Criminal Minds Season 12 Cast, Plot Spoilers: What happens next

Good news for those who love police procedural crime drama series. Criminal Minds is to premiere on TV screens. The American TV series following the lives of the FBI Agents in the Behavioral Analysis Unit is now on its 12^th season.

There have been several changes on the crimes series. First off, Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) replaces Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) as Team Leader of the FBI Fugitive Task Force. Season 12 continues the series where it left off on the last season where 13 criminals escaped from prison.

Alvez joins BAU to help catch five remaining criminals, after he caught eight over the summer. Alvez is not much of talking about how to catch criminals but more of a "hunt 'em down kind of guy" according to Rodriguez of his character but will later join the team as a Profiler.

Second, Thomas Gibson who plays BAU Team Leader Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner, leaves the series. In Episode 3, he will be assigned to an unnamed temporary duty but offcam, he was fired after he allegedly assaulted Virgil Williams, the show's producer-writer. It is still not clear how Gibson's character's disappearance will be explained in later episodes.

Another change to the series is the comeback of Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster). In the absence of Hotch, she will lead BAU but it was not clear if her role will permanently replace that of Hotch.

Mr. Scratch (Peter Lewis), the mind-controlling serial killer, will be this Season's main villain and will first appear in Episode 1. Mr. Scratch also appeared in Season 10 of the TV series.

Lastly, Dr. Spencer Reid's mother, Dr. Diana Reid, played by Jane Lynch, will return for the season. She will appear in two episodes in which the story focuses on Reid.

Criminal Minds Season 12 will premiere on Wednesday, September 28, 9 p.m. EDT on CBS.