Spoilers forward for Episode 3 of Felony Minds: Evolution Season 3, known as “Time to Say Goodbye” and accessible streaming now a Paramount+ subscription.
Felony Minds: Evolution dealt loads of heavy blows to the BAU group over the course of the primary two seasons, however Season 3 within the 2025 TV schedule did not waste time in killing off a well-known face. Will died all of a sudden in Episode 2, and it wasn’t as a result of a serial killer like Voit. JJ’s husband died as a result of pure causes, and whereas that was a devastating twist, it additionally opened the door for a long-awaited occasion: the return of Matthew Grey Gubler as Spencer Reid. A.J. Cook dinner, who performs the newly-widowed JJ, opened up concerning the reunion.
Will’s loss of life appeared prefer it may deliver some former main characters out of the woodwork to assist JJ, and each Hotch (Thomas Gibson, who acquired a shout out final season) and Morgan (Shemar Moore) ship flowers in lieu of showing. That appeared to be the case for Reid as nicely, till he arrived – purple scarf and all – with hugs for JJ and his two godsons. It was Matthew Grey Gubler’s first look as Spence because the CBS sequence finale again in 2020.
His return had been teased months earlier with out giving freely the tragic context, and in keeping with A.J. Cook dinner, she was the one who reached out to her former co-star to see if he may come again after conversations with showrunner Erica Messer. With regards to what it was wish to be again on set with Gubler, Cook dinner advised EW:
It felt like a homecoming. It was actually fantastic. I used to be so pleased that he got here again to do that with us. Once we have been within the conception of this episode, Erica and I stored going again to the thought of Spence having to be there. It could really feel like an enormous piece of the puzzle is lacking if he could not be there. I known as him up and I used to be like, ‘Hey, bud, what are you doing? Do you wish to come do that?’ And being the gracious human that he’s, he agreed. After I advised him what was taking place [with] Will, he was like, ‘Are you kidding me? I’ll completely be there.’ It was a brief look, however so impactful. It meant the world to me and to our solid and I do know it meant rather a lot to him, too.
Reid did not come again to affix any investigations and even communicate together with his buddies on digital camera, however he was there for JJ when she wanted her greatest pal. All people’s shock at really seeing him raises questions on what’s been taking place off-screen since that Reid Easter Egg in Season 2 and point out that he was on “sabbatical.”
When Matthew Grey Gubler initially revealed his return as Reid to Ansa.it, he mentioned that he’d “filmed a brand new episode of Felony Minds,” which means that Episode 3 was his one and solely episode this season. The Evolution group had rather a lot to do with out loads of display time, particularly in gentle of the later CBS seasons toying with a “Jeid” romance between JJ and Reid.
A.J. Cook dinner addressed that potential complication of “having him come again at her husband’s funeral the place these characters have mentioned that they love one another,” then went on:
It was a high-quality line. We didn’t wish to give off that vibe in any respect. We needed it to be like, that is your greatest pal exhibiting up for you in your time of want. In order that’s why it was a delicate factor. It was like, can we hug? Can we not hug? What are the folks going to suppose? It is so polarized relating to [the JJ and Reid shippers]. Everyone seems to be allowed to have a fantasy and suppose what they need. We have been very cautious about that. And Erica did let the general public know that sure, he is coming again, however I feel her quote was, ‘He is a small half in a extremely large episode,’ which is true. However you may’t please all people. We do our greatest.
In a really candy second, Spencer did give JJ and her sons an enormous hug that they most likely wanted. He did not have an enormous half to play within the episode, however definitely a memorable one. It additionally provides me hope that we may see Matthew Grey Gubler again as Reid once more sooner or later, even when he’ll by no means return to sequence common standing.
For one factor, Felony Minds: Evolution has already been renewed for Season 4, so Gubler solely filming one episode of Season 3 definitely doesn’t suggest that was his one and solely probability. For an additional factor, the actor’s new CBS present that was initially supposed for the 2025-2026 TV season has been delayed to the 2026-2027 TV season. May Gubler have some sudden free time to come back again as Reid whereas Einstein is quickly on ice?
Plus, “Time to Say Goodbye” proved that it is attainable for Reid to pop again into the combination for private causes to assist his buddies, permitting for one more one-off look somewhat than becoming a member of the most recent case. I will optimistically view this primary return of Spencer Reid as an indication that we should not quit hope to see him once more in Season 4.
For now, simply preserve trying out new episodes of Felony Minds: Evolution releasing on Thursdays on Paramount+. You may also discover the fifteen CBS seasons in addition to the primary two Evolution seasons on the streamer.