Why Rachel Nichols Left Criminal Minds After Season 6

Rachel Nichols had a surprisingly brief stint as FBI agent Ashley Seaver on Criminal Minds, and here’s why she left after season 6. Over the course of its 15 seasons, CBS’ Criminal Minds experienced a good number of casting changes. From actors Shemar Moore to Jennifer Love Hewitt, several memorable actors passed through the doors of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. The series itself chronicled the BAU’s many cases as its dedicated team investigated the worst kinds of criminals the world had to offer.

Nichols’ Ashley Seaver was introduced during a tumultuous season for Criminal Minds. She first made her debut in the season 6 episode “What Happens At Home,” when she was still a cadet at the FBI Academy. Agent David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) brought Seaver in on a case set within a close-knit gated community; as Seaver soon revealed, her father was a notorious serial killer, and she has valuable insight into the patterns of murderers maintaining a family. From that point on, Seaver worked with the BAU as she completed her training, and Nichols became a series regular for the rest of Criminal Minds season 6, from episode 15 until the finale.

However, Nichols’ hiring came right when Criminal Minds was enduring one of its biggest cast upheavals yet. At the start of Criminal Minds season 6, original cast member AJ Cook departed the show because of reported budget cuts behind the scenes. That move alone was controversial with fans, but when actress Paget Brewster was written out of Criminal Minds later on that same season, the backlash rose. Nichols was largely brought in to fill Cook’s absence, and then Brewster’s as well when she left in season 6’s 18th episode. As a result, Seaver was something of a controversial character at first, as fans missed the other two women. However, Cook and Brewster didn’t stay away from Criminal Minds for very long. Cook’s Jennifer Jareau cameoed in the season 6 finale to confirm she would be rejoining the BAU, and Brewster’s Emily Prentiss returned to the team full time in the Criminal Minds season 7 premiere. The return ultimately led to Nichols’ exit.

Fans were delighted by the news, but their recasting didn’t come without some consequences. Their returns spelled the end for Nichols, as showrunner Erica Messer confirmed in an interview with TV Guide (via Criminal Minds Fanatic) at the time. “Having eight characters on Criminal Minds seemed unlikely. Rachel is a real trooper and a pro,” she said. “She walked into an incredibly difficult position and handled it with grace.” Seaver was last seen in the Criminal Minds season 6 finale, “Supply and Demand.” Then, in the season 7 premiere, JJ reveals Seaver transferred to a different unit within the FBI.

Though Criminal Minds was able to bring back two fan-favorite characters (who then remained key members of the show until its end in 2020), there was something disappointing about Nichols’ situation. Save for her intriguing backstory, Seaver didn’t get much development during her time with the BAU. However, she held a lot of potential. Between her complicated past and the budding mentee-mentor relationship she had with Rossi, Seaver could’ve grown to become an integral member of Criminal Minds. Unfortunately, that never came to pass. Should Paramount+ actually end up rebooting Criminal Minds for season 16, perhaps the creative team can find a way to give Seaver a shoutout, so fans know what became of her after that spontaneous transfer.

About The Author

Rachel Labonte
(3420 Articles Published)

See also  Temptation Island: What Happened To Corey & Erin After Season 3

Rachel LaBonte is a news, feature, and movie review writer for Screen Rant with a deep passion for film and television. A graduate of Emerson College, she majored in Media Arts Production while specializing in screenwriting. She’s been a writer ever since high school when she realized she was rather good at it and joined as many entertainment news clubs as she could while in school. Most notably, she wrote for Emerson’s website Emertainment Monthly, and one of her film reviews won an Evvy (Emerson’s student awards) for Best Review. Her deep love of movies led to her working at a movie theater for five years, which she loved despite the angry customers. An avid reader who constantly buys books before reading the ones she already owns, Rachel is a huge fan of superheroes (especially of the Marvel variety) and wizards and will likely never be able to catch up on all the movies/TV shows she longs to watch.

More From Rachel Labonte