Many actors have come and gone over the course of Criminal Minds’s 17 seasons (when counting Criminal Minds: Evolution), including Jeanne Tripplehorn, who played Dr. Alex Blake in the TV show. The CBS police procedural series, created by Jeff Davis, revolves around the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) of the FBI, which includes a team of profilers who travel the country solving crimes by utilizing behavioral analysis and profiling. Blake was one of the BAU’s team members, but she only appeared in two seasons of Criminal Minds.

Tripplehorn made her Criminal Minds debut as Blake during the season 8 premiere, taking Emily Prentiss’ spot in the BAU. Blake was a forensic linguistics expert who taught at Georgetown University. However, she was recruited by the FBI when she was only 24 years old, meaning that Aaron Hotchner, David Rossi, and Dr. Spencer Reid (who would sometimes attend her lectures) knew Blake before she joined the BAU. Blake stuck around for a couple of Criminal Minds seasons but left after the season 9 finale.

Jeanne Tripplehorn exited the TV show Criminal Mindsafter season 9 of her own volition. During Erica Messer’s May 2014 interview with TV Guide following the season 9 finale, the executive producer explained how the decision to write Dr. Alex Blake out of the CBS crime drama came to be. Messer said:

“As things unfold toward the end of the season, when contracts are up and all that stuff, [Tripplehorn] and I discussed what we wanted to do with the character.”

Tripplehorn had signed a two-year contract with CBS when she first agreed to play a main character in Criminal Minds. However, once that contract was up after the season 9 finale, the actress wasn’t interested in signing another one. Tripplehorn was seemingly ready to leave the police procedural series behind and move on to other projects. So, Tripplehorn and Messer came together and created what they thought to be the perfect Criminal Minds exit for Blake.

How Did Criminal Minds Write Out Alex Blake
Blake Left After The Criminal Minds Season 9 Finale

During the two-part season 9 finale of Criminal Minds, Blake was confronted by her past after working on a case involving a young boy. That, combined with Reid taking a bullet for her, reminded Blake of the death of her son, Ethan. Blake was distraught and began contemplating her future with the FBI. By the Criminal Minds episode’s ending, Blake had resigned from the BAU, left her badge with Reid, and returned to teaching as working at the FBI was too triggering for her.