In a recent interview, showrunner Erica Messer addressed the sudden death of Gideon in Criminal Minds, and the lingering question about how conscious the writers were of Mandy Patinkin's, who played Gideon on the show in the past, dissing the CBS procedural, while working on this 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 talked about if they took the fact that Patinking had badmouthed the show in to consideration.

"We are always very aware of how our fans think and feel about these characters, but honestly, it was all about how our team would react to this loss. When you think about it in those terms, I think the audience is on board," she said. "They want to watch this group of heroes and if they're suffering the loss of someone they once worked with, the minute you see Reid with those quivering lips, it's like, "Oh, my gosh!" I think no matter how you feel about Gideon as a viewer, you're completely emotionally invested because the team was completely emotionally invested."

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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