Why does emily prentiss leave criminal minds

Her time on the show has had ups and downs as all loyal fans know. But just why did Paget Brewster leave the series? Read on to learn more. Brewster became a household name for her time on the series.

Prentiss is a very level-headed and assertive person that always tries to be professional. That's why a lot of women leave those procedurals. Or are fired. It's tough. The decision was difficult for Brewster, who said, "I was heartbroken.

I was so happy there. I loved everyone there, and it was easily one of the most hurtful things that's ever happened, to be fired because they wanted 'new women. Apparently, she wasn't the only person devastated by the decision. She revealed, "Our showrunner quit after that, he was so pissed off. He felt that he couldn't run his show after we were let go.

Despite being let go from the show at the end of season 5, Brewster didn't just pack up and leave. Her agents managed to secure for her the opportunity to wrap up her storyline, and she was ultimately kept on for two additional seasons. They all attend Prentiss' funeral. In the final scene, JJ is seen approaching a woman whose face is unseen in France and giving her passports for three different countries and a bank account in each one.

The woman's hands are shown to the viewers to have completely bitten-down nails, implying that it is Prentiss, who is alive and has faked her own death in order to go into hiding from Doyle, thus protecting the rest of the BAU team from him. The rest of the team missed her dearly and struggled to cope with the loss for the remainder of the season.

In " It Takes a Village ", she reunites with the team when they are forced to team up with Doyle in an effort to save Declan from a trio of international criminals seeking revenge on Doyle. Although they are successful in saving Declan, Doyle is shot and mortally wounded by the trio's leader , dying as Prentiss watches in shock. In " Proof ", Prentiss and JJ received the cold shoulder from Reid because he was not informed that she was still alive after Doyle supposedly "killed" her, viewing that as betrayal.

She eventually made amends with Reid, telling him that she regretted every moment of not letting him know but that it was necessary in order to protect herself and more importantly, the team. She reminds him that while he lost one friend, she lost six.

Reid forgave her and they became friends again. In " Dorado Falls ", Morgan lies to Prentiss and tells her she had to undertake recertification training. When she confronted near the episode's end, he told her that he didn't want to lose her again and needed some reassurance.

They agreed to ten hours of training. In " Unknown Subject ", Prentiss started to deal with her traumatic experience caused by Doyle. This is particularly evidenced by her personal connection with Regina Lampert , a victim of a serial rapist whom she later abducts, tortures, and tries to kill in revenge.

Prentiss is shot in the arm by the unsub before being shot down by Morgan. She is temporarily injured and forced to wear a sling. Morgan feels guilty that Prentiss was again hurt on his watch and tries to apologize to Prentiss. After gently teasing him, Prentiss tells Morgan that what happened to her was not his fault, it was just part of the job.

When her bid is accepted, Prentiss seems reluctant to go forward with the purchase. She shares with Morgan her doubts about going through with purchasing a home. When the team is called in to work a bank robbery and hostage situation , Clyde Easter contacts Prentiss to help identify one of the robbers , an international criminal. Clyde also offers her a position at Interpol, as chief of the London office.

She appears to consider the offer. At JJ and Will's wedding, Prentiss confesses to Morgan that she is unable to feel comfortable in her old life after her near-death encounter with Doyle and subsequent period of hiding. She admits that she is strongly considering Clyde's job offer. At JJ's reception, Prentiss is shown looking mournfully at the rest of the team before joining each of them to dance.

It is implied that she will leave the team and accepted the job at Interpol. They say she has settled in nicely. She is possibly referenced in " Magnificent Light ", when Morgan and Garcia discuss about a friend of the former's, who comes from England, and Garcia makes a comment that "[they] like England, remember?

Prentiss is mentioned in " The Replicator " during a conversation between Hotch and Senator Cramer after Strauss' murder by the Replicator himself. Prentiss was mentioned in " To Bear Witness ", when Garcia reveals that she had to ask her for assistance in finding any potential past victims of an unsub who performs lobotomy on his victims; this led to the discovery of a victim in Berlin, Germany.

She was also able to meet Alex Blake for the first time. In " X ", it is revealed that after Blake's departure from the BAU, Hotch had tried reenlisting Prentiss to the position, but she declined; her reason, according to Rossi, she just doesn't want to come back.

She is mentioned in " The Forever People " when Spencer calls her to pull extra background intel on Tivon Askari in order to help JJ dealing with her past. Prentiss reappears in " Tribute ", when she enlists the help of the BAU in catching an international copycat serial killer. She had become personally involved in the case since , when the unsub began killing London prostitutes in an emulation of Jack the Ripper ; her efforts to apprehend him failed and resulted in the death of an undercover police officer, Detective Inspector Louise Hulland.

It is revealed that she has been in a relationship with a man named Mark for some time. She is also having recurring nightmares about Louise's death, which she had personally witnessed. Prentiss eventually gets closure in the case when she and the rest of the BAU corner the unsub, who she shoots and kills.

Prentiss is mentioned in " The Storm " by Timothy Ritchie for Hotch's participation in faking her death during the Ian Doyle investigation. When Hotch had to leave on temporary assignment in " Taboo ", Prentiss volunteered to rejoin the BAU during his absence. A few weeks later, during " Elliott's Pond ", it is revealed that Hotch, in reality, had resigned from the FBI and gone into witness protection with his son Jack to avoid escaped serial killer by proxy Peter Lewis , who had been actively stalking Jack.

Picking up from the ending of " Red Light ", in " Wheels Up ", Prentiss and the team is involved in a deadly car crash caused by Scratch and as a result, is drugged, abducted, and tortured by him for Hotch and Jack's location. While audiences learned that Prentiss survived her stabbing and was on the run in Paris at the end of her final episode in Season 6, "Lauren," the BAU team had to readjust to the news of her survival in the Season 7 premiere, "It Takes a Village," causing some drama in particular with long-term agent Reid.

However, after her resurrection , neither Prentiss nor Brewster felt the same about their work. After being refused the provision to audition for a pilot season, and with the final year up on her contract, Brewster decided to quit Criminal Minds with the Season 7 finale.

Brewster made two guest appearances on Criminal Minds between seasons 7 and The milestone th episode in Season 9 brought the head of Interpol, Prentiss, back to help recover the kidnapped Agent Jareau, while longtime BAU member Derek Morgan's final episode in Season 11 saw Prentiss return to say her goodbye. Apart from those two episodes, Brewster stayed from the show for five whole years.

But neither Brewster nor Prentiss could stay away forever, however. Once again, Brewster was brought back not only to reprise her character but also to act as the new unit chief. From the middle of Season 12 until the show's 15th and final season, Prentiss remained as head of the BAU.

Brewster's tenure on Criminal Minds was anything but consistent, with a mid-series start, a death and multiple departures. But it's a testament to her skills as an actor and the design of her character that fans have been on board the entire time, always eager for the reappearance of Emily Prentiss.