Criminal Minds showrunner, Erica Messer, spoke about Gideon's (Mandy Patinkin) death on the latest episode of season 10 and what motivated that plot twist.

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As the episode, titled Anonymous, revisited an old case that Gideon and David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) were trying to solve back in the day. Gideon has long left the show, but was kept alive in the memory of fans as his exit showed him just leaving the BAU. But while rewinding with this episode it was revealed that Gideon was now dead. In an interview with TVGuide, Messer addressed the decision to kill him off.

"I had the idea of the '70s of it all more than anything. And then it was like, "What is an important enough case that would warrant us going back and seeing where it all started?" Having it be this character, who we haven't seen in forever but we're going to see where it started with him, it just felt right to see where it all ends for him," she said.

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The executive producer went on to talk about how this story arc also allowed them to end Gideon's story properly, and dignify his personal story.

"You're seeing his whole life as an FBI agent and the personal side of having a child he wanted to have but maybe wasn't as good of a dad as he wanted to be," she stated. "It felt like a really nice way of honoring Gideon. We don't kill off our heroes very often."

She also explained how these things are a part and parcel of being in the line of work that Gideon and Rossi are in.

"But it felt like after 10 years, these are things that do happen to agents who have worked together for a long time. Their friends die, even in the line of duty," she added.

Eventually, it was also for the benefit of dedicated fans, who have been watching the show for a decade now, and to give them a piece of their old characters.

"All of our fans who've been watching for 10 years, all of us who've been working here 10 years and the actors who've been living these characters for 10 years -- it was like, "Let's give them some real drama." When it hits home, it doesn't get more real than that."

In the episode a younger Gideon was portrayed by Ben Savage and Mantegna was played by Robert Dunne.

Watch the preview for the latest episode, Anonymous, here:

Tags: Criminal Minds CBS television