4 Subtle Clues Reid Will Return in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2
Fans can hope, right?
Summary
- Criminal Minds: Evolution has begun filming its second season, and fans still haven't given up hope that Matthew Gray Gubler's Dr. Spencer Reid will soon return to the BAU.
- While no one from the cast and crew has directly mentioned it, there are at least four facts that offer a glimmer of hope.
- The actor and his character never cut ties with the FBI procedural.
When news of the Criminal Minds streaming revival reached the ears of TV fans, everyone assumed that Matthew Gray Gubler's Spencer Reid would be part of the returning Behavioral Analysis Unit. After all, he had been an integral (and fan-favorite) member of the team during the show's 15-year CBS run and had never missed a single episode.
Naturally, when viewers learned that Gubler would not be appearing in the revival's first season, they went into a frenzy. Could the sequel, titled Criminal Minds: Evolution survive without Reid?
As it turned out, it could. Evolution grabbed fans' attention by tweaking the familiar 'monster of the week' format and introducing a season-long unsub. And a compelling one at that. The man had created his own serial killer web, for crying out loud.
On top of the difficult case, the new format allowed the writers to delve deeper into the personal lives of the beloved BAU members, which was a welcome change.
But Reid was never forgotten. Every discussion among viewers continues to revolve around the boy genius and the chance of his come back to the FBI procedural at some point in the future. Now that Season 2 of Evolution began filming last week, with the new chapter expected to land on Paramount+ later this year, the calls to bring Reid back have grown louder.
If you're one of those who can't wait to see Gubler's face on screen again, let us give you a glimmer of hope. There are at least four indications that he may be back on the set soon.
1. Reid is still part of the BAU
The most promising clue is that the creators never wrote Reid out of the storyline. Evolution explained his absence, and the absence of Daniel Henney's Matt Simmons, who was also a BAU member missing from the reboot premiere, by a super-secret FBI assignment.
It has been said that the two agents are free to return on their own terms. Of course, the ideal scenario would be that the assignment is related to the Gold Star conspiracy and Reid is the one who walks through the interrogation room in the Season 1 finale cliffhanger.
2. Gubler didn't cut ties with the show
At first, it was rumored that Matthew Gray Gubler would not return to Criminal Minds in order to avoid the same workload that he has been a part of for 15 years. Simply put, the man is tired and wants something new. And that's understandable.
But then various interviews with the cast and showrunner Erica Messer proved otherwise. Messer said that Gubler, like Henney, was unable to fit the short filming period for Evolution Season 1 into his busy schedule.
Most likely, the actor-writer was busy promoting his new graphic novel, The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand. And this is good news for Criminal Minds fans. A scheduling conflict is a much more promising reason than a complete refusal to return to the show.
3. Gubler reunited with ex-castmates
Last year, while the Hollywood strikes were still in full swing, Gubler reunited with two of his Criminal Minds cast friends who are currently busy filming Season 2.
Joe Mantegna, who portrays David Rossi, Instagrammed a picture of him and Gubler hugging as they went out to dinner together.
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Kirsten Vangsness, who plays Penelope Garcia, attended the promo event for The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand and took many heartwarming pictures with her former co-star.
While there is no mention of Evolution in these posts, the fact that Gubler is close to his castmates gives hope. Maybe they can convince him to return, right?
4. Season 2 has been on hold longer than expected
Originally, Evolution Season 2 was supposed to premiere in the fall of 2023. But the Hollywood strikes pushed back the production, which is definitely a bummer for all fans.
However, there is a silver lining to this cloud. The delays allowed Gubler to finish the active marketing campaign for his book and clear his schedule. Also, the fact that filming didn't start immediately after the strikes ended could mean that the cast was waiting for Gubler to be able to join them on set. What do you think?