Criminal Minds Season 10 Release Date, Cast Spoilers: Jennifer Love Hewitt Joins, Meshach Taylor Honored

Season nine of 'Criminal Minds' saw the departure of Jeanne Tripplehorn from the series. But fans of the show need not despair, as a TV favorite is coming to be part of the popular crime drama.

Jennifer Love Hewitt is confirmed to join the series on its 10th season, according to TV Line. Hewitt will play Kate Callahan, described as "a seasoned undercover agent whose stellar work at the FBI has landed her a coveted position with the Behavioral Analysis Unit."

Her character will be introduced in the season premiere of the show.

Hewitt's previous works include main roles in 'Party of Five', 'The Ghost Whisperer', and 'The Client List'. She has also appeared in movies such as 'I Know What You Did Last Summer', and 'Can't Hardly Wait.' She is also known as a singer and has released four albums between 1992 and 2002.

'Criminal Minds' executive producer Erica Messer said that the whole production was "thrilled to introduce a new special agent" with the addition of Hewitt to the cast.

In other news, Zap2it reports that the show will feature an episode in its upcoming season which will be a tribute to the late actor Meshach Taylor. Taylor played the part of Harrison Scott, a homeless vet who used to serve as Rossi's (Joe Mantegna) former Marine Sergeant in the Vietnam War. Taylor passed away last June after a long battle with lung cancer.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Joe Mantegna will be directing the special episode which will bring closure to the character's story.

Messer spoke to the media outlet and said, "It's a huge deal for Joe, because he and Meshach were friends for over 40 years, but also for Meshach's career because the last acting thing he did was work with one of his best friends."

'Criminal Minds' Season 10 will premiere on Oct. 1 on CBS.