The Criminal Minds Season 8 finale left many fans on the edge of their seats. However, one of the questions on most of their minds is undoubtedly whether or not it was the last they'll ever see of The Replicator (Mark Hamill) again.

Although the villain seemed to be killed off in an explosion on Wednesday night's close, the creative team was keen enough to show it in such a way that The Replicator wasn't necessarily gone for good.

Executive producer Erica Messer spoke to TV Guide about his approach to Hamill's character's predicament, which is a testament to the fact that the creative team still haven't decided where the story will go from here.

"I wanted to leave that as our option creatively. My guess is he's gone. But I specifically didn't want to do that in case in Season 9 we say, 'Well, you know...' [Laughs] I wanted to leave that up in the air until we decide in the writers' room next month," he said.

The respective issue is one that showrunners are forced to deal with daily during the creative process, the killing off a solid villain or protagonist could very well threaten the status of a program.

CBS' Criminal Minds is set to kick off in the Fall of 2013. Be sure to keep checking back for more of the latest details on the TV series.

The promo from the Season 8 finale episode can be watched below.

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Criminal Minds, Television, CBS