I Wanted Spencer Reid To Come Back to ‘Criminal Minds,’ but Not Like This

Ever since it first aired in 2005, the riveting cop procedural that gives us an unsettling insight into the minds of serial killers, Criminal Minds, has seen many beloved team members leave the show. One of the most painful losses was that of SSA Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), the BAU’s resident genius who could discern patterns in mere moments and had an encyclopedia of information ready on-hand. His story ended alongside the main show in 2020, but he never returned to the rebooted version in 2022, Criminal Minds: Evolution.

Being one of my hands-down favorite characters in the show, I, as well as many other fans, were ecstatic to find out he would be making an appearance in Evolutions Season 3. However, I did have my reservations about his involvement, fearing Criminal Minds would simply use him as a vehicle for nostalgia rather than as an authentic character, and Season 3, Episode 3 proved my fears right.

Matthew Gray Gubler’s Cameo in ‘Criminal Minds: Evolutions’ Was Pointless

Following the devastating news of Detective Will LaMontagne Jr.’s (Josh Stewart) death at the end of Evolution Season 3, Episode 2, the BAU, specifically JJ (A.J. Cook), prepare for and attend his funeral. As the team rallies together to support the grieving JJ, a familiar face walks through the doors, offering his own condolences and comfort. Seeing Reid gives everyone a burst of heartfelt emotion, all happy to see he is doing well and is still as dependable as ever. As such, we see him walking into the hall, greeting everyone and doling out hugs. That’s it. His on-screen appearances and dialogue are very limited, with him being simply a face with his own associations rather than a person. In fact, I’d go as far as saying he made as much an impact as the beautiful bouquets of flowers that represented Aaron Hotchner’s (Thomas Gibson) and Derek Morgan’s (Shemar Moore) support, two other fan-favorite cast members who left the show earlier.

Reid’s relationship with JJ is arguably one of his most important ones throughout the show, as they became close friends and also had a potential romance between them that never panned out. So, Reid returning to the show to comfort JJ, especially after Will’s death, makes sense, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. The reason I loved Reid’s character wasn’t because of his relationship with JJ, but his idiosyncratic mannerisms and how he conducted himself in an investigation or around friends. Having him back in this semi-supporting capacity, where he barely says anything anyway, seems rather pointless.

‘Criminal Minds’ Relies on Reid’s Nostalgia Rather Than Character

For me, where Criminal Minds erred with Reid’s cameo is by relying on his reputation and the nostalgia associated with him. It seems like the cameo was for the sake of fan service, as if his physical appearance was enough to satisfy our longing for the character after his exit. The key word here is character; we weren’t longing for his face to be essentially cut and pasted into the episode. He is not involved in an investigation in any capacity, leaving out the hyper-intelligent and unique perspectives part of his character. His interactions with the other team members were limited to relieved hugging, neglecting the variety of ways he interacted with them, such as the technology-aversion conversations with Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) or mentor-like dynamic with David Rossi (Joe Mantegna).

The time limits of his appearance didn’t allow for any of these meaningful interactions to be included, but what was more notable was the omission of his personality. The only indication of this was Reid’s signature lanky and slouchy stance, but that was all Gubler’s performance was able to convey due to his limited dialogue. His sole line was “I’m always here for you guys.” While it did bring a tear to my eyes, it is still an arbitrary line that doesn’t convey the character — only the impact he has on the show.

‘Criminal Minds’ Missed a Big Opportunity With Reid’s Return

Considering Criminal Minds teased that Reid would only appear in one episode of the season, it seems this will be the entirety of his involvement in the show thus far. I can’t help but view this as a missed opportunity where Reid could have been used in a more meaningful capacity. Mostly, I had hoped he would give his own insight into the Sicarius case and, more specifically, into Elias Voit (Zach Gilford). Becoming a major antagonist for three continuous seasons, the serial killer has had one of the biggest and most prolonged impacts on the show, and as such, it seemed like the natural step for Criminal Minds to take when they announced Reid’s return.

Voit had also made a personalized mark on JJ, where he taunted her about the deepfake pornography that featured her in it, so involving Reid even in this subplot would tie together his investigative role as well as his relationship with JJ. If not that, even just giving Reid more than one line would’ve left me less hollow at the end of this episode. With all the anticipation Criminal Minds built over the return of this fan-favorite character, the execution left me vastly disappointed and clinging onto the hope that he may come back in future seasons in a genuine capacity.