The fans want him back and there’s every reason for him to return.
Criminal Minds entertained fans for 15 long seasons, starting on CBS in 2005 and originally ending in February 2020 before finally returning to Paramount+ in 2022 with Criminal Minds: Evolution.
During that time, the show managed to become a full-fledged franchise, spawning several spin-offs, including a Korean remake. The series featured many intricate cases, but the main highlight of the project was the characters.
Matthew Gray Gubler Didn’t Return to Evolution Due to Schedule Conflict
One of the main fan favorites was Dr. Spencer Reid, played by Matthew Gray Gubler, a young genius with a photographic memory, encyclopedic knowledge and an inability to cope with everyday routine.
One of the few major complaints from fans who watched the first season of Evolution was the fact that Dr. Reid did not return to the small screen. However, Gray Gubler has repeatedly stated that he was happy to return to the project he spent so many years on, and that his absence from the first season was due to a schedule conflict.
There’s No Better Time for Reid to Return Than Now
On June 6, the long-awaited second season of Evolution was released, in which Gray Gubler’s participation was not confirmed, but fans still hoped to see him back on screen. However, Dr. Spencer Reid remains in the shadows, even though the situation that has developed around the BAU team screams out for the help of a brilliant colleague.
“After 2 episodes in I feel that the BAU is in desperate need of some type of super genius. The team just feels incomplete without that role filled. Just imagine how Reid would handle Elias and all of the insight he would have on Gold Star,” Reddit user np819 wrote.
Deputy Director Bailey mentioned in the first season that Dr. Reid was sent on a special personal mission, implying that he still exists somewhere in the Criminal Minds universe and that this character would return sooner or later. And it seems that there will be no better time than now.
In the second season, the BAU team continues to investigate the Gold Star case – perhaps the biggest investigation in the series’ history. A mysterious criminal threatens not only the profilers, but the security of the entire country. Who but Reid, with his brilliant skills and knowledge, can lead the team into a new phase of the investigation?