Saying farewell to a favorite character is never easy, especially when that character has been around for quite a long time. Shemar Moore’s departure from Criminal Minds after eleven seasons is undoubtedly going to be hard for fans to process for a while. Moore’s exit as Special Agent Derek Morgan is even harder on his castmates, and they took the time to film a special heartfelt goodbye that makes it hard not to want to sniffle a little bit by the end. Check it out!
The cast waxing poetic about Shemar Moore helps soothe a little bit of the sting of losing Derek Morgan. Seeing everybody come together to share what they loved most about working with Moore and what the actor brought to the show is proof enough that his legacy won’t be forgotten even now that he’s moved on. Of course, it didn’t hurt that executive producer Erica Messer was on hand to promise that Moore will always be welcome to return to the show in some capacity or other.
Luckily, Shemar Moore left the show on good terms and with his character very much alive, so the door is definitely open on both sides for a possible reappearance of Morgan in the future. We can’t blame him for wanting to explore other creative options even if it does cost us his presence on Criminal Minds, and at least he got a reasonably happy ending on the show.
Moore also hasn’t been quiet about his feelings about his big exit from the show. He recorded a message to his fans and fellow actors to express his gratitude and his reasons for making his choice to depart. If you have any heartstrings left to be plucked, have a look at his parting words:
Given that Shemar Moore was a major presence on Criminal Minds for eleven seasons and more than 250 episodes, he deserved some major fanfare around his departure. In what has become a rarity this day and age of casting announcements and interviews garlore, it's great that Criminal Minds managed to keep a lid on what was happening with Derek Morgan, allowing the reveal of him leaving to spend time with his newly expanded family to hit as mostly a surprise.
Moore’s final episode drew in massive ratings for CBS and gave a fitting end to a character who helped make the show what it is today. His absence will mean a hole in the killer Criminal Minds ensemble, so it should be interesting to see where the drama goes from here, and how the characters react and adjust to Morgan being gone.
Criminal Minds airs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. The next episode will feature fan favorite Paget Brewster returning as Emily Prentiss. For a look at what you can expect from CBS and the other networks this summer, be sure to check out our upcoming TV premiere schedule.
