‘Criminal Minds’ Season 12: After Shemar Moore ,Thomas Gilbson Return Also A Possibility

Thomas Gibson returning to "Criminal Minds" Season 12 is still a hot topic among the show's fans even after months of his departure. With Shemar Moore confirmed to return to the series as a guest, the hope of the Gibson coming back as Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner has resurged as well.

"Criminal Minds" Season 12 cast underwent some drastic changes. Shemar Moore was no longer in the cast as he already left the show after the eighteenth episode of the previous season. Then, the unthinkable happened. Thomas Gibson was suspended and eventually let go after an on-set confrontation with a writer-director. Consequently, his character, Hotch, resigned from the force after a serial killer targeted his son.

But fans viewed his character's resignation as a positive sign. Since his character was not killed off, the possibility of Thomas Gibson returning as Aaron Hotchner in "Criminal Minds" Season 12 or later seasons is still open.

A recent article from Celebeat likewise echoes this optimism. According to the publication, hopes of seeing Thomas Gibson back has resurged now that another former cast is now confirmed to rejoin the show for the "Criminal Minds" Season 12 finale.

Shemar Moore is now confirmed to come back to the series as a guest star for one episode. According to Cleveland.com, Moore will return to the show but only for the "Criminal Minds" Season 12. Moore will reprise his role as Derek Morgan.

Of course, Shemar Moore's return is not a guarantee that Thomas Gibson will be returning to "Criminal Minds" Season 12 as well. But it is a good indication that it is still a possibility. As stated beforehand, another good thing going for Gibson's return is that his character was not yet killed off, making his return a lot easier.

Thomas Gibson's return to the series is also seen to boost its ratings. As stated by Celebeat, the actor's departure affected the show's ratings which began to drop as some of the actor's fans decided to stop watching the CBS police procedural drama.

But if Thomas Gibson will be back on board, it will not likely happen in the current "Criminal Minds" Season 12. When previously asked on the possibility of the actor's return, showrunner Erica Messer explained that, while possible, it will not likely happen in the immediate future.