Warning! Spoilers ahead for Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2, episode 4.
Summary
Spencer Reid and Derek Morgan’s absence is glaring inCriminal Minds: Evolution, but instead of simply bringing them back, I’m happy that they can only come back under one condition. I can’t remember when I exactly started watching the CBS show. Out of all the police procedurals I tend to follow,Criminal Mindswas definitely the gnarliest and scariest, and for someone who cannot sit through a horror movie, I am impressed that I was hooked on it. So when news about Paramount+ revivingCriminal Mindswas announced, I was excited. Luckily, the reboot has been good thus far.
Being on a streaming service instead of a network allowsCriminal Minds: Evolutionto do things that the original show couldn’t. Somehow, everything is dialed up, including the cruelness of the unsubs and the intricacy of the cases. Emily Prentiss' BAU remains tight, and I do not doubt that they are capable of solving any mystery that comes their way. Sometimes, however, I can’t help but miss some of the missing profilers, particularly Shemar Moore’s Derek Morgan and Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid. The door is open for them to join theCriminal Minds: Evolutioncast, but there’s a caveat.
Hotch’s Unresolved Storyline Finally Haunts Prentiss In Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2
Emily Prentiss is great as BAU chief, but Aaron Hotchner’s abrupt departure issue finally catches up to her in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2.
Criminal Minds' Reid & Morgan Returns Will Be Meaningful (If They Ever Happen)
Reid & Morgan’s Returns Will Be Worth The Wait
Moore leftCriminal Mindsas Morgan back in season 11, while Gubler didn’t return as Reid when the revival premiered. There was some confusion about why, but more recently, it was supposedly due to scheduling issues. Regardless, both have yet to be involved in BAU’s hunt for Gold Star. Considering that it was deemed a national security threat, I would assume that it would be the perfect opening to bring them both back to help Prentiss' team. That said, showrunner Erica Messer has revealed thatReid and Morgan will only return toCriminal Minds: Evolutionfor personal reasons.
It would also effectively highlight how tightly-knit the team is that Morgan would be willing to come out of retirement and Reid would drop whatever separate case he’s currently working on to be with their closest co-workers who have turned into family.
This means that they can’t use any professional circumstances to recruit them. Admittedly, this makes things trickier when it comes to crafting their comebacks, but also ensures that there’s a solid story for them. I believe this is so much better, considering that the payoff of their reunion with the rest of the squad would be more satisfying. It would also effectively highlight how tightly-knit the team is that Morgan would be willing to come out of retirement and Reid would drop whatever separate case he’s currently working on to be with their closest co-workers who have turned into family.
Reid & Morgan Should Return To Criminal Minds, But For The Right Story
Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2 Has Some Arcs That Fit The Bill
As part of theCriminal Mindsfan-base long before I started covering it, any long-time follower of the franchise would be delighted to see Reid and Morgan again. Now that Messer has revealed the circumstances in which it can happen, the Paramount+ revival can now focus on the storyline that would get them both back with the BAU. There are acouple of developing storylines inCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2can potentially lead to Reid and Morgan’s desire to reunite with their old team.
JJ’s Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2 Struggle Sets Up The Ugliest Franchise Character Exit
Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2 introduces a new issue with JJ that could result in the franchise’s ugliest way to write a chracter out.
Firstly, the AI deep-fake crisis that is currently haunting JJ. Like Morgan and Reid, she was also an originalCriminal Mindscast member, which means that she is extremely important to them. JJ attempts to bring it up to Emily inCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2, episode 4, “Kingdom of the Blind,” but amid the chaos brought by thereturning CBSCriminal MindsC-list villain Brian Garrity, she isn’t able to. Secondly, the debut of Jason Gideon’s ex-wife could also draw both Reid and Morgan out, considering their history with the BAU’s co-founding father.
How Likely Is It Reid & Morgan Could Return To The Criminal Minds Franchise?
Reid & Morgan’s Returns Need To Happen At The Same Time
The good news is both Moore and Gubler have expressed their desires to come back toCriminal Minds. There were even plans of Reid being involved inCriminal Minds: Evolutionseason 2 but its delay in production due to the dual strikes of 2023 foiled that. Meanwhile, Moore has revealed that the only reason why he hasn’t returned is because he hasn’t received any invitation to do so. Considering all these, it’s safe to say that they would be game to reprise the characters once the specifics are finally sorted out.
Seeing them back via a solid narrative is great, but another important factor to consider is to ensure that they return at the same time. The pair hasn’t shared a screen since Moore left the show, which is odd, considering their close relationship. I’d be more than happy to see Reid and/or Morgan back with the BAU, but ifCriminal Minds: Evolutionwants to stage the best reunion in the franchise’s history, they’ll make sure that the pair would be together.
Criminal Minds: Evolution
Cast
InCriminal Minds: Evolution, the FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. As the world opens back up and the network goes operational, the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time. Original cast members continuing their roles include Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster. Zach Gilford joins the dynamic cast as a recurring guest star in a season-long arc.
