The Criminal Minds Exit of Mandy Patinkin: A Closer Look at Jason Gideon's Departure

The Impact of Jason Gideon's Departure

Criminal Minds' content isn't for everybody. The Criminal Minds character FBI Special Agent Jason Gideon originally led the series until he was written out of the show shortly after season 2 leading to a lot of questions about why actor Mandy Patinkin left Criminal Minds. The procedural series, which originally ran from 2005 to 2020, was well-known for its revolving cast, as only a few of Criminal Minds’ original stars remained until the season 15 finale. While many primary cast members and characters like Thomas Gibson’s Aaron Hotchner or Shemar Moore’s Derek Morgan would depart the show as well, Gideon's Criminal Minds exit made a visible impact on the series early on as one of the earliest team members to exit the series.

Mandy Patinkin in Criminal Minds

With what eventually happened to Agent Gideon, it's clear Mandy Patinkin will not be returning to play Jason Gideon in future revivals of the series. Though Mandy Patinkin left Criminal Minds in season 3, Jason Gideon's fate was revealed in season 10. The show managed to survive the early and drastic change to the cast, but years later, fans are still wondering why Mandy Patinkin left Criminal Minds at the height of the show and his character's popularity.

Mandy Patinkin in season 1 of Criminal Minds

The Disturbing Content that Motivated Mandy Patinkin's Exit

When Criminal Minds first debuted, Mandy Patinkin, who is best known for his iconic role as Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride, was the headlining actor of the series. While Patinkin wasn’t the first main cast member to leave Criminal Minds, as Lola Glaudini exited as Ellie Greenaway at the beginning of season 2, the abrupt departure of the top-billed actor revealed the impermanence of the BAU Agents very early on. After completing a notable storyline with serial killer Frank Breitkopf (Keith Carradine) in season 2, Jason Gideon permanently left Criminal Minds’ BAU in season 3, episode 2, 'In Name And Blood.'

Gideon laying on his stomach in Criminal Minds: Plain Sight

Although the official reason given for the Gideon Criminal Minds departure was “creative differences,” later interviews with the actor suggested he had a profound aversion to the show’s “disturbing content.” In 2012, about five years after he left Criminal Minds, Mandy Patinkin stated (via New York Magazine) that joining the crime drama was the “biggest public mistake” he had ever made as he felt the content matter was “destructive to [his] soul and personality.” The Jason Gideon actor elaborated that he didn’t know Criminal Minds would depict the murders and rapes of women “every week, year after year,” and the intense violence took an overwhelming toll on his life.

Mandy Patinkin in Criminal Minds

The season 3 premiere episode was originally filmed as the finale for season 2. The episode, however, which featured murders on a college campus bore similarities to a real-life event that happened around the time it was expected to air. Producers and CBS executives opted to make the season 2 finale the season 3 premiere instead, and once that decision was made, Mandy Patinkin also made his decision to leave Criminal Minds. That's why his character appears in the season 3 premiere, then goes 'missing' in the subsequent episode, promoting Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) to try and track down his mentor, only to learn that Jason Gideon is leaving the BAU in that same episode.

Gideon and Hotch in Criminal Minds.

Mandy Patinkin's Departure for His Mental Health

Mandy Patinkin’s exit shocked Criminal Minds’ creators, with the actor fearing that his abrupt departure would mean he’d never work in television again. Only a few years later, the Princess Bride actor was cast alongside Claire Danes in Homeland, a series that he felt was “the antidote” to Criminal Minds because Showtime’s series questioned why violence was necessary in the first place.

Jason Gideon sits in his office reading a file in Criminal Minds

The actor later recollected (via the New York Times) that he “behaved abominably” when leaving the Criminal Minds’ cast, which coincides with the reports that Gideon had gone “AWOL” after Criminal Minds season 2. Patinkin revealed that he wrote apology letters to the rest of the Criminal Minds cast, but still maintained that his departure was necessary for his well-being.

Mandy Patinkin as Gideon in Criminal Minds

While Mandy Patinkin’s last Criminal Minds episode occurred early in season 3, it wouldn’t be the last time Jason Gideon appeared on the series. In Criminal Minds season 10, the BAU discovered that Gideon was murdered by an unsub he initially targeted in 1978, which effectively squashed any notion of Patinkin returning for a Criminal Minds cameo. The episode features flashbacks to a young Gideon alongside a young David Rossi, who replaced Patinkin's character in Criminal Minds season 3. Alongside several other cast members like Thomas Gibson who exited Criminal Minds, Mandy Patinkin’s Jason Gideon was featured in the series finale episode via flashbacks to the character in scenes from the first few seasons.

Inigo Montoya sitting on a rock mid-speech in The Princess Bride