I’m going to start out with a disclaimer that I am a huge Criminal Minds fan. I’ve watched all 10 seasons on Netflix, and when I finished, I started them over again. When I find myself with nothing to do, I’ll take quizzes about plots of certain episodes, criminals the team has prosecuted and the personal lives of the characters. If I find an episode I really like, I can sometimes repeat the dialogue from entire scenes. I just really love the show.
After so many years of watching, I feel that I know the characters of the show – and the actors who play them – pretty well. I’ve become emotionally attached to fictional characters, and I know that it seems ridiculous, but I almost feel like the team is an extension of my family. Last year, my sister and I even replaced all of our family photos with pictures of the cast, just because we love them so much. Our mom, however, was not too thrilled.
Caption: The quality is awful, but you get the idea. It stayed this way for most of the summer.
I don’t really get emotionally invested when it comes to television shows, but something about Criminal Minds is different.
So when I heard that actor Shemar Moore (who plays Derek Morgan on the show) was leaving, I was surprised and incredibly, incredibly saddened. In a way, I feel like I’m losing a member of my family. This cast is just so easy to get attached to, especially after so many years of working on the set.
Caption: The cast at (what I think is) its prime, during seasons 4-7. There were some interludes (with some characters leaving for short periods of time and becoming guest stars), but overall, this group is considered the main cast for a majority of the show.
For 11 consecutive seasons, Moore played Agent Derek Morgan on the show. He was in nearly every episode to date, so it’s understandable why he feels it’s his time to leave. He said in an interview with TV Guide, “I’m leaving because I just creatively want to be fueled and [am] excited to try new things and see what else I’m capable of. But I’m always going to look back and salute.” After 11 years of playing the same character, I can’t imagine being as excited about work as you used to be. It makes sense, in a way, but that doesn’t make it less disappointing for the fans. He was a beloved character, and the hole he leaves will never really be filled.
There are so many things I’m going to miss now that Shemar Moore left the show. I’ll miss his character’s witty banter with Garcia. I’ll miss the way he kicked down doors all the time to save innocent characters from harm. I’ll miss his touching backstory and his ambition to better himself. I’ll miss his positive attitude that always made the team better.
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lm86ksLfEi1qflmdgo1_500.gif
Caption: DEREK, YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE GEM. PLEASE DON’T LEAVE
While I’m obviously sad about Moore leaving the show, I’m thrilled that he gets to go off and do whatever he chooses to tackle next. He gave his fans 11 wonderful years of Derek, and he has definitely earned this break.
Picture Credit: 1, Author’s own, 2, 3
Source: http://www.tvguide.com/news/shemar-moore-leaves-criminal-minds-interview/