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‘Criminal Minds’ Season 12 Canceled? Fans Continue With #NoHotchNoWatch Boycott, Endangering The Series

By Alexandria Ingham
Published on: 05:07 PST, Nov 1, 2016

With the #NoHotchNoWatch boycott continuing, fans who have been loyal to the other characters are worried that Criminal Minds Season 12 will be canceled. The ratings are lower than previous seasons, and it is possible that CBS will decide to call it a day.

The show had already been in danger of cancellation back in May. Criminal Minds Season 11 aired a cliffhanger finale without any confirmation from CBS and ABC that the show would be renewed. Unlike many other shows on TV right now, Minds needed a licensing agreement renewed. ABC reaps all the profits while CBS has to pay out the money.

Earlier in Season 11, fans had said goodbye to beloved SSA Derek Morgan. Shemar Moore, who played the character, decided that it was time to leave the show. While fans supported the actor’s decision, they weren’t happy that it would mean no more Derek and speculated that the show would be canceled after that. The show was lucky to get a renewal.

During the summer, Criminal Minds actor Thomas Gibson faced trouble. He had been involved in an altercation with a writer and was suspended from the set for two weeks. The networks decided to change that suspension to a firing, and Gibson’s final two episodes aired at the start of Minds Season 12.

From then on, fans have called for Gibson to return. Even bringing back Paget Brewster’s Emily Prentiss hasn’t been enough to pull the fans back in. Parent Herald reports that this may definitely be the end of the show that has graced screens for more than a decade.

It turns out that Gibson has now filed a lawsuit for the firing. This could be one of the reasons fans are standing by the actor. The writer reportedly received no punishment for his involvement in the altercation.

Fans have taken to Twitter to share the fact that they are boycotting the series. It all started with the #NoHotchNoWatch hashtag, but there are far more that fans can use. #SupportThomasGibson and #ThankYouThomasGibson are other popular hashtags to use while boycotting the show.

Does this mean that the fans don’t really know what is going on? It is possible that the fans are keeping up with the storyline for the rest of the characters by reading recaps online. This won’t give the full idea of the storylines, but it does help fans know what is going on with Mr. Scratch and how Gibson’s character has been handled in the show.

So far, Hotch is away on a special assignment. This storyline was clearly added in when Gibson was originally suspended, as Hotch is only away temporarily. Some fans are still curious to know what will happen with Hotch in the end. Will they kill him off meaning that there is no way for Gibson to return, or will he decide to leave and spend time with his family in the same way that Derek did?

CBS has only confirmed that Gibson has gone, and isn’t sharing anything about its opinion on the boycott. The ratings are declining each week, and it is possible that Criminal Minds will be canceled after Season 12. It is even possible that the show won’t even get to continue after the winter hiatus. Another option would be for the network to move it to a Friday night, where the lower ratings aren’t too much of an issue. If this happens, fans will definitely know that the plan is to cancel the show soon.

There are fans who have called out to the boycotters to rethink their decision. The threat of cancellation is punishing the rest of the cast for actions that were out of their control. Is that really fair on them? The requests have also gone out to get rid of the toxic environment against fans who have chosen to continue to support the other cast members, despite their love for Hotch.

The possibility of Criminal Minds Season 12 being canceled has also brought up the future for Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. The first season didn’t get the best start, but it was renewed. There is no news about a premiere date yet, but is it possible that the spin-off will be canceled because of the poor ratings with the parent show?

Are you watching Criminal Minds Season 12 or joining the boycott?

[Featured Image by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images]

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