As you’d expect of any network drama that manages to run for a full decade and a half, Criminal Minds went through a heck of a lot of cast changes over its original 15-year run — only fan-favorite Matthew Gray Gubler appeared throughout, and even he’s not in the streaming revival, Criminal Minds: Evolution.
One of the most notable exits in Criminal Minds history has to be Shemar Moore’s Derek Morgan, who was among the show’s longest-lasting characters. Debuting in season 1, Derek is a former Chicago police officer who became an FBI Supervisory Special Agent and a member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). Generally speaking, he was something of a light-hearted character initially, but as with many of the cast, he was taken through the ringer over the course of the series and suffered his fair share of hardships and harrowing experiences.
But what happened to Derek Morgan in the end, and why did Shemar Moore decide to walk from Criminal Minds in the first place?
Why did Morgan quit the BAU in Criminal Minds?
Moore’s last appearance as a regular cast member came in season 11 episode 18, titled “A Beautiful Disaster,” which saw Derek come close to losing everything that mattered to him the most. His pregnant wife, Savannah (Rochelle Aytes), is shot and although he successfully brings in the man responsible, Morgan realizes that he can’t risk something like this happening ever again. In order to commit to protecting his family, Morgan resigns from the BAU.
The Morgans’ son is named Hank, for Derek’s father — a police officer who was killed in front of him when he was a kid. Derek’s father’s murder cast a dark cloud over his life, and was the root cause of his troubled teenage years, so it was a meaningful end for the character to start a family of his own and put the violence that had defined his life so far behind him.
Why did Shemar Moore leave Criminal Minds?
In some ways, Derek’s exit from the series may have seemed abrupt, as it occurred three-quarters of the way through a season rather than in a finale or event storyline. As such, some might wonder if Shemar Moore’s farewell happened due to some unsavory reason, like a firing or some kind of contract dispute.
In actual fact, though, Moore saying goodbye to Criminal Minds was completely amicable and the actor simply wanted to try new things after playing the same role for over a decade. “I am wanting to see what else is out there for me and what else I’m capable of in my career and also in my personal life,” Moore told E! News at the time. To prove how much he remained part of the BAU family, Moore reprised Derek for two guest appearances across seasons 12 and 13.
Moore’s decision has also proven to be the best thing for his career, as he extended his working relationship with CBS to star in the super-successful series S.W.A.T., now in its seventh season. What’s more, he also had a role in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and even returned to The Young and the Restless — the show which was his big break — for a couple of recurring and guest spots in 2019 and 2023.
Criminal Minds can be streamed on Hulu and Paramount Plus.