The Derek Morgan Moment That Criminal Minds Fans Absolutely Love
Whether he's involved in an office prank war with Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) or enjoying some platonic flirty banter with Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) is never not thrilling Criminal Minds fans. It's no secret that he's one of the most popular characters to appear on the long-running crime drama. In fact, when Looper polled readers on which Criminal Minds character they missed the most once they were off the show, Morgan was the runaway favorite.
Needless to say, there is a wellspring of Morgan moments that fans love. There is one in particular, though, that many Derek Morg-stans cite as their hands-down favorite from the character. In a thread on Reddit titled "Derek Morgan appreciation post," user u/wakatoshikun asked fellow Criminal Minds fans to sound off in the comments with their favorite memories of the character. A variety of answers flooded in, but one in particular got an especially enthusiastic reception.
User u/russianwidow18 needed only to invoke the name of the episode this particular moment appeared in for others to know exactly what they were referencing: "The episode 'Profiler, Profiled' reduced me to absolute tears."
Here's why so many Criminal Minds fans agreed with their pick.
This emotional Derek Morgan scene left Criminal Minds fans in tears
"Profiler, Profiled" is an episode from Criminal Minds' second season that sees Morgan making a painful trip home to Chicago. Not only is he falsely accused of murdering several young boys, but the investigation into the real killer also leads him to the doorstep of the man who molested Morgan when he was a child: Carl Buford (Julius Tennon), who runs a local youth center.
During the investigation, Morgan confronts Buford about his abuse in a moment that still has many fans emotional to this day. In the Morgan appreciation thread, user u/Comprehensive_Ad4689 wrote, "When he stands up to Buford. I cry every single god d*** time." Redditor u/acal3589 couldn't agree more. They said, "When he stands up to Buford is my absolute favorite moment."
For others, there is one triumphant line in particular that gets them reaching for the tissue. While Morgan is confronting his abuser, Buford grandstands. He tries to belittle Morgan, telling him, "I pulled you out of the gutter." But Morgan isn't having it. User u/wakatoshikun commented to reply with the first part of Morgan's retort: "'I pulled myself out of the gutter!!!' CHILLS." Then, u/ghdgn, complete with a weepy face emoji, finished off the line: "'All the way to the FBI I Did That!!'"
It's a searing and powerful scene, and for some, the best Derek Morgan moment on Criminal Minds.
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline 24/7 at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services at www.childhelp.org/hotline.