The upcoming episode of Season 11 of Criminal Minds is going to be quite riveting, according to showrunner Erica Messer.

First Look Stills From Next Episode Feat. Guest Star Marisol Nichols

Messer spoke to TVLine about the episode revealing little details about it. The first part/episode, titled 'The Sandman,' will be directed by Joe Mantegna and written by Bruce Zimmerman.

"It's pretty brutal but it's amazing," Messer said. "And it's got a great cliffhanger element to take us into [Episode] 251."

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The report also reveals that episode 251, titled 'A Beautiful Disaster,' will be directed by Matthew Gray Gubler.

'The Sandman' will air on March 16.

Meanwhile, the next episode, titled 'Derek,' is going to focus on Derek Morgan (Shemaar Moore). "There is a lot going on with Derek," she said. "He's really taking up our emotional head space for a good chunk of this midseason stretch." In fact a heavy weight has been enlisted to play Derek's father in the episode. TVLine revealed that Danny Glover will guest star as Derek's dad in an episode, titled Derek. Showrunner Erica Messer also weighed in on this starry addition for the episode. "It's an interesting role that he plays," Messer said. "The reason Derek needs to call on this protector in this moment and work through some things is really beautifully written by Breen Frazier, and directed by [cast member] Thomas Gibson."  

The latest episode, titled 'The Badge and a Gun,' saw the return of Marisol Nichols as FBI Agent Natalie Colfax to help out with a case BAU in which the team deals with a criminal who is actually uses an FBI badge to get into his victims' homes.

Watch the preview for the latest episode, titled 'The Badge and a Gun.'

Tags: Criminal Minds CBS television