The decision to write Elle Greenaway out of Criminal Minds was as a result of actress Lola Glaudini’s decision to leave the show for a change of scenery.
Criminal Minds is the popular crime procedural drama series that premiered in 2005, and enjoyed a 15-year run until 2020, when it ended after 15 seasons.
One of the first original characters to leave the show was Special Agent Elle Greenaway mid-season two, due to a decision taken by the actress, Lola Glaudini.
What was Criminal Minds?
Created by acclaimed producer and showrunner, Jeff Davis, Criminal Minds is one of the most iconic crime procedural drama series spawning multiple spin-offs during its run.
The original premise of the series was, according to IMDb, “The cases of the F.B.I. Behavioral Analysis Unit (B.A.U.), an elite group of profilers who analyze the nation’s most dangerous serial killers and individual heinous crimes in an effort to anticipate their next moves before they strike again.”
Why did they write Elle out of Criminal Minds?
One of the first title characters to leave the series earlier on was Lola Glaudini as Special Agent Elle Greenaway.
Elle had been part of the show since the first season when she made the team. However, mid-season two she was written out of the story.
The reason being that Glaudini wanted to relocate from the shooting location as she missed living on the East Coast. As a result, she left the show.
How did Elle leave Criminal Minds?
In the series, Elle left the BAU following unravelling after she was shot by an unsub who had broken into her home.
When season two starts, she is already unravelling as she prematurely attempts to arrest an unsub, and after he is let free she shoots him in cold blood in his apartment. In the next episode, she tendered her resignation, never to be seen again.
What is Lola Glaudini doing now?
Lola Glaudini might have not liked working from Los Angeles, but the actress was still in love with her craft. Therefore, following her departure from Criminal Minds, she continued to work as an actress.
Despite not landing main roles, she has landed recurring guest appearances on shows like Ray Donovan, Lethal Weapon, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Why did Criminal Minds end?
Criminal Minds ended after 15 seasons in 2020, following years of a steady decline in viewer ratings.
Moreover, considering the running time of the series, making it eventually became more expensive than the revenue the show was bringing in, which also contributed to the decision to end the series.
Final thoughts
Throughout its 15-year run, Criminal Minds was plagued by the revolving door of main and beloved characters leaving the series, only for some to come back.
Lola Glaudini as Elle Greenaway was the first of the original cast to leave the show mid-season two, and unlike other characters that left the show, she never came back.