The twelfth season of Criminal Minds was ordered on May 6, 2016, by CBS with an order of 22 episodes. The season premiered on September 28, 2016, and ended on May 10, 2017.
Season 12 U.S. DVD cover
Jane Lynch returned in Season 12 as Diana Reid.
Shemar Moore reprised his role as Derek Morgan in the season finale.
Producers denied rumors that Aaron Hotchner's written out was because of Thomas Gibson's behavior during an on-set altercation.
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), using behavioral analysis and profiling to investigate crimes and find the unsub, the team's term for perpetrators. The show tells the story of the team as they work various cases and tackle their personal struggles.
Cast members in 2011–12: (left to right) Gibson, Cook, Gubler, Mantegna, Brewster, and Moore. Absent: Kirsten Vangsness
Cast and crew at a Paley Centre discussion of the show