Criminal Minds: Evolutionshowrunner Erica Messer pulls back the curtain and previews why Matthew Gray Gubler is finally reprising his role as Spencer Reid. After the actor gave an interview confirming that he was coming back forCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3, it was revealed that Reid would be appearing in a single episode. It’ll mark Gubler’s first appearance in the streaming revival of the long-running procedural drama, which picks up directly from where the original series left off.
Speaking withEntertainment Weekly, ahead ofthe premiere ofCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3 on May 8on Paramount+, Messer offers some insight on why Reid is reuniting with the BAU. Although she doesn’t reveal specific details, the executive producer and showrunner teases thatsomething major has happened to Reid:
Without spoiling anything, when you really need your friends, it’s usually big life things are happening. And so I will say that the big life thing is happening and we get to see Spencer.
What This Means For Reid & Criminal Minds
It Could Be Good News
The Paramount+ revival is such a direct continuation of the original series that the new season is sometimes simply referred to asCriminal Mindsseason 18. Most of themajorCriminal Mindsactorsreprise their roles in theEvolutionrevival, and all will be back when the drama returns in a matter of weeks.Reid’s absence in the story was always mentioned as his choice. He’d still have a spot in the BAU waiting for him if he ever wanted to return. Reid’s desk has been seen inCriminal Minds: Evolution, a visual reminder that the door has been left open for him to rejoin the team.
6 Possible Reasons For Spencer Reid’s BAU Reunion In Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3
Matthew Gray Gubler’s Dr. Spencer Reid will return for a small part of one episode in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 in an undisclosed capacity.
It could be the case that Reid is enjoying a major romantic milestone, which wouldn’t feel quite right without the team that had been through the best and worst together. It could be the case that Reid has decidedly less positive news to share. Considering that he’ll only be around for a single episode,it is more likely that he’ll be dropping by to add some cheerto the BAU’s dark days. More could be revealed as Gubler’s return episode is closer to debuting.
Early in the Paramount+ revival, it’s explained thatReid isn’t present for the events ofCriminal Minds: Evolutionbecause of an assignment. For viewers who have been watching the crime procedural since the very beginning, the exit makes sense even without the explanation that Reid and Matt Simmons (Daniel Henney) are off together. Reid has often been a target. At the end ofCriminal Mindsseason 15, the original’s last season, he is again aimed at, and it nearly costs him his life. It’s understandable, if unspoken, that Reid would need some space.
Which Other BAU Agents Need To Return?
There Are A Few Notable Names
Joe Mantegna, A. J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez, and Paget Brewster will all reprise their roles inCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 3. They’ll be joined by returning cast members Zach Gilford and Ryan-James Hatanaka, both of whom first appeared in the revival, andLuciferalum Aimee Garcia as Dr. Julia Ochoa. The Paramount+ revival retains most of the cast that was present at the end of the original, except for Henney and Gubler.
Matthew Gray Gubler
Dr. Spencer Reid
There are a fewCriminal Mindscast departures that occurred even before the revival was a possibility.Shemar Moore exited the role of Derek Morganin season 13. Whilethe character resigned to take care of his family, Moore would soon sign on to headline the CBS seriesS.W.A.T.Now that the action drama is coming to an end, there are hopes that Moore could potentially guest star in an episode or two. Given that Morgan and Reid were close friends and allies, it would delight viewers to see the pair onscreen together again.
Thomas Gibson’s absence fromCriminal Mindscame after an on-set altercation with writer-producer Virgil Williams. His contract was terminated shortly thereafter. It was explained that his character,Hotch, had gone into Witness Protection after a serial killer began to stalk his son. Although a key player throughout the majority of the series, Gibson is unlikely to return to his most famous role in future episodes of the revival.
Our Take On Gubler’s Return
The Door Is Now Open
Gubler will leadEinstein, an upcoming crime drama where he plays the physicist’s great-grandson and helps the police on their cases. The dramedy, which hails from the creators ofMonk, is still in the pilot stage. But if it does get picked up, bothEinsteinandCriminal Minds: Evolutionare produced by CBS Studios. That would make it easier to work out scheduling and have Reid appear more frequently, if the situation calls for it, in the already-renewedCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 4. Whatever the big life event Reid is returning for, it could open up the door to continue that story in more episodes.
Criminal Minds: Evolution
Cast
InCriminal Minds: Evolution, the FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. As the world opens back up and the network goes operational, the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time. Original cast members continuing their roles include Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster. Zach Gilford joins the dynamic cast as a recurring guest star in a season-long arc.
