Criminal Minds: Evolution showrunner 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 for Criminal Minds: Evolution season 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 with Entertainment Weekly, ahead of the premiere of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 on May 8 on 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 that something 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 as Criminal Minds season 18. Most of the major Criminal Minds actors reprise their roles in the Evolution revival, 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 in Criminal Minds: Evolution, a visual reminder that the door has been left open for him to re the team.

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 cheer to 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 that Reid isn't present for the events of Criminal Minds: Evolution because 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 of Criminal Minds season 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 in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3. They'll be ed by returning cast Zach Gilford and Ryan-James Hatanaka, both of whom first appeared in the revival, and Lucifer alum 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.

There are a few Criminal Minds cast departures that occurred even before the revival was a possibility. Shemar Moore exited the role of Derek Morgan in season 13. While the character resigned to take care of his family, Moore would soon sign on to headline the CBS series S.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 from Criminal Minds came 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 lead Einstein, an crime drama where he plays the physicist's great-grandson and helps the police on their cases. The dramedy, which hails from the creators of Monk, is still in the pilot stage. But if it does get picked up, both Einstein and Criminal Minds: Evolution are 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-renewed Criminal Minds: Evolution season 4. Whatever the big life event Reid is returning for, it could open up the door to continue that story in more episodes.

Source: EW