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Patinkin leaves Criminal Minds with no explanation!!

By fred | July 14, 2007

Wow, that one is a shocker! There’s been news on how Patinkin didn’t show up for work for the first day of the new season of Criminal Minds, and there was many assumptions made then.
Was he trying to get a raise, was he getting fired? After all producers had put out a casting call for a character that fits Patinkin’s description.

Well breaking news, this wasn’t pressure for a contract renegotiation not was it from the production, quite the opposite!

Turns out that in fact, Mandy Patinkin has agreed to return to Criminal Minds for one episode this fall, in order to wrap up his story!

That’s right, to return, because he’s out! Of the show. Not fired, no misunderstanding or whatnot, he apparently just woke up and decided not to be part of it anymore. And didn’t let anyone know, but simply went to do other things.

More about this from Criminal Minds executive producer Ed Bernero himself, who posted this on a top fan blog :

There have been several reports recently in the media about the Mandy Patinkin situation on Criminal Minds. Firstly, they are true — Mr. Patinkin has left the show. What’s troubling to us though, is that the reports tend to suggest or hint that the Producers, the Studios or CBS have something to do with what has happened. Phrases like ‘maybe cooler heads will prevail…’ and the like have been used. Let me make this clear: this is not about a contract renegotiation, this is not about money, this is not about something Mr. Patinkin asked for that wasn’t provided — in fact, everyone involved in the show has for two years bent over backward to give him ANYTHING he wanted. Mr. Patinkin told the show, the studios and the network the he was returning right up to the day before we started shooting the first episode and then simply did not show up. He also has not contacted anyone within the show (producers, cast, crew) to explain why he isn’t returning. Even to this moment, we have no word from him. He gave us no advance notice that anything was wrong, no oppurtunity to find a way to make the loss of this character work, no indication that we should be looking for someone else, no warning that we might have to rewrite the first seven scripts (which is how far ahead we try to work) without the central character in them. None. Zero. He was not, as some media reports have indicated, written ‘lightly’ in our first episode, in fact, it was quite the opposite. Because of the construct of the first episode story, he was actually in the center of that episode. He left us completely in the proverbial lurch

As loyal fans of the show, we think you all deserve an explanation and I wish I had a better one to give you. The most amazing writing staff in television is working very hard to find a way to make this work and we will find a way to give you the organic, dramatic experience you expect from CM

If I have new news I will provide it and if there are questions you have, Jill will provide a way to get the questions to us at the show and we will do our best to answer. If you hear a rumor, please ask us. I remain touched and humbled by the support you have all shown the show

Thank you so much –

Ed Bernero

Now this is a new one. Usually network execs are the morons who make decisions that have no sense and are ridiculously retarded, and painful for the audience of fans of the shows it concerned. But now actors themselves start to pull out moves as such, sending no less than seven scripts to the trash, and only giving writers one episode to get him out of the show, even though he was (one of) the main character!

Now the real question is : WTF is wrong with Patinkin?? And I really hope we’ll find out.

It’s a shame that he goes, but I will still watch the show. Maybe as revenge writers are just gonne put a bullet in his head, or they’re simply gonna make his character act as a real jerk, that everyone will eventually be happy to see go & won’t miss in the end, you know, inspired by what Patinkin just did to them & the show.

Anyways, first 24 had its whole storyline trashed out for budget reasons, now this, one thing for sure : behind the scenes, this new season is already a hit!

Posted in News
Shows: 24, Criminal Minds