Season nine of "Criminal Minds" ended with a shocking twist Wednesday night when one of the main characters, Alex Blake, made a sudden exit.

From the previews, it appeared that Spencer Reid's life would be in jeopardy after he was shot in the neck. However, he managed to recover from his gunshot wound. Blake was forced to quit her job on the FBI's elit Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) after being traumatized by the shooting.

According to the Examiner, Jeanne Tripplehorn's contract on the show was up, so producers decided to give her a calm and quiet farewell. In an interview with TV Guide, executive producer Erica Messer opened up about Blake's departure from the long-running crime series and dropped a few spoilers about what to expect in Season 10.

She explained that kicking Blake off the show was a mutual decision that she and Tripplehorn made together.

"As things unfold toward the end of the season, when contracts are up and all that stuff, she and I discussed what we wanted to do with the character. We landed on this, and Jeanne wasn't interested in a big, flashy exit episode."

The EP continued, saying that "Jeanne didn't want it to be a big deal, and we felt like that was in line with Blake too. I think it makes sense given the character we've known for two years. She's not a splashy, loud character. She didn't come in with a bang - she was already part of the team when we meet her. She came in nicely and she left nicely."

She added that, "It's funny because on the page it might seem unclear [if she's leaving], but when you see it, you know she's gone. ..."

When asked if she is considering whether or not to replace Blake's character with a new BAU member, Messer said, "Every option is possible right now," and that she and her team will think it over after the summer.

"We're sort of like, 'Let Season 9 end for real and for the world to see it' right now. And then after the summer break, we can all talk about that and what it might be and the wish list and all that. Or maybe the show will continue on with six members. That is a big discussion with a lot of people that we'll have soon."

Messer also shared some of the options that she and her team are considering for the start of the next season.

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