2 weeks Ago
For all the joy that TV revivals bring to fandoms, it’s always a bummer when beloved actors choose not to reprise their roles in such follow-up projects. Criminal Minds viewers were already familiar with saying goodbye to longtime stars like Shemar Moore , but with Paramount+’s Evolution continuation, fans bid farewell to Reid, with Matthew Gray Gubler opting out of returning , at least at first. Now, it appears Gubler is indeed returning when Season 3 hits the 2025 premiere schedule , and it’s sparking complicated reactions from fans.
First and foremost, let's talk about what sparked all this interest in the first place. Matthew Gray Gubler spoke with the Italian outlet Ansa.it and talked about what's coming soon along his career path, which is where he seemingly just tossed out the fairly huge update, and without further details.
As he put it: I've filmed a new episode of Criminal Minds, I'm working on a Halloween movie, and I'm doing shows, plays in theaters around America. It's wild that no one in the moment tried pulling all the information possible out of Gubler about what he'd be getting into when finally returning to the role that made him a broadcast network mainstay for 15 years. Alas, he might not have said anything too meaty anyway, so I'll just blindly assume we'll have to wait until closer to his episode to find out what's happening.
For now, we can feast on the various reactions to the news. Obvious there are hyper-positive responses to be found, such as the ones below (including one that just blindly hopes everything will go well): the spencer reid return has been a long time coming im so 😭😭😭😭😭 - @goldrushreid GO CRY ABOUT IT WELCOME HOME SPENCER REID THE KIDS MISSED YOU - @spookyrydel This is what i needed to hear today oh my, I’m so fckn thrilled you’d think I’ve won the lottery. - @p1cklledpeppers IS MATTHEW GRAY GUBLER REALLY RETURNING TO CRIMINAL MINDS STOPPPP THEEEE PRESSS - @dallydayyay spencer reid back except he’s only back for a couple of minutes reuniting with his bau family where he says he’s never been happier and nothing bad can happen to him ever again - @nothinghapqens i don’t really care why spencer reid is there as long as they put him in a bulletproof vest - @reidchem To be sure, the majority of reactions to this trickled-out news have been positive, if not downright obsessive.
A lot of people can't wait to see Spencer Reid on the small screen again. Of course, this is all taken with a hefty grain of salt, since Gubler could feasibly only be talking about directing an episode as opposed to appearing in it. But we'll just stay optimistic for now.
Just like everyone who is half-assuming that the only reason Reid is coming back in Season 3 of Criminal Minds: Evolution is to kill him off, thus the bulletproof vest request above. It's definitely not a wild thing to theorize about, since shows are known for bringing back beloved former actors just to break viewers' hearts with permanent farewells. And then there's the more negative side of the fandom who would be more than happy if Matthew Gray Gubler stayed far away from Criminal Minds .
Several expressed distress over the idea that the upcoming season's increase in focus on narrative arcs for A.J. Cook's J.
J. will be cheapened by Reid returning, while others took shots at the actor for not wanting the best for the character. CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News ITS MATTHEW GRAY GUBLER IF HE'S BACK FOR ONLY ONE EPISODE WHAT DO YOU THINK HE'S CHOOSING TO DO WITH SPENCER???????? HE ONLY EVER WANTS TO SEE HIM SUFFER - @wildestreids you'd better be fucking kidding me.
i know damn well if matthew comes back people will make the JJ-CENTRIC SEASON about spencer. - @userrirw not to be controversial but irdgaf abt the fact that mgg is back in cm for one episode like it's still gonna be a jj and tara centric season . .
. i think reid coming back is more fanservice than in any necessity to jj as a character, but at the end of the day he’s gonna have like 20 minutes of screen time so i don’t see the point in letting that take away from my enjoyment of the season yk - @walkerjareau So obsessed with the fact that nobody hates spencer reid more than Matthew Gray Gubler - @spncrslvr Obviously we won't know exactly how he'll be used until later, but you just know longtime fans are going to have thoughts about it either way. Ahead of Season 3 kicking off production, showrunner Erica Messer talked with CinemaBlend about the importance of continuing to reference characters like Reid and Thomas Gibson's Hotch even though they aren't around anymore.
I can't imagine how everybody would react if Gibson was revealed to be returning after his controversial firing from the flagship drama back in 2016. One can hope. Find out how it all plays out when Criminal Minds: Evolution returns to Paramount+ next year, and stay tuned for when that premiere will happen.
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