Why Shemar Moore Left Criminal Minds During Season 11

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Here's why Shemar Moore's Derek Morgan left Criminal Minds during season 11. CBS' Criminal Minds is a thriller series that arrived way back in 2005 and followed a team of FBI profilers tasked with tracking and stopping an endless supply of brutal serial killers. Alongside NCIS, Criminal Minds was one of the most popular procedural shows on the air during its run, which came to an end in 2020. It was also popular enough to receive two spinoffs in the form of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior.

In addition to its fascinating elements of crime investigation and breaking down killers' psychological profiles, an integral part of what made the series such a smash hit over the years was its rich and interesting characters. Each member of the BAU's team added another layer to why it was worth a watch. The first two seasons of Criminal Minds were fronted by cast member Mandy Patinkin as Jason Gideon, but the actor abruptly quit as production was gearing up for season 3. Patinkin later confessed the show was much darker and more disturbing than he was expecting when he signed on, and he quit because he didn't like the amount of violence.

Related: How Criminal Minds Reversed Dexter's Agent Frank Lundy

Amazingly, the series survived Gideon's surprise exit. In fact, its only natural key cast would leave over its fifteen-year run, with Thomas Gibson famously being fired during season 12. Another major departure came during Criminal Minds season 11 when Shemar Moore's Derek Morgan left the team.

Derek Morgan had been part of the long-successful Criminal Minds formulafrom the show's first episode, though the character evolved from being relatively lighthearted in early seasons to becoming more weathered