Criminal Minds: Evolution didn’t just bring back Matthew Gray Gubler‘s Reid — but several other OG characters — for Will’s funeral.
During the Thursday, May 22, episode of the Paramount+ show, JJ (A. J. Cook) prepared for late husband Will’s (Josh Stewart) funeral with help from Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) and Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster).
The emotional day got nostalgic when Gubler’s fan-favorite character made a surprise appearance to support JJ. Emily, meanwhile, pointed out to Penelope that Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) and Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) sent flowers because they couldn’t be at the funeral.
While viewers knew to expect a cameo from Gubler, the Hotchner and Morgan mentions were unexpected. Criminal Minds: Evolution has previously found ways to acknowledge characters from the original show after making the move from CBS to Paramount+.
‘Criminal Minds’ Cast: Then and Now
Criminal Minds, which debuted in 2005, introduced viewers to a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit. The crime drama has kept exploring different fictional cases each season as cast members have come and gone.
After wrapping in 2020, Criminal Minds was revived with Cook, 46, Vangsness, 52, Brewster, 56, Joe Mantegna, Aisha Tyler and Adam Rodriguez returning.
Gubler, 45, who played Reid from 2005 to 2020, publicly discussed his interest in making a return. “I would be honored. I would absolutely love that,” he said of the series during an appearance on Ireland’s The Six O’Clock Show in September 2023. “They did a newer spinoff of the show, but it was filming during a time when I was shooting something else. But I can’t wait — hopefully it will soon work out.”
Showrunner Erica Messer exclusively told Us Weekly in July 2024 that they have had conversations with Gubler, saying, “We love [Matthew] and he’s always going to be a part of the family. We would love for an opportunity to arise to get him back. And we have tried — and he has tried.”
Messer noted that Gubler’s busy schedule kept him from returning.
“It just hasn’t worked out timing wise. I can’t speak to [season 3 of Criminal Minds: Evolution] because we’re not there yet. But it’s not for lack of trying,” Messer said before pointing out how the show has still featured mentions of Reid. “I think the characters also are going to acknowledge it.”
She continued: “Even when [Felicity Huffman‘s character] Jill Gideon was like, ‘How are all these people doing?’ They’ve all been gone for a long time — but she wouldn’t not ask about them. That’s who she remembers on the team.”
Why Matthew Gray Gubler’s Post-‘Criminal Minds’ TV Return Is Already Rocky
While Gubler isn’t sticking around as Reid on Criminal Minds, he is marking his TV return with CBS’ Einstein. The upcoming series follows Lew Einstein, a.k.a the great grandson of Albert Einstein, as he spends his days as a comfortably tenured professor. His bad boy antics, however, land him in trouble with the law so he uses his skills to help a local police detective solve the most puzzling cases.
CBS picked up the show to series but it has been plagued with delays. In April, it was confirmed that CBS was moving Einstein from its planned premiere during the 2025-26 TV season to the 2026-27 season.
“At one point, Einstein was on the schedule,” the network’s Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach explained at the CBS Upfronts in May. “But then it just occurred to us that we had an opportunity with this show. We’ve had such great results with long term development. [At last year’s upfront press event], we announced that we were picking up Sheriff Country to series [for 2025-26]. They start production next week, we have been promoting the show for months, we have 12 scripts banked, and we have a ton of efficiencies for production, scheduling, etc.”
She added: “We felt like Einstein could really benefit from this path, even if it means changing course. We are not afraid to do that when it means that we are setting the show up for its best chances of success.”
Criminal Minds is currently streaming on Paramount+.
