Why Criminal Minds should renew Daniel Henney’s character for Season 15

Daniel Henney’s addition to Criminal Minds was initially met with confusion and disappointment. Over the years, it’s clear Matt Simmons belongs with the BAU.

To begin with, the 38-year was really only known for his brief stints on fellow CBS crime dramas Hawaii 5-0 and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. The latter series only lasted for two seasons due to extreme backlash from fans regarding the rather offensive stereotypes that tended to emerge whenever they visited international locations.

The role of Matt Simmons originated on Beyond Borders, and on the whole, viewers found Henney to be pleasing both physically and for his acting skills. His on-screen family was always a source of interest to fans, with his wife and four children joining his shift to the regular series.

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Indeed, long-time followers of the CBS saga do not find it a coincidence that the Michigan native was the only one of the Criminal Minds spin-off’s cast to make it big again after its early cancellation, especially to be brought back to the original show. Alana de la Garza and Gary Sinise have not yet seen their way back to primetime, although de la Garza did appear in one episode of last season’s Criminal Minds, titled “Spencer.”

However, fans did not really get to know Matt’s true character until the third episode of Criminal Minds Season 14. Titled “Rule 34,” it surrounds the difficulty Matt and Kristy face when their young son gets in trouble at school for hitting a classmate.

Although the boy is originally defensive and refuses to acknowledge why he became violent, the resulting reason ends up being more touching than any viewer saw coming. Essentially, he becomes distressed after another classmate makes light of the tasks his father performs at work and the danger the family is constantly in due Simmons’ career.

Henney’s rival cast member is CSI: Miami star Adam Rodriguez, who appeared in the hit CBS/A&E show for a decade and now portrays SSA Luke Alvez. Some Criminal Minds fans feel there are already far too many characters in the show (eight in total right now), and that producers will most likely be making cuts at the end of Season 14.

Other fans, and crime drama viewers on the whole, think that Criminal Minds has run its course and has been desperately scrambling to come up with new ways to shock and bring in viewership for years now. The Season 13 finale may have gone too far with the kidnapping of Penelope Garcia and Spencer Reid by a serial killer cult.

Should it remain, which of the two guys will remain? As both Simmons and Alvez are both the in-action, go-get-’em BAU members, it is being assumed that one won’t make the cut. Based on just how far Matt Simmons has come over the past 13 episodes, however, it is very obvious that he is the more deserving of the two.

Do you think CBS will cut either Matt Simmons or Luke Alvez for Criminal Minds Season 15? Do you think that Daniel Henney is a better actor than Adam Rodriguez? Sound off with other Criminal Minds fans below!

Criminal Minds airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on CBS.