Shemar Moore will return to “Criminal Minds” for the Season 12 finale. Moore, an original cast member on “Criminal Minds,” starred on the CBS series from 2005 through 2016 when he departed the show at the end of the eleventh season.
The Season 12 finale airs on Wednesday, May 10 at 9 p.m. He’ll reprise his role as Derek Morgan. In the episode, Morgan brings the BAU a lead in the case against serial killer and escaped convict Mr. Scratch, who has wreaked havoc on the team all season.
Aside from guest-starring on “Criminal Minds,” Shemar Moore is at work on another CBS series, the pilot for a “S.W.A.T.” reboot, in which he is attached to star and serve as a producer. Based on the movie of the same name, the pilot follows a locally born and bred S.W.A.T. lieutenant — played by Moore — who is torn between loyalty to the streets and duty to his fellow officers when he’s tasked to run a highly-trained unit that’s the last stop for solving crimes in Los Angeles.
Moore’s return to “Criminal Minds” — even if just for one episode — will please fans, who were shocked by his exit last season. Season 11 saw another cast shake-up with the departure of Thomas Gibson, who was fired after a series of contentious events, including an alleged physical altercation with a producer. According to insiders, tension ran high on set between Moore and Gibson.
“Criminal Minds” also stars Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, Matthew Gray Gubler, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez and Damon Gupton. Executive producers are Mark Gordon, Erica Messer and Breen Frazier.
