Criminal Minds Boss Breaks Silence on Thomas Gibson's Exit

Criminal Minds showrunner Erica Messer had some big plans for Season 12, but everything changed on Aug. 12.

Thomas Gibson, who was already serving a suspension, got fired following an altercation with writer/producer Virgil Williams, forcing the show to write out everyone's favorite BAU Unit Chief Hotch.

Fans were upset, Gibson accused the show of trying to "erase me," and the show adapted by promoting Paget Brewster back to full time and adding a new cast member, Damon Gupton, on top of previously announced newbie Adam Rodriguez.

Messer had kept quiet on the whole ordeal since it happened, and while she couldn't talk about specifics of Gibson's dismissal, TVGuide.com caught up with her to discuss all the recent changes, how she decided to write out Hotch (who joined Witness Protection to protect himself and his son Jack from Mr. Scratch), how she readjusted his stories, if we'd ever see Hotch again, what she wants to say to fans, and more.

[...] the cast, crew, writers and producers have all come together to keep the show on the track and keep everything moving ahead and keep telling entertaining stories for everybody.

Without having a chance to see Thomas again to physically write out the character, I felt like something massive had to have happened while we claimed he was off doing temporary duty.

Messer: I mean, the dramatic storytelling component of writing a version of real life would be death because it happened so quickly.

[...] I don't know if you saw the quote from Thomas where he said you guys were trying to erase him from the show, which I don't think you did, but that kind of inflamed things.

[...] all of us who love the series and the characters would never act like he never existed.

When you and I talked in August, you mentioned all the things you had planned for Hotch, including possibly bringing Ed Asner back.

At that point, we had started production in July and the writers had been back fo