Derek Morgan pops up in the flesh on several episodes of “Criminal Minds” after leaving the series as a regular. Many of those visits relate to Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), his close friend and frequent partner in flirtation, adding more insight into their relationship. 

His first guest starring bit occurs on Season 12’s “Red Light.” Contacted by notorious unsub Mr. Scratch (Bodhi Elfman), otherwise known as Peter Lewis, he visits the old office and catches up. Otherwise, he mainly encourages Penelope to be kinder to Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez), his replacement on the team. During Season 13, he appears on “Lucky Strikes” to afford Penelope help during a difficult case. And finally, he’s seen in the series finale, Season 15’s “And in the End,” after being attacked by the latest unsub.

There’s no word as to whether or not he’ll appear on the show’s new sequel series, “Criminal Minds: Evolution,” but when one considers how dedicated Derek is to his friends — and the fact that “S.W.A.T.” is gearing up to shoot a new season (putting Shemar Moore on the right lot at the right time) — anything is possible. In any event, the 2nd season of “Criminal Minds: Evolution” debuted on June 6.