 13 has a big chance of getting greenlit. Despite rumors claiming Thomas Gibson's Aaron Hotchner's exit has significantly contributed to the decline of the show's ratings, the numbers presented by PremiereDate show otherwise.
According to the report, "Criminal Minds" Season 11 concluded with a strong presence being the #2 top series on CBS. The series had a 1.8 demo rating and 9 million same-day viewers. As for "Criminal Minds" Season 12, the series started with 8.92 million viewers and a demo rating of 1.9, taking the third spot. Not only that, the series is well-loved by international audiences. This could signal that "Criminal Minds" Season 13 is a possibility.
There are also rumors suggesting that Thomas Gibson will return at some point in "Criminal Minds" Season 12 and this should to boost the ratings of the series enough for another renewal. Moreover, some media outlets have reported that Gibson will indeed reprise his role and be officially part of "Criminal Minds" Season 13 once again.
Nothing is final at the moment as "Criminal Minds" Season 12 is currently airing and will be back with new episodes for the second half of the season on Jan. 4. CBS hasn't even announced anything official yet, but fans are holding on to hope that Thomas Gibson's Hotch will indeed return -- if not this season, then on a possible "Criminal Minds" Season 13. After all, viewers have been very loud about their "NoHotchNoWatch" campaign. Stay tuned to GamenGuide to get more updates on the series.
